The National Cathedral Bell Tower

So I am totally behind on posting. Something funny/spectacular/amazing/crazy happens every day, but I am just a little busy out here in DC! 

Anyway, a couple of weeks ago (the same day as the European Union Embassies tour) the National Cathedral had their "Flower Mart." They had lots of floral displays from around the world (and booths of food and items to buy outside), but the main thing I was interested in was the TOWER. The National Cathedral bell tower, to be specific. 

On this blessed day the cathedral people open up the steps to the bell tower for the general public.

This means me.

I didn't even mind the feel (too much) because it goes to support the cathedral and the wonderful things they do for the Christian and non-Christian community in DC. Who could be upset about supporting such a thing?

Anyway, I grabbed my chance when it came and got a ticket to go up the steps to the bell tower.

No, not these steps. The steps inside. :)

The views were magnificent. This is looking out a window about halfway up. Can you see the Washington Monument?

These are the windows I was looking out of in the picture above.

Seldom-used bell towers allow for some pretty strange rooms, like this big one pictured above. The steps to the bell tower, below, are in the corner, but this big room was used mostly for storage of random metal things, dust, and...wine bottles?!? Not quite sure what function they served, but they were pretty cool looking.

The steps of the final ascent

The top, where the bells and the bell-ringing ropes are held, has little windows with very small balconies that you can go out on. You have to squeeze through the windows and jump down on to the balcony (but it was much less dangerous than I am making it sound), and I was wearing heels (naturally), but naturally I went out the windows on every side. I knew that they would probably give us very little time after the bell-ringing demonstration before they started herding us downstairs, so I must admit (a bit ashamedly) that I ignored the demonstration (I tried to be polite about jumping in and out of the windows, though) and jumped in and out of all the windows.

I am willing to perform such a great sacrifice, friends, for you. How else will you see pictures from the top of the National Cathedral, which is (because of its placement on a hill) the highest spot in DC?

If you look closely in the back middle of this picture, you can see the white and gold LDS temple. It is pretty huge landmark in DC and they use it daily in their traffic reports.

Don't worry, I didn't touch the bell ropes!

Looking through a screen at the Capitol and downtown

I took more than 200 pictures of the view and the Cathedral (which is GORGEOUS, by the way), and that many pictures just overwhelms a blog post. So maybe I will post an album online. Until then, here are some more views of DC from the bell tower.

And just one of the inside of the Cathedral.