London yesterday

Ok so I actually have something to post about b/c we (as in all 5 Centenary girls) went to London yesterday. After breakfast we left for London on a train. We got there about 1 hour 45 min later and headed to Westminster Abbey. We had seen the outside before, but hadn't been able to go inside. It was completely incredible inside. There were lots of tombs for kings and queens----Elizabeth I, Mary I, Mary Queen of Scots, Henry III, and Edward I is what I remember. You could also see the coronation chair which was built around 1300 and has been used ever since. There was a part of the building where the coronations actually take place and which was the "focus of Princess Diana's funeral". I dont know if that means it was held there or what. My favorite part was Poet's Corner, where a lot of poets are buried. It was really neat b/c I'm studying World War I poetry right now and there was a stone commemorating WWI poets, and most of the names on there were poets I have studied or am going to study. Let me think who else was buried there---Tennyson, T.S. Eliot, Charles Darwin, Isaac Newton...sorry that's all I can remember right now. There was a neat memorial to an unknown WWI soldier and to Franklin Roosevelt. OH!!! This is the best part. They have an American memorial for Americans who died in WWI, and there were all these stain glass windows. One of them randomly had the State of Louisiana seal on it!! And there weren't seals for any other state that I could see. It was really funny. Well we left Westminster Abbey and went to St. Paul's Cathedral. We had also see the outside of it, but wanted to go inside. Well it cost 7 pounds, so only Amy and I did it b/c everyone else didn't want to pay that much. They were all going to see the Mary Poppins musical anyway so they just left us for the day. I think St. Paul's was one of my favorite things so far on this trip. It was so incredible. There were BEAAUTIFUL mosiacs all over the ceilings that just took your breath away. One thing that was really cool was this painting called The Light of the World, which I have talked about in one of my classes. It was awesome getting to see the real version of it, especially knowing the history and symbolism behind it. Amy and I decided to climb up to the galleries, 530 steps and all. The first one was the Whispering Gallery inside the church and you could get a more up close view of some mosiacs of the disciples and this huge painting in the dome. Which reminds me, St. Pauls has one of the largest free standing domes in the world in the middle of it. So we climbed up there and then went on to two more galleries which were outside the dome and gave you a view of the city. It was really neat. We came back down and this choir was rehearsing for evensong so we listened to them for a little while while we let our legs recover. The singing was really pretty as I'm sure you can imagine. Then Amy and I went to ride the London Eye, which I was way excited about. So we had to wait a little while before we could get in line so we bought ice cream and sat in this field by the river. There were so many random entertainments going on---Indian women playing tamborines, some man like balancing himself on this pole and juggling, and this other man who I guess was a comedian but I could never figure out what he was doing except acting like he was on some stimulant drugs. Anyway so we rode the London Eye which gives you an amazing panoramic view of London. It was really incredible. The city went as far as you could see in all directions, and there were really good views of the Houses of Parliament. So we left there and caught a 8:30 train back to Oxford. We got back around 10:30 and got some much needed food at this stand across the road called Houssain's. So yesterday was fun...I didn't finish everything I wanted to do in London, b/c I still want to see the places associated with John Wesley. I think I will go back to London not this next weekend but the next. Oh one more thing---it was really odd riding the subway b/c of all the closures. We got these brochures that showed all the lines that were affected by the bombings. And all the time they would come over the speakers and announce that you should make sure you always have your luggage with you and should report anything suspicious. And there were signs asking if you had seen anything suspicious on July 7 or taken any pictures. Last night when Jessica, Ashley, and Courtney were on the subway they actually stopped it b/c of an unattended bag. Scary. Well I have a great story about church this morning but I have to go eat lunch so I'll post it later.