Christmas at Saint Paul's Cathedral

Sometimes the best laid plans don't always work out, but often the results are better than the original plan. Melinda and I were hoping to attend the Midnight Eucharist at Saint Paul's Cathedral, but we didn't have enough time to travel back to London from Cambridge, check into our hotel and join the queue in enough time to be admitted. A quick change of plans came together, and we decided to spend the rest of the evening savoring the experience at King's College, and attend the Christmas Day Evensong at Saint Paul's instead. We had a wonderful late dinner at Strada, right across the street from Saint Pauls's, and watched the queue being admitted to the service. The back to the Saint Paul's Club Quarters for rum and some much needed sleep!

Christmas morning included late coffee and bacon sandwiches at Casa di Caffe near Saint Paul's and a walk through the city. We crossed the Millennium Bridge and walked along the Thames, and then returned to the cathedral for Christmas Day Festal Evensong.

It was a beautiful service, but a very different atmosphere from reverence we experienced in Cambridge in Cambridge. Saint Paul's was filled with tourists, many of which treated the evensong like a sightseeing experience rather than a worship service. The Cathredral Choir was wonderful, singing the Magnificat and Nunc Dimittis from George Dyson's Evening Service in D and Halleluja from Handel's Messiah.

After the service, a lot of folks began taking flash pictures and video, despite the prohibition. I have to adnmit that I took advantage of the situation to sneak in a few non-flash pictures before leaving the cathedral, which was beautifully decorated for Christmas. A wonderful keepsake of a place I dearly love!

Christmas Dinner was Turkish food at Sofra in Covent Garden - spicy chicken and rice, with sticky toffee pudding for dessert. This is a great way to celebrate the holidays!

Merry Christmas!!