Greetings, friends! I'm admittedly cheating slightly with this post, as it's a piece I wrote for my recently begun graduate program in writing, but I want to keep writing here. I'm still working out what it'll consist of reguarly, but I figure this piece is a good place to start. As last year's posts made clear, Little Women has been on my mind frequently, and, in exciting news, I recently visited the Alcott house for the second time! This reflection was written with my first visit there in mind, and in anticipation of the second. The story of the March sisters and their parents continues to inspire and give me courage, and I certainly want this space to be one that celebrates courage and beauty. I hope this short missive in honor of the Marches and their author does that and perhaps encourages you to pick up Little Women for the first, or maybe the one hundred and first, time :) 

Girlhood Dreams: Louisa May Alcott's Orchard House

It’s like stepping back in time, I thought in excited wonder. The countless nights spent with my battered paperback copy of Little Women came rushing back as I walked up the drive of the Alcott Orchard House. The famous soundtrack from the 1994 movie rang through my mind. Of all the sights to see in Boston and the surrounding area, this little house on a quiet street in Concord called my name most of all, for here Louisa May Alcott had penned her famous 1868 story of the March family, inspired by her own family, that would thrill generations of young women after her. For me, Little Women had always presented a compelling picture of family, love, pursuit of dreams, and growth into womanhood. Traversing to its place of origin now offered me the chance for fresh reflection on its formative influence.

Everywhere I looked inside Orchard House surfaced more memories and images. The family room looked exactly like it did in the movie. That’s where Marmee reads letters from Father to the four girls, I mused, studying the large easy chair by the fireplace. Will I have a family to sit by a cozy fire with someday? I’d definitely want to be a mom like Marmee. Across the hall stood the dining room, where the March sisters famously decided to give away their Christmas breakfast to a family in need, effected by their mother’s encouragement. I hope I’d inspire that kind of virtue in daughters of my own one day.

The tour group wound its way upstairs. Every turn brought images and scenes to mind. Here in the hallway, Jo and Meg had paced nervously while waiting for news of Beth’s illness. In that bedroom, Beth and Amy had whispered and giggled into the night as young girls. We enter another bedroom and pause to admire an authentic, well-preserved gown from the 1860s. The guide explains it belonged to Anna Alcott, Louisa May’s elder sister and the inspiration for Meg March of Little Women. It seems appropriate to display a fashion item in honor of “Meg,” who wrestles with materialism and vanity throughout the novel. But the gown on display boasts simple patterns and colors, perhaps reflective of Meg’s growth. The beautifully admonishing words of the film version’s Marmee come to my mind:

“If you feel that your value lies in being merely decorative, I fear that someday you might find yourself believing that’s all that you really are. Time erodes all such beauty. But what it cannot diminish is the wonderful workings of your mind, your humor, your kindness, and your moral courage. These are the things I cherish so in you.”

As a young girl reading Little Women, I cherished those aspects of Meg too, as I did various quirks of each sister. Unlike many readers of the novel, I never strongly preferred one sister over the rest, but found characteristics I loved in all four. Meg’s tender and motherly spirit, Jo’s writerly ambitions, Beth’s love of home and family, and Amy’s fascination with beauty all spoke to me. And at the quiet and steady helm of their struggles into womanhood, their mother kept faithful watch, gently guiding and rebuking and encouraging each of them into the best versions of themselves. In the March women, I found early models of courage, virtue, and femininity to emulate, and they represented the family I dreamed of making one day.

The old walls of Orchard House bring the Marches closer than ever. To how many childlike dreams, whispered hopes, family arguments, and murmured prayers has the worn wallpaper borne witness through the centuries? How many young women like me does it now usher into nostalgia every day? I stop short as I pass Anna Alcott’s dress and come to a small, simple table surface cut out of the wall. Here, shares the tour guide, likely marks the place where Louisa May Alcott wrote most of Little Women. Tears sting my eyes. Here she sat more than a hundred years ago to bring Marmee, Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy to life. Did she have any idea how much they would speak to girls like me? How their story would become such a significant girlhood rite of passage for so many? I let my fingers reverently brush the old wooden surface before turning back out of the bedroom.

