A Guided Tour of Central London

To say that my feet are sore would be the wildest understatement in recent history.  Every single muscle from the tip of my toes to the top of my hips is currently screaming in agony, and I have aches in places I didn't even know existed.  I'll refrain from going into gruesome detail about the blisters.  You're welcome.    

I have walked a bazillion miles (only a slight exaggeration) around central London today, so I'll give you a guided tour to make my pain more worthwhile.  I can't even begin to describe emphatically enough how deliriously happy I am with my newly adopted city!  

I live in Southwark, which is borough of London south of the Thames.  From my apartments, I can walk about a mile and a half to campus on the north bank of the river via Blackfriars Bridge.   The Thames is a tidal river and changes dramatically from one hour to the next.  Perhaps because of the tide, it is always windy and cooler while walking across the bridges, and I can't help but stop to watch the constant stream of tour boats, yachts, and barges making their way up and down the river, and admire the cityscape and the towering London Eye, which sends its passengers 443 ft. into the air for stunning view of the city. 

 During low tide, the muddy banks are exposed, and artifact hunters called mudlarks can be seen scouring the river banks for whatever bits of London's ancient history that the tides churn up- 2,000 years of debris tossed or lost into its depths, from Roman coins to Victorian pipes.  These mudlarks' treasures add to the Museum of London's already extensive collection.  Today, there was a sand sculpting competition in progress, and people were in the process of building some stunning artwork which would be swallowed back into the tide in a matter of hours (see pictures below).  

From campus, Trafalgar Square is only a fifteen minute walk down the Strand.  Dominated by the towering Nelson's Column (commemorating Admiral Lord Nelson's death at the Battle of Trafalgar during the Napoleonic Wars), and four gigantic lions (perpetually crawling with children- and a few adults- posing for pictures as brave conquerers of the mighty beasts), the square is home to two un-missable art galleries- the National Gallery, and the National Portrait Gallery.  

To the west, through the Admiralty Arch, the Mall lead toward Buckingham Palace- the "road not taken" today.  Instead, I headed south toward the Thames again, to make my way toward the Houses of Parliament and Westminster Abbey past the buildings of Whitehall.

At Westminster Bridge, this magnificent statue of Boudicca, a queen of the British Iceni who led an unsuccessful but inspiring revolt against the occupying Romans, stands guard over Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament.  Technically known as the Palace of Westminster (as it was once the residence of the King's of England), the Houses of Parliament and Big Ben are most picturesque when viewed from the South Bank of the Thames, and at night, when the buildings and clock tower are beautifully lit.

As I arrived at Westminster Cathedral to a spectacular setting sun peeking through the 11th century towers, I unfortunately found it closed for the day, so I toured the outside, and I'll have to come back another time.  Boo!

On my way back home, I decided to walk the South Bank of the Thames all the way to Tower Bridge and the Tower of London (2.3 miles).

Sand sculpture contest along the South Bank of the Thames

Along the way, I passed St. Paul's Cathedral...

and Shakespeare's Globe, a reconstruction of Shakespeare's Elizabethan Globe Theater, which burned in a fire in 1613.  During the summer, you can view one of Shakespeare's masterpieces, either from one of the covered, tiered wooden seats around the edge of the circular theater, or while standing in the central yard in front of the stage as a discount-ticketed "groundling".

Near the Globe, you can pop in for a pint at The Anchor Bankside, the sole surviving inn from Shakespearean times, frequented by actors and playwrights of the time.  The current construction dates to 1676.

You can also tour The Golden Hinde- a replica of the ship on which Sir Francis Drake circumnavigated the world in 1580.

Just south of London Bridge stands Southwark Cathedral, the oldest gothic church in London, dating to the 12th century and the era of William the Conquerer.  I hear that the candlelit Christmas Carol service is hauntingly beautiful and will leave you with goosebumps.  I hope to find out.

Finally, when my legs had all but given out, and I fervently believed that I might perish from exhaustion, I found myself at tower bridge, peering across the Thames at the Tower of London, fortress of William the Conquerer, dating to 1078 at its earliest construction.  It was also prison to some of the most famous characters of British history.  I suggest finding a seat in the little park on the South Bank and rewarding yourself with a 99 Flake (a soft-serve ice cream cone served with a Cadbury Flake chocolate).

In all, I estimate that I traversed around seven miles, not counting the time spent milling around in each destination, and I am exhausted.  I'll leave you with these pictures of the South Bank at night, which I took on the night of the pub-on-a-boat.