Washington Cathedral

As promised, I'm going to talk about the Washington Cathedral. But I can't talk about it too much because I feel I lack the vocabulary neccesary to describe it.

I went there not really enthused enough about it to care. I didn't care until I started walking up to it. The place is huge. The main portal to the west is decorated with a breathtaking sculpture above it. Even higher above the doors is a circular rose window, composed of over ten thousand pieces of stained glass. Walking inside, you know for sure you're not in an ordinary building. The place is filled with such grandeur, elements that make anything else in Washington DC look plain. Many more stained glass windows surround the cathedral, depicting certain stories, both religious and not. Looking up at the ceiling, you can see the vaulting that supports the roof, conected with boss stones with detailed carvings on them too, each one weighing three to four tons. Moving to the transept, two more rose windows can be seen to the north and the south. Sculptures can be seen in all directions, decorating the many different chapels within the cathedral. Up into the towers you can see a great view of DC, as well as learn some history of the building of the cathedral. Moving outside again, you can see the buttresses which not only support the structure, but add beauty to it as well. Gargoyles and grotesques "guard" the cathedral from the evils of rain water.

Words can not describe the magnificence I witnessed. I regretted not bringing a camera, but realized that pictures can't do the thing justice either. You have to see it for yourself. I'm not a religious guy at all. Far from it. But I know greatness when I see it. This cathedral is unique also because it was built within the last hundred years. It has modern touches, like the stained glass window depicting the moon landings and wars America fought, and the gargoyles that wear gas masks.

And yes, there is a grotesque of Darth Vader on one of the towers. I used binoculars to find it.

By the Way: I'm listening to the themes from Metal Gear Solids 2 and 3 as I type this. DAMN that's a good score.