Tutankhamun

Current work: TCVB
Listening to: various
Reading: out of time

Early start to catch the train; very pretty journey, as it was minus 3 degrees C, with fog rising from the frost and the sun rising in a pale pink glow.

Met Fi at Liverpool Street and, as the weathermen’s promised drizzle turned out to be bright sunshine, we decided to go to Greenwich by boat rather than by tube. Fabulous trip - and faster than we expected. Even the wind couldn't wipe the smiles from the children’s faces.

The O2 centre was very impressive. From the river, it looked quite small, but the appearance was deceptive.

There was a huge statue of Anubis to greet us, along with fountains and steam (hot springs?). (And lots of little comments in the stones, such as the distance to the North Pole - and, my favourite, the fact that a sundial in Norwich shows noon 5 minutes before one in Greenwich but Plymouth shows it 16 minutes later.)




I was also very taken with this beautiful spire. In the evening, when we left, it was the palest, palest pink, reflecting the sky.

The inside was pretty impressive, too.

Had lunch at Frankie & Benny’s and then joined the enormous queue for the Tutankhamun exhibition. Sadly, no photography was allowed, so I can't share here, but the exhibition was fab - I particularly liked the cow goddess’ head and the shabti figures. The heartbreaking exhibit was the gilded deathmask for one of the foetuses. Beautiful: but so terribly sad. The two things that really struck me about art that’s 3,500 years old were the colours (much brighter than I expected) and the incredible attention to detail – even to the plaits in someone’s headdress.

One box had the statues missing - but there were footprints carved into the floor of the box, showing exactly where the statues were originally placed.) I was very taken with an ankh mirror and cover, too. And the chair that still had the original rush seating. (Obviously the preservation is because of the dry climate in Egypt, but a 3,500-year-old chair that was still usable... wow.)


Oh, and the figure in the poster below? Tiny – less than 30cm tall – but incredibly detailed.


I'm glad we went. It was very hot and very busy/packed with people, but it's still an experience I hope the children will remember when they're as ancient as I am now. (Today, 42 - as well as being the answer to the question - feels very old.) Seeing the exhibition has fuelled my longing to go to Egypt and see Luxor myself, but with the current political situation I think it's wise to wait a little longer.