I've been to the Cathedral many many times, but with the reopeninig of the Crypt with the new link from the Cathedral I thought I'd pay it another visit.
I'm always impressed at how relaxing and spiritual the Cathedral is, the changing light from the windows changes the space throughout the day and is instantly calming and reassuring.
When I was at University, in the St. Nick's building ( which has now demolished to make way for the new developments) I used to pop in to the Cathedral for a quite five mins, It's an excellent place to just get your head sorted out if you need to!
The new link brings the old and the new together, after walking through the new doors in the Cathedral walls the glass 'pod' that contains the stairs is very impressive (as are the new glass sculputures that are at the top of the steps at the rear of the cathedral).
Photography is not allowed in the crypt! THe new link brings you down to the Pontificial Hall where there are new video exhibits telling the story of the crypt as well as photgraphs documenting story from the first cathdral right up to the new link to the crypt. THe new exhibition at the end of the hall displays some of the treasures of the Archdiocese from the reformation right up to present day.
The crypt gives you a real sense of what the intended Cathedral would have been - the Chapel of the Ressurection where 3 Archbishops are entombed is clad in marble - giving an example of what the Cathedral would have been like. In all honesty the Cathedral that we have now provides us with a better spiritual space than the original cathedral would have managed- We all complain of how cold it can get in the current Cathedral - Imagine the heating and upkeep costs of what was planned.
The whole Catheral Complex keeps changing and growing for the better - definately one of the most interesting landmarks on the city skyline.
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