We caught the number 24 bus from Belgrave Road to Tottenham Court Road station, a short walk from the British Museum. Up to the third floor we went, passing through lots of artefacts about Roman Britain, until we got to rooms 61-65, to see the Egyptian mummies and all the extras. It amazes me that in Melbourne we have ONE mummy, named Tjeby, yet in London there are soooo many of them, with all sorts of extra supporting displays that explain the ancient Egyptian obsession with death.
We looked at a small exhibition of hoards of coins found by farmers and workers over the years, like the more than 17,000 silver Roman coins found in Beau Street, Bath by archaeologists in 2007. And then we sat outside and ate the delicious sandwiches Gary had made for us from gammon ham and Wiltshire cheddar, followed by waffles and coffee.
After lunch we caught a nearby bus to the London Guildhall, in the very heart of old London at Cheapside (cheap is a Saxon word for market), with street names including Milk, Wood, Honey, etc., that remind us of the 12th century onwards importance of the area. Under the Guildhall is the Roman amphitheatre ruins discovered by archaeologists in 1987, brilliantly presented and interpreted, and extremely interesting.
And to think that these wonderful museums are free entry!
