St. Dunstan in the East Church Garden

Every tourist in London eventually hits his or her limit. After a few days of running through the underground stations and jumping from Parliament to museums to plays and quickly snatching sandwiches from those ubiquitous Tescos and Pret a Mangers in a crazy rush to squeeze in just one more landmark, one more statue, one more historical site...as wonderful as it is, it's also just exhausting.
So when you've hit your limit, take a few hours to calm yourself at one of the city's hidden refuges. Sure, the bigger parks, like Green, St. James and Hyde, can be impressive in their slendor, but the crowds make those grand open spaces more (or possibly less) than the calming respite an overloaded visitor requires.

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Just looking at you makes my knees hurt.[/caption]

So if the line to see "The Monument" is simply too long, or your aching calves, burning from the endless walking, just refuse to climb the 311 steps in memory of the Great Fire of London, take a quick pic for the folks back home and forget it. Then, stroll down the block to visit another site touched by Sir Christopher Wren: St Dunstan in the East Church Garden. (Wren added a steeple in the late 1600s.)

This ancient medieval church was devastated during the second World War and its ruins now soothe and comfort those who need a break from London's hustle and bustle. With copies of The Independent and The Sunday Times in my bag, it made for the perfect setting for a lazy Sunday afternoon. To be fair, helicopter and traffic sounds remind you that you're still in London, but there is something about the place that demands quiet reflection.

I opened the papers for some of Britain's never-ending, chaotic politics before enjoying reviews of Harry Potter and The Cursed Child, a story about the Viscountess who wants to shoot at badgers with a machine gun, and Simon Barnes's descriptions of a seabird colony where the roseate terns mate. Relaxing entertainment for my weary soul.

And it was the perfect spot! Though I'm told the space is crowded with workers at lunchtime during the weekdays, it was peaceful on Sunday. A handful of artists sketched the scenery, a few kids with bicycles chatted about visiting Thailand and, because of some tacit agreement, we all left one another blissfully alone. Possibly inspired by the remains of the church, everyone spoke in hushed tones as if afraid to break the holy peace.
Eventually something always ruins the tranquility, of course. This time, beauty was marred by even more beauty: models on a photo shoot with photographer directing them to purse their mouths and spread their arms in just the right way. That, of course, just can't be an everyday thing for this pleasant and charming park. Even the shrubbery seemed annoyed for the hour the girls preened. (It was probably a one-off. Do not expect beautiful models striking poses as a regular park attraction.)

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This is not a regular shift.[/caption]

St Dunstan in the East Church Garden is on Dunstan's Hill. Take the underground to Cannon Street or Bank station. The garden is just a five-minute walk from both the Monument to the Great Fire of London and the Tower of London. It is open every day except for Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year's Day.