Going it Alone: Tate Britain

I recently had the first epiphany of my study abroad experience.  Sometimes, you just have to do it alone.  When no one in your group of friends wants to visit a monument you've been longing to see, you just have to put on your big-girl pants and do it yourself.  Why?  Because it's not worth wasting a minute of precious time here.  So yesterday, when I realized that not a single one of my friends had even the slightest interest in stopping off at the Tate Britain, I braved the Tube alone and made a solo museum visit.  Despite my initial hesitation to do anything by myself in a strange city, it proved to be one of the most rewarding experiences I have had in London thus far.

In getting over my fear of solo sight-seeing, I uncovered a new favorite museum.  The Tate Britain, baby sister to the better-known Tate modern, lies on the North bank of the Thames.  Quiet and quaint, and devoid of the camera-clutching mobs that perpetually engulf London's landmarks, the Tate Britain allowed time to actually absorb the artwork.  Specializing in modern British art, the Tate had a fantastic special exhibition on the Romantics, including several galleries dedicated specifically to the work of JMW Turner.

Although not anywhere near as massive as the British Museum, the Tate Britain still deserves another visit.  Good news: admission to the general galleries of all London museums costs nothing!  At least something here is easy on my pocket. . .