Westward Travels: England Journey (Part 4)
Our itinerary on the third day started from St. Paul's Cathedral, which is the fifth largest cathedral in the world, the largest in the UK, and the second largest domed church in the world. Viewed from above, the building plan of St. Paul's Cathedral is in the shape of a cross. It is a Baroque-style church with exquisite interior construction. The crypt houses monuments to many notable figures, including Churchill. At the base of the dome is the Whispering Gallery, where visitors on opposite sides can whisper to each other. St. Paul's Cathedral was also the venue for the wedding of Diana and Charles in 1981. Visitors can take elevators and stairs up to the Whispering Gallery and the top of the cathedral, where they can enjoy a 360-degree unobstructed view of the entire city of London.
After leaving St. Paul's Cathedral, we returned to Westminster Abbey. We came back to Westminster Abbey solely to pay tribute and commemorate the great minds of the world, out of respect for their talent. Inside Westminster Abbey are the memorials of Newton, Shelley, Byron, Churchill, Chamberlain, Dickens, Darwin, and even Hawking, who passed away in 2018. Voltaire, who witnessed Newton's funeral, was deeply moved and remarked: 'When one enters Westminster Abbey, they do not look upon the tombs of kings, but upon the monuments erected by the nation in gratitude to the greatest individuals who have brought honor to the country. This is the British people's respect for talent.'
The third day in London coincided with February 4th, Chinese New Year's Eve. London time is eight hours behind Beijing time, so noon in London was precisely the time when the Chinese New Year's Eve Gala began. Therefore, we decided to dine at London's Chinatown, the largest in Europe, to experience the festive atmosphere. Chinatown was filled with many Chinese people, but apart from the red lanterns hanging everywhere, there wasn't a particularly strong New Year's vibe. We found a Shanghai-style restaurant to celebrate the New Year's Eve, ordering four simple dishes: pine nut fish, radish and pork ribs, Chinese broccoli, and tofu, plus fried rice and orange juice. The taste was quite good, but the price was not cheap — we spent 75 pounds.
After finishing our Year of the Pig New Year's Eve dinner, we decided to head to 10 Downing Street. It was not far from Chinatown, a 20-minute walk away. 10 Downing Street is, after all, the official residence of the Prime Minister, so visitors can only approach the outer gate and take a close-up photo with the guards. But even so, it's better than in China, where you wouldn't even be allowed to stand outside the gate of a municipal government building and take a photo with the security guard.
The Sherlock Holmes detective novel series and films are deeply loved by the public, but whether Sherlock Holmes actually existed remains an open question to this day. Nonetheless, there is a blatant Sherlock Holmes residence on Baker Street in London, and visitors need to queue up to enter. The residence is a three-and-a-half-story building, with only two rooms per floor, very small. The first floor is where Holmes worked, the second floor is the bedroom of Holmes and Watson, the third floor contains simulated crime scene settings, and the half-top floor is a restroom. Although it's still uncertain whether Sherlock Holmes truly existed, the items he used, the iconic pipe, his photographs, and even his handwritten notes are preserved in the residence. When you are inside, it no longer matters whether Sherlock Holmes was real — the 15-pound ticket is essentially a payment for your own sentiment.
After bidding farewell to the Sherlock Holmes residence, we concluded our third day in London. On the fourth day, we would set off for Edinburgh >>>>>>
