After going to bed at 2.30 last night, I had some trouble waking up at 8 this morning, so I slept in until about 9, only to rush to make it to the service at St. Paul's Cathedral. A hurried breakfast, a bus and two trains later, a group of about 30 people arrived at St. Paul's Cathedral just in time for the free Sunday service. The Cathedral was....magnificent. Gold-leaf carvings and paintings everywhere, intricate architectural details, high ceilings....the works. The rotunda in itself was something to look at with its statues of the Apostles and pictures that looked three-dimensional. The acoustics were amazing. The choir was superb and incredibly professional; the music amazingly calming (I had trouble staying awake, therefore). The service was very similar to an Episcopalian service, if not the same except for the added splendor in this one. We were seated farther away from the altar, but the view was incredible regardless. The preacher stood at a traditional, wood carved pulpit and spoke of the transitional event that is liturgy. All in all, it was a Sunday morning well-spent.
Following the service, a group of three went down to the St. Paul's Cathedral cafe to have lunch (a toasty sandwich with mozzarella, tomato and basil) and headed back to Hampstead to make the tour of East Hampstead. After making it back just in time, we departed towards Hampstead Village and Hampstead Heath. The walk was strenous, considering the generally hilly area of Hampstead; however, it was worth it when we reached Hampstead Village after about 10 minutes of walking. It really is a village. There is one main street, crowded with shops, and there are smaller streets that run from the main street. The one artery that we travelled down had a lot of shops, relatively high end, and an insane amount of cafes. Being incredibly tired, however, I couldn't fully appreciate the splendor of Hampstead Village and chose to come back with the group that was leaving early. So here I am, back at campus, waiting for classes to start tomorrow, for the real adventure to begin.
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It sounds like you had a full morning...I'm sure you are going to have so much fun exploring all the village shops while you are there. Also that's nifty that St. Paul's had a cafe with it...I guess this way they don't have to drive to eat after church.
ReplyDeleteThe number of well known places of interests that you saw in real time during the coach ride though lasted only some milliseconds is good enough for a satisfying initial trip.The experience inside St.Paul's Cathedral must have been thrilling.
ReplyDeleteI think you should get a tourist road map of London that helps walking through places whenever time permits. The map becomes a priced possession in the years to come when one can relive the past. I leave you at this.
Have a good time.
I would love to have been there for the music and choir. The village you describe also catches my interest. Awaiting your pictures eagerly....
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