Twin Peaks Walk

From Monument to Wellington Arch
a continuation of the walk Sunday Morning Contrasts

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Two peaks, two climbs and one almost straight hike across two cities was the route today. London of course is made up of the City of Westminster and the City of London, with both sitting hunched up together surrounded by boroughs and Royal Boroughs. It's an urban sprawl  which would take you a lifetime to get around and see in it's entirety.

Monument to the Great Fire of London
(with The Shard in the background)

I landed on Fish street just before doors opened for the day, had a quick brew and got watered for the next few hours. I've always felt the setting here quite imposing to say the least and a little claustrophobic. The main reason for this being is that the monument is situated only 202ft (62m) from where the Great fire of London started and is itself the same height. Hence it's full official title and what it commemorates: The Monument to the Great Fire of London. 

Doors opened and I was already third in the queue and followed in step with another couple behind. Round and round and up we went the 311 steps of Portland stone. It's quite a climb and if you did it in one go without stopping could certainly qualify for any Olympic games. Many stop of course on the way up at the bay windows which allow some extra space and allow one to lean in so that any traffic can pass. Finally after what felt like 10 minutes you feel the  sunlight then fresh air and the last step onto the top viewing platform.

View from the Monument

The claustrophobic aspect at the bottom does have it's benefits however when you reach the top. The view towards the city is impressive and you feel right amongst it been almost the same height as the taller buildings and buildings to be. 

Of course London been London there's  CCTV all around the top but I hadn't expected to see speakers. Health and Safety gone mad again I thought and assumed it was for fire evacuations. 

Something new for the CV

A few snaps later and one final panoramic look around I returned to the bottom and was presented with the certificate everyone gets for this great feat of exertion. Another addition to the CV I returned to the guy in the box who informed me that the speakers where actually to ward of graffiti artists and the "I was here" brigade. Everything made sense at that stage and off I went up Cannon street in the direction of Saint Paul's Cathedral.

The London Stone
111 Canon Street

Cannon street's most famous resident these days is the London Stone which is an encased stone rumoured to be the one that King Arthur drew his sword from. Other legends also persist but the poor thing has been shunted around more than several times over the years to allow for the ever growing traffic and ever growing building work that this city is all too keen on. It's current home is mid-way along the street at #111 and is encased is a tasteful mesh of iron.

Cannon Street Station

Building work indeed and this very straight street has many gems of glass and steel. As I passed the London Stone the site of Cannon Street railway station is unmissable with it's glass side giving a great reflection on this October morning.

And off a side street in one of those hidden courtyards you find dotted 

Barclays Bank

around central London a building occupied by Barclays which encases the space and is well done with it's futuristic curves of steel. I continued along Cannon Street and watched as Saint 

Cannon Street leading to St. Paul's Cathedral

Paul's Cathedral started to come into view. The contrast between big city building and the iconic cathedral designed by Sir Christopher Wren is quite a contrast and starts providing a different mood to the walk. As you approach St. Paul's the space becomes more open with lots of tourist traffic around and many feeding over the river Thames along the Millennium bridge from Tate Modern.

St Paul's Cathedral, London

St. Paul's can be seen from most parts of central London. One reason for this is that of the restriction imposed that must allow a view between it and Westminster not to be blocked. This stops it from been lost amongst the on-going construction work in the city. The Cathedral also occupies the highest point in the city of London on top of Ludgate hill. 

Saint Bride's Church

I head on past this national treasure of Portland stone, down Ludgate Hill and join Fleet Street. Once home to the newspaper industry you still get the feel of the era when walking past the art deco building once occupied by the Daily Telegraph. The plaque and bust of TP O'Connor also sits above a doorway almost opposite the Telegraph's old home as a permanent reminder to this street's  history.

Off Fleet street and along Saint Bride's Avenue sits St Bride's church, also by Christopher Wren, which is known as the printers church. Adopted by the journalists and the industry of the area and were memorials exist for lost personal who lost their lives when working abroad and at home especially in conflicts. The famous diarist Samuel Pepys was buried here in 1703. The tall steeple was added in 1670 and inspired local bakers to start the trend of tiered wedding cakes which has lasted ever since. 

