I am lucky enough to live near the historical town of St. Albans and decided today to give the Cathedral another visit. The chequered history of the Catherdal would be a lifes study to understand. The ghostly pictures of the Cathedral divided as poor house and school look like another building entirely. Today the Cathedrals arched ceilings display the wonder of precision engineering when the tools didn`t exist to acheive this. Marble tombs sit under the stained glass windows and side alters nurse oil painting of exquisite detail. When wandering around the Cathedral don`t forget to look up at the ceilings were Coats of Arms of White Roses and Sheilds sit with the Angels. The Organ is spectacular and there are free concerts on a regular basis. I lit candles and spoke to an elderly couple who had married in the Cathedral 52 years ago today. They said Valentines Day had been fully booked so they chose the day before and come back every year. How romantic is that, much better than flowers and chocolates. A book from the 12th C is displayed in a glass case and makes me want the ability to shrink so I can crawl in and read it all. Other ancient treasures are cherished nearby and the whole Catherdrel seems loved. The Abbots Kitchen provides homemade cakes, coffee, full lunch menus and an afternoon tea to match the best. It is free to go into the Cathedral and you can pick up donated book for if you pop a coin in the box. There is easy wheelchair access and it was nice to see plenty of people of all ages in the Cathedral on a wet Monday afternoon. Just up the road is St Peters Church which is also well worth a visit.
