Webbready

This next block of text is a trimmed version of the next to the last entry that I wrote in my London journal. Personally, I would find this a fitting conclusion to this series, but for completion’s sake, I will include excerpts from the final entry as well.

Although many of these entries cause me to lament the passing of both Emma Masley and Don Adam, this entry in particular weighs heavily on my heart. Without the guidance of these two, what little I retained from my trip would have been wasted and lost, and their opinions and suggestions turned what could have been merely an excellent tour of London, England into the journey of a lifetime.

January 23, 2000

Today was a day where there was only one scheduled activity, and that was a walk to the British Museum…In our walk to the museum, we passed by several buildings of London University, including the Senate House, a large and important building. We were also told the University of London has an extensive foreign student program, should we choose to pursue our graduate degrees abroad.

Upon arrival at the British Museum, we were given two exhibits to look out for. One was the Rosetta Stone, an exhibit we later found out was closed. The other was the marble remains of the Parthenon. Of course, this was not the exact name given to the exhibit and since I had no idea where to go, I quickly became lost, finding myself wandering, looking at the statues from several centuries BCE. Many of these statues had become worn over time, but several features were still visible. A work of art can last thousands of years, far longer than the civilizations that create them.

While I wandered, I encountered several statues, one of which was of the Greek goddess Nike…Even though pieces of the statue had been broken off, it still was an impressive sight. The detail in the attire, as in many of the statue, was so lifelike I wondered if [the statue] were a model turned to stone. For only a second or two I entertained this fantasy and after a few more minutes of admiration I wandered again.

Fortune gave me some help in saving me from an afternoon of aimless travel by directing Dr. Adam into my path. The two of us found the remains of the Parthenon, or at least the pieces that were transported to British soil. To say I was amazed was an understatement, but no words can express the surprise I felt at that moment. Although I had seen the Parthenon from photographs, I never had the opportunity to examine even part of it in person. This feeling of wonder overtook me to the point where I forgot the age of the works, or that the sculptures on the walls were part of an actual building.

However, Dr. Adam gave me a piece of information next which stunned me even more; these statues were once painted in colors to make them appear more lifelike. Only after hundreds of years did the paint fall off, leaving them with the appearance that most sculptures have today — unpainted…Dr. Adam reminded me that the Parthenon was a temple to Athena. While the reasoned and rational aspects of the ancient Greek culture is often emphasized, long overlooked is the fact that they were also a religious society. The sculptures were made to honor a deity…Dr. Adam also informed me that not only were these statues of religious significance, they also showed the ideal form for a man or woman. This serves as a reminder that the pressure to fit a certain body shape is by no means new.

While looking at the astonishing works of art on the wall, I noticed some of the pieces of stone had brown streaks in them. I foolishly asked Dr. Adam if this was the effect of acid rain, and he explained that the works were made of layer and layer of rock. After hundreds and hundreds of years, water was able to seep in some of the layers, causing the discoloration.

After viewing the Parthenon marbles, Dr. Adam and I went our separate ways. I paused for a second to look at the temple of the Nereids, then made my way to the first floor to find the pottery from this period. If I were amazed upon seeing the quite excellent condition of most of the works, the sight of so much pottery which remained in tact was more than incredible. Although what was on display was but a tiny portion of that the Greek civilization once used, the amount that remains to this day is quite the shock. Also, the method by which the designs were put into the pottery was also surprising.

Last, I went downstairs to the basement and looked at the stone tablets with Greek writing on them. For all the artistic accomplishments I had seen I had forgotten than this was a civilization that had an alphabet…While I could not understand what was written, just the sense of looking at the inscription upon stone mesmerized me. Would the things of today have such a long, lasting value. Or are the objects, like ourselves, merely a blink of the eye or a flash of thunder on an open field, quick and eventually forgotten?

I exited the museum a bit disappointed. The place contained so many works of art but I could only focus on one particular portion. In a way, it is a great disservice to the other cultures to not devote enough time to view the entire museum, but I am only human and I only have so many hours ro give. Perhaps my strand of life will be long enough for a return visit, but if it is cut, then at least I’ll have this fragment to cherish.