Grateful Prayer | Thankful Heart

My Soul Finds Rest

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In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God.  And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.
Romans 8:26-28
We’ve faced much sadness these past weeks yet we take hold of the hope set before us and we are greatly encouraged.

 

Our longtime friend and the mother of our son-in-law lost her battle with cancer. A precious lady who loved the Lord with all of her heart and left a beautiful legacy not only with her family but with all that knew her.
Those who went to the cemetery were given a small envelope containing a butterfly. They were released after pastor spoke. Someone placed a butterfly on the flower headband worn by baby Joelle. Jamie posted this on fb:
This little sweetheart is the niece of our other son-in-law.  This 14-month beautiful girl was recently diagnosed with stage 3 lung cancer and has begun chemo to shrink the mass before surgery to remove it. Prayers for Emma and her Mommy and Daddy are greatly appreciated!
The only sibling of  Abbey’s best friend lost his life in a car accident. Just 20 years old, Dan was to be Abbey’s escort at his sister Vicki’s wedding next year. I can’t imaging the difficult journey this family now must walk.
Friday night we made a hard decision. As Raider’s Sick Sinus Syndrome had progressed, he began having labored, rapid breathing and became tuckered out even with little exertion. On Thursday, he laid on me and I rocked him, silently thinking in my heart that he would just stop breathing and his heart would cease beating and he would die peacefully. We talked with the veterinarian and learned that his breathing difficulties would not be peaceful and left it that we would contact her Sunday morning.  As we were getting ready for bed Friday night, it was apparent he was in distress and prolonging his life made no sense so we left for a final car ride just as we did 14 years ago with our dog, Scotty. 
We returned home with an empty collar and a sweet paw print that was made for us by the veterinarian staff and a heart full of memories of my sweet boy.
Even amid all of the heartache, the Lord never leaves us and pours out his mercy and grace.
Here are some happy moments from the past few weeks.
Jill, Brad and family visited for a week. They returned home and then Jill and two of the kids came back for the funeral.
Cambrie lost her two front teeth
Silas celebrated his 10th birthday
Keri received an Excellence in Character award
Braden loved hand feeding Raider
Keri went to Take your child to work day with her PopPop
My  daughter, Jill (one of the twins) took me to dinner for Mother’s Day Monday evening. It was super special to spend time just with her! 
 
 And Abbey and I enjoyed a great lunch after church on Mother’s Day.
May 15th is the 10th anniversary of my dad’s passing.  I am so thankful for his sincere response to the call of the Lord to be his savior.
Finally, in my near future, I will be having a total hip replacement. Not scheduled yet because I have had too much on my plate. It takes 6-8 weeks to prepare for surgery and you can be sure I will be requesting prayer for this!
Yes, my soul, find rest in God; my hope comes from him.
Psalm 62:5

Welcome baby Joelle Elizabeth

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Big sister Chloe, welcomed the newest member of the family on her birthday.
Baby Joelle Elizabeth not only shares a birthday with her sister, but they are both little leaplings.
Both born February 29th, four years apart.

 Not due until March 17th, Joelle came a little early to join her seven brothers and sisters.
 It doesn’t look like she will be in want of love and hugs anytime soon.
 Joelle came into the world with very dark hair, at the same weight as her momma did (6 lbs. 7 oz.) and looking (in my opinion) much like her momma did at birth. She needed a little encouragement to let out a big cry after birth and still needs to see those bilirubin numbers drop but she is doing just fine. 
A local hospital and paper shared this special leap day birth noting that the delivery doctor is a leap day baby as well 🙂 
We celebrated Chloe’s birthday on the 28th and Caleb turned 8 on March 4th.  PopPop John got to watch Silas play in a soccer tournament and we even had a late winter snow that cleared up by afternoon. 
I wrapped up the week with a special outing to the Philadelphia Flower Show with dear friends.
The theme this year is National Parks and it was all so beautiful!
and… I even managed to get this post prepared!
Happy Sunday, sweet blogging friends!

Marche de L’enfante Rouge, Notra Dame, Sainte Chapelle, Eiffel Tower & Nuit Blanche

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This Saturday was the busiest and longest day of our entire London/Paris trip. This was the day we walked more than 18,000 steps or close to 8.5 miles! A non-stop day filled with fabulous memories!
I decided not to break this post into two, so if you stay to the end of this marathon post, you just might be as tired as we were!

 We began at the Marché des Enfants Rouges, the oldest covered market in Paris, France. It was established in the early 1600’s and is located at 39 Rue de Bretagne in the Marais (3rd) arrondissement.
The name in English translates as “Market of the Red Children” and refers to the children clothed in red (the color of charity) who were cared for in a nearby orphanage.
 The market offers an incredible selection of fresh fruits, vegetables, fish, cooked foods, bread and flowers, all behind the small iron gate.
From the Marche de L’enfante Rouge we passed the
Hôtel de Ville,
as we did frequently since it was near our hotel. It is the building housing the city’s local administration. Standing on the place de l’Hôtel-de-Ville, it has been the location of the municipality of Paris since 1357. It serves multiple functions, housing the local administration, the Mayor of Paris, and also serves as a venue for large receptions.