Back outside, I turn to gaze at the beautiful, simple front of the house once more. The realization of all I owe to the Alcotts and their fictional counterparts in the Marches strikes me anew now that I see the home in which they lived and learned. In each March sister, I found role models for family, friendship, and pursuit of dreams. They showed me virtue lived courageously and love given unconditionally. Marmee offered me an example of joyfully embracing motherhood with all its trials and blessings. I hope I can make a home like this one day, I murmur inwardly, turning back up the street. Hope flares brightly inside me as Orchard House fades into the distance, its images burned into my mind. Hope for a home, a family, the warmth of a shared hearth, and days filled with love and laughter.

***

I sigh in contentment from my couch in Washington, D.C. Candles burn, friends sit around me with sewing projects, and the newest film adaptation of Little Women plays in the foreground. The famous words of Mr. March’s letter from the book play in voiceover as the sisters excitedly perform a play for neighboring children:

            “I know they will remember all I said to them, that they will be loving children to you, will do their duty faithfully, fight their bosom enemies bravely, and conquer themselves so beautifully, that when I come back to them, I may be fonder and prouder than ever of my little women.”

My heart swells with affection for the women around me. My home may not look like Orchard House, and I may not yet have daughters to love, but I can invite others into my everyday spaces now. I keep re-reading and studying Little Women these days, and I reminisce often on my visit to Orchard House. Then, I didn’t fully understand that while the Marches certainly encourage hope for good things, they also make a case for relishing the beauty of the present. Yes, hope for a family and a shared fire, but also make a home in your little D.C. townhouse that lacks a working fireplace. Make it a place that invites friends to gather and love to be shared. In doing so, maybe you’ll see a little taste of Orchard House right in front of you. Tears prick my eyes as I watch Marmee on the screen applauding her girls’ performances. I want to be like her, I ponder. If I have daughters, yes, but also right now.

If you’ve followed me on Instagram over the last month, you know I recently went to England for the second time in my life. If you know me personally, you also probably know that I was terribly torn about returning. True life: I cried on and off during the trek back. It started as I was saying goodbyes and continued throughout the long flight over the Atlantic (Official apologies to the girl who was my seat partner. You’re a trooper). I was a mess, but it was because this trip was one of the sweetest and most refreshing weeks I’ve experienced in recent memory. I shared on Facebook about how I wished that I could freeze time on a particular day of the trip, and that got me thinking about the whole week. I had many moments like that – just wanting to stop, take everything in, fix it in my memory, and stay there for a while. More than once, I felt close in mind to one of my favorite fictional heroes, Ross Poldark, when he reflected thusly: 

“And Ross again knew himself to be happy – in a new and less ephemeral way than before. He was filled with a queer sense of enlightenment. It seemed to him that all his life had moved to this pinpoint of time down the scattered threads of twenty years…… Someone – a Latin poet – had defined eternity as no more than this: to hold and possess the whole fullness of life in one moment, here and now, past and present and to come. He thought: if we could only stop here.” (Winston Graham; Ross Poldark: A Novel of Cornwall, 1783-1787) 

Me too, Ross. I feel you (And yeah, sorry not sorry for bringing up Poldark like I often do here). So, on that note, I thought I’d share my very top “if only we could stop here” moments from this recent jaunt through England. Pardon me if I get slightly emotional and mushy. 

On a rooftop in Cambridge 
Cambridge was my first stop this time, and after two plane rides, a long ride on the London tube, and a train ride, I was exhausted and relieved to arrive there. Kind friends met me at the station and then guided me through a weekend of sightseeing. After an initial walking tour, my friend Simeon took me to a nice overlook on top of a restaurant where we could sit and wait for our next activity. It was only a few minutes, but the view of the city was stunning. This was definitely the first moment of the whole week when I started thinking: How did I get here? This is unreal! This is what I was seeing, so hopefully you can imagine why.

Formal dinner in Cambridge 
Talk about a full experience. This dinner was a unique glimpse into Cambridge and British education in general like few other things could be. I felt like I’d stepped into the Great Hall at Hogwarts in Harry Potter – long tables, candlelight, formal black robes, a high table for the teachers, a multi-course meal…it had everything. And the student next to me soon began talking about how he was studying behavioral science in cows within the veterinary medicine program. That’s a thing? I thought. And the next day, my lovely host told me she had written her grad school thesis on hymnody, specifically examining the hymns of John Newton and Keith and Kristyn Getty. By then, I felt very surrounded by geniuses and waaaay out of my league, but so pleased that these unique interests could be studied. You go, Cambridge.

