St Paul Cathedral is one of London’s many iconic landmarks and the first destination in my itinerary list the next morning. The awe-inspiring architecture with its impressive dome is a big wow factor, and that continues to the imposing Baroque interior with great looking mosaics on the ceiling. The massive and opulent interior reminds me of St. Peter’s Basilica which is equally impressive. Ok, in all honesty, there is the disappointingly no-photography rule similar to Sacré-CÅ“ur… But I really cannot help it when presented with such amazing interior like St Paul Cathedral…my bad.
The interior of St Paul Cathedral with the central feature being the dome, one of the largest in the world.
Whispering Gallery
Next is time for some climbing or 259 steps to be exact. After a warren of staircases and narrow passages within the walls, we finally make it to the circular Whispering Gallery inside the dome. The interesting thing here is that a whisper along the curving wall can be heard on the opposite side of the circular wall. That’s provided there is nobody in between you and your recipient.
We tested it and it works! I can hear the whisper as if being spoken directly into my ear! It is rather fun to experience how a low soundwave whisper does that, do try it when visiting the Whispering Gallery! Just make sure you do not whisper into those little holes in the walls – like many others doing that… The purpose of those holes is for the dome’s annual checks with laser beams. Oh well…
The Stone Gallery
And so, from the Whispering Gallery, it will take another 117 steps up to the Stone Gallery outside of the dome. Here is a wide corridor with high stone walls offering a good view of the surrounding through the gaps. But little did we know that it has started pouring since, thanks to the unpredictable weather of London. Still, the views up here are so worth the climb.
The wind and rain become unbearable for wifey so we headed back, skipping the Golden Gallery that will take another 166 steps to reach.
In conclusion, St Paul Cathedral should be on anybody’s itinerary when visiting London.
Lunch at Fish! Borough Market
The rain was still going on and off as we make our way to Borough Market, a local fresh produce market located near to London Bridge Station and Southwark Cathedral.
There are many stalls around Borough Market which you will find fish, livestock, cheese, fruit, vegetable and a whole lot of other variables. It is a definite must-see when in London, especially for food lovers. You can either grab some small dishes from the food stalls or find one of the Borough Market restaurants for a good meal.
We wanted a place to rest our feet and Fish! Borough Market was the choice.
The restaurant has a cosy atmosphere and a good range of fish options in the menu, obviously. Taste-wise, the fresh fishy-dishes were well cooked and good but perhaps not the super shiok kind.
Millennium Bridge
When the sun and blue sky finally appear, I backtracked to snap some pictures of Millennium Bridge, a good-looking steel suspension bridge across the River Thames. St Paul Cathedral looks really lovely here.
[alert]
What are your thoughts about St Paul Cathedral or Borough Market? Leave a comment and share it with me.
[/alert]