Crossing this beautiful bridge (pont d Arcole over the River Seine), we stopped for pics then continued to our next destination.

The view was gorgeous
   and the sun was so warm and bright
 how about those shoes!?! They aren’t pretty but logging that many miles, comfort was the only way to go. And, I wasn’t alone wearing them. To my surprise, even in this fashion capital of the world, we saw many non-tourists opting for similar foot apparel.
Crossing this intersection we were heading to the tower on the right.  Do you recognize it?
It is Notre Dame Cathedral built eight centuries ago!
Notre-Dame de Paris  “French for “Our Lady of Paris”, is a historic Catholic cathedral on the eastern half of the Île de la Cité in the fourth arrondissement of Paris, France. The cathedral is widely considered to be one of the finest examples of French Gothic architecture, and it is among the largest and most well-known church buildings in the world. source
 Notre Dame has endured destruction and subsequent restoration in many periods. However, much of the facade and interior still are true to the original designs. In the 16th century, both the Huguenots and the French king vandalized and changed a lot of the cathedral’s contents.
  Many of the features on the cathedral’s exterior were removed because they were considered to be idolatrous, and tombs and stained glass windows were destroyed in the name of modernization. The cathedral was converted into a storage warehouse for food, during the French Revolution, and the heads of many of Notre Dame’s statues were removed.
 As you can see, there were a lot of people here.
This is the line of people wrapped around the building as they wait to go inside.
Appointed bishop of Paris in 1160, Maurice de Sully decided to give the capital a cathedral worthy of France’s largest city. He wanted to build it in the Gothic style. King Louis VII, encouraged the project. Construction began in 1163, and Notre-Dame would be completed some 100 years later, in 1272. During this time, many craftsmen’s guilds (tailors, sculptors, carpenters, joiners, masons, and glassblowers) worked relentlessly under the supervision of seasoned architects. source

Leaving Notre Dame, it was off to
SAINTE CHAPPELL
Hard to imagine what beauty we would see behind the doors as we waited in line on this Paris street.  
Sainte Chapelle, a royal medieval Gothic chapel, is a chapel on top of a chapel.  
This photo is the lower, ground level chapel just as we walked in.
Begun some time after 1239 and consecrated on 26 April 1248, the Sainte-Chapelle is considered among the highest achievements of the Rayonnant period of Gothic architecture. It was commissioned by King Louis IX of France to house his collection of Passion relics, including Christ’s Crown of Thorns—one of the most important relics in medieval Christendom.

Although damaged during the French Revolution, and restored in the 19th century, it is one of the most extensive in-situ 13th-century stained glass anywhere in the world.
 Sainte-Chapelle stands squarely upon this lower chapel.
 Low vaulted ceilings rest on fine columns with crocketed capitals, linked by anchor braces made of wood or stone. The walls are decorated with trefoiled arcades and twelve medallions representing the Apostles.
French fleurs de lys on an azure background and towers of Castile alternate on the columns. The towers are an homage to Blanche of Castile, Saint Louis’ mother.  
 The vaulted ceiling is painted to resemble star-filled heavens, and the floor contains tombstones covering the sepulchres of treasurers and reverends of the Sainte-Chapelle. During the period of the monarchy, the lower chapel was reserved for palace staff. source
Then… walking up a narrow,winding staircase to the upper, royal chapel, I was unprepared to see this…
 truly breathtaking
We entered the upper chapel from the stairs located at the bottom left of this photo. I was so taken by the glorious sight, I paused just inside the room giving me opportunity to hear the almost involuntarily gasps and aahs of each person that came behind me. 
 The Sainte-Chapelle was a palace chapel, directly connected to the king’s palace and used by the king and his court.
 The upper chapel is resplendent in its Gothic architecture – light, color, and space blend to inspire a sense of harmony between art and religious faith. Architects, sculptors and painters evidently took the greatest care with the interior of the upper chapel, as this was the part of the building reserved for the king, his close friends and family, as well as for displaying the religious relics. source
The most visually beautiful aspects of the chapel, and considered the best of their type in the world, are its 6,458 square feet of stained glass windows of the upper chapel, surrounded by delicate painted stonework. The windows are in deep reds and blues and illustrate 1,130 figures from the Bible.
 Sainte-Chapelle is among the high points of French High Gothic architecture. The interior gives a a strong sense of fragile beauty, created by reducing the structural supports to a bare minimum to make way for huge expanse of exquisite stained glass. The result is a feeling of being enveloped in light and color.
The rose window was replaced in 1490-1495 in a style known as Flamboyant (because it looks like flames). Originally, the window probably contained scenes from the Apocalypse.
The back of Sainte Chapelle where we exited, is attached to Palais de Justice, a Paris governmental building.
looking to the top left is part of Sainte Chapelle.
Leaving Sainte Chapelle we walked to a wine tasting The cost was covered by our Paris Pass and it was fun, interesting and informative.
 Hitting the pavement once again

We took the Metro to the Trocadéro, an area of Paris, in the 16th arrondissement, across the Seine from the Eiffel Tower.

