The Shard
Our first evening in London. I was standing with the Tower of London immediately at my back while I looking north across the Thames. The Shard at 1020 ft/311 m is the tallest building in western Europe. Admittedly, this is a difficult scene to relate to what with its mishmash of apocalyptic sky, bizarre skyscraper, and mundane urbanscape. The bluish structure is part the Millenium Pier for boats plying the Thames.
The London Eye from the Westminster Bridge
This observation wheel is only slightly smaller than the High Roller in Las Vegas. Because Carol and I loved the High Roller, we were eager to ride this wheel. But this was Easter Monday, a bank holiday, and the local people were rightly eager to have their own fun. The wait would have been two hours. Definitely, to be done on our next visit!
Twin Telephone Boxes-Trafalgar Square Neighborhood
No blue Dr. Who police box. This is just across the street from Trafalgar Square. I was told that you can access free Wifi inside these booths. The Pret a Manger coffee shops are found throughout London as well as other cities around the world. The one by the Tower of London was especially welcome on more than one occasion. I very much like this scene with the red and orange, and I felt right at home.
Steeple of St Martin-in-the-Fields–Trafalgar Square Neighborhood
This may be the “steeple that started it all.” Rick Steves, travel writer and author of London 2016, states that this particular steeple dating from the early 18th century was the impetus for New England colonists to construct their own steeple-over-entrance churches. As a native Utahan, I have noticed that almost all local Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints places of worship have steeples. Not surprising given that the church’s roots are deeply entwined in New England. I was excited even before the trip to see this steeple and then compare it to the steeple on the meeting house in my neighborhood. The steeples are very similar, and the cultural journey from England to New England to Utah is fun to think about.
Looking North down Whitehall from Trafalgar Square
I was standing on Trafalgar Square with Nelson’s column at my back. The Equestrian Statue of Charles I and I are within the boundary of the City of London. Just beyond the nose of the horse lies the City of Westminster. This street, Whitehall, is rich in English history. Along its short course you will discover The Banqueting House, St James’s Gate, and 10 Downing Street. Just as you arrive at the north end, Westminster Abbey, Big Ben (already visible), the Palace of Westminster (home of Parliament) and much more will greet you.
A Horse Guard at St James’s Gate
At the moment I took this photo, this soldier, the horse, and I were alone with no passersby or other tourists in the area. I know the guard was aware of me but only because I can read microfacial expressions by virtue of being a psychologist. The horse was curious about me. I learned during my visit that these guards are combat tested and their ceremonial duties are part-time. Every detail of his uniform has a purpose and shows that he is a member of the elite Life Guards who serve as bodyguards for the queen when they are not training or fighting in Afghanistan. I was honored to have had a few seconds of contact, nonverbal as it was, with this disciplined, military member. A definite high point of my London visit.
Looking down to the Old Bailey from Ludgate Hill
I took this photo along with the two following to indulge my love for Rumpole of the Bailey, a British TV series that ran from 1978 to 1992. As a longtime forensic psychologist, I relished the courtroom duels and Horace Rumpole’s strategizing. Down the block on high, you can see the gold statue of Lady Justice on top of the courthouse.
Street Sign on the Corner of Ludgate Hill and Old Bailey
This is zone 4 in east central City of London.
Pomeroy’s Wine Bar?
In my mind this was Rumpole’s watering hole for lunch and after work.
St Paul’s Cathedral-West Facade
The facade is so mesmerizing with its double decker columns and almost left-right symmetry that the scene speaks for itself. Usually, the barrel distortion induced from the wide angle lens is a fault, but here it conveys the massiveness of the edifice.
St Paul’s Cathedral-From the Corner of New Change and Cannon Street
A gorgeous spring afternoon on Ludgate Hill.
London Bridge
From the Millenium Pier by the Tower of London. I include this prosaic photo of the span across the Thames only to show how ordinary London Bridge is. This structure was finished in 1973 and is at least the fourth reincarnation of a crossing that extends back to Roman times. The third reincarnation now serves as a tourist attraction in Lake Havasu City, Arizona.