First sighting of the colorful Notting Hill houses 
Does it get much more delightful than a day in London with two of your favorite friends who you grew up with, but had to go all the way to England to see again? This day was full of activity and walking, but my heart was even fuller by the end of it. I now strongly recommend high tea at the famous Fortnum & Mason (we spent 3 hours there to fill our stomachs with tea and to empty our wallets for more tea to go), as well as an autumnal stroll through Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens. I happily pictured how Queen Victoria and Prince Albert would ride their horses every day through Hyde Park before all the pavement was added. But I definitely grinned a bit silly to myself when I first caught sight of the famous colorful rows of houses in the Notting Hill and Portobello Road Market areas. It was just so British. Does it get any more so than those bright houses and a Union Jack umbrella sticking out of one of the shops? Not much.

Outing to Box Hill 
I think back on this day with such affection. I was well and truly in awe from the moment we came around the bend and saw the view from our chosen vantage point on Box Hill. If you’re a Jane Austen fanatic like me, you might recall that Box Hill provides the setting for an important scene in her novel Emma, and the view definitely lived up to Austen’s description: 

“It was a sweet view — sweet to the eye and to the mind. English verdure, English culture, English comfort, seen under a sun bright, without being oppressive.” (Jane Austen, Emma) 

Sweet indeed. My dear friend Gracie and her four children and I took a picnic there and just sat, admired the view, basked in the sunshine, took pictures, rolled down the slope (well, the kids did), laughed, spotted various birds, enjoyed the gentle breeze, and admired the view some more. I couldn’t stop staring. It was the most quintessentially English scene imaginable – rolling green countryside, an occasional train winding through the hills, little towns spread out below us, wood smoke rising from between the trees here and there, and such a glorious expanse of blue sky and huge clouds. I felt like I could have stayed there in that afternoon forever. And I was keenly reminded of the love of my heavenly Father, who, amazingly, is also the Master and Creator behind all of that day’s beauty. He formed those hills, painted that sky, laid out every tree, and gave flight to every bird I saw that day, and it all made me very aware of His grandeur. Yet, I was also awed by the reminder that He calls me His own. He designs and orchestrates the beauty of this earth, but He also has set His affection on me and made me His child. Thanks be to God. Psalm 8 and Psalm 23 definitely came to life in new ways on that slope at Box Hill.

Tea and cake at Wisley 
Another outing with Gracie and the kids took us to the exquisite Wisley Gardens, a widespread ground of flora and fauna belonging to the Royal Horticultural Society. My camera was going crazy with so many flowers and landscapes at every turn, but perhaps my favorite part of this day was the “Taste of Autumn” event that we discovered was already underway when we arrived. The kids got to help squeeze fresh apple juice, tea and coffee were everywhere, and vendors lined their designated sidewalks to sell everything from homemade fudge, to specialty jams, to cakes, to cider. Gracie and I bought cake to go with our tea, and I’ve rarely felt so content as I did that afternoon as I sipped my Earl Grey and ate a very British bit of cake in the beautiful autumn weather. Can I go back already?

Breakfast on my final morning 
Sometimes it’s the little things that get you, right? This was definitely one of those. I don’t have pictures to prove it because it actually felt a little too sacred for that. First, let me give context by saying that I truly believe the British obsession with tea has made them a more patient culture than America. Tea breaks are a real thing all over the country, and making tea involves a decent amount of waiting – waiting for the kettle to boil, waiting for the tea to brew properly, and waiting for it to be cool enough to drink. Overall, I think this is a very good thing. And the precious family I was staying with exemplified this general patience well on my last morning with them. 

It was a Sunday morning, and they knew they had to get ready for church and leave the house soon. Yet, they still took time to sit down together at the breakfast table, eat without too much hurry, and just enjoy being together. They also used this time to make cards and small gifts to send back with me for their American friends. I sat at the table with them and wanted to memorize everything about the scene – the warm cup of tea in my hands, the sunlight streaming through their bright kitchen windows, the children’s heads bent in concentration as they worked over their cards, the sounds of the kettle and the stove, the taste of their very English jam, and the sweet sense of togetherness and peace around the table. Then, Jamie, faithful husband and dad that he is, read a short devotional aloud and prayed. In his prayer, he included requests for me and my travels, and that was my predictable cue to start crying. I should have known that I would, but I was still taken by surprise for some reason. You’d think I would learn. Thanks for the hugs afterwards, Gracie!

I'm so grateful for this trip. Grateful for the friends and opportunities and resources that made it possible, for how the Lord has grown my affection for this part of the world so greatly over the years, and for how He has allowed me to explore that love with travels there. Here's to planning the next.