It was still daylight when we arrived so we found a bench where we sat, rested, took in the sights and John enjoyed a Parisian Crêpe beneath the Eiffel Tower.  How iconic is that! 🙂
The sun set and the tower lit up
There is a lovely light show at the top of each hour.
After this long and exciting day, we headed for the Metro to make our way to our hotel
Imagine our surprise as we surfaced from the metro nearest our hotel to find bustling crowds and a festive nightlife. 
busy street with  Hôtel de Ville in the background
Autumn in Paris is about falling leaves … and Nuit Blanche, a free all-night event with many museums open and with free admission. It means, “sleepless night in Paris.”
 Every first Saturday in October, beginning at sunset, Paris takes to the streets to celebrate contemporary art. Installations, light displays and music.
and thus ended our very long day in Paris!

Last day of London

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Our last day of London included visiting St Pancras Renaissance Hotel, Kings Cross Station and the changing of the Guard at St James Palace.
Our last day of London and it was as perfect as all the others. High of 65 F and low of 49 F.

This photo was taken in the St. Pancras Renaissance Hotel. We stepped inside for a peek and I was drawn to these steps.  Regal with just a hint of suspense, don’t you think?

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Tower of London, Courtauld Gallery and Westminster Abbey

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We had been doing a great job learning and getting around using the transit system in London, but this day it got confusing and we walked further than we needed. For the first time (the only time, really, during the entire trip) our feet and hips were sore and we felt tired.
But, as in these wise words, we resolved to 
(public domain photo)

Top Photo of me with a Beefeater

The Yeomen Warders of Her Majesty’s Royal Palace and Fortress the Tower of London, and Members of the Sovereign’s Body Guard of the Yeoman Guard Extraordinary, popularly known as the Beefeaters, are ceremonial guardians of the Tower of London. In principle they are responsible for looking after any prisoners in the Tower and safeguarding the British crown jewels, but in practice they act as tour guides and are a tourist attraction in their own right, a point the Yeomen Warders acknowledge.


In 2011, there were 37 Yeomen Warders and one Chief Warder. All warders are retired from the Armed Forces of Commonwealth realms and must be former senior non-commissioned officers or petty officers with at least 22 years of service. They must also hold the Long Service and Good Conduct medal. source

TOWER OF LONDON

We took the circle line to The Tower of London
Her Majesty’s Royal Palace and Fortress, known as the Tower of London, is a historic castle located on the north bank of the River Thames in central London. It was founded towards the end of 1066 as part of the Norman Conquest of England. The White Tower, which gives the entire castle its name, was built by William the Conqueror in 1078, and was a resented symbol of oppression, inflicted upon London by the new ruling elite. The castle was used as a prison from 1100 until 1952), although that was not its primary purpose. A grand palace early in its history, it served as a royal residence. As a whole, the Tower is a complex of several buildings set within two concentric rings of defensive walls and a moat. There were several phases of expansion, mainly under Kings Richard the Lionheart, Henry III, and Edward I in the 12th and 13th centuries. 

 The moat around the tower
 We walked to the Tower Bridge

THE CROWN JEWELS

The Crown Jewels at the Tower of London are a unique working collection of royal regalia and are still regularly used by The Queen in important national ceremonies, such as the State Opening of Parliament.

Photos were not allowed  but I was able to gather some via the internet.  Truly dazzling!
The closest I came to a Royal Crown was in a gift shop that featured a wall camera. If I stood in just the right spot with my head in the right positions, I had a crown upon my head.

 The Tower of London reflected in the glass of a modern building
Another old with the new shot with the Shard standing in the background.

COURTAULD GALLERY

We hurried to get in a visit to the Courtauld Gallery in Somerset 
The Courtauld Gallery is located at the Strand entrance of Somerset House, in the heart of London with an extensive collection of paintings, mainly French Impressionist and Post-Impressionist works.

From the Courtauld Gallery we took the underground to Westminster Abbey where we followed a self-guided audio tour. This Gothic style Abbey church was founded in the 10th century and rebuilt in 1517.  It is a traditional place of coronations and burial site of British monarchs

WESTMINSTER ABBEY

Westminster Abbey is steeped in more than a thousand years of history. Benedictine monks first came to this site in the middle of the tenth century, establishing a tradition of daily worship which continues to this day.


The Abbey has been the coronation church since 1066 and is the final resting place of seventeen monarchs. The present church, begun by Henry III in 1245, is one of the most important Gothic buildings in the country, with the medieval shrine of an Anglo-Saxon saint still at its heart.


