Today (Wednesday 7/11/12) started off like every weekday does, going to Regent's for class from 9-12:30. Class is going really well, we're reading Pride and Prejudice and in my creative non-fiction class, we're writing essays on a pivotal moment in our lives pre-high school (I can't think of any at the moment, so this assignment is proving to be quite hard for me!) I'd been looking forward to our afternoon plans all week, with reason of course, we were scheduled to go on a private tour of St. Paul's Cathedral. We arrived there around 2PM and our tour started immediately with a little history of the building and design and then they told us about "the climb" which would conclude our tour (I'll get to that later...). We walked around the main floor of the Cathedral and it was absolutely beautiful! We got to see where the Queen sits when she visits and what pieces of the building were destroyed in WWII and several different memorials for people like Duke of Wellington and Winston Churchill. We walked downstairs to the Crypt where tons of notable people have been laid to rest. Then came the part of the tour that I had been worried about, "The Climb". For those who don't know, There is a dome in the middle of St. Paul's that is hollow in the middle and it's called the "Whispering Gallery" where the design allows whispers to travel along the walls to be heard on the other side of the room. Up past that is the Stone Gallery which is outside and has a great view of London from behind a stone gate. The top level of the dome is called The Golden Gallery which is a small balcony on the tip tip top of the dome. Did I mention that you have to walk up 538 stairs to get there? Yes, you heard me right... Five Hundred and Thirty Eight steps, but I did it and it was AMAZING. Yes, my legs hate me, but I got unforgettable and breathtaking views of the city! Now I'm resting my legs and working on my Pride and Prejudice response paper and planning out my weekend with my friends!
The Stone Gallery!
The Golden Gallery view!
Outside the Cathedral
Unfortunately, we couldn't take any pictures inside the cathedral besides the spiral staircase in the clock/ bell tower (only because our tour guide was really nice) that has been used in tons of movies and is part of the original architecture:
So pretty!
I'm officially now caught up on my trip to this point! Hope you guys haven't been dying without my daily updates! I promise to take a lot more pictures (with me in them!) this weekend! :)
-Lauren
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