Lord Mayor's Day

This will be a short entry, much to the relief of... whoever actually reads this blog...

Due to my class assignment, I need to record my experience at St. Paul's Cathedral and the Lord Mayor Parade.

That day it was just Sarah and I.  We headed over to St. Paul's as a class assignment, but we had picked the perfect day to go: Lord Mayor's Day.

This pageant has been around since 1215.  It was the day that the mayor of London (whoever it was that the public chose) was to be presented to the King for approval.  His traveling to the King with other men on horseback got more elaborate every year until... well... it became a parade.

Today the Lord Mayor just goes along with the parade.  The King doesn't really need to "approve" of him, but it's just a tradition and holiday.  St. Paul's is open to the public for free on this day, which is why it was the "perfect day to go."  

When Sarah and I arrived at St. Paul's, the square was alive with activity.  Families were out to see the festivities.

St. Paul's is immense.  I first laid eyes on it when I was with Mom.  She and I were able to sneak in a look around for a little bit.  I have no idea how we did that since you normally have to pay to get in.  This time there was no sneaking necessary for Sarah and I.

The cathedral wasn't very crowded because everyone was outside waiting for the parade.  It is so neat inside.  The dome is so high it's almost impossible to believe.  I was most impressed, however, by the high altar.  That area was directly hit in the Blitz during World War II, and so it is a newer part of the Cathedral, having been redone since the damage.  Behind the high altar there is an area dedicated to the United States and to those who fought in World War II.  Intricate wood carvings depict fruit, plants, and birds found in America.  Wow, I had never been so filled with American pride as when I looked up at our bald eagle perched at the highest point of the memorial.  I was very happy that England recognized us so beautifully, and in such a spectacular building.  

Sarah and I had finished exploring the main floor before we started hearing the crazy ruckus outside.  That was when we decided to climb to the top to see the parade from there.

London is an ever-growing city.  As is made obvious by the view from atop St. Paul's Cathedral.

The view was great.  And... well it obviously shows that London is an ever-growing city...

The wind was insane.  There were a few times that I was worried I would be picked up and thrown over the roof.  I was able to lean into the wind until I should have fallen... but the incredible strength of the gusts kept me up.  It was fun.
In this picture you can see a part of the huge parade.  We enjoyed watching it snake around the cathedral from our perch on top.  It was too windy for us to watch the whole thing, though.  It lasted well over an hour.
And there were lots of random fair-type rides for kids.  Or at least they seemed to be for kids but the illustrations depicted on them were questionable.
Hopefully you aren't sick of these random British holidays already.  They're not over yet!