In the past three years or so, I’ve revitalized and reorganized my reading life. I like to make reading goals and keep track of what I’m reading, and I’ve become pretty good at finding the hidden pockets of time in the day that allow me to get more reading done. All of this has made me realize how book nerdy I am, and because I’m realizing how REALLY book nerdy I am, I thought I’d share an update on where I am with my 2018 reading! This update will include really nerdy details like how many books I’ve read so far, what formats I’ve used to read, favorites so far, and a few other tidbits. Hopefully this will inspire you in some way with a new book recommendation, a new idea for keeping track of your reading, or a nudge to try a new reading format you haven’t before. 

2018 reading goal: Read 50 books (They must be new to me. Re-reads do not count!)
 
Number of books read so far: 37 – 74% there!
 
Currently reading: The Miller’s Dance (Poldark series #9) by Winston Graham, Hero of the Empire by Candice Millard, Sing! by Keith and Kristyn Getty
 
Standouts so far: The Winter Sea by Susanna Kearsley, The War that Saved my Life by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley, We Were the Lucky Ones by Georgia Hunter (this one is likely to end up a lifetime favorite)
 
Book format breakdown so far: 

• I read the physical book: 21/37 (~58%) 
• I listened to the audiobook version: 11/37 (~30%) 
• I read the Kindle e-book version: 5/37 (~13.5%)

I was honestly surprised at what a chunk of my reading has consisted of audiobooks. I’ve loved having audiobooks as a supplement for a few years now, but the idea that I’ve read 30% more books this year so far because of them was a very pleasant surprise! They do make a difference, y’all! 

How I’m tracking my books: 
I became a bullet journaler last year and it’s been a blast. I thought for a long time that I wasn’t cool enough for it, but the beauty of bullet journaling is that it’s completely customizable for your life and your needs. For me, it’s been a lifesaver for scheduling purposes and list purposes. I sure love to make me some lists, and having one notebook for all of them simplifies life exponentially. The majority of my lists have to do with books, of course. Here are the big ones.
 

• Books to Read: this is for pretty much any title that catches my interest and makes me feel a desire to remember it. I probably used to be too liberal with what I’d write down, so I’ve gotten a little better about writing down ones that I think I’ll legitimately read. I’ll write down the title and author on this list with a bullet point next to it. If I read the book, I’ll then put an X through the bullet point. If I abandon the book or come back to the list and decide I’m not as interested as I thought, I’ll put a little sideways caret through bullet point: > 
• Books Read in [Year]: I have 2017 and 2018 lists for this! It’s so fun to see the list growing throughout the year and then to go back at the end and remember all that I’ve read. These are simply formatted: they’re numbered lists with the title and author of each book included, and if I’ve read a book in a format other than a hard copy, I’ll note that in parentheses.
• Books Re-Read in [Year]: These are formatted the same way as the full annual lists. I love a good re-read and generally get a few in each year. I’m pretty nostalgic so I like to remember these too. 

And in other news, my Kindle and my Audible app are both stocked for my second-in-my-life trip to ENGLAND very soon! Yes, I’m determined to bring ZERO physical books on this trip. That may sound unrealistic to the people who know me, and it even does to me at moments, but I just keep reminding myself that I’m going to the land where all the good books were written. First stop is Cambridge, then it’ll be on to Surrey, London, and hopefully the surrounding areas. I’m excited to see some places I didn’t see on my last trip and also to see dear friends who live in England. Check back later for lots of pictures! :)

Just a few more days till I get to roam through more rolling green hills and 1000-year-old churches. Bring it on! 

I’ve mentioned my favorite book of the year (so far, anyway…though I highly doubt it’ll be unseated) several times in past posts, but here’s my more detailed review that’s been a long time coming. The book that everyone should read, but should especially read this winter because it’s perfect for curling up with in winter, is Surprised by Oxford by Carolyn Weber. 

A college friend recommended this book to me several years ago, but for whatever reason, I didn’t get around to it until a few months ago. I found it for 99 cents on Kindle, so I snagged it without much thought, but then proceeded to do little but read it for the next week or two. I’ve now read it a second time since then and will likely pick it up again before the year is out.

