April 30, 2015
It is interesting to me how strongly connected the Church of England is with the Ruling government. In the United States we seem to be going in just the opposite direction. As we marveled over the intricate architecture of the beautiful Westminster Abby, we also found ourselves in front of the coronation chair where Kings and Queens are crowned. This gothic building masterpiece is also an amazing mausoleum! Buried there are past royalty along with poets, writers, and scientists like Isaac Newton and Charles Darwin. The great Christian statesman William Wilberforce was resting peacefully along with many others. We returned later in the afternoon to enjoy Evensong, a liturgical service with the choir and big pipe organ. Dignitaries from South Africa were in town and provided some of the scripture readings.
A short walk from Westminster Abby brought us and several thousand other tourists to Buckingham palace. We arrived in time to watch the changing guard ceremony with all of it's pomp and circumstance. Wedged in with us was a delightful lady from Bavaria whom we enjoyed visiting with. By now we were ready for a break and the beautiful St James Park provided just the perfect mix of green grass, sunshine, and birds.
As we left the park to explore around a little, we happened upon a marching band of Gurkha soldiers from Nepal. They were marching to celebrate their 200 years in service to the Crown. It was interesting to see the Nepalese soldiers wearing Scottish tartans and playing bagpipes!
On our walk back to Westminster Abby we stopped in at the Winston Churchill War Rooms. This underground bunker was the command center for Britain during World War II. As a museum it chronicled the life of Winston Churchill. Very interesting!
Thank you for listening to our adventures!
It is interesting to me how strongly connected the Church of England is with the Ruling government. In the United States we seem to be going in just the opposite direction. As we marveled over the intricate architecture of the beautiful Westminster Abby, we also found ourselves in front of the coronation chair where Kings and Queens are crowned. This gothic building masterpiece is also an amazing mausoleum! Buried there are past royalty along with poets, writers, and scientists like Isaac Newton and Charles Darwin. The great Christian statesman William Wilberforce was resting peacefully along with many others. We returned later in the afternoon to enjoy Evensong, a liturgical service with the choir and big pipe organ. Dignitaries from South Africa were in town and provided some of the scripture readings.
A short walk from Westminster Abby brought us and several thousand other tourists to Buckingham palace. We arrived in time to watch the changing guard ceremony with all of it's pomp and circumstance. Wedged in with us was a delightful lady from Bavaria whom we enjoyed visiting with. By now we were ready for a break and the beautiful St James Park provided just the perfect mix of green grass, sunshine, and birds.
As we left the park to explore around a little, we happened upon a marching band of Gurkha soldiers from Nepal. They were marching to celebrate their 200 years in service to the Crown. It was interesting to see the Nepalese soldiers wearing Scottish tartans and playing bagpipes!
On our walk back to Westminster Abby we stopped in at the Winston Churchill War Rooms. This underground bunker was the command center for Britain during World War II. As a museum it chronicled the life of Winston Churchill. Very interesting!
Thank you for listening to our adventures!
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