A treasure house of paintings, stained glass, pavements, textiles and other artefacts, Westminster Abbey is also the place where some of the most significant people in the nation’s history are buried or commemorated. Taken as a whole the tombs and memorials comprise the most significant single collection of monumental sculpture anywhere in the United Kingdom. source 

 internet photos of Westminster Abbey interior including the wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton (in the top right photo)
The present building dates mainly from the reign of King Henry III. In 1245 he pulled down the eastern part of the 11th century Abbey, which had been founded by King Edward the Confessor and dedicated in 1065. Earlier in Henry’s reign, on 16 May 1220, he had laid the foundation stone for a new Lady Chapel at the east end of the Confessor’s church, but as the Abbey’s own financial resources were not sufficient to continue the rebuilding of the whole church at this time no other work was carried out. source

walking the corridor of the Westminster cloister

sunbeams shining into the cloister

Cloister Courtyard

a stop at The Abbey Shop

enjoying a rest in the afternoon sunshine just outside the Abbey

PARLIAMENT BUILDING

walking toward the Parliament Building

quite impressive

and, just for fun…

crazy, huh! Our step counter shows the distance we covered during our trip!
We came home a little lighter and with a bit more stamina than before we left.
🙂

Scotney Castle and Dear Friends

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Beauty can be found in places we visit and it can be found in friendship.
This is Scotney Castle located in Kent, England


While making plans to visit London, I wrote to my long-time blogging friend, Lindsey of Fine Linen and Purple, to see if we could possibly meet up.  She wrote back asking if we would prefer to meet in London or for them to drive us out into the countryside. With excitement we responded, “The countryside!” Lindsey sent some suggested places and we choose Scotney Castle.

The morning of the decided day, John and I walked to King’s Cross station to board a train to Tunbridge Wells Station.  
Royal Tunbridge Wells is a large town in western Kent, England, about 40 miles south-east of central London by road, 34.5 miles by rail.
This dear lady was waiting right where we stepped out of the station!
I have come to love Lindsey’s adorable grandchildren through her posts and am always inspired by the beautiful knitted, sewn and quilted creations she has made. But it is her kind, friendly manner that most warms my heart.
We walked to her car and after introductions, her husband, Ray, got into the wrong right side of the car and we began driving on the wrong left side of the road to our destination. 😉

 Walking the lovely grounds on such a perfect autumn day was made even more special with this dear couple.

At the top of the garden stands a house which was built to replace the Old Castle between 1835 and 1843. This is known as Scotney New Castle, or simply Scotney Castle, and was designed by Anthony Salvin. It is an early, example of Tudor Revival architectural style in 19th century Britain. Following the death of the resident, Elizabeth Hussey, in 2006, this house was opened to the public for the first time on June 6, 2007

 Scotney Castle is an English country house with formal gardens south-east of Lamberhurst in the valley of the River Bewl in Kent, England. It belongs to the National Trust.

 Stopping often for photos as everywhere held beautiful views.

We took photos of each other

 Shared an anniversary kiss at their suggestion

We marveled at the sights

We toured the house.

 The gardens, which are an example of the Picturesque style, are open to the public. The central feature is the ruins of a medieval, moated manor house, Scotney Old Castle, which is on an island on a small lake. The lake is surrounded by sloping, wooded gardens with rhododendrons, azaleas, kalmia and spectacular autumn colour.

 view from Scotney Castle toward the house at the top of the hill

I didn’t think to get photos of our lovely lunch together at the courtyard cafe where we enjoyed soup, sandwiches and where I had a wonderful scone with clotted cream and jam.  But the best part was the heartfelt conversation sharing the joys of family and faith.

As if their sweet company wasn’t enough, this kind couple gave us delightful gifts.
Lindsey knitted me a beautiful washcloth tied onto her delicious berry jam, a pottery bowl made by her talented husband, a tin of Welch tea along with a recipe booklet filled with Welch teatime recipes and a sweet hand carved lovespoon, a traditional Welsh craft that dates back to the seventeenth century. It was a perfect gift to remember our anniversary as well as our time together.

Blogging friends are very real friends, indeed.
Thank you, Lindsey and Ray, for sharing your time and yourselves!
We enjoyed every moment with you both!

Platform 9 3/4, English Tea, Greenwich and Royal Observatory

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 A spectacular view from the Royal Observatory overlook located in Greenwich, England.

Platform 9 3/4 ~ if you are familiar with the Harry Potter books you’ll recognize this as the fictional location for departure of the train to Hogwarts, selling magic artifacts and wizarding gear. Abbey is a big fan so we made sure to visit for a photo.
 Because of its popularity, the station has the area set aside where fans can snap a fun pic. 
Then, how can one visit London for the first time and not enjoy a Proper English Tea!
 Next, we head to Tower Pier to board a boat for the Themes River Cruise.
Tower Bridge ahead
 passing under the Tower Bridge
view of Greenwich and the Cutty Sark 
Off the cruise boat, we walked to the Naval College, the Maritime Museum and past the Cutty Sark.
 It was a hike up a tall hill and then lots of steps to reach…
the Royal Observatory
The Royal Observatory, Greenwich, played a major role in the history of astronomy and navigation, and is best known as the location of the prime meridian. The observatory is situated on a hill in Greenwich Park, overlooking the River Thames.

