Amazing Adventure

Our trip to England, Scotland and Ireland was unbelievable. I have shared with you a portion of day 2 of London and those are only 1/4 of the site we saw…on day 2. For the entire trip I took over 600 photos and trying to get those organized is a challenge.

So lets jump to day 3 as it was a little less busy because we went on a tour out of town to Oxford, Stonehenge and Windsor Castle. We were not originally scheduled for Oxford but their were issues at Rosslyn Chapel and Oxford was put in its place.

There really isn’t much to say about Stonehenge other that …WOW. We have all seen pictures of it, know of its mysteries and curiosities but to stand next to those massive structures, unbelievable.

And to prove we were actually there…in the rain. This was the only day we really saw rain and that is amazing in itself.

My daughter and I at Stonehenge in the rain.

All around the the area were sheep farms. Beautiful rolling hills were filled with sheep. In the distance you could see the formation of possible other henges which are actually round formations with surrounding mounds of protection.

From Stonehenge we headed to Oxford. Oxford seems like a typical college town but the concept is different that what we think here in the US. This town was created because of the college sometime around 1096. Today it is a massive University with 39 separate colleges and these college are not you typical 2-4 buildings per college, they are each full blown colleges.

My daughter and I main purpose in visiting these beautiful historical towns is to see the ancient architecture and the beautiful churches. Oxford did not disappoint as in the middle of town is the church of St. Mary Magdalen.

As you approached the church that is centered between a split of two streets, you first saw the massive monumental spire on the outmost point.

With closer inspection you see the statues and intricate carvings.

The church exterior at first is somewhat plain until you get behind it on the cemetery side.

Since we were not expected to go here, we did not get a chance to study what all we would see. So I have included some of the more interesting buildings.

It was interesting the fast food place we know here are everywhere there. See the Wendy’s sign? The food in London, because it is a major city of foreign trade, did not have a lot of food that interested us. If you into Mediterranean, Indian, or Thai, you will be fine. I am sure that outside the the city proper, you get more a English fare.

I will finish off day three with Windsor tomorrow. Until then, remember to be kind. While on this trip, we really saw the benefits of kindness.

St. Bartholomew The Great

We saw many wonderful churches as we roamed the streets of London, but the one that quickens my heart the most was St. Bartholomew the Great. It is London’s oldest surviving parish church, built in 1123, with the Hospital of St. Bartholomew the Less. St. Bartholomew the Great is the central parish, while St. Bartholomew the Less is a chapel within the parish, situated within St. Bartholomew’s Hospital.

The priory gained the reputation of healing powers, with many people filling its aisles on St. Bartholomew Day. Many disabilities were noted as being cured, and others were cured within the hospital that is still in operation today.

This entrance was adjacent to the hospital and an entrance to the used for the St. Bartholomew Festival, on August 24, England’s largest medieval market attracting aristocrats as well as the poor.

Inside the church is a different kind of beauty, knowing the church’s era and some of its history. Several movies were filmed in this church – Robin Hood, Shakespeare in Love, Sherlock Holmes, and even Transformers.

Like most of the churches we saw, graves and tombs were above ground and on display.

But the beauty of this church was lost on me, even now, because it reminds me of the cruelty of man. An artist, Damien Hirst, created an amazing statue of gold overlay depicting St. Bartholomew’s death as he was skinned alive before being decapitated for preaching Jesus’ love.

Then you go just outside and see where William Wallace was drawn and quartered within sight of the church near the entrance of the hospital.

Have we gotten any better as human beings? I look at today’s news, and still, we see horrific ways that we treat each other. I pray that God reaches our hearts and shows us a better way.

Day 2 of London

Day 2 started with a fantastic tour of St. Paul’s Cathedral. St. Paul’s was designed by Sir Christopher Wren in the late 17th century and has been home to the Cathedral Church of the Diocese of London for over 1,400 years.

The exterior of the building only whets your appetite for what you will see inside.

Once I was inside, I was amazed by its size. I knew it was big, but it was so open, with massive arches supporting this beauty. Coming from an architectural/engineering background, I am easily amazed by ancient buildings, knowing what tools, materials, and artistry they used for construction that could never be matched today. Yes, we have amazing structures today, but they can not compare to these 17th and 18th century works of art.

As you walk the aisles of this building, you will see what I am talking about.

This is the overall view of the nave, which shows the height of the walls and the lower section of the dome. If you look at the first level of the dome, called the Whispering Gallery, you can see cages of protection for those who chose to walk up the 257 steps to view the floor at 98 feet high. My daughter did that while I had the sense to sit quietly and enjoy the view. You can then go another 376 steps, 174 feet from the Cathedral floor, to see the spectacular view outside from the Stone Gallery. Higher still is the Golden Gallery, 279 feet from the cathedral floor.

Below are some shots taken while I waited for my daughter as she explored the Whispering and Stone galleries.

At first, I thought I had taken the same picture twice, but the statues are different. This shows the consistency of the design while adding artistic differences.

The Quire, where the clergy and choir sit, is located between the Dome Altar and the High Altar. It has beautifully designed wood carvings, with

The altar is a raised platform where communion or offerings are placed. St. Paul’s has two altars on the cathedral floor; the Dome Altar pictured above is on one end of the Quire, and the High Altar pictured below is on the opposite end of the Quire.

The pulpit is located between the Dome Altar and the Quire and is a beautifully carved raised platform with a spiral staircase.

As you walk behind the Quire, you notice that the woodwork on the back is also beautiful. And just beyond that is the entrance to the High Altar.

Other things of interest were the plaques showing the church leaders from 1090 to the present.

Before we visit the Crypt pictures, there was one door that caught my eye. It seemed to go outside, but not one that we would use. The crypt was accessed through stairs on the opposite side of the Cathedral.

Above is says…Through the gate of death we pass to our joyful resurrection.

Fortunately for me, the crypt had a handicap accessible lift, and they let us use it. Like the All Saints church, there were graves laid in the floor, where people now walked. Coming from south Georgia and the ghost stories my grandmother used to tell, this gave me the “heebie jeebies”.

You can see several tombstones, most of which were dated in the mid-18oos. This is the altar and pulpit used for funerals. Some of the older tombs were above ground and very ornate with statues or ornate crypts.

Arthur, Duke of Wellington, was known for defeating Napoleon Bonaparte at Waterloo in 1815.

Another famous name in this crypt was Florence Nightingale. While it was unclear if she was actually buried there, she was memorialized there.

I know this was a long post, but there was a lot to share. There was a lot more we saw on day 2, but that will have to be on another post.

Always remember to show kindness where you can and sometimes be kind when it’s not fair because, at some level, kindness always wins.