Fat Tire Bicycle company is a firm we first found in Paris two years ago. It is an Austin, Texas based company that operates bicycle tours in Paris, London, Berlin and Barcelona. We were told that they are also operating now in several US cities (Boston, New York, Washington D.C. and Atlanta among others). If you should come across them in your travels, I highly recommend them. Todays tour concentrated on the south bank of the Thames River which is the opposite side from Royal London and the main attractions of the city.
The city of London was founded by the Romans on a crescent in the river. The actual City of London itself is quite small containing mainly St Paul’s Cathedral, the Tower of London, Tower Bridge, London Bridge and a few other sites. Upstream in those days would have been vast open fields before you came to the little settlement of Westminster. It is actually Westminster that contains most of what one thinks of when you think of London (i.e. Buckingham Palace, Piccadilly Circus, Parliament, etc.) but I digress. However, because greater London actually grew as a series of uncoordinated settlements, there was no master plan and thus the roadways, lanes and small Victorian streets run in all directions. Not as easy to get lost as it is in Venice, Italy but easy to do. How on earth do the taxi drivers ever learn the names and locations of all the streets?
Great day for the Fat Tire Bicycle Tour of the River Thames. We arrive at the river with this nice picture of Parliament and Big Ben in the background. For those of you paying attention you now know that it is actually the Palace of Westminster which contains the Queen Elizabeth Tower in which resides the 13 ton bell commonly known as Big Ben.
Udderbelly Festival on London's Southbank - a big upside-down purple cow building for comedy, circus and family shows.
Just some of the amazing architecture taking place in what is definitely a London building boom. This is much to the dismay of Prince Charles who believes London should have copied Paris and stuck with a central themed architecture (he wants everything to be built in the Victorian fashion)
One of the many bridges that now cross the Thames the Hungerford Bridge and the Golden Jubilee Bridges – footbridges across the Thames River.
The London Eye (originally called The Millennium Wheel and meant to stay in place for only one year) has become one of London’ biggest attractions because of the remarkable views. It is located on the river. Each car holds about 20 people and it takes 40 minutes to make 1 revolution. Cars can be reserved for groups, business functions and wedding parties. One story is that a very romantic fellow reserved a car, hired a violinist and took his girlfriend for a ride. Twenty minutes into the ride he proposed to her and she said, “No.” The violinist reported that he then had to stand in the corner of the car for the next 20 minutes listening to screaming, shouting, wailing and crying. His droll comment was, “No amount of tip was worth that!”
Edward Watching the street entertainer creating bubbles for the children
St Paul's Cathedral on the left. Sir Christopher Wren’s architectural genius masterpiece. It was almost destroyed during WWII but saved by a group of volunteers called the Church Watch. It is here we all remember celebrating the fairytale wedding of Prince Charles and Princess Diana. Actually the Cathedral was not supposed to be so lavish. The king hired Wren to update the existing church on the site. Wren told him there was nothing that could be done to improve the building and that it should be torn down and rebuilt. The king to Wren to do the best he could because the treasury could not afford a new church. Wooden scaffolding was erected around the stone church. A few nights later, the Great Fire of London begun. The original stone church would have survived had it not been for the wooden scaffolding. The scaffolding burned and caught the interior of the church on fire. In the aftermath of the fire, Wren got to build a much larger and grander church since more area area around the site became available due to the fire.
This is the Millennium Bridge. Londoners nicknamed the bridge the “Wobbly Bridge” after a Save the Children charity walk to open the bridge it began swaying. The bridge was closed for almost 2 years while modifications were made to eliminate the wobble. But Londoner’s still call it the “Wobbly Bridge”. In England once it gets a nickname it sticks.
New apartment building in London and more examples of its very modern architecture.
Shakespeare's Globe Theatre. This is actually not the original site of the Globe. Its site is at a plaque located a few blocks away. The building was dismantled and moved to the north side of the river to the City of London. It was moved as the Landlord would not allow them to put on play. Instead, it was taken apart in sections by some preservationists and stored. The American movie producer, Sam Wanamaker, bought the land where the Globe now stands and had the theater reassembled. His daughter Zoe Wanamaker still shows up every year on April 28 (Shakespeare’s birthday) for the reopening of the theater. Plays run April 28 to November 28. Currently you can see The Tempest, King Lear and As You Like It on a rotating basis. We plan to see The Tempest, one of my favorites just because of the lines, “Full of sound and fury and signifying nothing.” Actually Henry V is my favorite. In any event, what a shame if this building had been destroyed. Shakespeare probably did more to enrich the English language than anyone in history.
Church wall still standing in the Camden area with buildings built around it. This church made most of its money from the taxing of prostitution which was legal on this side of the river, but illegal in London on the other side. It also had a jail called, “The Clink!”
