Westminster Abbey

So one of our English friends made fun of us for going there because it's touristy. I suppose not too many native Londoners have stepped foot inside, which I really think is a shame because it's incredible. Of course we live in New York and I have never been to the Statue of Liberty, so maybe we are even. Anyway, I went to the Abbey expecting nothing more than an old church but left feeling enchanted and haunted by the history and beauty of it.

Get there early, they have short hours: 10:30 to 4:00 pm. We were completely unprepared for this, thinking any place would be open until at least 5 and we showed up at 3:00 so we really had to hurry to see everything. You definitely want to set aside a few hours for this place if not a half-day.

That said, it was amazing. When we walked in there was beautiful angelic singing coming from a boy's choir that filled the whole place, beautiful old latin hymns that transported us back in time a few centuries. As you listen you can walk through and see the tombs of kings and queens that span a thousand years. Among those buried there are Laurence Olivier, Charles Dickens, Henry VIII and Elizabeth I. We walked around for a bit but ended up sneaking onto a tour already in progress because the tour guide was so enigmatic and a complete character. He told fascinating stories about each tomb and the hall of flags making sure to leave in the bawdy and vulnerably human bits. Dark and bloody history with so many complicated plot-lines I can't get it all straight, but the place definitely feels alive with ghosts of great men.

One of the most interesting things to see was the coronation chair, where all the kings of England were crowned. On it there is graffiti that is hundreds of years old, carved into the chair by mischievous choir boys when no one was looking. It was interesting to see something so contemporary and relate-able on an ancient relic as 17th century graffiti.

We sat at the pews when the choir began Gregorian chanting and it was incredibly meditative, I wished that we could stay and listen but they began to shoo us out since it was almost 4pm and closing time. Next time I will reserve more time to soak it all in.

...And I would even recommend it even to a skeptical Londoner.

Some of my most precious moments have been spent in this Church of England Cathedral.

I found it a privilege to be seated for an Anglican Midnight Mass and to share in Christmas hospitality in the Cloisters.

A wonderful spiritual experience.

Ok, maybe I'm morbid, but I thought Westminster Abbey was one of the best attractions in London, even though it is not really an attraction, it's a church still in use today. We were not prepared first of all for the beauty of the outside structure, but inside, is unbelievable. With so many buried inside, there are spectacular memorials to loved ones buried inside, and they are everywhere on the walls, in little hide-a-way rooms and in the floor. The overall size of the building is overwhelming, but as you make your way through the magnificent memorial carvings and sculptures, you come across the burial places of kings and queens, even Mary, Queen of Scots, and her cousin, Elizabeth, who eventually had her killed. Poets' Corner has some unbelievable names, and we even found the burial place in the floor of Charles Darwin. Overall, it is well worth the price of admission (for upkeep of the building) they ask for when you walk in the front door. Diana's funeral was there also and you can picture how it may have been. It is wonderful and I recommend it highly.