Unlike the previous day, we focused our final full London day on places more regularly associated with typical tourists. Sometimes we do that. Occasionally I displayed my normal geo-oddity proclivities but mostly it was about cramming as much as possible into the hours before sunset.
Hyde Park
We liked using the London Underground but sometimes it was simply easier to get there on foot. For instance, the distance from Paddington to the Natural History Museum was about a mile and a half. That’s a very doable walk for us. In fact the route’s rather pleasant because a big chunk of it cuts right through Hyde Park (map). The park covers 350 acres of gently rolling terrain and dates back to Henry VIII. He used it as his personal hunting ground, which a king could do back then.
We entered at the Italian Gardens and walked due south. Then we returned the next morning before we left London just to walk around it some more.
Natural History Museum
Next we entered the Natural History Museum where we spent the rest of the morning (map). It was quite large and filled with all sorts of famous objects. There were things like an original copy of Darwin’s On the Origin of Species, the bones of Cheddar Man, and a groundbreaking Archaeopteryx fossil known as the “London Specimen.” That hardly scratched the surface.
The kids wanted to see every single item in every single exhibit. I was certainly ready to move along by the time we finished. Well, actually I was ready to move on long before that but clearly it wasn’t going to happen.
Westminster Pier
Each of us added one favorite item to our trip itinerary. The younger kid got Tankfest; the older kid got the Crystal Palace Dinosaurs and I got the Prime Meridian. Now my wife got her opportunity. She wanted to see every notable London landmark — not necessarily visit them or tour them — but to physically see them. We thought about one of those hop-on / hop-off open air buses. However, we figured that would involve more hours sitting in traffic than seeing the actual sites.
Then someone suggested the tourist boats that motor along the River Thames. I love boats; nobody needed to convince me! So that’s what we did. We got there by taking the tube to Westminster station (map), situated across the river from the London Eye ferris wheel and prepared for our little nautical adventure.
The route covered the distance between Westminster Pier to Greenwich and back. We never even bothered to get off at any of the intermediary stops. No, we simply sailed downriver for about an hour and then returned upriver the same way.
Big Ben
Do you know what else is right next to the Westminster tube station? The Palace of Westminster, where the Parliament of the United Kingdom meets. And on the north end stands the famous clock tower with its large bell better known as Big Ben. Technically Big Ben refers only to the bell itself but enough people refer to the whole thing that way that it’s probably beyond correction now.
The tube station was designed in such a way that the exit we used led directly to Westminster Pier. We didn’t even see the clock tower until we got on the boat. It was behind us the whole time as we walked away from the tube but of course we were looking forward. I took this photo after we returned from our ride. Incidentally this was the only place where I watched my belongings even more closely. The hordes of tourists not paying attention felt like a pickpocket paradise. My city smarts were tingling.
City Border
Naturally I recorded anything of geographic significance. For instance, the actual City of London is very small, barely more than a single square mile. But they marked the border with these really cool dragon sculptures right along the river (map). I wish every border marker was this elaborate. Often it’s just a rock.
Tower Bridge
So we continued to sail along. Next came the Tower Bridge, another famous London Icon, and we crossed beneath it. The bridge is quite amazing. I wish more structures stood out like this one.
Tower of London
And near the northern end of the Tower Bridge stands the tower for which it’s named, the Tower of London. Parts of it have been around since the days of William the Conqueror. Over the years it has served many purposes including royal residence, prison, and the home of the crown jewels. But we just kept sailing. The wife wanted to see the tourist places and we got at least a fleeting glimpse of everything within eyesight of the Thames. I asked if this was enough and apparently it was.
Going Home
Then, like all trips, it was time to go home much sooner than anyone likes. The next morning we took one final train ride out to Heathrow Airport and began the long journey home.
Articles in the England Series
- Do Over
- Jurassic Coast
- Dorchester
- Bristol
- Isle of Purbeck
- Bournemouth
- Tankfest
- Onward to London
- Atypical London
- More Typical London
See Also: The Complete Photo Album on Flickr
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