Awe and beauty

Atop St Paul's Cathedral

Shakespeare's Globe

and?

The Shard

Another day in paradise. First stop is St Paul’s Cathedral. Walking in I am overawed by the grandeur and beauty. I have never been inside a building so open and serene. Can you tell I liked it? At first disappointed I can’t take photos but then realise it helps keep the serenity of the space.

I learn that Christopher Wren was a bit of an astronomy buff so I like that, the dome is exactly 365 feet high. Also search for the kangaroo on one of the quire mosaics with all the other animals in God’s kingdom, can’t find it however did see the emu. Really clever how he has an inner and outer dome to maintain the viewing proportions if you are inside or out.

Then I climb the 259 steps to the Whispering Gallery around the inner dome. Sit for a while in admiration, as it is so beautiful. More effort up 271 narrow winding steps leads me onto the next adventure to the windy and exposed top of the dome. Few people attempt the climb, some get there and freak out holding onto the wall as they try to take a photo or just leave straight away and go back down. I think where is Stevie when you need him? Anyhow I am so over excited by the magnificent views I thoroughly enjoy taking photos from every vantage point. We are as high as the London Eye. I must have learnt a lot about London from Jane over the last few days as I can now indentify every major landmark.

Back down the stairs and time to move to the other side of the Thames via the Millennium Bridge. Tick, they use that one in the Spooks TV show all the time.

Shakespeare’s Globe greets me, it’s a reconstruction of the theater that Shakespeare and other playwrights used in the early 1600’s. Real actors were practicing on the stage for a performance this afternoon. I am here to relive the Dr Who episode, The Shakespeare Code. Learnt that Shakespeare added 1,500 words to our vocabulary and numerous sayings, like foul play, in the twinkling of an eye and I have not slept one wink.

My first Tate visit. Tate Modern, hmm, I like modern art but this place is cold and uninteresting. Just as it was described in the tourist books.

Final wander is through the Bankside area using the Shard as my beacon for the train station I travel along old cobbled streets with tiny cottages next to massive office buildings imagining what it was like here in the 1600’s with bear baiting, brothels and cock fighting.

Finished the day off with yummy breaded smoked haddock fillets, that’s another first for me.