The Charming Basics 
This book is Carolyn Weber’s personal memoir of how she became a Christian while earning her Master’s degree in Romantic Literature at Oxford in England. I’m not sure what I was expecting when I started reading, but I certainly wasn’t expecting the transparency, grace, wit, and hopefulness that I ended up finding on every page. I honestly had to remind myself that it was a true story and not a novel. Though “suspenseful” doesn’t really fit the book’s genre, Carolyn’s narration does draw in the reader amazingly well, and every person she brings into the story feels like a significant character that you want to know better. I was amazed at the many specific conversations she was able to recount, the detailed inside looks into her thoughts and feelings that she gave, and the beautiful word pictures she painted of her experiences at Oxford. I felt particularly connected to Carolyn and the book because of her love of literature and the England setting. She uses both to their full advantage as she tells her story and I soaked up every bit of it so gladly.

What’s to Love 
I loved this book for its setting, its literary motif, its engaging narration and people, and so many other things. But underneath all of that, Carolyn’s honesty and joy as she shared her testimony went straight through any defenses I might have had up and touched me deeply. It encouraged my heart and strengthened my faith to read how she – a hardened feminist and agnostic at the outset – gradually accepted that her trust in self and reason were crumbling and that her only hope was Jesus. I was reminded that God pursues his children and meets them wherever they are. For Carolyn, that was in her books, her studies, her philosophy, and her need for reason. She discusses how she began reading the Bible partly from curiosity and partly from a cynical desire to find a chink in Christianity somewhere; but despite herself, she began to look forward to reading it and found it to be “the most compelling piece of creative non-fiction” she’d ever encountered. Additionally, there are so many people and conversations that she recounts in the book that seem inconsequential at first, but later clearly prove to be tools the Lord was using to soften her and draw her to Himself. Early this year was a difficult season for me, so I’m really thankful for how Carolyn’s story encouraged me to remember that our Lord purposefully saves and strengthens His children, no matter how far gone they seem or how discouraged they may be in their faith. 

Why it’s Perfect for Winter 
There’s England and literature…what more can I say?! Granted, these are perfect for any time of year, but who doesn’t love a good book by a blazing fire in December? What’s more, Oxford apparently goes all out during the holidays, and Carolyn gives it in glorious detail. I loved picturing Oxford covered in snow and Christmas lights. And the change from winter to spring in the book’s timeline fits well with the spiritual awakening she was experiencing. She describes a number of significant turning points in her conversion that occurred during the Christmas and winter period, and her descriptions are so vivid and aesthetic that it’s easy to imagine you’re right there with her. I felt like I was a guest right across the table from Carolyn at the splendid Christmas “high table” dinner for Oxford elites, an event where she wound up in a conversation about God’s existence and His part in the world. When she talked about her first Christmas break back home in Canada, I could almost feel the cozy fire in the log cabin where she took the painful, courageous step of breaking up with her longtime boyfriend. And I rejoiced with her as I read her description of the sunrise that broke over the frost on her first Easter morning as a Christian. Just talking about it right now makes me want to grab the book and some hot chocolate and find a nice fire somewhere. Do yourself a favor and get on it too :) 

Thank you, Carolyn, for sharing your story. I’m thankful for how the Lord has used it to deepen my own faith. And what a treat it was for me to visit Oxford this year and see so many of the places described in the book come to life! I’ll leave you with a few more Oxford pictures and some favorite quotes from the book.

No individual, by the very state of existence, can avoid life as a form of servitude; it only remains for us to decide, deny, or remain oblivious to, whom or what we serve. 

An education forced is no education at all. 

I’m like an addict when it comes to books. Compelled to read, understand, savor, wrangle with, be moved by, learn to live from these silent companions who speak so loudly. 

Self-worth that is subject to others’ judgments remains alive only as long as the delay of condemnations. 

As I aimed to become a teacher, God made me a student. My spirit as a questioner does not affront Him; rather, it reflects Him, and honors Him, and pulls me toward Him.

Ahh, teaching literature. A noble calling! For we are all stories.

[The Bible] unwinds and recasts the world and our perception of it: that the Holy Grail is more likely to be the wooden cup of a carpenter than the golden chalice of kings. “No wonder this stuff causes war,” I thought as I read, “between nations and within each of us.”

I think I might have delayed this last official post about my England adventures because, after all, how am I supposed to follow the Downton Abbey visit? Hard to top, right? But honestly, though it was a definite highlight, afterwards, it was nice to have a few days to focus on our immediate surroundings after so many train rides both in Derbyshire and for traveling out to Jane Austen’s house, Oxford, and Highclere Castle. And London was delightful with so much to see. We spent two full days there, crammed in as much of the typical touristy stuff as possible, and it was beyond worth it. For your first time in London, just accept the tourist label and enjoy yourself. It’s a beautiful city with an unbelievable amount of history – soak it all in to the fullest! Here are the highlights in pictures of lovely London for me.

