Must Visit

This is a must-visit site, in my opinion! Something about this cathedral sparks something inside of a curious mind and adventurer. I thought I had seen it all, but indeed, I did not. If you are like me, I do not research a tourist attraction before I experience it. I might have an overview of what the place is; however, I do not know its history or what it is famous for. I walked into St. Paul’s Cathedral, with an understanding that it’s a must see in London, but to my surprise, I wished I had allocated more time to take in all its beauty and what it has to offer.    As you enter this magnificent building, the realization strikes of where you are, the rich history and beauty of the art work. The enormity of the building on the inside is overpowering. The structure of the walls changes as you walk further into the cathedral. I then noticed the calming singing emanating all around. When I walked further in, the singing was actually a music lesson in progress, with rows of students sitting in their chairs at a very long, narrow desk with the composer leading them. The students were playing their violins and singing! I could not see any microphones; however, this beautiful music echoed throughout the cathedral.   As I walked further in, there was a whole lot of art! Art structures created by artists! Paintings! Podiums with what definitely looked like gold art works of different types and crosses that no one is allowed to touch. The Light of the World by William Holman Hunt, Mother and Child: Hood, by Henry Moore, Martyrs and Mary by Bill Viola, St Martin of Tours by Hughie O’Donoghue, Monument to Charles Marquis Cornwallis, just to name a few art works and sculptures. There is just so much to see. I was like a child in a candy store, the only difference was that I didn’t want to touch anything in fear of ruining it! The guide told us about the world famous St. Paul’s Cathedral Dome while we were there, and in true Geneve spirit I needed to climb to the top! We walked towards an entry way which revealed a spiral staircase which apparently spiraled all the way up to the top, the excitement started building inside of me, and I started climbing. 528 steps to be exact! After climbing a few flights your head starts to spin slightly and the confusion is real, this motion is not normal and your body lets you know this. It’s a matter of climbing from one set of stairs to another to finally reach the top, if you are not a fan of small places this might not be the place for you. What I definitely can tell you is, this is an amazing experience and I would do it again. There is beautiful designs carved into the ancient looking walls, it is just breathtaking. The optical illusions or magnificent engineering created by the designers of the dome are just mind boggling. The circles that are carved out of the walls are a real spectacle to see, or as I later found out are called “buttresses”. When you get to what you think is the top of the dome, your breath is sure to be blown away!! The viewing deck is surprisingly large!   As you walk around this 360-degree balcony, you are seeing the whole of London! You have a clear view of the clocks from the top. The people on the ground floor look so tiny. They probably do not even notice you from that distance! In addition to this site, you can go a floor up! On this floor, the space is so tiny that the fear really does start to kick in. It felt like I was at the top of the clock that Notre Dame worked on in the cartoons I used to watch as a child! Once you have taken in these beautiful and indescribable sites at the top of St. Paul’s Cathedral, you realize the only way out now is the same way you came in! Down! And it is thrilling!   On your way out, you can then stroll through all the beautiful arts and culture the cathedral has to offer, which I definitely did because I did not see everything on the way in. However, the highlight of this learning journey for me was that before my departure, I lit the altar candles! Here, I noticed the people around me doing the same thing. And I remember thinking how we all honor, respect, and be grateful for what one place offered to us in the same way that cannot be put into words?