A Spiritual Experience

After a morning of wandering through Kensington Gardens and Hyde Park, stumbling across the world triathlon championships (a trial run of the Olympic circuit) and an Ethiopian and Mexican lunch from the multicultural food hall in Brick Lane with Niav Owens (where you have to sit outside in the gutter to eat), we thought it was time for a visit to St Paul's Cathedral.

As it was a Sunday the church was closed to sight seeing but you could attend a service and I was particularly keen to do so. We attendedthe 3:15 Choral Evensong with the Lady Margaret Singers replacing the Cathedral Choir while they are on holidays. The whole experience was quite overwhelming and sure different from our usual Sunday service at St Johns in Newcastle.

First of all we were greeted with what is, for me, the most amazing church I have ever seen (although this could perhaps change as we continue on our travels throughout the UK and Europe). The amazing details, rich colours and golden glow as the light filtered through the windows was spectacular.

Secondly, the sound of the organ and the angelic voices of the choir echoed and resonated around the vast interior, surrounding you from all sides. I was brought to tears several times, particularly as the choir sang the Lord's Prayer.

Even in that elaborate location it was a very humbling experience. I thought it would be easy to get distracted by all the glitz and glamour, but it was an amazing place for reflective worship and personal prayer. It is extraordinary that the site of St Paul's has been a place of worship since 604AD.

As jeans and a jumper aren't enough to keep you warm from the icy wind and persistent rain on an average English "summer" day, we topped the afternoon off with a walk through the old "City of London" and across London Bridge which afforded a great view of the Tower Bridge, and then headed home for an early night to warm up.