One of the friends I have made on this trip, a delightful lady named Elaine had been urging me to view a new statue placed in front of Saint Paul’s Cathedral, the iconic cathedral that has been the site of many events in British history and which is known for the heroic steps taken by Londoners to save it from bombs and fires during the German Blitz of World War II. I finally got to Saint Paul’s this week. In a sad statement on the times, we live in, security at the cathedral has greatly increased. I approached a rather dour looking guard at a side entrance who, before I could even ask a question, informed me that, ‘tourists pay twenty-one Pounds, worship is free’. I thanked her for the information and asked her if she could direct me to the new statue. “There is no new statue. There was a statue this summer, but it was temporary.” I asked if I could enter there where she was standing guard, but was sent to the main entrance.

The main entrance to Saint Paul’s is the best way to visit this Christopher Wren masterpiece, another of the churches he designed after the great fire. This is very much a working church. I was lucky to happen upon a Eucharist service as I entered. The Anglican priest was welcoming to all who were present, and he spoke in a way that made people comfortable. It was a lovely experience, and it made the time I spent enjoying the beauty of the church’s art and architecture all the more enjoyable.

As these pictures show, this is a place of worship that does call out to all. It feels very familiar to me, coming from the Roman Catholic tradition, and seeing the Icon suggests to me that it is honoring the Eastern Catholic and Orthodox Christian traditions as well. The Moore sculpture speaks to the continuing growth and evolution of how we express our faith and how the faith community grows.

A descent to the cathedral’s crypt was another interesting experience. It is a huge labyrinth containing the remains of any of Britain’s great and good that, it seems did not make it to Westminster Abbey. I present to you, just three that I encountered there.

Once again, it took some searching, but there was a woman to be found and a pretty important one.

Before I go on to my next subterranean adventure, a small sidenote. I had hoped to report next on a visit to the Chelsea Art Show where I was going to view the works of my SUNY Oneonta classmate Madeline, a fine artist whose works I have admired for some years. Chelsea can be a difficult place to reach by any mode of transportation in the middle of the day, and it was for me on the day I chose to make the journey by Uber. When I finally arrived, it was to find that Madeline’s works were all sold and no longer on display! Congratulations Madeline! She does have another show coming up and I shall be at the opening and hope to report on it soon. But. I chose to take a brisk walk to the South Kensington Tube station to return to my part of London and was greeted by this charming statue of Béla Bartók, who once in a house adjacent to the station.

London, an unexpected treat around every corner.

Finally, for today’s blog, back underground. I had been trying to meet with my good friends Stewart and Kerry for some time, but we just couldn’t make things work until today when we agreed to meet and tour Churchill’s War Rooms, a must see for history buffs and anyone with a child who you want to understand what happens when the world let’s mad men get too much power. I had not been down into this incredible set of rooms for well over a decade and it still is an enthralling place with a story to tell us all.

Imagine, if you can, living, eating, sleeping, showering underground for weeks on end. Most of the staff slept in rough quarters below this level. They were required to have “sunlamp sessions” because of their lack of exposure to sunlight. The conditions were difficult, but they worked on, through the Blitz. Churchill’s cabinet contained members of the three main political parties of the time and independents. Imagine! This is the kind of lesson we all must remember and teach the next generations.

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