London Day 93: St. Paul's Cathedral

//Edit: Actually London Day 83. Whoops!

On Tuesdays I get out of class at 1:40pm, which leaves my afternoons free. Usually I meet up with either Christine or Alex and explore a part of London that I have yet to see (or perhaps a part that we want to re-visit). Last Tuesday, April 13, Alex and I decided to go visit St. Paul's Cathedral.

I have been to St. Paul's many times, and the area surrounding it is probably one of my favorite parts of London. Despite all the times that I have visited the area, I have yet to be able to go into the actual Cathedral and walk to the top. The view from the top of St. Paul's is recognized as one of the best views of the city (some say better than the London Eye). Its view is also copyrighted by the Queen, so no one is allowed to build anything that obstructs the view. Therefore, it is one of the only 360-degree views of London.

The cathedral itself was much more beautiful that I had anticipated. In general, I'm not a big fan of cathedrals, and I find them to be dark and dreary. St. Paul's, on the other hand, is bright and beatiful inside. There are gold accents on many of the paintings that line the ceilings, as well as windows that let in a lot of light.

You are able to climb up to three different levels of the Cathedral. The first is the domed ceiling, in which a gallery is located where you can see down into the main Cathedral floor. The dome is also known as the Whispering Gallery because it is constructed so perfectly that the acoustics allow you to whisper at one side of the dome, and someone on the other side can hear what you have said. The second level is located outside the Whispering Gallery. The third is located at the top of the dome, and is also the highest view. You have to walk up a number of spiraled staircases in order to reach the top, but it is totally worth it. The view is outstanding, and we were lucky enough to climb to the top on a day with really nice weather.

Afterwards, we climbed back down and crossed the Millenium Bridge to the Tate Modern. We went up to the seventh floor cafe and had some coffee while we enjoyed my second-favorite view of the city. The cafe at the Tate Modern has huge glass windows so that you are able to see St. Paul's Cathedral, the Thames, and the surrounding landscape perfectly. I always like to go around sunset, because the colors are really beautiful.

All I can say is that I am so excited Spring has finally reached London, because the nice weather makes it an even better place to be living!