I have been lucky enough to visit a number of different places, some in this country and quite a few abroad. Sometimes I have been wth family, sometimes with school parties.
Often I have kept a travel journal- usually quite simple- and for special expeditions ( to Africa and Israel, for example ) I have gone on to make a whole book,with photographs and tickets etc. tastefully(???) displayed. I hope to add excerpts from these, and perhaps memories and anecdotes from my other expeditions.
A Hidden Jewel
Perhaps one of the most beautiful sites in London is in Eastcheap,only a short walk from the Monument and London Bridge.
The body of the church of St. Dunstan-in-the-East,whose tower & spire (1702)were said to be one of Sir Christopher Wren's most airy and elegant gothic works,was rebuilt by David Laing(1817-1821). It had box pews and windows of stained and enamelled glass.
Sadly, the building was gutted in the Blitz, in 1941. Wren's work remains(there is a Chapel of Ease in the Tower) and the ruined walls and empty windows are overgrown with ivy and flowering climbers.
It is a peaceful green haven amid busy London Streets.
There are smooth green lawns,singing birds, and benches for the weary traveller. Folk who work in local businesses come to eat their lunchtime sandwiches here.
There are carefully tended flowers and bushes, and the calm,sheltered garden is a source of healing in the midst of the rush and bustle of the city.
No notices,no bossy park-keepers,no shouting, no traffic; simply,a green and pleasant place of rest.
The few photographs I took on my Square Mile walk perhaps do not convey the magical atmosphere of this hidden jewel.
If you are ever in the vicinity of the Monument,do try to find it.
Take a few minutes to sit ; listen to the birdsong,smell the flowers,enjoy the gift of peace in the city...it will do you good.
I have never forgotten my first visit there.
The body of the church of St. Dunstan-in-the-East,whose tower & spire (1702)were said to be one of Sir Christopher Wren's most airy and elegant gothic works,was rebuilt by David Laing(1817-1821). It had box pews and windows of stained and enamelled glass.
Sadly, the building was gutted in the Blitz, in 1941. Wren's work remains(there is a Chapel of Ease in the Tower) and the ruined walls and empty windows are overgrown with ivy and flowering climbers.
It is a peaceful green haven amid busy London Streets.
There are smooth green lawns,singing birds, and benches for the weary traveller. Folk who work in local businesses come to eat their lunchtime sandwiches here.
There are carefully tended flowers and bushes, and the calm,sheltered garden is a source of healing in the midst of the rush and bustle of the city.
No notices,no bossy park-keepers,no shouting, no traffic; simply,a green and pleasant place of rest.
The few photographs I took on my Square Mile walk perhaps do not convey the magical atmosphere of this hidden jewel.
If you are ever in the vicinity of the Monument,do try to find it.
Take a few minutes to sit ; listen to the birdsong,smell the flowers,enjoy the gift of peace in the city...it will do you good.
I have never forgotten my first visit there.