Ladies who lunch

London, England Today has to be noted as the first day of spring in London. The sun was blazing, the sky was blue and flowers were popping out all over.

We had no particular commitments, but June and I were planning to see a few historical and cultural sights in order to earn ourselves a nice luncheon break.

We started with the Museum of the Order of St. John, entering through St. John’s Gate, originally built in 1605, but restored along the years. The Priory it led to experienced tumultous times, caught up in religious politics and drama. It began with the Knights Hospitaller, a catholic military order with roots in the Kingdom of Jerusalem towards the end of the 11^th century, at the start of the Crusades.

They were one of several such orders; the Templars are probably the most famous. Unlike the Templars, the Order of St John still exists today, although it is no longer religious (nor military). Its headquarters are in Rome, and it has a seat in the United Nations.

The museum tells the story of the Order and its charitable arm in the UK, St John Ambulance, as well as the story of St John’s Gate and the Priory of the Order of St John.

Like all such institutions, what started as a noble venture became entangled with power and wealth, as is subtly referenced on one label.

There were some lovely treasures and an interesting timeline of what became of the priory.

The reputation of the organization was vastly improved in the 1870s, when it bought back St John’s Gate and established two charitable arms, the St John’s Ambulance Brigade and the St John’s Ambulance Association.

Today, St John’s Ambulance, a charity centered on providing first aid and the support of national emergency medical support, has spread worldwide.

We did have an exciting moment as blaring alarms suddenly went off and a fire door locked us inseparate rooms. All visitors were led out a safe distance away, while we waited for the all-clear. Hard to imagine this being a target for a terrorist threat, but it was treated as such.

We then went to the Priory Church of St Bartholomew the Great, London’s oldest parish church, founded as an Augustinian priory in 1123.

Its age is evident and dramatic.

Of particular note – aside from the Lady Chapel, where the Virgin Mary made a public appearance – is the statue by Damien Hirst of St. Bartholomew minus his skin, and the baptismal font used throughout the ages.

It is a lovely church, seemingly very accessible to worshippers.

Having uplifted our spirits, we then headed for the Royal Exchange. It was London’s first purpose-built center for trading stocks, established in 1566. Now it’s a place to spend all one’s stock market winnings on luxury brands and experiences.

While many around us were sampling afternoon tea, we lunched on celeriac and apple soup, beet and goat cheese salad, and Welsh rarebit, finishing with hot beverages.

So elegant, so fitting, for two ladies of leisure!