London – Day Two

Prior to our trip to London I cannot tell you how many times I heard, “I like St. Paul’s more than Westminster.” Or, “Are you going to St. Paul’s?” Or, “Are you going to climb to the top of St. Paul’s?” For those of you who know me well and have ever stood inside St. Paul’s Cathedral you know darn well that I would never climb to the top of St. Paul’s. However, to answer the other questions, yes, day two in London began with a walk to St. Paul’s and, while gorgeous and towering, it did not measure up to Westminster in my mind.

So, Sunday in London began with a walk around our little area near the hotel in order to find our way to St. Paul’s Cathedral. We walked through Smithfield’s meat market around the corner and stumbled upon a delightful little area wherein rested St. Bartholomew Church, better known as the Priory Church of Saint Bartholomew the Great. St. Bart’s, built in 1123, is one of the oldest buildings in London and a survivor of not only the Great Fire but also of bombs dropped during both World Wars. The outside a mix of dark grays and whites, the inside contained a service of which we heard singing as we passed by. Due to the day, the area was quiet and I truly delighted in the sense of history you feel as you walk the narrow streets.

After leaving our quiet corner we found St. Paul’s which, oddly enough, sits almost in the middle of a center next to a store called Blacks. It really is a strange juxtaposition. However, once you leave the closed-in center and stand in front of the cathedral it is something to behold. It is hard to get a sense of scale from photos and St. Paul’s ended up being a good bit taller than I had imagined. We walked around the perimeter as well as inside. The thing that puzzled me the most were all of the memorials in the crypt. It seemed almost to counter the ground level. You expect this sort of thing in a royal church but not as much in St. Paul’s.

Being good little tourists, Jason and I decided to brave the London Marathon path and make our way to the Tower of London from St. Paul’s. It was a beautiful day, the sky absolutely stunning – blue sky interspersed with delicate white clouds. The walk was a bit long but rather enjoyable and not as busy as we were made to believe.

We arrived at the Tower where we viewed various towers and, of course, the crown jewels. The torture display area was intriguing in addition to the carvings made by prisoners preserved in the walls. I renamed the Tower EuroTrash Land after our visit due to the large amount of self absorbed, stinky Italians and Eastern Europeans. Let me make a disclaimer and say that I know there are exceptions to every rule however; the majority of Tower visitors fit this description. I imagine all the lovely Italians and Eastern Europeans were off doing something less touristy. (Thanks for leaving them with us, guys!)

After EuroTrash Land it was off to the London Transport Museum! This museum really was a lot of fun. Jason and I enjoyed all the exhibitions, the hands on nature of the museum, and especially the gift shop with old Tube posters. However, to show our spending discipline, the only thing either one of us bought on the trip were a mug each at the museum and some tea later on in the trip. True story!

Around mid-afternoon, Jason’s boot laden feet were tired and we were in need of a pick me up. So, we ventured to Fortnum & Mason for afternoon tea and scones. My all-time-favorite custom in London, this always helped me feel warm and fuzzy inside. We split two small scones with clotted cream and jam and each had our own beverage – I the Breakfast Blend and Jason the Jamaican coffee. Oh my, how lovely.

Ready to press on we walked to St. James Square where we found the London Library. The area was quaint and beautiful and perhaps one of my very favorite places, as we returned once again before the end of our trip.

A viewing of Piccadilly Circus – a more modest version of Times Square – and we were on our way back to the hotel.

Dinner was at the recommended Hix Oyster and Chop House just around the corner from our hotel. A small venue, we sat by the window and dined on truffles and rabbit and chops. I said it, rabbit and chops! It was a nice, relaxing meal and we left not quite wanting to turn in for the night but knowing we better.

- Jen Dean