Touring St. Paul’s & The British Museum

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Today we climbed some steps. Lots of steps.  Like maybe 500 steps. But it was worth it.

We went to Saint Paul’s Cathedral and took the ten cent tour. However, the tour was more like the £ 12 tour.  The building is amazingly constructed — particularly when one considers its age. We climbed the stairs to the Whisper Gallery and while Joella and Esther went around to the other side and whispered. Sure enough, they could hear us and we them.

We said goodbye to the girls and went for lunch at Eat. Chicken pot pies. Sometimes I feel that if it weren’t for leeks the poor Brits wouldn’t have any flavors beyond salty and black peppered.

Then Laurel dragged me through The British Museum. It was quite fascinating. I seeing things like The Rosetta Stone (the real one) and a statue from Easter Island were a couple of the highlights.

Then near supper time we went to The Slug and Lettuce. It’s a pub in Angel (which is a district I recommend all men skip since, apart from the pubs, all that is there is places for your wife to spend money).

I had fish and chips again. I love that. It throws me back to my chidhood, when as a toddler, “fish and chips” was the first thing I learned to order in a restaurant.

Finally we came home and relaxed while waiting for Es to come home. What a great day!

Hyde Park — The Speakers’ Corner

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Sunday, after attending church at St. Paul, we went to Hyde Park and walked around.

Among the commonplace sites at a park such as this we witnessed what we, as “outsiders,” considered uncommon: a place where speakers brought stools and proclaimed their message. Most of them were little more than rhetoric — some in bad taste.

But then there was one named Jay Smith. He spoke with the people, rather than shouting at them. He explained the gospel to Muslims and pointed out the greatness of Jesus.

It was one of the highlights of my trip.

Oh — and a church we passed by had the Meaning of Life at 42. Next thing you know, they’ll be canonizing Douglass Adams.  🙂

Visiting the White Cliffs of Dover

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Saturday we went to see the White Cliffs of Dover. They are probably whiter when the sun is shining on them.  So if you go, pick any of the three days the sun actually shines in Britain each year to make your visit.

While there, we took a good number of pictures of the amazing buildings. Buildings that included a castle made by Henry II and tunnels used by Napoleon and Ramsey. Ramsey was the British general who oversaw the evacuation of Dunkirk.

Additionally there was a great tower (A Roman lighthouse) there dating back to the first or second century, depending who you ask.

All in all a great visit to a really neat place.