Is it even London without a red phone booth picture? Having Big Ben in the background was such a bonus.

I never got tired of staring at this ornate old clock tower. It just begs to be looked at and photographed from every possible angle.

 The scaffolding was rather a shame, but I still thoroughly enjoyed staring at Parliament as well. It was such a dream to stand on the Westminster Bridge snapping these pictures!

The London Eye looked pretty picturesque against the skyline as well. We had to skip riding it this trip, but next time for sure! 

The Cabinet War Rooms were quite fascinating! They've been so well preserved since their daily use during WWII that it was like stepping into a time capsule.

We took a ride down the Thames River to the Tower of London! It looks pretty formidable as it comes into view!

The famous Tower Bridge over the Thames

Gotta keep it authentic inside the Tower grounds!

It's SO, SO big. Took my breath away!

As a new Harry Potter fan, I was tickled to see Platform 9 3/4! And on September 1st, no less! I'm coming for you, Harry! :)

Hello, Lord Nelson! This pillar to his memory famously marks Trafalgar Square, one of the most iconic locations in London. It was certainly one of my favorite spots! It has such a quintessentially British view with Big Ben in the distance and is constantly bustling with businessmen, talented street musicians, and awestruck tourists (Exhibit A: me).

The lions at the base of the Lord Nelson column are also an iconic part of Trafalgar Square. They are MASSIVE and so impressive!

The red buses always added such a nice London-ish touch to the pictures!

This is the beautiful St. James's Park! It was such a soothing, colorful area to walk when we had a bit of time to relax.

Piccadilly Circus behind us!

Yes, lucky us, we got to see inside Her Majesty's "London Office" as she calls it! It was absolutely stunning. And also lucky for us was the fashion exhibit that was running at the time: a collection of Queen Elizabeth's dresses from throughout her reign all on display! Her coronation dress and wedding dress were unbelievable. 
 

Watching the guard change was such a thoroughly British treat.

 Photo courtesy of our fantastic tour guide, Josh. 

I've saved the churches for last because they're my favorites. First was Westminster Abbey. It's one of the most well-known sites in London and consistently makes the lists of top tourist attractions. It's the place where Prince William and Kate Middleton were wed and has served as the coronation site for British royals for hundreds of years. Multitudes of famous scholars, royals, politicians, and arts experts now lie buried there. I knew I would find the place fascinating, but I was quickly overwhelmed and awed by the history contained in it and the beauty of it all. I'd begun to notice earlier in the week that the British take their churches very seriously. The architecture is breathtaking, careful thought is clearly put into every bit of them, and the inscriptions and art evoke such reverence. Every church I entered in England commanded respect almost instantly, and Westminster Abbey gave that vibe many times over. What's more, so many of the people buried there have influenced me personally, which heightened my sense of gravity immensely. William Wilberforce, David Livingstone, William Pitt, George Frideric Handel, and countless others all lie there, and it was incredible to see. I might have cried.

This is the side entrance, known as the west side, I believe. Hard to decide which I like better, but I usually lean toward this one.

The front, or north, entrance, where Kate Middleton entered on her wedding day.

Just couldn't stop taking pictures. So beautiful.

See what I mean by thoughtful, meaningful inscriptions? I just love it.

Now for St. Paul's Cathedral. Where Westminster Abbey is classic and reverent, St. Paul's is bold and enchanting. The architecture draws heavily from Roman influences rather than the Gothic style seen in Westminster and the Houses of Parliament, and it was awe-inspiring to look at. I think I stood stock-still in the main foyer for good minute or two just gazing at the huge ceilings, colossal pillars, and intricate carvings. Everything about it is so big, audacious, and captivating. I had to stand way across the street for many of these pictures in order to get any of the green dome within the camera frame. And the view from the top of the dome is supposedly the best in London! We had to skip that part this time, but it'll be a priority next time, without a doubt!
 

This statue of Queen Anne was sufficiently imposing, making her fit in well with the rest of the atmosphere.

London, you're a new favorite. England, I love you more than ever and shall return. Thank you, readers, for following my adventures in this land so dear to my heart! I'm sure there will be flashbacks in future posts. :)