The ‘BM’ is one of the world’s great museums housing some 8,000,000 exhibits and welcoming some 6,000,000 visitors each year – which I can quite believe, half-term school holiday week is quite horrid.
Anyway, the back entrance is really rather grand, with its sleeping lions and the Greek Revival façade.
In 1962, while still being built, the BT Tower overtook St Paul's Cathedral to become the tallest building in London at a total height to 190 metres (620 ft) - height includes pointy ariel bit.
Once they finished it the BT Tower was taller thank the Millbank Tower down by the River SW1 (which had been put up faster) to once again become the tallest building in the country, titles it held until 1980 when the Nat West Tower in the City was completed.
Rose early and by 0730 on the road heading northeast towards and then along the Karpaz Peninsula known as the ‘pan handle’ of Cyprus. A sixty-two mile trip on now made excellent roads (last years tracks along the sea were pretty yet fearful). The early part of the day: shadows cast long across a red and sage green landscape that darkens blue-green as mountains rise up on the south east of our route.
Blue sea to our left or to our right sparkles en route. A brave journey without a map, a situation resolved as we reached Yenierekoy. Here after buying stamps from a happy post master (also an excuse to change a large note) I was furnished with two excellent maps by the Tourist Office next door; thus endowed, several jewel-like basilicas were discovered and drawn culminating with the Ayios Philon Church dedicated to Philon, the saint who converted the people of these parts to Christianity in the 4th century.
We went again to Salamis a huge archaeological site that goes back to 11th C BC founded by Teucer who could not return home after the Trojan War because he failed to avenge his brother Ajax. It is also associated with Assyrian Kings and was ruled by Ptolemy Alexander the Great’s foremost general. Thence it became a Roman province and St Barnabas who brought Christianity to Cyprus was stoned to death her. Salamis was abandoned during the Arab invasions of the 7th century, as the city was in decline its harbour having silted up.
The site is vast. Excavations began in 1952. We saw a team at work last year and were able to look at their uncovering of another section of roman baths. Yet excavations have only uncovered a fraction (theatre, gymnasium, basilica, agora, and forum) of what must have been a huge and thriving community who’s necropolis covers seven square kilometres.
The place has a wild, delightfully unkempt feel as sea breezes displace some of the heat. Arrival at an early hour in the morning is recommended!
THE FINEST GOTHIC IN THE NEAR EAST
Having visited most of the cathedrals in England we are finely attuned to the delights of gothic architecture. Bellapaix Abbey, almost walk-able from the Villa, is billed as one of the finest pieces of gothic. Built on the side of a mountain, this twelfth-century monastery is a fine testament to the Lusignan period (the Lusignans from France, a family that came to control the Kingdoms of Jerusalem and of Cyprus).
The Abbey, with its pretty church appears, to float above the landscape. The masonry work of its cloister arches and tracery (most of which is fractured and is now silhouetted against the sky like old, poor, broken teeth) is so light and delicate.
Handy for the Westfields Shopping Centre and beneath the headquarters of the fashion company Monsoon Accessorize nestles the new only-been-open-a-couple of months resturant-cafe Nottingdale. 
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