LONDON: Around the Westminster Abbey

This is one of the places that would make your head turn once you see it from the corner of the street. More than a famous tourist attraction, I chose to see it as an architectural masterpiece, a place of prayer and worship, to be seen and enjoyed personally. At the end of the day, it depends on how you view it. If there's one thing this trip taught me, it's about learning how to appreciate architecture, to learn about the styles, who made it, and so on; the questions don't stop.

I think I'll always be in awe of the details. I wonder how long this took, considering how detailed these carvings are. Detailed, intricate, and accurate, even. It's simply amazing how people had so much time to create such things. I can imagine how much effort they placed into all these.

The Westminster Abbey is a royal church which is open to this day for services. This is usually where coronations and royal weddings are held. Much to my surprise, it was only when I stepped inside that I learned there were also tombs inside. Everywhere, actually; on the floor and on the sides. This is where kings, queens, heroes, knights, poets, soldiers, villains, and statesmen were buried. I was surprised to see Charles Darwin, Isaac Newton, and Stephen Hawkings names on the floor in the Scientists' Corner.

It's considered a UNESCO World Heritage site, and has been standing for over a thousand years.

This portion of the walk around the Abbey was a place where I could snap a few photos! Because I think it was certainly grand:

The Abbey is a classic example of Gothic architecture. It was here when I first knew about what fan vaulted ceilings were and how beautiful they looked from way up above. Inside you can find chambers, chapels, tombs, wall paintings, glass stained windows, and cloisters. Walking around makes you feel and imagine, what kind of lives the people were living during the Medieval period. 

I came out feeling refreshed, amazed, and full of learning. Wherever the place, whatever it is, may it be an Abbey, Cathedral, Museum, Park, Alleyway, Street, don't be ashamed of what you don't know and instead come there to learn and be excited about it. 

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