So, after we crossed the Thames, we went back to the beautiful Westminster Abbey. Unfortunately, no pictures were allowed in the main part of the Abbey -- well, to be honest, it probably made the visit more enjoyable when there was no pressure to document it! We saw the Poet's Corner (unreal!), which is the final resting place of Dickens and Chaucer among others. If not graves, there are at least memorials to most of the great English writers of yore. . . even the rabid atheists. Someone noted that the plaques for the women (like Jane Austen and the Brontes) are decided smaller than those for the men.

We also saw graves of Elizabeth I, Bloody Mary, most of the Henrys and Jameses (though not Henry James), and best of all, Mary Queen of Scots! (Why is she so fascinating?)

One thing that disappointed me was that though they (the staff of Westminster) maKe a point of noting that the Abbey is still a place of worship, with hourly prayers over the PA system, few of our fellow tourists had the courtesy to pause or even hush their voices during the prayer. The atmosphere was certainly different from Coventry -- more like a crowded museum than a sanctum. . . though trace elements of holiness linger.