I have to confess that I don't like art much. Frankly, staring at paintings in galleries bores me. However, art suddenly became a lot more interesting when I found myself sporting a green hard hat and matching high vis to ascend 60 feet's worth of scaffolding to get a closer look at Britain's largest painted ceiling. This huge piece of art is at the Painted Hall in the Old Royal Naval College in Greenwich, London where Admiral Lord Nelson's body was laid in state in this grand hall after he died in the Battle of Trafalgar.
The Painted Hall dates from the 18th century and is currently undergoing a huge conservation project. In order to raise funds, for a mere £10, I got to see the ceiling up close and learn about its fascinating history and the conservation process from an incredibly knowledgeable and enthusiastic guide. Wearing my hard hat, I felt like a modern day Indiana Jones, discovering tiny details that have never been seen before from the ground. The ceiling has been restored several times since the 1950s and each restorer has signed the ceiling, assuming nobody would find out that they had essentially graffitied a treasured 18th century artwork. One restorer even cheekily signed Queen Mary's chest!
Greenwich boasts many attractions in addition to the Painted Hall. The Royal Observatory is well worth a visit, where you can straddle the Greenwich meridian to be simultaneously in the eastern and western hemispheres! If you get peckish, the Greenwich Market is an excellent stop to find all sorts of world cuisine. Obviously, I couldn't resist checking out the cake situation and had a lovely polenta, raspberry and orange cake. Many stalls offered gluten free cakes so this could be great destination for all your coeliac friends. Greenwich is one of my favourite parts of London with beautiful architecture, plenty of history and delicious food. Most importantly, my visit helped me realise that art can be interesting if you look a little harder for the quirky details.
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