July 15: London

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAWe arrived at the Charlton Station in Greenwich, England, a suburb of London, about 1 pm. From there to our hotel was a short jaunt. Once settled in, we walked about 2 miles to the center of Greenwich. We ate at the Gipsy Moth, one of Greenwich’s favorite contemporary pubs. Coincidentally, while we sat there, a moth fluttered by our table and then landed on the salt shaker. The eatery is near the British clipper ship, the Cutty Sark, so named because the maidenhead is wearing a sark (chemise) which is too small (cutty) and exposing her breasts. In her hand she holds a grey horse’s tail. According to the Alexandria Burn’s epic poem, Tam o’ Shanter, Cutty Sark was chasing Tom who was riding a grey horse, but all she got was the horse’s tail. It is an indication of the ship’s speed.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAWe then took a tour boat on the Thames, London’s river, to see the skyline and some of the many bridges that span it. One of the prettiest is the Blackfriars bridge. Others of interest are the Waterloo Bridges, sometimes referred to as “the ladies’ bridge” because when it was bombed in WWII, women reconstructed it. Londoners nicknamed the Millennium Bridge (built in 2000) the “Wobbly Bridge” after participants in a charity walk to  open the bridge felt a swaying motion; the bridge was then closed for two years to correct the wobble.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERALondon has an easily identifiable skyline. Some of most famous buildings that we saw include the Whitehall, London Tower (left), Big Ben, St. Paul’s Cathedral, the OXO building, Westminster Abby, and the replica of Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre, where you can see a Shakespearean play for £5. All these places I had read about were coming to life and adding a different perspective to mine.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERASome of the more modern structures include a dildo-looking building, 30 St Mary Axe, nicknamed “the gherkin”, the London Eye (a giant Ferris wheel on the south bank of the River Thames; it is the most popular paid tourist attraction in the United Kingdom and takes a half-hour to complete one revolution), and the Glass Shard,  the tallest building in the UK and EU. I need to return to see the skyline after dark; I am sure the lighting will enhance the experience.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAThe tour ended at the Tower Bridge. To catch the train back to the hotel, we had to walk across the London Bridge. I was disappointed in its ordinariness; it lacks character, unlike others spanning the Thames.

About The Author

Jane V. Blanchard

I am an award-winning author of the "Woman On Her Way" book series, writing about my travel adventures. For more information on the books, please visit janevblanchard.com. I started the "Woman On Her Way" travel blog in 2013 to share my experiences as I explored 13 countries with my husband, traveling by ship, foot, bike, bus, train, and plane. Dennis and I continue to make memories and hope you will enjoy following along.