The observatory was commissioned in 1675 by King Charles II, with the foundation stone being laid on 10 August. The site was chosen by Sir Christopher Wren. At that time the king also created the position of Astronomer Royal, to serve as the director of the observatory and to “apply himself with the most exact care and diligence to the rectifying of the tables of the motions of the heavens, and the places of the fixed stars, so as to find out the so much desired longitude of places for the perfecting of the art of navigation.” He appointed John Flamsteed as the first AR. The building was completed in the summer of 1676. The building was often called “Flamsteed House”, in reference to its first occupant. source
and this gorgeous view
 We waited our turn
to stand on the Prime Meridian Line to have a foot in both hemispheres
Hemispheres

The prime meridian and the International Date Line create a circle that divides the Earth into the eastern and western hemispheres. This is similar to the way the Equator serves as the 0 latitude line and divides the Earth into the northern and southern hemispheres. 

The eastern hemisphere is east of the prime meridian and west of the International Date Line. Most of Earths landmasses, including all of Asia and Australia, and most of Africa, are part of the eastern hemisphere. 

The western hemisphere is west of the prime meridian and east of the International Date Line. The Americas, the western part of the British Isles (including Ireland and Wales), and the northwestern part of Africa are landmasses in the western hemisphere. source

 From Greenwich we headed back to the cruise boat, this time disembarking at Westminster Pier.
Dusk turned to night and the evening became chilly.

 John took this panoramic view

 the Parliament Building in golden illumination

Big Ben is the nickname for the Great Bell of the clock at the north end of the Palace of Westminster in London, and often extended to refer to the clock and the clock tower. The tower is officially known as the Elizabeth Tower, renamed as such to celebrate the Diamond Jubilee of Elizabeth II. The tower holds the second largest four-faced chiming clock in the world. The tower was completed in 1858.

Back in our hotel room, we watched an episode of Downton Abbey that our friends back home will have to wait until January to see.

So excited to share our next day…
the most special day of our trip!

Southwark Cathedral, London

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Of all the cathedrals we visited, Southwark, that lies on the south bank of the River Thames close to London Bridge, was my favorite.
Breathtaking comes close to describing it.
part of their welcome statement: We believe there has been a church on this site since AD 606. There may well have been a church here even earlier. Southwark Cathedral is the oldest cathedral church building in London, and archaeological evidence shows there was Roman pagan worship here well before that.

After our City walk, touring St. Paul’s Cathedral, Millennial Bridge, Bankside walk and Borough Market, it was on to Southwark Cathedral. We timed our arrival so we could enjoy the choral evensong service.
 We entered from the North West door and sat in the nave during evensong.
photo source
The baptismal font stands between the north and south entrances of the Cathedral.
 extraordinary architecture 
  
monuments and memorials in the transepts
 the organ
 William Shakespeare monument 
William Shakespeare (1564-1616) is commemorated by a window and monument in the South Aisle.
The monument, carved by Henry McCarthy in 1912, shows a recumbent alabaster figure of the actor and writer set against a background of 17th century Southwark.
William’s brother Edmund was buried in St Saviour’s in 1607. Although the position of his grave is unknown, he is commemorated by an inscribed stone in the paving of the Choir.
The window, designed by Christopher Webb, replaced a previous one destroyed during the 2nd World War. It shows characters from some of Shakespeare’s plays.
the choir area
 John sitting near a placard with John Bunyan’s name 
 I am sitting next to a placard with William Shakespeare’s name.
 This photo is taken as we looked toward the nave where we entered.  It is past the choir benches.

High Altar Screen – Southwark cathedral, 1520 AD


 The Great Screen


This magnificent screen was erected by Bishop Fox of Winchester in 1520. Although the general appearance of the screen, with three broad rich bands of carvings and statuary, is that of the original, most of the detail is from later periods.


Whether all the original statues were ever installed is uncertain, as the screen was completed within a decade of the Reformation when such statues were forbidden. The small carvings of the Lamb of God and the pelican (a badge of Bishop Fox) immediately above the rows of angels are probably original, as are some of the bases of the niches. The small carvings in the corners of the two doorways, showing hunting scenes, may also be original. source

 Model of the church and old Westminster Palace

The Humble Monument portrays Alderman Richard Humble and his two wives.

 the high alter and the great screen

walking toward the retro-choir

 
 the far back is called the retro-choir

The Retro-choir, built from 1215-1260 and is the oldest complete part of  Southwark Cathedral.

The Retro-choir is thought by many to be the loveliest part of the Cathedral, with superb spatial qualities. The design is 13th century Early English

 view from the retro-choir down the south choir

the floor of the Retro-choir.

 The Lady Chapel

south aisle nearing south west entrance

late afternoon sunbeams

exterior view

 outside Southwark Cathedral

archaeological chamber
 Roman Road 1st century AD

Near the entrance to the cafe and shop is part of the archaeological excavations left open for public display. Excavations around Southwark Cathedral in 1999 revealed part of a Roman road, foundations of the original Norman Priory wall, a 13th century medieval stone coffin and part of a late 17th century ‘Delft’ pottery kiln made of brick, one of the few surviving arched kilns found in Europe. source

Finally, after walking more than seven miles this day, we relaxed and ate dinner in a pub near our hotel.

