On my first full day in London, I went to a few of the tourist sites and they were really nice. I don't have much more money to spend, so I was hoping there would be a free museum or two and it turns out there are and they are huge! The natural history museum and the Science Museum are free here. I went to the natural history museum and today I plan to go to the science museum tomorrow.
I also saw the changing of the guards at Buckingham palace, Westminster Abbey, the National art museum and a few other places as well. There was a black lives matter parade in the center of the city and there were hundreds if not thousands of people there who were also protesting Britain's policies on refugees, protesting the war, etc. It was a massive gathering and the roads were all shut down for a few hours.
Here are my photos and videos from the day:
At the National Gallery in London, I saw the most interesting art exhibit:
“The perspective box or peepshow is an optical device which enables an artist to create a convincing illusion of interior (or, more rarely, exterior) space. Using a complex perspectival construction, the four inside walls of a wooden box are painted to simulate the space and the scene is then viewed through a carefully positioned eyehole. The eye is deceived into believing that this is really the inside of a room.
The peepshow was popular among Dutch 17th-century artists, reflecting a fascination with perspectival and optical devices. Of the six peepshows which survive from the 17th century the best is that by Samuel van Hoogstraten in the National Gallery. The inside of the box is painted in such a way that when viewed through either of the peep holes, located at each end, it gives the illusion of a three-dimensional interior of a modest Dutch room, sparsely furnished and with views through into other rooms.”