Up and Down the Thames

We were planning a lazy start today for a departure at around 8.15am - which we did.

However, the day started at 4.30am with Loss’ phone ringing right beside me on the bedside table. It was a call from an Australia Post driver who was trying to deliver a parcel for a Mrs. Dennes……….

After an unsuccessful attempt to get back to sleep, I eventually rose at 7. In a ‘belts and braces’ approach I immediately (a) activated the Do Not Disturb feature on her phone (b) removed the Australian SIM card and (c) have determined that said phone will be banished to the bathroom for overnight recharging.

We left the unit at the forecast time and walked to another ‘Monopoly’ destination - this time Euston Station (London’s oldest) to tube down to Embankment where we had a look at Cleopatra’s needle. Apart from its fascinating ancient Egyptian origins, it suffers shrapnel damage - still evident - of the very first aerial bombing of London in WW 1.

We then walked over the Golden Jubilee Bridge to a very deserted London Eye precinct. To our surprise we’ve found that London has been very quiet in the early mornings and only starts to really come alive after about 10am when most of the tourist destinations open. Today was no exception despite being a public holiday.

We had a coffee (our best so far - but that is a fairly low bar) at the Marriott perched on the southern end of Westminster Bridge and then proceeded back to the London Eye to enjoy a wonderful view of London from one of its pods as it gently makes its rotation in the sky. Overpriced? Sure. Worth doing? - Definitely.
We then walked back across the Thames via the Golden Jubilee bridge (could some one please explain to me why there is a skateboard graveyard on one of the pylons here??) to catch the Uber ferry to Greenwich.

First point of interest at Greenwich was the Old Naval Royal College with two particularly impressive buildings - the ‘Painted Hall’ which is touted as Britain’s Sistine Chapel; and the Christopher Wren designed Chapel.
Although very interesting, these buildings were secondary to our (well, my) main interest in this area - the Greenwich Observatory and the Greenwich Prime Meridian.

During the era when British influence and maritime strength was at its greatest, the world agreed on this Greenwich Prime Meridian and hence solved a major navigation problem for mariners (and subsequently pilots). Having used ‘Greenwich Mean Time’ (now called UTC) in aviation for many years, I enjoyed standing / straddling this meridian and thinking about its impact on my life.

Back down on the Thames was the Clipper ‘Cutty Sark’ which was once the fastest sailing ship in the world. Our tour of this historic vessel was brief but sufficient to appreciate its main features. It was also interesting to note that it spent some of its working life transporting coal and wool from Australia.

It was now about 2.30pm and London crowds were out in full force. We had to wait for 2 Uber ferries to come and go before we could return to central London but just managed to get back to Bankside Pier and run up the ramp to catch the last tour or the day at Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre.
This working theatre is an exact recreation of the Theatre as it existed in Elizabethan times (late 1500’s) when Shakespeare was actively involved in its operation. As part of the tour we watched a rehearsal for a production of Midsummer Night’s Dream which was to be performed tonight.

We then caught the Uber ferry back to Embankment and then ‘tubed’ it home - arriving at the very early hour of 5.30pm. We both realised this was way too early - are there any options?
I stupidly mentioned that Harrods would still be open. A few minutes of website searching later, Loss has said she’s found a pair of shoes at Harrods she likes the look of . . and they’re only 2,250 GBP.

At this point I backpedal and say that I might not have read the Opening Hours correctly - and that even if it was open that - due to the Public Holiday - the crowds would be too large for her liking. I promise we will pay a visit to Harrods before we leave London on Thursday. She accepts this compromise - but I fear I have only kicked the problem down the road a little……..
I also fear my sleep might be interrupted tonight - not by the sound of a phone ringing, but rather by the sound of the Harrods rapid-delivery service knocking on our door.Read more