This is the LONDON BRIDGE – boring isn’t it. But the bridge and its predecessors had an amazing history. The original was the first bridge across the river. Housing and commercial buildings were built on one of the bridges and it could take up to 3 hours to get across. The Lord Mayor determined that some organization had to prevail and ordered that everyone must keep to the left when crossing the bridge. Why left? Because you would carry your weapon, a sword or spear, in your right hand and would keep your attacker to your right. Thus, for personal protection you walked to the left and to this day you drive on the left in England. It was Napoleon who reserved the right hand side of the road for his army to travel upon and established the tradition of driving and passing on the right. The nursery rhyme, “London Bridge is Falling Down” comes from the queen who squandered the tolls from the crossings on jewelry and other finery and allowed a predecessor bridge to deteriorate. The immediate predecessor to the current bridge is now located in Lake Havasu, Arizona.
Borough Market - fresh meats. Borough Market is an open air street market that was in full scale operation on this Banking Holiday weekend. There is a Banking Holiday four times each year and the first is the first Monday in May.
Borough Market Cheese vendors
Edward with Red Pig Mexican Ale produced by the Tecate beer company. Why can’t I find this at home?
Edward with his contraband Cuban beer, “Cubanero.” This beer would be illegal in the US since it is Cuban made, but Edward thinks that if he can buy a shirt from China, he should be able to buy rum and beer from Cuba! That would probably also include cigars if he smoked them.
Elaine with a beer from Casablanca, Morocco
Have not seen these in USA!
That's a roasted pork leg ready to make sandwiches at this café in Borough Market.
Quote on the wall, “Is the glass half full, or half empty? It depends on whether you're pouring or drinking!” Bill Cosby
Another great quote. “My Grandmother is over eighty and still doesn't need glasses. Drinks right out of the bottle”. H. Youngman
Partridge in the poultry market.
Of course, English Fish ‘n Chips are available.
This was a very narrow toilet stall – shoulder to shoulder and very close quarters inside.
How about some Extras and Nibbles! Reminds us of the snack container we saw in Ireland labeled, “Nibbly Bits.”
London's City hall and Mayor's office
Tower Bridge, the most beautiful of all the bridges in London and arguably the most beautiful in the world. Yes, San Francisco, we know your arguments, but the Tower Bridge wins. One of the great engineering marvels of its age. At one time to walk across the bridge you were required to walk up the tower, cross the skyway, then descend down the other tower. It was built nearly 60 years into the reign of Queen Victoria, during the height of the British Empire. Fortunately it was saved during WWII. Hitler liked the bridge and ordered that it not be bombed and on moonlight nights the German pilots could use the bridge as a landmark in a blacked out London.
We actually got to cycle across the bridge. The guide told us “no pictures while crossing the bridge” – guess who broke the rule.
The Tower of London was a fortress started by the Romans to protect the river and the settlement. Today it holds the Crown Jewels and is guarded by the Yeoman Warders (NOTE, they do not like being called “Beefeaters”). It was last occupied by Charles II and is the site where Ann Boylen was executed. By the way, if you cannot remember who and how many of Henry VIII’s wives were executed, just remember the rime taught to English children. “Beheaded, died, survived, beheaded, died, survived!” We will deal with details of the Tower on our actual visit in a few days.
HMS Belfast is a museum ship. Originally a Royal Navy cruiser. Due to its rich naval history, it was given the privilege of firing the first shells onto Omaha Beach during Operation Overlord otherwise known as D-Day.
Kayakers on the Thames River – brave souls in all that traffic. Also the current is very swift since the Thames at this point is still a tidal river with as much as a 30 foot change in the tide.
Part of the Original Wall around London built by the Romans which is still standing.
All Hallows Church by the Tower of London is the oldest church in London still holding services. It was the parish church of William Penn (as in Pennsylvania) it was also the church in which John Quincy Adams was born. If you do not know which President he was, look it up so that you will remember.
Below: The Church of St Dunstand. It was bombed in WWII during the blitz so only the walls and one tower remains. Inside is an open air peace garden dedicated to the brave soles who died during the blitz and to those who worked so hard to keep London alive and functioning. There would have been stained glass in those windows. This is a place that you would never have discovered in London without our friends at Fat Tire.
Archaeological sites in the center of London
Leadenhall Market – Originally the Roman Forum in London and also the Diagon Alley location in Harry Potter films.
Tom was the only goose to survive after the flock landed in a Leadenhall Market during its use as a poultry market. What a mistake for the leader of that flock! For many years a saucer of ale was put out each day for Tom until his demise from old age.
Elaine looking at the street vendors jewelry in Leadenhall Market
The Monument to the Great Fire of London. Started by a baker who went to sleep with his ovens still burning (a violation of the law in that period) the fire spread for miles. Many people escaped across the bridge to the south side of the river, but thousands did not because no school or hospital was evacuated. The fire burned for 5 days.
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