I had planned to get to Westminster earlier in the week but I just couldn't get there quick enough so I decided to get it over and done with first today. It was a cool cloudy grey London day. Much more like what I had been expecting. The clouds actually look really cool in the below photo, well I think so anyway. Westminster was really enjoyable. Not only is it a beautiful building but it is just soo stepped in history. It is the resting place of many famous people or at least the place of memorials of famous people through time. Even though I'm not religious it was nice to just stop and hear the hourly prayers throughout the cathedral and read about all the history of the various stages of building and use. It was very chilling to see some of the royal wedding photos and then to see the coffins laid in state. I get chills every time I see anything to do with Princess Diana's funeral.
From one very royal place to another very royal place. In London who would have though? I went to have a look around the Royal Mews, which is where the horses are trained and stabled that pull the state coaches and carriages. The carriages and coaches are also kept here. The blow carriage is the most recognizable royal coach. It has to be pulled by 8 horses and weighs around 4tonnes. Half the room needs to be dismantlement to get it out through a wall, it takes half the staff and several days.
The Queen's gallery at Buckingham Palace has a Da Vinci anatomical drawings exhibit on which was really interesting. I tried to buy a print or post card or anything with the below sketch on it but I couldn't find any in the gift shop. It is Kurt's favourite Da Vinci drawing and I got to see the real one on display.
From Buckingham Palace I wandered through a different part of St James Park around the lake, it was beautiful. Although it was teaming with people there was so much nature that it kind of drowned the crowds out while I walked around the lake. Until I tried to cross the bridge then that was a bit of a pain. I made my way to the National Portrait Gallery for an exhibition on the Queen. Most of it was very nice, photographs of her throughout her life and a few formal painted portraits then there was all the weird modern art that I just don't get.
From that galley I wandered along to Summerset house. It is known as one of the best small galleries in the world (I think it was the world). I have to agree with that claim. it wasn't overly big but every painting in there was the work of someone very famous. I looked at two Van Goughs then turned around to see a few Montes and a few Surates all in the same small room.
After all that running around today a relaxed night of movie on the lounge was in order
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