We 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.
We 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.
London 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.
Some 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.
The 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.
Wow! You two sure did a lot. I’ve been to London several times and haven’t seen 90% of what you saw.
Hey guys, Hannah and I leave today and arrive tomorrow morning. Will you still be in London?
Diana,
We will be in London on Wednesday and mostly on Thursday. We are staying at the Antigallican . we don’t have a phone, but you can email us.
Jane,
What you need to do whilst in London is buy a hat! A big straw hat. It’ll never go out of style; I’m still wearing straw hats that I bought in London back in 1985. A big straw hat is rather a pain to get back home (and five are just as difficult as one!), but you’ll find you will wear it all the time, so it’s worth the effort. Just think of all the times in your life when a big straw hat would be just the thing!
Liz,
A big straw hat would be impractical whilst backpacking. I am using a floppy hiker’s hat that I can fold and stuff into my pack and has a draw string to keep it on my head when it is windy.
Do you know about the “Golden Jubilee” walk that takes you all around an through London? It’s a wonderful full day walk and you follow silver crowns embedded in the pavement. I first walked it in 1981 when it was the Sulver Jubilee Walk before the Millenium Bridge or the Tate Modern. I then walked it again in 2009 when it became the Golden Jubilee walk and was also available online. First time I walked it we came upon the filming of a scene from “Reds” and I got to see Warren Beatty step out of his trailer! Anyway, it’s a wonderful way to “walk” London!
Sarah,
I will look in this walk, sounds very interesting. Today we took the pedestrian tunnel under the Thames and walked along the river. I recommend that, just not in the directions that we went, East, because it ends in about 2.5 miles or so.
Was it odd being in such a large city after walking in rural areas?
Jasmyne,
I must admit it was overwhelming…all the people, all the noise, all the traffic. The transition though was not as dramatic as being on the Meseta and entering León, Spain. I hated that city and almost cried as we walked around the busy streets, industrial zones, and car lots.
I can’t get use to looking right before crossing the street. This morning, as I watched a car pull into a busy intersection, I was so thankful that I was not driving; my instincts are to go the opposite way.
did you all go on the ferris wheel? and the gherkin that is really weird looking. sounds like you all are having a good time in london. where are you going next?
Phil,
No, we did not ride the London Eye, yet. It might be a nice thing to do at night. The senior ticket cost is £15.30, not too bad for a once-in-a-lifetime experience.