Cultured... or Something

Perhaps the best part about the area of London we are in is the proximity to museums and the like which are largely available for free. The Victorian & Albert is literally a block away and so much history is involved there, from the bomb-scarred exterior dating back to WWII to the priceless pieces of antiquity on display inside. Make no mistake about it, the exhibits in the V&A are nothing like the British Museum or The National Gallery; our humanities professor called it "history's attic." Meaning a place to put the stuff that isn't quite good enough for the primetime, but nothing you want to get rid of or throw out. And there's something to be said for pieces like that to be fully appreciated.
We're also located only a couple blocks from Royal Albert Hall, home to many incredible musicians and artists alike. Royal Albert Hall itself is a remarkable and distinctive building that stands out in the already incredible landscape of London. Notably, the National Science Museum is quite literally across the street from our apartment. The furthest I have explored it was to go to the ATM (which ate my card) so I'm a bit bitter, but I'm assured the exhibits themselves are fascinating. Perhaps if I ever overcome my grudge I'll visit.
And then there are the heavy hitters: the British Museum and the National Gallery. Simply put, they are as good if not better than any museum you will go to in my opinion. And yes, that includes the Louvre. You can find all the big names, many of the most incredible works, and stuff you hear about in the history books. It blows my mind, really. Like this past weekend I saw the Rosetta Stone. Like on a whim, I just went and saw it. You can do that here, it's incredible. And today for part of my humanities class at the National Gallery, I got to hear our professor expound on Renaissance painters da Vinci, Michelangelo, and Raphael. Awesome.
Suffice to say, art history majors in our program are in 7th heaven and even casual observers like myself can stand in awe and at least try and appreciate how remarkable this city is in so many respects. And you know what the best part is? I've barely scratched the surface of what this place has to offer. Meaning I'll be very very busy for a very long time. And whats not to like about that?