Bankside Walk and Borough Market

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 After finishing our time at St. Paul’s and crossing the Millennium Bridge, I took this shot looking back across the Themes at the dome of the cathedral. The Themes flows from west to east (left to right) and is affected by the North Sea’s tides, so the river level does rise and fall twice a day.

 Even from the bridge, Shakespeare’s Globe catches your eye.
Built in 1997, the Globe is a realistic replica.
The original Globe Theatre was built in 1599 by the playing company, Lord Chamberlain’s Men, to which Shakespeare belonged, and was destroyed by fire on 29 June 1613. The fire was caused by an accident with a cannon during a production of Henry VIII. The theatre was rebuilt by June 1614, but was officially closed by pressure of Puritan opinion in 1642 and demolished in 1644.
Another gorgeous door with a plaque informing that Christopher Wren lived here during the building of St. Paul’s Cathedral as well as in 1502, Catherine of Aragon who became the first wife of Henry VIII, took shelter on her first landing in London.
Throughout London we enjoyed the talent of musicians. Many times in the underground stations or sidewalks. This young man, dressed so dapper, made music using a bow and saw.  
The Musical Saw is generally played seated with the handle squeezed between the legs, and the far end held with one hand. Some sawcerors play standing, either with the handle between the knees and the blade sticking out in front of them, or with the handle under the chin (like a violin). The saw is usually played with the serrated edge, or “teeth”, facing the body, though some players face them away. Some saw players file down the teeth for added comfort. To sound a note, a sawceror first bends the blade into an S-curve. The parts of the blade that are curved are damped from vibration, and do not sound. At the center of the S-curve a section of the blade remains relatively flat. This section, the “sweet spot”, can vibrate across the width of the blade, producing a distinct pitch: the wider the section of blade, the lower the sound. Sound is usually created by drawing a bow across the back edge of the saw at the sweet spot, or sometimes by striking the sweet spot with a mallet. The sawist controls the pitch by adjusting the S-curve, making the sweet spot travel up the blade (toward a thinner width) for a higher pitch, or toward the handle for a lower pitch. Harmonics can be created by playing at varying distances on either side of the sweet spot. Sawcerors can add vibrato by shaking one of their legs or by wobbling the hand that holds the tip of the blade. Once a sound is produced, it will sustain for quite a while, and can be carried through several notes of a phrase.
Walking on toward Southwark Bridge (London Bridge is two bridges past this one).
Daybag on his back, map tucked under his arm, souvenir bag in his hand and
 trying to use GPS with sketchy WIFI, this tourist still makes my heart skip. 
 unexpected grove of birch trees called out photo-opp
 Southwark Bridge 
We encountered a few words that caused us confusion in pronunciation and Southwark was one of them. But I spoke with an expert about our uncertainty and now we know ~
it’s pronounced 
Suth uck and you say it all together and quite fast if you see what I mean 😊 
This amazing yellow door called to me before we got off the bridge.
Just look at this beautiful building! It’s The Anchor and is a pub in the London Borough of Southwark, on the South Bank of the Thames. Built in 1615, a tavern establishment has been at the pub’s location for over 800 years.
See the faint, pointy building in the background?  It is called The Shard and I will share more about it in a future post.  Amazing to see the old and the modern (including the store fronts) nestled together.  

Michelin’s travel guide states that Anchor Bankside was rebuilt in 1676 after the Great Fire of London in 1666 destroyed it. The establishment was also rebuilt again in the 19th century.The Anchor has been described as “Bankside’s oldest surviving tavern” source
Turn the corner and it looks as though we’ve entered Charles Dickens era as we passed by the Clink Prison Museum.
The Clink was a notorious prison in Southwark, England which functioned from the 12th century until 1780. The manor and prison were owned by the Bishop of Winchester and situated next to his residence at Winchester Palace. The Clink was possibly the oldest men’s prison and probably the oldest women’s prison in England.

The origins of the name “The Clink” are uncertain, but is possibly derived from the sound of striking metal as the prison’s doors were bolted, or the rattling of the chains the prisoners wore. source
For centuries to be thrown into the Clink has meant to be jailed. The Clink was a real and fearsome English prison. Because it was independent from London law and owned by the Bishop of Winchester, it could make up its own rules. It was a huge source of money for the Church because the only way to escape harsh punishments that included flogging, boiling in oil, starvation, breaking on the rack and wheel and prisoners being forced to stand in freezing water until their feet rotted was to repeatedly pay enormous bribes. source

 This wall with the medieval rose window is all that remains of Winchester Palace. It was once an 80-acre estate with gardens, fountains, tennis courts, working farm and fish-stocked lake. Bishops from 1106 to 1626 live here as wealthy, worldly rulers. (Rick Steves)

 Borough Market

 notice the variety of mushrooms!

 Best Fish & Chips John ever had!

and my chicken wrap was d.e.l.i.c.i.o.u.s!

