This is summer

Today was an incredibly beautiful day: warm, cloudless, the ideal summer day really. I think today is what one has in mind of a perfect "summer" day, not when it's 112 degrees outside and humid and such, but nice enough to sit in Hyde Park beneath a tree and read and write and exist in London without sweat or chill.

After sitting in the park and a strange half-sting from a bee (I'm not really sure...) I went to St. Paul's Cathedral, which is literally the most beautiful thing I have ever seen. The whole thing is enormous: statues everywhere, painted ceilings evoking humility, the dome in the middle and gold on the ceiling around all the paintings. It was truly breathtaking. I went for evensong, so I got to hear their choir sing and the reverberating voices throughout the massive thing. Incredible. I didn't get to look around a lot (they are open for looking around during the day; evensong is in the evening), though I did see the plaque with the list of deans of the Cathedral since it was started (I think?), and I saw John Donne's name up there :) :) :) ( I also read some Donne afterward outside the cafe next to it).

I must say I feel pretty good about how well I at least know the Tube. While I have no idea about how the city is actually laid out (I saw the London Eye from Hyde Park today, thought, 'hm.'), I can get around to various places that I need to be. Also walking up and down the escalator instead of standing makes one feel as though one belongs here. And efficient...
Tomorrow, to the Victoria & Albert Museum with the whole group.