Return to London

On Tuesday 26 September, we were to have left Glasgow for Inverness and the Highlands. However, when travelling, we have discovered two things, the first, that the best laid plans don't always pan out exactly, and the second, is, that if you're going to travel internationally, you have to be flexible and open to adjustments.

Inverness was to have been an oasis for us to write and draw, to tap into our creative muses and produce some work. But neither of us were in the right space to do that. We had been dealing with a number of significant issues, not our relationship I am quick to advise, but other fairly big stuff, and that process had left us somewhat drained and depleted. When you're not in the right headspace, it is impossible to be creative. And so it was, that we made one of those adjustments. Instead of Inverness and the Highlands, we decided to return to London to have some extra time there. We knew London would reinvigorate us. And it has.

The trip by train from Glasgow was five and half hours and seemed like only two to me. The train was smooth and much of the scenery was pastoral or little villages.

This section of the travelogue will be a little more sparse than before. Just a few thoughts here and there, and the pics to go with each of the days.

While Chris had another massage, I caught up with my friend and former teaching colleague, Susanne. I had not seen Westminster Cathedral at Victoria, the Catholic Cathedral and head RCC of the UK, so we decided to meet there. As it happened, Susanne was caught in traffic snarls and late tubes for almost an hour past our appointed time, so I took myself through the Cathedral while I waited for her.

Westminster Cathedral is different from any of the cathedrals we have seen. It is quite extraordinary in that it is not ancient or Gothic. It was started in 1895 and was completed in 1903. Cardinal Vaughan wanted an uninterrupted nave with the high altar at the far end as the punctum of the 'painting'. He specifically did not want to compete with the Gothic splendour of nearby Westminster Abbey, so shunned the Gothic style. They did not have unlimited funds and so chose brick instead of stone.

Vaughan chose an Italian style cathedral to be similar to early church architecture, and so the Cathedral today looks and feels very Byzantine. Lots of tiles. Lots of iconography. Lots of sparkly bits. Interestingly, the Cathedral decorations remain unfinished. I guess they will complete it as they can afford to do so. The cupolas along the ceiling are all raw, looking more like Dickensian Industrial revolution than the splendour of Near-East Christian architecture.

Having said all that, it is very beautiful. It has a lovely reflective quality about it, a quiet space. Although, I was treated to some Baroque organ music while I was there looking at the central nave and the various side-chapels. It is defintiely worth a look if in London.Read more