The City of London, Saint Paul’s Cathedral and Millennium Bridge

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 This day in London was filled with such splendor and beauty we could barely take it all in.
Among so many other things, I love London for the serendipitous moments. Slipping past a quiet courtyard, strolling past an interesting door or turning the corner and beholding an enchanting wall garden.

 so lovely
 This is where we passed as we walked to the spot to begin The City walking tour from one of our travel books. We downloaded the app before leaving home and listened to it on our iPhone.On the way we found this very pretty place on the corner of Kemble Street and Drury Lane. 
Yes, Drury Lane, where the muffin man of my nursery rhyme days must had lived 🙂
 How could these obvious tourists not stop by an iconic red phone box for fun pics!
We began our walk at St. Clement Danes, an Anglican church in the City of Westminster, London.
It is situated outside the Royal Courts of Justice on the Strand. The current building was completed in 1682 by Sir Christopher Wren. Wren’s building was gutted during the Blitz and not restored until 1958, when it was adapted to its current function as the central church of the Royal Air Force. source
Christopher Wren played a large part in London’s history.  After the great fire of 1666, Christopher Wren was a hired to rebuild the city. 
The Great Fire of London was a major conflagration that swept through the central parts of the English city of London, from Sunday, 2 September to Wednesday, 5 September 1666. The fire gutted the medieval City of London inside the old Roman city wall. It threatened, but did not reach, the aristocratic district of Westminster, Charles II’s Palace of Whitehall, and most of the suburban slums. It consumed 13,200 houses, 87 parish churches, St Paul’s Cathedral and most of the buildings of the City authorities. It is estimated to have destroyed the homes of 70,000 of the City’s 80,000 inhabitants source 

Across from St. Clement Danes is the Australian House. It is both Australia’s first diplomatic mission and the longest continuously occupied diplomatic mission in the United Kingdom.

 We stopped in the Twinings’ shop on the Strand. It was established as a tea room in 1706
Inside the long, narrow tea shop.
A bit farther, we came to The Temple Bar Monument with a statue of a griffin. It marks the official entrance in to the City of London leaving Westminster. This is where the Strand changes names and becomes Fleet Street.

This Tudor-style Prince Henry’s Room (top of the house) dates from 1610 and is one of the few buildings to survive the Great Fire of 1666. The top floor of the house was once an office for King Charles I’s son.

 Continuing along, The Royal Courts of Justice stand impressively.

The Royal Courts of Justice houses both the High Court and Court of Appeal of England and Wales. Designed by George Edmund Street, who died before it was completed, it is a large grey stone edifice in the Victorian Gothic style built in the 1870s and opened by Queen Victoria in 1882. It is one of the largest courts in Europe. It is located on the Strand within the City of Westminster, near the border with the City of London (Temple Bar) source

Further along, St. Paul’s Cathedral comes into view.

From Rick Steves: If you were standing here in September 1666, you’d see nothing but smoke and ruins.  The Great Fire razed everything, including the original St. Paul’s Cathedral.  Christopher Wren was hired to rebuild St. Paul’s and The City.


If you were standing here on December 30, 1940, the morning after a German Luftwaffe firebomb raid, you’d see nothing but a flat, smoldering landscape of rubble, with St. Paul’s rising above it, almost miraculously intact.

A quick selfie in front of this busy road and gorgeous cathedral.

 the magnificent dome

Queen Anne statue stands in front of the Cathedral
The plinth is inscribed with these words: “The original statue was erected on this spot to commemorate the completion of Saint Paul’s Cathedral. Francis Bird – sculptor.” “This replica of the statue of Queen Anne was erected at the expense of The Corporation of London In the year 1886, The Rt. Hon. Sir Reginald Hanson MA, FSA, Lord Mayor – Wm. Braham Esq., Chairman of the City Lands Committee”

Photos were not allowed in St. Paul’s Cathedral. The photos above were taken from the internet.

 around the back

 leaving St. Paul’s Cathedral toward the old Temple Bar in Patenoster square

 outside the beautiful St. Paul’s

as we walked away

 Onward from St. Paul’s, we walked to the Millennium Bridge.

 The Millennium Bridge, officially known as the London Millennium Footbridge, is a steel suspension bridge for pedestrians crossing the River Thames in London, linking Bankside with the City of London. It is located between Southwark Bridge and Blackfriars Railway Bridge

Mid-span on the Millennium Bridge with the dome of St. Paul behind us.

Crossing the Themes on foot with the enticing aroma of caramel-coated roasted peanuts permeating the air on another day of gorgeous weather! Could’t resist this delicious snack adding to our list of wonderful London memories 🙂

Can you believe that all of this was just part of our Saturday.
Heading to Bankside and lots to see along the Themes up next.

Anniversary Adventure

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Did you guess where we’ve been from the Platform 9 3/4 photo in my last post?  It was taken in London’s King’s Cross train station during our recent visit.  We’ve been across the pond celebrating our wedding anniversary on a most exciting adventure.  My blog break was to finish up projects around the house (that, no surprise, are still are not finished) and to complete plans and itinerary for our dream trip to Europe.  Kind of a honeymoon, 40 years in the making.

