Enjoy
I thought this was funny, BARF
Yum.....
This is the start of the incline up to the Cathedral.
I love this place, old fashioned sweet shops are everywhere. This one was truly inspiring
That is the tower I will eventually climb. Yes I said climb.
Clever street name.
Front door of the Cathedral
Pipe organ
Pulpit
This has to be one of my favourite shots of the day. I was descending from the library and this is in the courtyard/patio of the restaurant. I sat and enjoyed the view twice. Once for lunch and another to recover from the climb.
This is the reflection of the stained glass in the above picture. LOVE IT!
Looking directly above at the roof.
This is the "eye", you will see it again from the outside.
Pipe organ.
The choir area. Again the light is streaming in from the windows in all the gorgeous colours.
This is a tomb for a former Bishop. Not sure which one, many are buried here. None so as ornately as this.
There is the eye again.
So here is my badge of honour. I earned it.
See that tiny circle, bottom of the square. It is 5' in diameter and I am soon going to be standing on it. And that is only the first of two respites we get during the climb.
Looking down from the first climb.
This is the mechanism for the bells.
Gears used in the bell tower, you cannot estimate the weight but they are about 3' diameter, they are resting on the first respite where the mechanism is.
looking up
second respit. This is looking above the bells. Eventually I will be standing on this section of the roof.
Here are the bells. The bell you can see is about 10' high.
The following is a small movie. I can't explain how loud the bells were, you have to hear them. You will see me jump when they start. Keep in mind your speakers are not able to capture the floor vibrating underfoot.
From the top
Don't mind the hairdo. It was windy and I almost died several times on the way up.
This is the courtyard where I sat for lunch.
These are the stairs during the descent. They are only slightly wider than my shoulders and very steep. You hang onto the rope on the left, there are no stair rails. They asked me if I am claustrophobic before the climb. I think that after the hour long elevator/mine shaft escapade in NorthBay that I proved myself capable of a stair climb. LOL
So this is the diagram I prepared for you.
Note: the Steep slope of the road.
On the way down the hill. My legs were so fatigued that as I tried to walk directly across the street from one shop to another, the gravity/slope caused me to walk in a diagonal line.
It's not a phone booth, well it was, now it is a cash machine. Very creative.
The Cathedral is primarily used by the Church of England but they share it with other groups. The day I was there The Knights of the Templar were using the facility. When the lady asked me if I was familiar with there organization I replied yes. She seemed surprised and I told her "just what I've read in the DaVinci Code".
What I could not show you was the library in the Cathedral. (Maureen I thought of you) There were books over 600 years old. And the benches that scholars of the day used. I saw a book of Psalms that was the oldest in the collection and it made you just think about who held it over the years. It was a personal book (only about 4"x 3"), did the owner know how to read or was it for show. It was magnificent.
I hope you enjoyed my day, I sure did.
