New spots among old favorites....

So it's nearing the end of August and I am realizing how quickly time is flying by.  As I sit in the enclosed terrace of my London home listening to the rain pound on the roof I can't help but feel a bit sad thinking that my time here will end temporarily in less then a month.  It also means that I am over half way done with my pre planned travel time over here.  I am going to try not to dwell on it and tell you about all the wonderful bits that have happened this week but the reality of it is I can't help thinking about leaving and I really don't want to.  Alas life moves forward and I must go with it and make the most of every moment.  The weather has been all over the place this week which has made planning a bit difficult but that's London...you just have to go with it and always carry an umbrella and sunglasses.  The days this week have been full of new adventures and

Climbed to the top...St. Pauls Cathedral

strolling through old favorite spots discovering new parts within.  A new great spot was St. Pauls Cathedral.  I know I haven't been here in my last few trips to London and honestly can't remember if I went my very first time here years ago so I figure it's all new this time.  Thanks to a pass from Emma I was able to just walk right past the queue and into this grand building.  Just walking through it seems like just another cathedral.  I know sorry to sound like that but it has a lot of similar qualities to so many others I have seen.  My mind was changed when I went on the guided tour and got to see some of the hidden areas and hear the cool

View from the top of St. Pauls dome 

stories about all the ways it has changed over the years.  The design features...especially about the dome bit which is 3 separate layers...are really interesting.  The most impressive part about it is the 528 step climb up to the top of the dome.  So I don't really have an issue with heights or claustrophobia  however there were parts about this climb that had me a bit nervous.  There are hallways that are so thin my shoulders were almost touching the walls and I am not a big person.  There were guys climbing it that had to turn certain ways just to get through.  I had to not let my mind wander to all the what if situations that could happen.  In the end

Hay Galleria

though the climb was worth it and the views were breathtaking.  I was lucky to have a clear day to take it all in and capture some great photos.  The funny part too about looking at the city from that height is you realize how close everything really is to each other.  I was looking down and found something I had been looking for and realized I had been walking distance from it just the other day.  It has been a great reference map in my brain now.  Thank you St Pauls for my exercise for the day and my new internal city map.
Another new discovery happened when I was wondering around an area that I have been many times...Tower HIll.  I do have a slight obsession with the tower and love walking around it and the surrounding area.  This time I widened my walking perimeter and stumbled into the London Bridge area.  I think a lot of people think that the Tower Bridge is London bridge but it isn't.  As I walked farther away from Tower Bridge I was surrounded by a pop up free theater festival that was going on.  There were tons of riverside restaurants and the lovely Hay Gallery.  With it's beautiful glass ceiling and festive flags it was so inviting.  Not to mention the men in suits playing some sort of game involving balls and a sand pit it was just so alive.

Open up...boat coming through.

On the walk back towards my tube station to head home I was also able to catch a glimpse of the bridge in action.  There was this tiny little wooden boat with a really tall mast in the middle so the bridge had to open up to to let it through.  I always laugh right before the bridge is going to open because you hear the beeping warning people it's going to open and some know what it is and start to move a bit quicker...others don't and just mosey along until they do realize and panic sets in and they take off running.  It's always a sight.  Walking back across the bridge the sun was setting so I had that beautiful light hour.  It is probably 

Beautiful light on a beautiful city

my favorite time of day.  The light it spreads over a hustle and bustle city just seems to give it a calm beauty.  I am thankful that I am starting to feel so much more comfortable being alone out when it's getting dark so that I can absorb this kind of beauty.  

The final big adventure of this week was another theater experience.  Since my first trip I have wanted to go to the Old Globe Shakespeare theater here in London.  It's a thatched roof theater and stays true to the old style of theater acting and with the venue.  There are normal seats but then also there are yard tickets.  Those are the ones I wanted to experience.  It is supposedly just like the plays used to be in the time of Shakespeare where the poor would stand and the upper class had the seats.  The yard would also have lots of interaction with the actors as the would jump down and move about the crowd as the play went along.  I booked the tickets on a whim with my friend John and then he invited another friend Andrew.  John ended up not being able to come unfortunately but I met Andrew (for the first time) and we went into the play.  The venue did not disappoint and neither did the play.  You felt like you had been transported back in 

Millenium Bridge leading to the Globe Theater

time.  The roof was open at the top and the sky looked so blue I thought it was fake.   Yes I did make the comment out loud too...silly me said " I love that the roof is made to look like we are outside"  Andrew kinda looked at me funny and on cue a plane flew over.  Yes that is my stupid statement of the week....everyone feel free to have a good laugh.  Once the play started I was mesmerized.  It was all in old english but was surprisingly easy to follow.  I also knew the history of the play so that helped me keep up with the characters and storyline.  It was so great and I am totally hooked.  Can't wait to go back 

again and see something else.  The new experiences among the old has been great fun and just makes me love the city more and more.  I don't know how anyone could ever get tired of this place.