Canterbury Cathedral

Today I got to visit the Canterbury Cathedral and take a guided tour. The university bussed us down there and paid for the tour, so everything was free. (Hooray!) And believe you me, the Cathedral is an awesome place. The outside alone is absolutely gorgeous. They're actually doing work on it right now (to replace the roof I think) but I still managed to get some great pictures.

The inside of the Cathedral was equally amazing. Lots of stained glass and soaring archways. When I first walked in, I didn't realize how big it was because you can't see the whole thing in one shot. But then the tour guide started taking us around and I began to realize just how humongous the place is. There are tons of little chapels and alcoves off the main nave. Also, the crypts underneath are spooky, but reeeaally cool. Apparently, St. Thomas isn't really buried in the Cathedral like many people think. They say his body was cremated and his ashes scattered either to the water or wind. However, Edward the Black Prince is buried there, and I got a few pictures of his tomb (which had a really cool replica of him in his armor all laid out).

After the tour, we were on our own to get back to the campus. That was fine by me, because I decided I'd just wander around for a bit and see what was around. So I bought a cappuccino and started walking. It was really fun walking down little side streets and seeing all the cafes and shops and things. Luckily, there are lots of tourists in Canterbury so I didn't feel like such a sore thumb. After a while, I eventually found my way back to a bus stop. I only had to stop and ask for directions once--progress!

Here's the album I put together of pictures from the Cathedral. Check 'em out!

Canterbury Cathedral