Bellarine Traveller: Last Days in London & the UK

I was fortunate to be able to visit D & C who live in Bedfordshire, about a 1 hour train trip from London. They live in a delightful village close to Woburn Abbey. The Abbey has been home to the Duke & Duchesses of Bedford for more than 400 years. We decided to walk around the grounds and gardens here as it was a beautiful sunny day (quite hot in fact). The gardens are large, more than 30 acres, plus a deer park. The gardens are not as formal as some I had visited, but quite different and a more relaxed garden. There is a Chinese garden and several water gardens. The trees here were very old and in the park area many were ‘old’ oaks. Each year there is a season of plays in an outdoor theatre with the Abbey as the backdrop. After the visit to Woburn Abbey it was back to D & C’s place for a welcome BBQ and a glass of wine. A big thank-you to both D & C – I enjoyed seeing a bit of your ‘patch’ and you were delightful hosts.

On my last day in the UK, I decided to visit St Paul’s Cathedral. There are public gardens surrounding the Cathedral and many Londoners take advantage of the gardens. I decided to take a tour of the Cathedral, and I am unsure just how to describe it.

The whole place is absolutely remarkable.

The architecture alone is beautiful and ‘that’ famous Dome that is visible from many places in the city of London is nothing short of incredible. There has been a Cathedral on this site since 604AD. In the 1600’s the Great Fire of London destroyed the Cathedral that was on the site and it was then that Sir Christopher Wren was commissioned to build a new Cathedral. The Cathedral as we see it today was finished in 1710.

When you visit St Paul’s you are given an audio guide. This was one place when I used most of the audio guide to look at this remarkable building. It just seemed the right thing to do – to take some time and sit quietly under the Dome to think, contemplate or pray as many people do.

Sir Christopher Wren was interested in astrology and the height of the Dome is 365 feet, the same as the number of days in a year. The ceiling of the Quire area has the most incredible mosaics that are very colourful. There are several large circle mosaics; one has many sea creatures on it, another has various animals including lions, elephants etc and a kangaroo! The tour takes you into the Crypt and it is here that you find the tombs of Lord Nelson & Lord Wellington as well as the tomb of Sir Christopher Wren.

I was not really expecting this remarkable majestic building to have such an impression on me. Next time I visit London I would like to come here one evening and listen to the Choir sing Evensong. This is the City of London’s Cathedral and will be used next week to celebrate the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee.

Just for a change of pace I decided that a visit to Harrod’s Food Hall needed to be included on my visit to London. And yes, it was worth the visit and I did indulge in afternoon tea at a cafe in the food hall.

I wondered down Oxford Street (the retail sector) and here again the whole street was decorated with Union Jacks in preparation for the Jubilee celebrations. When I planned my trip I did not know exactly what was happening for the Jubilee and in some ways I wish I had checked and stayed here to see some of the celebrations.

I have thoroughly enjoyed my visit to England (and the whole of the UK).

I have loved all the villages, meandering through many country areas, visiting gorgeous gardens, meeting some really interesting people, looking onto some family history and of course being in London and exploring that "Giant"Monopoly Board!

I have not seen all I had hope to see especially in England, so I guess I will just have to come back next year!