The British Museum– Part One

I remember the British Museum of old well— no air conditioning, a notable smell of must or age, and way too many exhibits to take in even in a month of Sundays. The current upgrade is good since there is now air conditioning, and some new rooms for the old stuff. There are also more special exhibits in this case, on the Bayeux Tapestry chronicling the battle of Hastings etc. and the Norman conquest. Not that you can get in to see it, unless you booked back during the Presidency of Obama, and you would need a small bank loan as well and the ability to queue endlessly. But I digress, here’s part of what you would see when you enter this museum….. It is something of a surprise that the French would loan this heirloom tapestry to the U.K. in view of the track record of various Brits in Greece and Egypt and elsewhere, bringing precious artifacts back from and then refusing to return them, and this includes the Rosetta Stone and portions of the Parthenon frieze on which see below. Not only so, but the Bayeux Tapestry was made in England—–but then William the Conqueror was from Normandy— yes that Normandy of WWII fame. Stay tuned. Among other famous things that have been pilfered over the...