Less than three days in London and I am still excited! We have seen so much in such a short amount of time and still have much more to go. Something that I noticed, and really enjoyed, was the 50/50 mix of modern and historical architecture. I’m not one to mix and match so distinctly, but the way this city has managed to accomplish this balance is beyond compare. For instance, with the church we visited today, we saw a Starbucks attached right under it. It’s amazing how well spun business was with religion, and how extremely ironic. On that same note; Saint Paul’s is another version of this mix. The fact that the crypt was now used as a store and cafe was frustratingly hilarious. Who knew what was to come of this spectacular place of worship back in its early stages of building? 
That’s so true! I totally agree that London is combining the contemporary and historical together very nicely. This recalled me of our first visit to the building center which is exhibiting the competition of “Don’t Move, Improve” (I think that’s what it’s called). Most of the old apartments are well redesigned to integrate the back garden spaces and really provide people with a better place to live in. Also there are moment that I saw historical buildings with very distinctive modern innovation on the exterior. Some tried to blend the modern and historical, others are setting up a comparison between the two. What’s also interesting is how the London City Hall is speaking to the Tower of London in a differentiable way while Tate Modern is totally trying to mimic, or create a similar dialog with St. Paul’s.