Oh, what an adventure it was! All during our planning I thought, “I can’t believe we are doing this.” Now, I think, “I can’t believe were were there!”  Our heads and hearts are full of exciting memories and experiences. Each photo transports us to the very moment and the thrill returns.
Before leaving the Philadelphia airport, we made sure to head to terminal A to see my niece, Eva’s beautiful glass bouquet display.

 Our overnight flight arrived in London Heathrow just as dawn was breaking. The light peeking over the thick clouds as we began our decent was beautiful. The cloudy sky soon turned a beautiful blue filled with white, fluffy clouds.

After landing, going through security, customs and baggage claim, we made our way to the Piccadilly Line to take the underground (also known as the Tube) train to Kings Cross Station. Just a short walk and we arrived at our hotel to drop off bags. The friendly and helpful staff had our room ready early.  It was small, clean, okay WiFi and a window that opened to the back of the building where the wonderful smell of cooking bacon and sausage woke us each morning as they prepared a complimentary breakfast.  We love Alhambra hotel, their very nice staff and the convenient location to transit.
Straight way to pick up the London Pass we purchased before we left, then a walk to the National Portrait Gallery.

 Around the corner from the National Portrait Gallery is The National Gallery where we viewed amazing works by Cézanne, Seurat, Monet, van Dyck, Rubens, van Gogh, Michelangelo, Raphael, da Vinci, Botticelli to name just a few.

Inside The National Gallery, London
The National Gallery is an art museum in Trafalgar Square in the City of Westminster, in Central London. Founded in 1824, it houses a collection of over 2,300 paintings dating from the mid-13th century to 1900.


Trafalgar Square is a public space and tourist attraction in central London, built around the area formerly known as Charing Cross. From the 14th to the late 17th century, much of the area occupied by Trafalgar Square was the courtyard of the Great Mews stabling, which served Whitehall Palace.



In the early 18th century, the mews area was cleared. In 1812 the architect John Nash set about developing‘a new street from Charing Cross to Portland Place forming an open square in the Kings Mews opposite Charing Cross’. He wanted the space to be a cultural space, open to the public. In 1830, it was officially named Trafalgar Square. source

 The National Gallery at Trafalgar Square

 late afternoon clouds began to gather while at Trafalgar Square

Such a vibrant and exciting open area
(I really liked the Anti-Theft Cross-Body Bag.  It was comfortable to wear, kept everything safe and I wore it from the time I left the hotel until I returned so you will see it in every photo)

After all the walking we had done, a 2 1/2 hour Original Bus Tour provided a lovely overview and interesting drive all through London highlighting the gorgeous buildings and places.

 This is how it looked when we began the bus tour

This is what happened during the tour.  We endured a cold downpour by snuggling together in our rain jackets and flimsy, plastic-baggie-style ponchos given to us by our guide.  We were the only ones to remain on the top of the bus (aside from the couple above that joined us briefly). But, freezing as we were, we enjoyed this London experience. Incredibly, this downpour was the only rain we had during the entire week in London! We had glorious weather!



After the bus tour it was a tube ride back to King’s Cross station and a short walk to our hotel for much needed sleep. We had been up for more than 33 hours with only a brief nap on the airplane.
London time was 5 hours ahead of our local time but we did not experience jet lag. Just too excited, I guess.

we still do

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celebrating our 40th wedding anniversary today
♥
I am my beloved’s and my beloved is mine
Song of Solomon 6:3

(click play at bottom of post to listen to this song)
I remember well the day we wed
I can see that picture in my head
I still believe the words we said
Forever will ring true 
Love is certain, love is kind
Love is yours and love is mine
But it isn’t something that we find
It’s something that we do
It’s holding tight, lettin’ go
It’s flying high and laying low
Let your strongest feelings show
And your weakness, too
It’s a little and a lot to ask
An endless and a welcome task
 Love isn’t something that we have
It’s something that we do
We help to make each other all that we can be
Though we can find our strength and inspiration independently
The way we work together is what sets our love apart
So closely that we can’t tell where I end and where you start
 It gives me heart remembering how
We started with a simple vow
There’s so much to look back on now
Still it feels brand-new
We’re on a road that has no end
And each day we begin again
Love’s not just something that we’re in
It’s something that we do

We help to make each other all that we can be
We can find our strength and inspiration independently
The way we work together is what sets our love apart
So closely that we can’t tell where I end and where you start

 Love is wide, love is long
Love is deep and love is strong
Love is why I love this song
And I hope you love it too
 I remember well the day we wed
I can see that picture in my head
 Love isn’t just those words we said
It’s something that we do
 There’s no request too big or small
We give ourselves, we give our all
 Love isn’t someplace that we fall
It’s something that we do
Something that we do
Songwriters  Donald Ewing II / Clint Black
Photo Credits for all anniversary photos to very sweet, very talented Karis @ AriRaePhotography
who captured so much more than I hoped for of our 40th wedding anniversary.
Thank you dear, Karis


Above all, giving thanks to God, who brought us to faith in Christ, is forever faithful to us, forgives us when we sin, loves us when we aren’t so lovable, encourages us when it’s hard, remembers us when we forget him, leads when we’re lost and guides us through the sunshine and storms.

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