Covent Garden

Leaving Seven Dials behind, I wandered through Seven Dials Market and eventually emerged into Covent Garden.

If Soho had been lively, Covent Garden was on another level.

People were everywhere.

Street musicians filled the piazza with music, magicians gathered huge crowds, living statues posed patiently until someone dropped a coin into their hat, and every few metres another performer seemed to command the attention of hundreds of spectators.

I found myself stopping over and over again.

It's impossible not to get caught up in the atmosphere.

Between the performances, I explored the surrounding shops, where a few souvenirs and gifts somehow found their way into my backpack.

No complaints there.

By this point, however, I had reached one of those moments that every traveller knows.

Do I stick to the plan...

...or follow my curiosity?

The answer came surprisingly quickly.

I looked at the map, spotted the Thames only a short walk away and thought:

"I'm already here..."

And just like that, today's route changed once again.Read more