London July 16-19

        

Disclaimer: Please keep in mind, I’m not a professional writer. I will apologize now for any incorrect grammar, long confusing sentences odd metaphors, and anything else that doesn't make sense. If you want to read my entire disclaimer, go here. 

We are spending a few days in London before going on our Mediterranean Cruise. One thing on the schedule for this trip is to go back to the National Gallery and stand in front of Rubens, The Rape of the Sabine Women.  The Latin Word "rape" translates into "kidnapping" and if the early Romans under the direction of their first king Romulus, would not have kidnapped the Sabine women what would have happened to the Romans?

True it is a legend but the Romans and the Sabines did battle. There is some truth to it. While I'm there I might as well also check out .... Also let's think about it, if the legend/myth wouldn't have some truth to it, would you as a Roman really want to be the descendant of a guy who killed his own brother, was running with a group of men who were such ruffian that no father wanted to marry his daughter to them and they had to resort kidnapping?

Also on the schedule is to go to the British Museum to check out the Elgin Marbles again. Since we are going to the Palace of Knossos I want to go see the Clay tables with Linear B. Plus, the Parthenon Metopes, and the Caryatid from the Erectheion. I also want to see the amphora, the vase showing Amphora portraying Achilleus killing Penthesilea it wasn't on display the last time. Then there is the giant head of Asklepios of Milos which was of course found on Milos which we sadly will not visit. A couple blocks from the British Museum is St. Pancras' New Church which was built in 1819 and it is a copy of the Erectheion of the Acropolis in Athens. The British Museum does look like a Greek building but so far I haven't figured out if it is an exact copy of one like the St. Pancras Church.   I also want to go Sir John Soane's Museum.