Covent Garden, St. Paul's Cathedral, and Tate Modern

2008, 4.15 London, England

The day started off with breakfast of tea, toast, and jam in the small dining area at Olivelli's Hotel that was really simple, but enjoyable. The family that owns it lives in the downstairs of the hotel and the dining room walls were nearly full of all kinds of family photos. They were a friendly family and it was sweet to be able to observe that small part of their personal lives.

After breakfast and stopping at an internet cafe to catch up with email and get our next accommodation plans set, Mom and I began a long walk through Central London. From the internet cafe on Charing Cross Road, we went to the Covent Garden area and briefly browsed the market.

Entrance to Covent Garden Market

English accessories for sale in Covent Garden

After a bit in the market, we continued walking towards the River Thames. It was a rather nice day outside, so we decided to see as much of London above ground as we could, rather than take the tube to get to where we were headed. We covered a remarkable amount of ground and it was fun to see so much of London this way. Along the way, we zig-zagged through different streets until we came to the Thames. We crossed the Waterloo Bridge, and then headed back towards St. Paul's Cathedral crossing Black Friar's Bridge.

City of London Crest just around the corner afer going over the Black Friar's Bridge

Our first real destination for the day was St. Paul's Cathedral. It was an impressive structure. The interior of the Cathedral is exquisite. It is massively hug and decorated in a simple, yet also elaborate way, meaning elegant, but not overdone. The ceiling is covered in deeply coloful mosaic and showing icons and holy people and scenes from the Bible. The windows were a beautiful stained glass.

Besides admiring the beauty and size of the Cathedral, Mom and I climbed all the way up to the top of the Cathdral--some 500 steps in total. It was cut up into levels, so we got some breaks along the way. One of the levels had some seats you could rest on, and if you were sitting on one side of the platform and you whispered facing into the wall (it was part of the arched dome on the interior), another person sitting several feet away could clearly hear what you said. People around us were having quite a lot of fun with this, and it was fun to observe.

Anyway, eventually, we made it to the top. The climb was worth it and felt like an accomplishment. The view from the top of St. Paul's was quite impressive. It allowed me to see a new perspective of London, helping me to better realize and understand just how massive the great city truly is.

View of London towards the River Thames, London Eye, and The Houses of Parliament from St. Paul's Cathedral

View of Millenium Bridge and Tate Modern Art Museum from the top of St. Paul's Cathedral


After enjoying the aerial view of London for a bit and making our way back down to the ground level of the Cathedral, Mom and I decided to also check out the Crypt in the basement of the Cathedral. We didn't spend a whole lot of time here, but were able to see where many famous people's remains are buried, including that of Christopher Wren (the architect of St. Paul's Cathedral) and Florence Nightingale.

From St. Paul's Cathedral, Mom and I crossed the street for some lunch at a little cafe to the south before heading across the Millenium Bridge to the Tate Modern Art Museum. Not being a huge fan of modern art, this was a mediocre experience. My favorite piece was a video of ants carrying bits of confetti during Holy Week. It may sound boring, but there was a room full of people watching the same thing, so I guess there must be something appealing about it that many could appreciate.

View of St. Paul's Cathedral from the Millenium Bridge

When Mom and I finished our exploration of the Tate Modern, we made our way to the Southwark Underground Station and went back to the hotel. That evening, we had dinner at Olivelli's Paradiso Ristorante--under the same ownership as Olivelli's Hotel.

Throughout the six months I lived in London, I walked by Olivelli's Ristorante about a thousand times, always wanting to dine there--it had white cloth covered tables with a bright red rose and a small candle on each table that I noticed every time I passed by--especially in the evening. A very classy and cozy ambience is what I envisioned, and when I finally made it, I was not disappointed.

I ordered a delicious garden salad with large wedges of tomato and sliced cucumber to start. My main dish was Rigatoni with courgettes (zucchini) and red sauce. The pasta was cooked perfectly al dente and tasted delectable. Mom had ravioli stuffed with walnut and gorgonzola and butternut squash, which she also greatly enjoyed. It was a lovely meal and I was happy to have shared the experience of Olivelli's Paradiso Ristorante with my Mom.

Walked the lengths of Central London, browsed Covent Garden, meandered along the Thames, climbed the heights of St. Pauls Cathedral, crossed Millenium Bridge, explored the oddities of the Tate Modern, and ended with a great meal at a lovely restaurant all done in great company... this was another lovely day in London.