London XII

After several recreational evenings, in honour of the end of Lent term,

i felt it appropriate to purify my soul with some fine art.

It was a beautiful day in Marylebone as i strolled toward the the Wallace Collection

There i saw the Great British Watercolours exhibition, and an exhibition on the Marquesses and Marchionesses of Hertford who built the collection and endowed it to the state. For people who had so many affairs and consequently produced so many illegitimate children, they had excellent taste in art.

Went to the Victoria and Albert Museum. It is incredible and very eclectic: a real kunstkammer.

Here is the plaster room, filled with lifesize replicas of major works around the world, including Trajan's Column and Michaelangelo's David. Back in the olden days, before £5 Ryanair flights to Ciampino, this was ofen the only opportunity for art students to admire these classical pieces.

Although they are currently an anachronistic curiosity, when all the oil runs out in 50 years and air travel becomes prohibitively expensive, they will be useful again.

Had a few beers and a curry in Soho with Mr Ben Woffenden before heading home.