From a purely architectural standpoint the Abbey was no more impressive than any of the other cathedrals we've seen on the trip; because of its ties to royalty and its fascinating history, however, it is a must-see. The highlight for me were the many famous people buried there, including Edward the Confessor and Elizabeth I, both of whom have very elaborate tombs. And of course there's the Poets Corner, where Chaucer, Dickens, Shakespeare, Lord Byron, Handel, and D.H. Lawrence (and many more) are either buried or memorialized.
After leaving the Abbey we had a snack in the café of the Methodist Central Hall before walking over to Downing Street. You can't see much for security reasons, but it was neat to at least see the gate and the Number Ten in the distance.
We met my aunt for a delicious lunch in her office, which is right next to Westminster Abbey. She also showed us around the building, so I can now saw I've been inside the offices of the British civil service (one of my goals for the trip).
This afternoon we split up: the girls went and shopped while my dad and I walked around Fulham, Chelsea, and Pimlico. We started at Stamford Bridge, home of Chelsea Football Club (know thine enemy), which was impressive but nowhere near as atmospheric as Anfield.
We continued on through the old Brompton Road Cemetery; its huge and overgrown, which is part of what made it so interesting (and spooky).
Then it was down to Pimlico, where we walked past Tate Britain and along the Thames for a great view of the Battersea Power Station (way, way bigger than I anticipated it being).
Lastly, we took a bus up to the Marble Arch (seen here) to meet Mom and Jules for dinner at a pub called the Tyburn. It was curry feast night, so as far as I'm concerned the day ended on a high note!
GWV
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