Saturday, March 28, 2009

St Pauls Cathedral

We visited St Pauls Cathedral where (mores the pity) they didn't allow photography. I didn't mind adhering to this rule out of respect for the Church and what what it represents, but I'm afraid that not all visitors have the same respect.
St Pauls Cathedral is enormous and spectacular, the gilding is exquisite, the whole place shines with an almost inner beauty. I'm not normally a religious person and have, in the past, been perplexed for peoples reverence for religion and the Church, but being inside this amazing space put me in awe. It's easy now, for me to understand when people say the entire world is inside the Church, the beauty of both natural and man made world combined.
I found myself thinking of all the workmanship that went into every minute detail, wondering what they were thinking as they worked, wondering what their lives were like and imagining the sense of achievement they must have felt seeing it at least partially complete.
I couldn't visit London without seeing St Pauls, and not just because it's such a wonderful old Church. My great grandfather was a choir boy at St Pauls, or at least sung there. Whilst others were gazing upon the intricate ceilings, I found myself examining the pews where the choir boys sit, wondering 'did my great grandfather sit right there?' and touching the door to the choir boys pews imagining my great grandfather touching that same timber, it must have been such an honour for our family to have him sing there.

After a few hours of amazement we had a bite to eat at the Cathedral shop where I bought some post cards for my mum and my grandmother - speaking of which, I really should send them on.

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