London: Time to play tourist

Full photo album for London.

Friday 18 November 2016.

My second and final full day in London started with cold hands and foggy breath. It was something like 2˚C.

Made my way to Highgate in the north of London to get the visa for Cabo Verde. I had arrived early so killed time by stopping for a cup of tea then a wander around the area.

In the end I was still 10 minutes early, but it seems the guy may have forgotten I was coming as he was due to go out at 10:10am, so really lucky I stopped by early. Visa took 10 minutes then I was on my way again.

I headed south to London Bridge and started my wander along the River Thames. First heading towards Tower Bridge from the south side of the river with the intention to cross on the bridge, although unsure if it takes pedestrian traffic.

Moot point really, as the whole bridge was closed to all traffic due to major maintenance. This didn’t become clear until I was close to the bridge. Back the way I came, crossing to the north of the river to see the monument to the Great Fire of London.

I found the name of the restaurant next to the monument apt.

I did contemplate walking up to the balcony of the monument, but entrance fee was in cash, and sadly I’d run out of pounds. Hindsight being such a wonderful thing, if I had climbed the stairs I would have been even more stiff the following day.

Translation of the Latin inscription above
In the year of Christ 1666, on the 2nd September, at a distance eastward from this place of 202 feet, which is the height of this column, a fire broke out in the dead of night, which, the wind blowing devoured even distant buildings, and rushed devastating through every quarter with astonishing swiftness and noise. It consumed 89 churches, gates, the Guildhall, public edifices, hospitals, schools, libraries, a great number of blocks of buildings, 15,200 houses, 400 streets. Of the 26 wards, it utterly destroyed 15, and left 8 mutilated and half-burnt. The ashes of the city, covering as many as 436 acres, extended on one side from the tower along the bank of the Thames to the church of the Templars, on the other side from the north-east gate along the walls to the head of Fleet-ditch. Merciless to the wealth and estates of the citizens, it was harmless to their lives. So as throughout to remind us of the final destruction of the world by fire. The havoc was swift. A little space of time saw the same city most prosperous and no longer in being. On the third day, when it had now altogether vanquished all human counsel and resource, at the bidding. As we may well believe of heaven, the fatal fire stayed its course and everywhere died out.
*(But popish frenzy, which through such horrors, is not yet quenched.)
* These last words were added in 1681 and finally deleted in 1830.

Continuing my explorations across the Millennium Bridge to the Shakespeare’s Globe and Tate Modern.

Finally the sun came out but it is still cold. Even the pigeons agree

With the sun I began using the Nikon to get different pics of the London Eye.

And the Houses of Parliament and Big Ben

Returning to my accommodation in preparation for the next destination, I discovered out my window this wondrous sight.

I picked this hotel in Houslow because of proximity to Heathrow and the Tube. Who knew that being near the approach to Heathrow airport could be so interesting!