I realize that title is not particularly descriptive but it feels appropriate.
We began at Embankment in central London where we boarded the Clipper Thames, one of London's riverboats, with our guide Phillipa. Paul and I were the only people on the tour so we got a private tour for the price of a group tour . . . plus we had the guide's undivided attention.
From there we traveled east along the Thames. Our journey took us through the heart of London, and from our vantage point royal palaces and modern government buildings illuminated the River's role as a power base, while old warehouses and wharves illustrated the working river, and bridges told the story of the areas previously divided by the River. Along the way Phillipa described the role of the river, especially as it pertains to Britain's relationship with the sea.
Normally we would have gotten off the boat at Greenwich but Phillipa suggested an alternative. We got off at the next stop and took the Emirates Airline - a giant cable car which spans the river. Located by the O2 stadium, the cable car whisks you across the river and back again. It was an amazing vantage point seeing London spread out in every direction.
From there we got back on the tube to Canary Wharf. We were right across from Greenwich at this point. You could really see the entire royal site there and have a sense of how the construction was perfectly orientated so that the Queen's House had a completely unobstructed view of the water. We were at the north end terminus of the tunnel under the river so down, down, down we went and after walking for about 750 m we came up on the other side of a river (Using the lift, thank goodness).
In Greenwich, we started by looking at the world famous ship and last surviving tea clipper, the Cutty Sark. From here, we moved on to other relevant sites including the Old Royal Naval Academy, where we discussed the history of the site, from its origins as a royal palace favored by the Tudors and birthplace of Henry VIII, Mary I, and Elizabeth I, through its complete Baroque rebuilding during the Restoration, to its transformation into the Royal Naval Hospital, and, finally, into a college under the supervision of Sir Christopher Wren and Nicholas Hawksmoor.
Eventually we emerged out into Greenwich Park, with scenic views of the first Palladian House in Britain, the Queen’s House, and the National Maritime Museum. Beyond the perfectly manicured lawns of the Park, a path through the trees lead us to a small hill (small but STEEP) on which the Royal Observatory and Flamsteed House are built. Once we reached the top the hill, we were presented with a wonderful view of London, both old and new, spread out before us with the River Thames cutting a silver ribbon through the city, separating the historic site of Greenwich from the modern buildings of Olympic Park.
The Royal Observatory was founded by Charles II in 1675 and by international agreement, each new day, year, and millennium starts there. This alone should be enough to pay this place a visit, but if not, the fascinating history of how longitude at sea was determined should do the trick, and all the key elements of that story can be found here. In 1714 the Board of Longitude was set up. A prize of £20,000 was offered for the answer (= £2m today) to find longitude at sea. The prize would be awarded if timekeeping remained accurate within 2 minutes on a journey across the Atlantic. The winner was a clockmaker, John Harrison. All the prototypes of his clocks are visible in the Observatory in Greenwich.
At the top of the observatory roof is a large red ball - every day it rises exactly at 1:00 PM. Our visit was perfectly timed, we watched the ball rise at 1:00 and fall back down again.
The Prime Meridian - the line of longitude that separates the Western and Eastern hemispheres runs through the site. Paul and I took the obligatory pic of us standing with our feet on either side of the line.
By the end of the walk we had a deeper understanding of the important role that the River Thames has played in British naval and mercantile history. We will also came away with an appreciation of London as a city that constantly changes, but that also prioritizes the preservation of its history—something we will saw first-hand in Greenwich, a microcosm of the unique dualities that exist in London.
We were feeling rather peckish at this point (and exhausted I must point out). Phillipa was heading back into the city and she suggested we tag along and she would leave us at the Borough Market where we could get something to eat. The market is rich with history, but it remains relevant to the lives of Londoners. As London’s oldest food market, it has been serving the people of Southwark for 1,000 years, and that extraordinary heritage is an important part of its appeal.
First and foremost, though, it is a source of genuinely exceptional produce. Many of the Market’s stallholders are themselves producers: the farmer who reared the animal, the fisherman who caught the fish, the baker who baked the bread. Other traders have built their reputations on seeking out small-scale artisan producers and bringing their wares to Borough. Together, the Market’s stalls, shops and restaurants reflect London’s status as a truly global city, with traditional British produce sitting alongside regional specialties from around the world.
As we were entering the market we were offered a sample of duck confit by a vendor - imagine a vendor who specializes in that? It was fabulous. The stall offered a variety of duck confit sandwiches and we decided upon the duck confit wrap. It was a sizeable wrap stuffed with shredded duck, greens, onion confit, and a lively yet sweetly homely honey mustard sauce and I think it just might be the best thing I have eaten in London so far!
We also found Ginger Pig which is supposed to make the best sausage rolls and Scotch Eggs in London. I ordered two sausage rolls and they asked if we wanted the regular own or the one with Stilton. I immediately said 'one of each' and was answered with a smile . . . it clearly was the right answer!
This market sure makes the food offered at the St Lawrence market back home in Toronto look sad.
We bought provisions for dinner (wild boar tortellini, sugo, focaccia, and some dessert) and headed back to the apartment.
I had walked more than 15,000 steps and was exhausted. It was definitely time for a nap.
After I woke up we decided to head out to a wine bar a friend had suggested. When we found it it was packed so we just bought a bottle of wine and headed out. We decided to pop into a rum shop called Limin. In Trinidad ‘liming’ is about getting together with friends at home, the beach, river, street corner or rum shop. We ordered a couple of rum cocktails and a snack - friend savoury dough balls that were served with tamarind sauce. Delicious.
Of course, the rum was double proof and the drinks generous. By the time we left there was no way we were cooking dinner. :-)
We crossed Commercial street and stopped by Poppies Fish and Chips - winner of the best fish and chips in the UK award. Dinner was fabulous!
After we ate we walked back to the apartment. Along the way we checked out the many bars and restaurants on the street - honestly, you could be here for two weeks and eat at a different spot every day and not run out of choices.
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