St. Paul's Cathedral

The first time I saw St. Paul’s was in the evening when the building is illuminated. For me it was a moment very similar to seeing the Rockies for the first time - Wow!

St Paul’s is surprisingly tasteful. The building is the legacy of Sir Christopher Wren. After the fire of 1666 destroyed London Wren was placed in charge of rebuilding several of the churches.

The cathedral is constructed of white Portland stone; the only decoration Sir Christopher Wren (its architect) intended was the carved bits. Apparently Queen Victoria was “not amused” and stated she would not step foot again into the building unless some color was added. To appease the monarch mosaics were added to the interior. These were crafted, at great expense, by the guilds that still exist today; it is therefore unlikely they will be removed anytime soon.

Although not quite London’s answer to the Grouse Grind, climbing the 530 steps to the top is a challenge. The stairs lead to the bottom of the interior dome and then to the upper exterior. The view at the top must rival that from the London Eye; I thought it was worth the trip.