Tower of London
Much to my surprise, the Tower of London is a complex of buildings and walls, actually a small town. Before this visit to London, I had always pictured a single tower by the Thames. At least I got the Thames part right! The quadruple towers are the four corners of the White Tower, which lies at the heart of the complex. If you have never experienced London, I recommend an entire day for the Tower and the surrounding neighborhood. Just one of the surprises is the display of crown jewels. Note: I took this and the following four photos while on a boat heading downstream to Greenwich and the Docklands.
Tower Bridge
Completed in 1895 and iconic symbol of London. I sheepishly admit that I did not learn the difference between the Tower Bridge and London Bridge until after my arrival in London.
Notice the dome of St Paul’s just left of center. Just right of center is the monument to the Great Fire of 1666 which destroyed most of London. The monument itself dates to the 1670’s.
Skyscrapers
We tourists were told that Londoners call the left skyscraper “The Walkie-Talkie,” the partially hidden one, “The Cheesegrater,” and the next one, “The Gherkin.” Apparently the rightmost one is not distinctive enough to have earned a sobriquet. The City of London and the City of Westminster are not cluttered with skyscrapers. Instead, most of them live in the Docklands neighborhood just south of Greenwich a short distance down the Thames.
Former Warehouses Along the South Shore of the Thames
These converted warehouses are now luxury flats. Notice the pier for the Metropolitan Police patrol boats. Directly behind these buildings is the Wapping neighborhood. More about Wapping later.
Old Royal Naval College at Greenwich
Now the home of the University of Greenwich. The Greenwich Observatory and the home of the Prime Meridian is in the background between the towers. These relatively new buildings were built primarily in the 18th and 19th Centuries. What fascinates me is that this very land was the main stomping grounds of Henry VIII (1491-1547). The relics of his life here are long gone. For a deeper understanding of Greenwich, along with the Tower of London, Westminster Abbey, the Blackfriars area of London, etc., I might recommend: Scarisbrick, J. J. (1997) Henry VIII. Yale University Press: New Haven and London.
The Corner of Wapping Lane and Cinnamon Street in Wapping
Carol, my spouse, kindly agreed to pose for this photo. This is not ordinarily a neighborhood for tourists but a wonderful experience, nonetheless. We had walked 1 mi/1.6km from our hotel to wash a load of laundry at “The Laundrette.” While our clothes were in the washer, we had coffee and a pastry at The Cinnamon just a few doors away. We were crammed among the local residents and had a delightful experience.
Looking North on Wapping Lane from Cinnamon Street
Definitely a medieval street in an older part of London. The Thames is on the other side of the Gun Wharves Building and just meters from the converted warehouses seen two photos back. I marveled at the bus driver’s skills in negotiating the narrow lane.
A Window of Westminster Abbey
I wonder that any artist with any medium can convey any of the majesty and history of Westminster Abbey. I settled for this window and the stonework of the next photo. These two photos are the faintest of tokens.
Some Stonework of Westminster Abbey
These stones speak for the workers who erected them and the centuries that have passed.
Tower Bridge Seen from a Tower of London Prison Cell
A fanciful description because, when this cell held prisoners, no Tower Bridge existed.
Tower of London
Close-up of a wall of the White Tower from a prison cell.
Corner of the White Tower along with the “Walkie Talkie” and the “Cheese Grater“
A contemplation of the old and the new.
The Shard rises ominously from behind the Tower of London
The Shard introduces and ends this gallery.
I thank you for accompanying me on this admittedly, often jarring traipse about London. I have many images from walks along the north shore of the Thames, the Globe Theatre, Piccadilly, the Docklands, Windsor and Windsor Castle, etc. I will return to London someday because it is now my favorite city in the world. That is saying something because I love cities from the isolated Ely, Nevada, to New York to London.