Playing Dress-up

The first object of interest of the Victoria & Albert Museum is actually the building itself.  

For those of you who can't quite make out the letters, it reads: "The damage to these walls is the result of enemy bombing during the blitz of the Second World War 1939-1945 and is left as a memorial to the enduring values of this great museum in a time of conflict."

Growing up in Tucson I only learned of past wars through Ben Affleck movies and textbook quizzes.  However, Europe has been left with visible scars, leaving proof that what happened is so much more than box office earnings and required homework.  I feel such reverence when I see sites such as these.

Soberness changed to excitement when we saw this room where they restore and clean old pieces of art.  Now, don't get too excited- David has not been removed from Italy.  This particular replica happens to have a detachable fig leaf for modesty's sake, as requested by Queen Victoria.  

But the real fun started when we found the dress-up clothes.

This costumed was labeled as a specific jester's.  
Juliet! 

Tweedledum
Behold: the bra dress. 

While we obviously spent a lot of time dressing up as English characters, I made sure to find the display of some of Beatrix Potter's original works.  There was some rough sketches, some half-painted pictures, manuscripts, and beautiful completed water-colored landscapes.  

We saw much more, but I feel it necessary to return at least twice more before I leave London.  There's just so much!

At this point the number of pictures I have with Cadbury soft served ice cream is beginning to worry me.  But it's sooo good.  The best I can describe it is like a cross between whipped cream and ice cream, with a cadbury chocolate plopped right into the middle.  It's a good thing they don't have this miracle of a treat in the states.  I would have to go up a few pant sizes in no time.