7/31 - Wednesday
10:00 am - St Paul’s Tour - Order number: 20240727-4179447
3:45 pm - National Gallery - Order number: 4365975
Dragging a bit this morning. Trying to get my quart of water drank up before eye leave to get my coffee and jump on the tube. Water tastes a little off but I don't want to question it too closely. It's out of the tap and I know everybody recycles the water. I have to trust that London knows what it's doing. 😬
May have started off on the wrong foot..... ended up at the Monument exit... had to go back two stops....
Heading out to St. Paul's. I just checked my tickets and apparently I have a 10:00 to 12:00 window. Which means that it's self-guided and if I'm not right on time, the world won't end. That's good. 😂
Ate a croissant that I picked up yesterday at the grocery store for breakfast. But my fresh Americano is waiting… ❤️
An old Friend on Facebook was writing yesterday about having back to school teaching dreams… So I'm finding dreams last night that I was teaching elementary school in New Zealand and trying to decide if I was going to re-up for a second year. Not at all surprising. And I'm blaming my friend for posting his dream in the first place. 😂
After 6 days of riding the tube I'm starting off without my GPS to tell me how to get to my coffee place.
Ok - Off to St Paul’s for a 10am entrance slot. I don’t know how long It will take me, so I’m not setting my expectations to be too high for other things to do today.
Tube travel went smoothly. When I arrive I had a little confusion about where to go, so I half circled the building before I got to the front entrance.
Checked out some of the Fauna around the outside.... Same Roses still there from 24 years ago! Check!
There was one entrance for people who didn’t have tickets & another for those who did. So I got to skip the line, which always feels good this week. It at least feels better than having a fast pass at an amusement park since I have this because I planned ahead, not because I bought the privilege of jumping to whatever I feel like at whatever moment I’m in the mood for.
The overall initial impression is slight disappointment. I’ve obviously got a preference for Gothic architecture. St Paul’s is beautiful & glorious, so I can’t say exactly what feels like it’s missing. Maybe just that it feel very well planned for the purpose of awe, then somehow misses it for me. The Gothic designers feel like they’re building to the glory of God & stand in humility of the awesome wonder of nature.
Whatever it was, I got over it. Especially once I started climbing stairs up to the dome. There are three levels to the dome that you can climb to, one is inside the lip of the dome (the whispering gallery), the other two (Stone Gallery & Golde Gallery) are on the outside of the dome, further up.
There are so many steps - and they circle round & round on themselves. I did notice that they planned the steps to reverse the helix every so often. I was reminded at the tower in Kew that the way to prevent getting dizzy is to walk the reverse way (they suggested doing this at a level floor if one was feeling dizzy.
Interesting graffiti on the way up the steps. I suppose it would be obvious that folks in the 18th & 19th century would deface the walls of a church if the Romans were doing it to temples in the 1st century.
Photographs weren’t allowed at the whisper gallery level. I took a snap from within the well to prove I was there. On the inside of the dome are paintings from the stories of St Paul in Acts & the letters. I didn't remember that there was a story about people who had been doing witchcraft burning their spellbooks. Book Burning as a biblical thing was not on my radar. Sheesh.
Considering how many thousands of people come through St. Paul’s each day, I’m surprised they had it closed for renovations totally when I came through in 2000. It is a beautiful view from the top. I didn’t know to expect a view of the city like that at all. Who needs the Observation wheel when you’ve got St Paul’s?
It is beautiful to see the church from behind the altar, looking down the nave.
The Crypt was haunting - Important people buried there are Chrisopher Wren (the architect of St. Paul’s & other buildings), Florence Nightingale, and Admiral Nelson.
Outside St. Paul's Again!
Before lunch I lugged out to the Victoria & Albert museum for a bit. It was interesting, but “not enough to tempt me” to spend longer than an hour or so there.
My last official English meal of my trip - fish & chips with a pint of London Lager.
So I jumped on the tube and decided to hit my reserved entry time to the National Gallery before my 4:00 start time.
I actually got there at 3:40 and they let me in, though my appointment was 4:15. I’m glad. It was a rush to get around to see the artists’ work I love - but somehow I managed.
Oooooo...... soooo.... here....
Vermeer
LOTS of Bellini
And so many Dutch masters.... and I did get over to the Impressionists, though my take on that would be that other than their extensive collection of pointalism, you're better served going to Philadelphia or Paris for Impressionist art. The Philadelphia museum has a REALLY diverse representation of expressionists.
Ride home on the Tube was a trial - I should not argue with google and do things I want rather than what it tells me. Because then I screw up and put it on drive instead of walk, so it gan get its revenge.
Dinner consists of a sandwich and apple tart. Tomorrow morning I’ve already got a chocolate croissant waiting for me - I don’t know how I’ll manage to get everything packed. Ugh. My flight leaves around 10, so I need to be at Heathrow by 8, which means get on the tube around 7. I really need sleep tonight - it will be fine. It always is. Somehow.
Concerned about my flight being on time for the two departures tomorrow. Going back into BWI instead of Dulles and I’m worried that if the flight is late at all then I’ll miss my train to Richmond.
Wish me luck! Good night!
