That said... today the weather was poop. 39 degrees and drizzley... The morning today contained nothing fancy. The most notable thing is likely the bacon, egg and cheese I made for breakfast. That was delicious and the first western style breakfast I've had in far too long. That said... english bacon is far too close to ham with not nearly enough fat. But... still delicious.
As for the sights for my day, I took the tube down to the Westminster station. There, I walked out to the street literally at the foot of Big Ben. Big Ben is if nothing else... big. And I found the entire building of parliament to be really quite beautiful. I walked out onto the bridge crossing the Thames, and had a really great view of the building and of the clocktower. Sadly, it had to stand against the grey and gloomy clouds, but it was impressive none the less.
From there I walked around the edge of the building until I was standing outside of Westminster Abby and St. Margaret's Church. Next to the Abby the church is not so spectacular. I started out finding myself outside on a dial of some sort on the sidewalk, with a line from Shakespeare. Sadly, I do not recall the play or the quote precisely, but it spoke of reassuring the actions of a person (in a way). I found it remarkably fitting considering those who are hurried within the abby.
The abby is if noting else... impressive. Walking in it's sheer size can take one by sunrise. That said, it was not my first impression upon entering. My first observation was about how absolutely ornate everything was. Marble cultures everywhere... high vaulted ceilings with intricate paintings and carvings... tiled stone floors... etc... everywhere you looked there was a sight in something small.
Walking through the abby was a ... humbling experience. You go from king to king, each one hurried in the abby with a tomb more elaborate than the next. There is a chapel, the Lady Chapel, built by Henry VII I believe... where there are high-backed benches for the most prestigious orders of knights. In the Quire you stand where prominent figures such as Princess Diana had their memorials.
Then there was "Poet's Corner" which was one of my favorites. The section received its name originally from the burial of William Chaucer. However, the section is now home to dozens of famous writers and poets. In the same corner we find the tomb of William Shakespeare and Chopin. Standing in the place of burial of all these prominent figures is... as I said... humbling. Near the exit I also stood at the tombs of Isaac Newton and Charles Darwin... prominent figures indeed!
This brings be to the Grave of the Unknown Soldier. A solid black slab of marble, laid into the floor. The stone is surrounded at all times by a ring of red flowers. On the tomb is inscribed:
"Beneath this stone rests the body of a british warrior, unknown by name or rank, brought from France to lie among the most illustrious of the land..."
And the text continues, but I found this opening line quite powerful. I also thought it was a wonderful memorial, in that it commemorates all those who serve but are never famous. I thought it quite nice.
So, leaving Westminster Abby the weather continued to turn for the worse. But, while here I thought I'd go see Buckingham Palace, as I had so many years ago. I walked through St. James Park, which is lovely with a very large duck population. En route I stopped by a cafe and was remarkably underwhelmed... the service was ...cranky... and neither the coffee or cake slice were very good... sadface.
Anyway, I arrived at Buckingham Palace and was less impressed than I had once been. Its just not that fancy of a building. It looks a lot like a cube with columns. That said, the Memorial to Queen Victoria that stands in the circle in front is quite beautiful. I did not stay for much more than a look because the rain was continuing to be unpleasant. So, I returned to the tube and headed back to the flat.
There, I made a spaghetti dinner with ground beef and veggies in the sauce. Its so easy... and so good... And then jet-lag is stupid! By 9 I was dead tired and by 10 could fight it no longer...
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