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UK Trip....Part IV
Posted: Saturday, May 09, 2009 by Stained inWednesday, 18th March
1) Today our main place to visit was the Saint Pauls Cathedral. One of the top places to visit, so we had to. We reached there at 10:30am, got inside half an hour later while waiting for the others to meet us. Unfortunately photography was not allowed indoors.
2) There were some very cool paintings and statues all over the cathedral which I would have loved to capture but most of it was plain pornography. I don't get the concept behind this so called art where they love to show the private parts of kids, men and women. Quite disgusting in my opinion. Also no offence to anyone but why do people (my friends included) want to sit through a sermon that might be going on while visiting a church. I know it's a show of respect, but why listen to something that you don't believe in. I find the practice a bit stupid.Like every other tourist, we made our way up to the The Whispering Gallery after climbing 259 steps up. The walls of the stair was scarred with names, dates, messages. Some so old that the marks had faded out. I made my way slowly up while trying to read each and every mark. I doubt anyone else in the group bothered with them. The Whispering Gallery runs around the interior of the Dome. It gets its name from a charming quirk in its construction, which makes a whisper against its walls audible on the opposite side. We tried it but were not able to get it right while two little girls we able to do so.
Then we made our way to the Stone Gallery that encircle the outside of the dome. The Stone Gallery stands at 173 ft (53.4 metres) from ground-level and can be reached by 378 steps. Here we were allowed to take pictures...
Above the Stone Gallery is the Golden Gallery which is the smallest of the galleries and runs around the highest point of the outer dome, 280ft (85.4 metres) Visitors that climb the 530 steps to this gallery will be treated to panoramic views of London. Unfortunately it was closed when we were there.3) After that we made our way back down to the basement called 'The Crypt'. Here the Dead people are buried and people are allowed to walk all over their graves. We didn't realise it initially but on asking one of the staff members, we were enlightened that each of the marked graves indeed had dead bodies inside. We managed to snap a few pictures here cause we thought photography was allowed as we saw a bunch of other tourists clicking away. But soon my camera was back into my bag as we were told that photography wasn't allowed there either.
We then made our way carefully around the graves to make our way to the over priced Gift shop where no one bought anything. We exited after that and decided to make our way to Trafalgar square.4) We passed several ancient looking and important looking building on way their like the Royal Courts of Justice (pictured below), a nice looking church (pictured below), the Indian consulate, London school of Economics campus etc.
5) We had a quick lunch at Subway (Veggie sandwich...), we headed towards Trafalgar Square. We decided to visit the National Gallery which was like the head quarter for pornographic art. I only saw one exhibit (by some big shot guy who's name I don't care to remember) who's artistic skills revolved around nudity. Disgusted, I quickly made my way out and sat on the stair watching the people pass me by. Their were quite of performers in the square...plenty of graffiti artists...a guy trying to balance a ball(pictured below) and some musicians.The Guy below was having a bad day as his master trick wasn't coming through. Over and over again he tried and he kept failing to get it right. I still liked what he was doing.
The two boys picture below played some of the coolest music ever. And they were enjoying it a lot. I sat therr listening to them for a good half an hour while I waited for the others to join me.
6) After that we decided to head towards the shady place called soho and then checked out the not so shady place called China Town. After that it was Home Sweet Home.
The two boys picture below played some of the coolest music ever. And they were enjoying it a lot. I sat therr listening to them for a good half an hour while I waited for the others to join me.
6) After that we decided to head towards the shady place called soho and then checked out the not so shady place called China Town. After that it was Home Sweet Home.(Picture below is the Charing cross tube station.)
Thursday, 19th March
Thursday, 19th MarchToday was our day of graduation. It was also the day we did the most stupidest thing ever. Our Graduation ceremony started at 2:30pm and we thought it started at 4pm. So we decided to make our way to Southall i.e the mini India. One of our friends wanted to visit the Gurdwara. We got their by 11:15am. After some time I called another friend to confirm the time of the graduation. She told us it was 2:30pm and we had to be there by 1:50pm. We rushed back to the station, got back home by 12:40pm. Managed to get out back by 1:30pm and got to the hall at 2:05pm. We somehow managed to get our gowns, get our ticket and got ourselves seated by 2:20pm. That was a very close call.
The ceremony was the most boring ceremony ever. The boring speeches were not the bad thing though. The whole concept of not getting our degrees but instead being asked to get on stage and bow in front of Princess Anna was annoying. I don't get the point of it. Anyway we did our own post ceremony photo shoot with me as the photographer. Then we went to the London Eye.
The ceremony was the most boring ceremony ever. The boring speeches were not the bad thing though. The whole concept of not getting our degrees but instead being asked to get on stage and bow in front of Princess Anna was annoying. I don't get the point of it. Anyway we did our own post ceremony photo shoot with me as the photographer. Then we went to the London Eye.
7) Below is a shot of the Hungerford bridge that we crossed to make our way to the Eye.
8) The London eye looks amazing at night.
9) A shot of the Parliment building from the London Eye.
Then we went to a Lebanese restaurant on Edgeware road that is the place to go for Halal food. After having some kebabs, shawarmas and orange juice, we headed back home.
8) The London eye looks amazing at night.
9) A shot of the Parliment building from the London Eye.
Then we went to a Lebanese restaurant on Edgeware road that is the place to go for Halal food. After having some kebabs, shawarmas and orange juice, we headed back home.
It wasn't a sermon...it was part of a ritual called breaking of the bread I think...
Princess Anne...not Anna :P
And it was COLD after the ceremony... !!! :D