Last Day, So Sad!

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Our final day in London...and indeed of our holiday! We revisited the City and Westminster. After a leisurely wander around the vicinity of the Royal Courts of Justice, Fleet Street and the Strand we ended up at the Temple Church. It was originally built in the late 12th century by the Knights Templar as their English headquarters. After the fall of the Knights, the church became Crown property and is now the church of the Inner and Middle Temple, two of London's four Inns of Court.

It feels a bit different from a normal visit to a church It is quite hard to find as it is tucked away among the buildings of the Inns of Court, which you enter through a huge but almost nondescript door leading into medieval lanes and passageways. We have to 'confess' that like many others our interest in the church was stimulated by The Da Vinci Code. We were especially keen to see the effigies of the knights, some of which were damaged when the church was firebombed during the Second World War. (If you ever plan to visit the church make sure you take a map and check the opening hours which vary from week to week!)

A short walk along the Strand took us to Trafalgar Square. We were pretty impressed with the square with its fountains, the National Gallery, St-Martin-in-the-Fields and of course the huge Nelson's Column flanked by a procession of red London buses and black cabs whizzing by!

We spent a considerable amount of time in the National Gallery (again with a list of must-see paintings) and didn't really seem to scratch the surface. It's a fabulous gallery although a little like the Louvre - somewhat overwhelming!

We dawdled home through St James Park postponing for as long as possible the inevitable job of packing for tomorrows departure.

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Photos

Heraldic Griffin, Fleet Street
This marks the boundary between Westminster and The City

Twinings Tea House on the Strand
Yes, we bought some tea! Loose leaf of course!

The George on the Strand
Built in 1723, originally a coffee house.

Inside the Temple Church
We think that some of these effigies were originally standing

Tormented soul!!
Inside Temple Church

Exterior, 'the Round', Temple Church
The Round is the original part of the church, built by the Knights Templar and said to be modelled on the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem

Trafalgar Square
Looking towards the National Gallery and St-Martin-in-the-Fields

Trafalgar Square
Taken from the steps of the National Gallery