Read Online Beyond the Shadow of War by Diane Moody - Free Book Online Page B

surrounding buildings blocked the view. Only glimpses. But with so many buildings leveled around it now, you can see it from all sorts of angles and locations around the city. I was quite astounded the first time I saw it like this. Of course, it’s bittersweet, I suppose, in light of all these other structures that were destroyed.”
    For the next half hour, they wandered down the wide aisles of the ornate cathedral, often gazing up at the colorful tiled mosaics on the ceiling. Sybil told them about the famous English architect Christopher Wren, who redesigned St. Paul’s after the Great Fire of London in 1666 leveled it, along with so many other churches and buildings. She pointed out some of the damaged areas and the elaborate tombs in the cathedral’s crypt, including that of Christopher Wren.
    “It’s very beautiful,” Anya said, as they made their way back outside. “I’ve never seen churches like this one or Westminster Abbey. Are all the churches in London this big?”
    “No, they come in all shapes and sizes. I’m not Catholic, so I’ve never worshipped here, but I love to visit. Especially now. It helps remind me that no matter what happens, life will go on.”
    “It seems we’ve lost our sunshine,” Danny noted as they descended the steps outside. “Those clouds rolled in fast, didn’t they?”
    “Always, but just be glad you had a little sunshine. We’re cloudy and gray most of the time, as you probably know by now. If you’re up to it, there’s one more place I’d like to show you. It’s not far, but we’ll want to catch another bus.”
    A few minutes later, they exited their bus after it crossed the Thames on the famous Tower Bridge. Anya couldn’t take her eyes off the bridge. She’d seen a photograph of it in one of her school books, with its two towers connected by two parallel bridges. She realized it was the only structure she recognized from her school studies.
    “Ah, London Bridge, right? Another one of Hitler’s missed targets, I see,” Danny noted.
    “No, this is Tower Bridge. London Bridge is that one down there,” she said, pointing at a rather plain bridge not far from them. “Visitors always confuse the two. Tower Bridge is named because of its location here alongside the Tower of London. Which isn’t just a tower, as you can see, but rather a palace and all its buildings and grounds. It dates back to the year 1078, if you can believe it. Since then, it’s been used as a residence for the royal family, a prison, a fortress, and let’s see‌—‌what else … oh yes, the royal treasury. This is where they keep the crowned jewels, though they were sent elsewhere for safekeeping during the war.”
    Danny blew a whistle. “Quite a bit of damage, I see. Devastating to see on such a historic place like this. Any direct hits?”
    “Only one, and that was during the Blitz. You can see several of the buildings were either destroyed or severely damaged. But what I really wanted you to see is the moat. See that area outside the walls where you would normally find a moat filled with water?”
    Anya looked at rows upon rows of vegetation. “It’s all filled in. Are those gardens?”
    “Yes! Isn’t it brilliant? After the war started and food became so scarce, we were asked to plant gardens wherever we could. They were called Victory Gardens. You’ll see them all over the country, some on golf courses or tennis courts, parks, just about anywhere. But this is surely the most admired and well-tended. I love to come by here whenever I’m in this part of the city. There’s just something about it that cheers me so.”
    “Perhaps it’s the sight of so much growth amongst all the rubble?” Anya said.
    “I think you’re right. Growth amongst the rubble. That’s very astute, Anya.”
    They walked a little further as Sybil gave them a brief history of the events that had taken place here over the course of history. When a gentle rain began to fall, they took shelter under