Headed to US!

Today we fly to Minn/St. Paul and so will begin the annual Weber family vacation and Montana visit.

We've had a nice, albeit short, week in London...Monday we took Joan to St. Paul's Cathedral and spent the afternoon tooling around there. About St. Paul's:

A Cathedral dedicated to St Paul has stood on its since 604AD. The current one – the fourth to occupy the site – was designed by the court architect Sir Christopher Wren and built between 1675 and 1710 after its predecessor was destroyed in the Great Fire of London. It is the cathedral of the Diocese of London.

Its architectural and artistic importance reflect the determination of the five monarchs who oversaw its building that London’s leading church should be as beautiful and imposing as their private palaces.

Since the first service was held here in 1697, Wren's masterpiece has been where people and events of overwhelming importance to the country have been celebrated, mourned and commemorated.

Important services have included the funerals of Lord Nelson, the Duke of Wellington and Sir Winston Churchill; Jubilee celebrations for Queen Victoria; peace services marking the end of the First and Second World Wars; the launch of the Festival of Britain; the Service of Remembrance and Commemoration for the 11th September 2001: the 80th and 100th birthdays of Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother; the wedding of Charles, Prince of Wales, to Lady Diana Spencer and, most recently, the thanksgiving services for both the Golden Jubilee and 80th Birthday of Her Majesty the Queen.


In the crypt are effigies and fragments of stone that pre-date the Cathedral, relics of a medieval world. From Wren’s original vision, Jean Tijou’s beautiful wrought iron gates of 1700 still separate the quire from the ambulatory; children still test the acoustics in the Whispering Gallery; and the 1695 organ which Mendelssohn once played is still in use.

The magnificent mosaics are the result of Queen Victoria’s mid-19th century complaint that the interior was “most dreary, dingy and undevotional.” The American Memorial Chapel stands behind the High Altar in an area that was bomb-damaged during the Second World War – a gesture of gratitude to the American dead of the Second World War from the people of Britain. An altar has now been installed on a dais in the heart of the Cathedral, bringing services closer to those who attend them.

Tuesday our outing for the day was tea at The Ritz, which is popular among tourists and London's upper crust.

So we put on our finery, hoisted umbrellas and enjoyed the opulence of the Ritz and its tea:

Served in the spectacular Palm Court, a choice of several varieties of tea, finely cut sandwiches, freshly baked scones, jam and clotted cream and a range of delicate pastries, combine to make for an unforgettable afternoon.

The kids went for the ham finger sandwiches, Ava ate all the cucumbers off the cucumber ones and licked as much butter off the bread as was possible. She also very much enjoyed the clotted cream (not so much the scone upon which she lathered it).

And of course the desserts were impeccable.

In one of our bathroom trips we discovered a tourist down there taking photos. Nice bathroom, BUT...

And yesterday we wrapped up some errands, hit the park, tried out a new gelato spot and are ready to head out!