March 11, 2003 - page 2

For our British museums course a day earlier, we had taken the seven-minute walk to see the (what else?) British Museum, the most recent of our weekly museum visits. This place, as you’d expect, is remarkable. The volume of its collection is astounding, and every visitor can spot his or her own treasure along the way. The big-name exhibits, meanwhile, live up to their reputation and make everyone pause. I marched right to the Rosetta Stone, which unlocked the mystery of Egyptian hieroglyphics and marked the beginning of ancient Egypt’s “rediscovery.” It was, notably, tucked away rather inconspicuously in a corner. But that didn’t stop the crowds from circling; one couldn’t help but notice the group of French grade school students passing through noisily. The scamps were everywhere! Not even my most intense stares would set them straight.

On Friday my British Statesmanship course took me to Greenwich, where the Royal Observatory has stood since Charles II ordered its construction in 1674. The main tourist attraction, the prime meridian, was set here by an 1884 agreement that put mighty England at the metaphorical center of world. Once the drizzle cleared up, the view from the top of the hill was impressive, with the Royal Naval College – an institution obviously strengthened by the technological advances that the observatory helped facilitate – dominating the scene. The great challenge to visitors is to find the most creative picture pose while standing along the meridian. Some of us did better than others.