Not only for the birds

One of the towers St. Paul's Cathedral

There is something truly magical about this city which keeps
 me completely engaged in the present: the juxtaposition of the old and the new buildings. They both weave themselves around each other creating an architecturally vibrant city. As you walk the streets, gorgeous gems peek out amongst modern  highrises keeping you aware of the history of this city.

While walking towards one of our destinations for the day,
St. Paul's Cathedral, I caught a glimpse of a  gorgeous tower peeking out between to modern office buildings. It makes you stop in your tracks; it made me. What an amazing and tantalizing preview of what was waiting for me. Visiting St. Paul's Cathedral has always been a dream ever since watching Mary Poppins as a little girl. So catching this glimpse of the Cathedral brings out that same little girl who also wanted to feed the birds  (and the stray cats and dogs). My poor mom was always asking where all the bread and hotdogs disappeared to.

Arriving at St. Paul's is quite an experience. This building is not just a church, but it is also a local hangout where people come to sit on its churchyard on the grass, benches, and monuments to chat, meet, eat lunch, or all three. The building stops being a static and imposing landmark and connects the people with its rich history and spirit becoming something to be enjoyed and loved.

Lunch time at St. Paul's

Unfortunately, photos are not allowed inside St. Paul's which is too bad. The beautiful stonework and mosaics are things I would have loved to share with all of you. Since I can't, it means you all must make the trip and see them for yourselves. You will not regret it. 

Finally, I want to leave you all with my last view of St. Paul's. My earlier photograph includes one of the towers from this part of the Cathedral, the West Front. In the photograph below, you see the second tower. The statue in the forefront is Queen Anne who was the reigning monarch the Cathedral was finished. This is such an impressive building not only because of its stonework and grand design, but because of its ability to be part of the city and be enjoyed by everyone, even the birds.