Westminster University, London
Today I made it back to Westminster Cathedral twice. In the morning I ‘collected’ the place; getting a couple hundred images of the interior. A dear retired minister friend of mine really wanted me to do that yesterday. He especially liked the Stations of the Cross in there twenty five years ago. Tonight I went back as pilgrim for the choral evensong and Eucharist. In short order I was washed away in sonic strands that gave me imaginations of life in some grand monastery in the south of France. I certainly do have a sense of connection to the history of the place when there as a participant and not as a tourist. Tourists are by definition mostly disconnected. Actually, Westminster Cathedral does not attract huge numbers of tourists like St. Paul’s or the Abbey. Perhaps because it is not full of graves of famous people like the other two. Actually, I kind of prefer my graves outside.
The only part of the original Whitehall Palace to survive some nasty fires in the 1840s is the grand Palladian Banqueting Hall, which I finally got into today. Quite compelling is the vast ceiling which is entirely covered by vast panels painted by Peter Paul Rubens. He was paid the equivalent of $250,000 for the job. It is miraculous that the work survived. I cringe when I think of the Charles De Barromeo Church in Antwerp that got fried by lightning. The resulting fire vaporized about 45 Rubens paintings. I remember the ceiling panels in that church being similar to the type of wood panels in the present edifice, except they were replacements sans the Ruben’s works which had turned to ash. Today I was down on the floor on all fours in the main hall photographing the ceiling of this place. I must have looked really dignified in this elegant place.
The Jewel Tower across from The House of Commons is a place I finally got into today after walking by it for twenty five years. It is not epic, but rather old and adds a bit of context to the history of the Westminster Area. I was going to go into the House of Commons but decided I was not interested in shelling out $22 after learning I could take not take any images of the inside. The same proved true over at the Queen’s big house (Buckingham) where a $28 admission did not include a photo permit. I did redo the outside, of which I had made poor film images of twenty five years ago.
Most satisfying was photographing St. James Park and the Buckingham Palace Gardens. A number of very large Eastern White Pelicans were loose in the park. I think my favorite thing to actually do on these long journeys is visit botanical gardens and venues with critters in them (zoos, aviaries, aquariums). The floral displays right now are optimal and make good photography cheap and easy. The day has been much like a fine cerulean one in mid October in the American South. There were countless thousands of people in the parks, but the places felt Victorian and civilized. It is amazing that places with so many people in them don’t really feel crowded, but then I like being around a lot of people.
I have been staying up until 2 AM every night, writing and going out to do night photography and am suddenly very tired; might just go to bed at a rational time - unless I get a second wind.
I did end up with a second wind and went out and did some fine ‘collecting’.
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