Cats, Cola, and Crypts

Today began with a visit to Westminster Abbey, formally known as the Collegiate Church of St Peter at Westminster. The abbey is filled with history (and more than 3,000 dead bodies) and it is the final resting place of many, many famous individuals including a great deal of royalty, authors, and musicians. Charles Dickens did NOT wish to be buried at Westminster Abbey, but the Brits decided to put him there anyway; what could he do about it? Thomas Hardy is buried right next to Dickens, but his heart is buried in Dorset, after the coroner’s cat had chewed it on of course. After touring the abbey for two hours with a particularly intelligent and hilarious Blue Badge tour guide, I finally saw Big Ben, Parliament, and Trafalgar Square.

Panorama of Trafalgar Square

As I mentioned in this previous post, the paws for the Trafalgar Square lions were modeled after the Edwin Landseer’s pet cat’s paws because the lion used as a model began to decay and had to be discarded. Indeed, the lions’ paws looked like kitty cat paws! I have to wonder why Landseer didn’t sketch the model lion’s paws before tossing him in the rubbish bin, but the cat paws make for an excellent bit of trivia.

Meow- what a sassy cat

We weren't even scared

To continue the curiosity-filled day, I ate dinner in a café that is located in a crypt! The Café in the Crypt is located at Saint Martin in the Field. The floor of the crypt is covered with ancient grave markers, so you know exactly whose dead body you are sitting on top of while eating your dinner. Fear not, there were no bones openly displayed so the café was not as sinister as it sounds. While at the crypt, one of my classmates spotted a cola that is perfectly suited to my blog topic:

I decided I couldn’t pass up trying this drink. It was…curious.