Today we (all the members of our class, with our professor) went to St. Paul's Cathedral for a tour. (I know – it sounds so difficult and hard, for class we toured St. Paul's.) I was very disappointed today, and I'll share with you. I had two separate issues that caused me distress. The first thing was there is no picture taking allowed inside St. Paul's. Apparently several years ago, some tourists were making a big fuss, not being respectful with themselves and their cameras and the head person of St. Paul's got irritated and said "NO MORE PICTURES!" And so, that is why now, if one takes a tour of St. Paul's there are no pictures allowed. There were many beautiful things that I wish I could have taken pictures of, like the geometric staircase that makes up the Dean's staircase, where the steps float, seemingly unattached to anything. Each of the 88 steps has identical wrought iron banisters, and each one is hand made. My aunt and uncle who live in Screven, Georgia would love to see those. Robyn, my sister who is a nurse, for her, I'd photograph the memorial for Florence Nightingale, one of only three women with a memorial in the cathedral. The American Memorial Chapel is gorgeous, with the stained glass window that have the seals of each of the 48 states at the time it was created. The beautiful Tijou gates, which were created by the same artist who made the 88 banisters for the Dean's staircase, those would have made a great picture. Most of all, to stand right under the dome and look straight up, that is a picture I'd really love to have. We had a lovely tour guide, Dr. Don, who knows more about St. Paul's than I could even imagine. He told us details for about an hour and half straight and never missed a beat. Luckily, there is a handy dandy book that can be purchased for only 5.99 (which is $12.00) that has all those lovely pictures inside. These are much more gorgeous pictures than I could have taken, but still, I would have liked to have tried.
My second disappointment will sound trivial to some. . . I was all excited about St. Paul's because one of my favorite movies of all time is "Mary Poppins." I love the idea of the Birdwoman who sits on the steps of St. Paul's and feeds the birds. Remember, Michael Banks has "tuppence" that he wants to give the Birdwoman. (Be glad this is not a podcast, because I'm singing to myself "Feed the birds, tuppence a bag" which would not pleasant for anyone to hear.) So, I wanted to see someone feeding the birds at St. Paul's. Imagine my disappointment or even despair, when I saw the discreet little sign that says "For public hygiene, please do not feed the birds." I was nearly heartbroken. Of course, the birds don't seem to care that no one is feeding them, they still fly and hop around, but I really wanted to feed the birds.
I was not at all disappointed with St. Paul's. It is beautiful, and awe-inspiring. I'd like to think that I wouldn't have been an obnoxious picture taker, who was disrespectful and rude. I don't know how people could be, because I felt very insignificant inside. I felt very small and in awe of those who had such talent to be able to create the things I was seeing. I wish I could slide the curtain of time aside and take a little peek at the building of St. Paul's, to see how they built it, to see Christopher Wren stomping around in the mud and mess, making sure it was just like he wanted it. . . It just seems like such a marvelous creation should make us aware of and bring out the best of human nature, and instead for some, it brought out the worst of human nature. So, if you ever come to London, be sure to visit St. Paul's Cathedral and if you take a tour, ask for Don. He's great. He'll tell you great stories and show you things you never imagined. But, turn your camera off when you come inside, and make sure you have 5.99 to get the pictures you will surely want.
Outside, you can take all the pictures you want to, and I took a bunch. I am just fascinated with the flowers I see everywhere, so I find myself taking lots of pictures of flowers. I am so amazed by the actual building of St. Paul's I kept taking lots of pictures of it, too, from as many angles as I can.
After our tour, we went to lunch at the Punch Tavern. They have a great buffet; others had homemade lasagna, a roast beef sandwich that was huge, and fish and chips. I haven't had fish and chips yet, but I'm really curious about the side of "mushy peas" that comes with it. Everything was just delicious, I had some fresh pasta salads that were delicious, and I think that the Punch Tavern gets my vote for the best restroom (they just call them toilets) that I've been in so far. I'm going to do a whole post on British bathrooms another day. Our class mate, Jodi, found this place for us.
Next, we crossed the Thames on the London Millennium Footbridge and popped into the Tate Modern Museum. It was interesting, but I don't mind saying I'm not sure modern art is quite my thing. It was quite an experience. We also took a peek into the Globe Theater, where I bought my niece a book. She's only nine which is a little young for Shakespeare, but it is written for children. I enjoyed it thoroughly, so I hope she will too.
We also rode the Underground for the first time today. Others in our class have already ridden it, but for my flat mate and I, it was the first time. I have ridden the subway in New York and the Metro in Washington DC, but the London Underground feels different from each of those, although I can't really explain why. Maybe it's the signs that say "Way Out" instead of "Exit" or just the polite way things seem to be worded. It was quick, easy, and uneventful, which I suppose is a good thing. We got a little rain today, I was actually amazed at how some of my pictures show a perfect blue sky and some show a sky as gray as can be.
PS: You can see some more of my pictures here:
http://tinyurl.com/56c9t5
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