Westminster Abbey

Hello, everyone!

A very happy Tuesday to you all :)

We enjoyed a beautiful, early spring day in London today.  The sun shone for the majority of the day; perfect viewing weather for Westminster Abbey!

Quite a gargantuan structure!

A few of us visited early, to participate in the 8 a.m. Holy Communion.  Less than 20 people were there total, and the Dean of Westminster himself led the services.

Photos are not permitted... however we weren't told that until after I snuck a few :)

When everyone arrived, we went through again (they did not permit viewing of anything after services; it was get-in-and-get-out-promptly.). What a different scene in a matter of an hour and a half!  It was quite crowded, although with admission everyone was given a headphone set and smartphone-looking device which has a series of small videos pertaining to where you're standing in the cathedral; really great for self-guided tours.

Everyone has been so good with the numerous group photos... we decided to take a couple "smile while you're in line!" photos instead :)

As we were supposed to visit Westminster yesterday (Monday) and didn't because of the Queen's visit, we lost our opportunity to see Edward the Confessor's Shrine.  However!  April, being the incredibly awesome Professor, spoke with a volunteer, who arranged for us to sit in "A Shorter Litany of St. Edward;" the priest gave a beautiful historical narrative as well.  Everyone was thrilled to be able to sit in this most sacred Shrine of the entire cathedral.

After visiting Saint Edward's Shrine, the group dispersed to tour Westminster at their own pace, then explore other cathedrals in the area, and London in general.

Our lovely Red Dragons visited the London Eye: Sam, Maria, Bianca

Tomorrow we depart on our last group trip, to Dover Castle and the White Cliffs of Dover.  It's incredible to think about all that we have been able to see and do in less than two weeks time!  Everyone is absolutely amazing; heartfelt thanks to everyone back home who made this incredible experience possible. :)