Everyone left London at some point on Wednesday to continue with their spring break plans. I, however, stayed in London until Friday afternoon. Wednesday morning, Professor Frank invited me to go to a museum with her and her daughter since they weren't leaving till later in the afternoon. I went with them, but there was a huge line at the museum, so instead we went to Covent Garden so her daughter could see it. We wandered around, eventually made our way to Trafalgar Square and hung out at a little coffee shop. We said goodbye around 1 when they left to catch a train. I then checked into my hotel, which was very close to our previous hotel, but accessed by the Goodge Street tube station. That night I went to see Sherlock Holmes the movie in Leicester Square. I really enjoyed the movie and the theater was one that hosts a lot of movie premiers. (Side note - Sunday night we went to Leicester Square for dinner and stumbled upon the world premier of Clash of the Titans. I kid you not. Unfortunately we did not get to see Liam Neeson, but we did get to see the rich and famous walk the red carpet into the theater.)
Thursday was my museum day - I went to the Natural History Museum (saw the dinosaurs) and the Churchill War Museum and the Cabinet War Rooms. I was bummed about having to pay for the Churchill and Cabinet museums, but they were definitely worth it. Basically the underground bunkers used by the British government during WWII are preserved as they were left at the end of the war. It was truly fascinating. Unfortunately it was very dark and tiny, so the pictures really don't do justice to the place. But perhaps one of the most fascinating things they had was the map room. I got to see the map that the allies used to carve up Germany after the war. I was blown away that such a monumental decision was made by coloring with permanent markers on a map. Since I've done a lot of work on that decision in class this semester, that was a really special experience for me.
I ate lunch that day on the steps in Trafalgar Square and almost got attacked by a pigeon. That night, I went to see the musical Jersey Boys. It was outstanding and I really recommend it to anyone who has a chance to go. The music was very well performed and fun to listen to.
Friday morning I went to the Imperial War Museum. It is a must for anyone with remote interest in the history of war. The grounds are home to 15-inch British naval guns from WWII. They are huge (I think the size refers to the diameter of the shells it fires, because the guns were many, many meters in length). When you walk in, you are immediately confronted by tanks, airplanes, submarine turrets and guns used in WWI and WWII. I spent quite some time just in the lobby of the place! One of the rooms had a special exhibit on trench warfare during WWI. They have a replicated trench that you can walk through. I thought this would be fun and enlightening. It was actually scary. You enter a dark space no wider than the width of your shoulders. It is dark except for red lights that occasionally flicker - simulating fire in the distance. The chatter of gunfire erupts all around you, and you never know where it is coming from. The first time the guns went off I jumped; it was scary being there all alone.
The War Museum has a relatively new, 4-story exhibit on the Holocaust. I thought it was very well portrayed. It didn't contain too much graphic material that younger kids couldn't see it, but it had enough information panels to provide more information to even the people most knowledgeable about the event. I very much recommend going.
One of the exhibits most interesting to me was the exhibit on genocide. You walk into this room that plays a long video. Set in front of the large projection screen are spartan boxes to sit on. Everything in the room is made of light wood, so there is nothing for your eyes to wander to if the video gets too disturbing. The video goes through all the phases of genocide: potential causes, persecution, execution, trials and possibilities for reconciliation. It was very graphic, but I think in this case the images were necessary to get the point across. Especially after having spent the previous 45-minutes in the Holocaust exhibit, this film was jarring. (Consider, too, that I am calling the film jarring and have spent my entire college career studying genocide and watching films of a similar nature.) I was, in some ways, shocked that such a video was playing in a museum. But at the same time I felt glad - the problems and issues surrounding genocide were placed in front of the people. The museum has no entrance fee, so it is my hope that many people will view the video and perhaps be inspired to act.
Friday afternoon I headed out to Heathrow airport. I was staying overnight at a nearby hotel because my flight to France left at 6:40 the next morning. That adventure (the word adventure is very appropriate in this instance) will be relayed soon!
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