London Day 9

We went to Westminster Abbey on Wednesday, thinking it would be a good day since they stay open later on Wednesdays. But this was actually the last day the royal wedding flowers would be on display there, so we had quite a wait....1 1/2 hours to get in, and then they had a special wedding tour set up that took everyone along the path the royal couple followed. All her flowers were white, with Lily of the Valley being the primary flower. They were beautiful, even though they were 5 days old. She laid her bridal bouquet on the grave of the unknown soldier, as tradition required. There were cascades of flowers at the altar and at the second story balcony. We saw the room where William and Harry waited...it is actually a crypt where some ancestors are buried! We saw the coffins of Elizabeth I, Mary Queen of Scots, Henry VII, and Geoffrey Chaucer.



We went out into the courtyard and had a cup of tea. It was very very strong, typical English tea. We toured the museum. Here's Garold at the double doors to the Pyx Chamber, where robes were stored in giant chests.



We walked around the college gardens where it is possible to relax and meditate. On the other side of this garden door lies the chaos of London. At 5 PM we attended the evening service at St. Margaret's Chapel. It was very brief, and the lessons were simply readings from the Bible.



While we were there we noticed that there are people who actually live at Westminster Abbey. This is the back patio of one of the apartments. Not sure who they are, but there were some organists buried along the courtyard walk way.



After we left the Abbey we took a walk along the Thames, where we passed Cleopatra's Needle, an obelisk that was given to the British by the Egyptians. Two sphinxes, who were supposed to be placed looking outward as if guarding the obelisk, were placed looked inward as if gazing at the obelisk. The mistake was never corrected.
The evening sky as viewed from the Thames:



On a whim we decided to take a ride on the London Eye, a giant ferris wheel that takes you 450 feet above the city and provides an excellent view of the city. Another rider offered to take our photo: