Today was our first official day out in London, and it was amazing. The day came with many firsts for me. They include:
1. My first ride on a double decker bus
2. My first (real life) view of the River Thames
3. My first walk on the Millennium Bridge
4. My first picnic outside of a church
5. My first time stepping on human tombs (at least on purpose...)
6. My first look at an original page from Chaucer's Canterbury Tales
7. My first time riding on the famous London Tube
Honestly, I could write an entire page on each of those experiences, and probably show you more pictures than your interested in looking at (I took over 200 in five hours). Instead, I will enlighten you with some stairs.
It all started in the morning. Our photographic focus for the day was 'buildings,' which I was looking forward to since I have a keen interest in the subject matter and have taken some architectural history courses. As we hopped on the bright red #25 double decker bus from the central London neighborhood, I began asking myself questions as to why certain buildings were located in specific locations, and whether London had any zoning laws (it turns out they do).
London Zoning Laws. Yay!
London's zoning laws are neither here nor there. What really had me thinking about the building locations was the immense diversity of buildings styles and architecture that match the ethnically diverse city. It actually reminded me of Chicago. It turns out that our first stop of the day, the Museum of London, has some amazing answers to these questions. London, much like Chicago, has had devastating fires throughout it's history, which over time, has allowed for an emergence of diverse architectural styles. I'm sure there are other complex factors that contribute to the diversity of architecture, but I'm also sure fire has played an important role. Just look at the differences in these two iconic structures of London architecture:
30 St Mary Axe St. Paul's Cathedral
It wasn't until we completed the tour of our second destination, St. Paul's Cathedral, that I was able to take in one of the most breathtaking views of London architecture.
This required stairs. Lots and lots of stairs. I didn't count, but by the shaking of my legs in the aftermath, I wouldn't be too off if I threw out the word "thousand" in there. We climbed, for what seemed like forever, from the crypt of the cathedral all the way to the top of the dome spiral. Let's just say it wasn't my favorite way to get exercise, but it was totally worth it.
It really brought together my thoughts and ramblings from earlier in the day about zoning and architecture, along with all the newfound knowledge I had gained in from the Museum of London. In my book, I'd call this a pretty successful day.
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