Backtrack

Tonight, I'm going to back up a few days. Monday's blog consisted of information related to my video project, so I didn't relay the information of the day.  Monday's roaming included a trip to the Museum of London and an official inside tour of St. Paul's Cathedral.

Close up of the old leather fire hat.

The Museum of London could also be called the History Museum of London. It follows the city's history from before the Romans to the present. The museum houses artifacts, replicas, and popular culture items in eye catching and interesting displays. I also like that they had hands-on things to do throughout. Many of the informational placards had a (computer) mouse icon, meaning you could head to the nearest computer bank for more information. There were also hats and shoes to try on from Medieval times as well as trying out the old versus new fire helmets. 

Mexico having lunch in the park.

Next was lunch in St. Paul's Churchyard. This was favorite part of the day. After chowing down with my classmates, it was relaxing to stay in the park and people watch. My digital story from today has many of the covert pictures I snagged in the churchyard, including one couple that were enjoying each other more than their lunch.

I think the most interesting aspect of this is that it involves every type of person. There was a man in a suit napping nearby, families enjoying the day, along with various other groups and duos here and there. I imagine the impetus for lunching in the park is the result of the difference between dining in and getting take away at many of the popular lunch spots. For example, Pret A Manger's products cost more if you eat them in the store.

St. Paul's dome.

The last part of the day was visiting St. Paul's Cathedral. The cathedral and its history is incredibly vast and intriguing. Christopher Wren was inspired by the architecture and decoration in Catholic Churches, but was forbidden to include anything remotely Catholic in the cathedral.  Even though Wren never saw it as it looks today, it's been updated with decorations added to fulfill his full vision of the marvelous cathedral. He's buried in the crypt with a very simple stone marking the place. But really, what better monument could he have than St. Paul's?

I'll also mention briefly that I have seen three shows while vising London. They are Billy Elliot, The 39 Steps, and Anne Boleyn. I also have my ticket for Les Miserables next week (so excited!!) I have a post about the four shows in the works. Keep an eye out next week for my London Theatre experiences.