Tag: London

More of Day 2

There was so much to see there that my brain is still on overload. So, I will take the time today to share some of the sights we saw while walking around London on day 2.

The walk along the River Thames was as enjoyable as it was relaxing, and I learned a bunch of stuff, like the image in my head of London Bridge is actually Tower Bridge as it leads to the Tower of London. London Bridge is a concrete bridge much like the ones we see today with wide walkways for people to walk.

From London Bridge, you can see Tower Bridge

Tower Bridge is much more graceful and elegant than the other bridges in London. It was built in 1894 with roadways that lift for passing ships. It is an engineering marvel and an icon for London.

Continuing your walk down the Thames, the first statue/monument you see is that of Queen Boudica. Boudica or Boudicca was a queen of the ancient British Iceni tribe who led a failed uprising against the conquering forces of the Roman Empire in AD 60 or 61. She is considered a British national heroine and a symbol of the struggle for justice and independence.

Our goal was to walk down to Cleopatra’s Needle. Cleopatra’s Needle in London is one of a pair of obelisks, together named Cleopatra’s Needles, that were moved from the ruins of the Caesareum of Alexandria, in Egypt, in the 19th century. Inscribed by Thutmose III and later Ramesses II of the Egyptian New Kingdom, the obelisk was moved in 12 BC to Alexandria, where it remained for over 1,800 years.

It was presented to the United Kingdom in 1819 by the ruler of Egypt and Sudan Muhammad Ali as a diplomatic gift. Although the British government welcomed the gesture, it declined to pay to move the obelisk to London. It was subsequently erected in the West End of London on the Victoria Embankment in Westminster in 1878.

On either side of the Needle are Sphinx that protect it. Along the bottom of the Sphinx, you will see holes and damage from bullet/shrapnel fire during WWI.

As we walked through the city, we kept seeing this tall monument. I took pictures from several streets that showed it’s central location of the area. Standing 202 feet high and 202 feet from the spot on Pudding Lane where the great fire is thought to have started, The Monument to the Great Fire of London is the tallest isolated stone column in the world.

I think this is in Latin, maybe you can read it

Below are other buildings with interesting architectures that I enjoyed.

I hope you have enjoyed these as much as I did. I am always fascinated with these grand structures built so many years ago with such grace, elegance, and artistry.

I close with a reminder to be kind and show that we can change the world with kindness…if everyone is kind.

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”.

The Chapel of St. Faith

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.

Florence Nightingale 1820-1910

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.