Eat, Fleet Street, London

Continuing along Fleet street I wanted to visit number 168 which was the fabled home of Sweeney Todd, The Demon Barber of Fleet Street. As I counted the building numbers which descended as I went along I came to 170 then no numbers for a few doors but by my calculations the current address is occupied by an outlet of a chain of cafés call Eat. An ironic coincidence or what that the scene that many met there end in such barbarous conditions to be cooked up in Mrs Lovett's pie shop should now again be used for a culinary outlet of another kind. The thought of the menu didn't cross my mind at this stage but there was a sign for pies!

Boundary between the
City of London
 and the City of Westminster

Heading west I start nearing the Strand and the boundary that separates the City of London and the City of Westminster. The boundary around the City of London is well marked by a variety of ways which are always black. In this case it's the statue of a black dragon that sits on a plinth. A short distance ahead is a street lamp with a pillar that has the marking City of Westminster. 

The feel here starts to change as I pass the Royal Courts of Justice and brush along side the famous west end's Theatre Land area.

The Royal Courts of Justice sit majestically just off The Strand at Aldwich and have seen many famous cases down the years. Oscar Wilde, Lord Haw Haww, The Cray Twins

Royal Courts of Justice, London

No court cases today only tourists and a fashion shoot which looked out of place I have to say. There was plenty of activity however around the entrance with staff going in and out. It's a huge building that doesn't seem to fit into it's surrounding area I felt because it's size and grandeur.

Stanley Gibbons

When walking along the strand you find that the north side seems to be a border where the West End finishes.There are a couple of theatres along this side along with hotels. The south side is home to the ever prestigious Savoy hotel and Somerset House with it's amazing fountain and space used for open-air concerts in summer and ice-rink in the winter. The courtyard is magical at any time of year but more so in winter time I have to say. Back on the north side two old institutions which sit quietly amongst the tourist traffic that makes it's way up and down the stretch. Stanley Gibbons, the home of stamp collecting since 1856, which when I was growing up was synonymous with stamp collecting. They have inspired school boys young and old toward collecting first day issues and name-checking the rarest and most expensive stamps in the world. 

Coutts Bank

Stanley Gibbons promise that if you pop into see them at 299 The Strand  "for 5 minutes, you’ll lose an hour just looking at the rich selection of quality stamps we have available". Definitely one for a rainy afternoon.

Further along is another old institution which also bares the royal crest and serves the banking interests of royalty. Coutts was founded by John Campbell in 1692, two years before the Bank of England. Their main line of business is Private and Commercial Banking. Again the throngs of tourists pass on by walking to and from Trafalgar Square asI head in that direction.

Matsuri Festival, Trafalgar Square

I went on and passed Charing Cross station and arrived at Trafalgar square. A festival was taking place and was one of the many cultural celebrations that happen around the fountain and in front of Nelson's Column throughout the year.

Today was the Japan Matsuri 2012. As I walk through a programme was handed to me which explained the festival and outlined what entertainment and celebrations were taking place. Matsuri means festival in Japanese and all the stalls surrounding Trafalgar square were showcasing food, providing demonstrations in drawing, selling holidays, culture and stalls set up by the sponsors which there were many. 

Matsuri Festival, Trafalgar Square

The stage in front of Nelson's column was staging a fashion show with local and Japanese models parading in pairs finely turned out. Traditional Japanese outfits with a modern twist I thought. Even the parasols they carried looked cool. I headed on through the crowds past the many food stalls providing a taste brought from the orient to local and ex-pat visitors. 

Buckingham Palace, London

As I cleared the festivities in Trafalgar Square I made a quick check on my location and planned route by looking at one of the many maps dotted around Westminster and the City of London. It's almost impossible to get lost in this city as these maps are found in most areas tourists frequent along with smaller versions at every bus stop right across London. From where I stood I had to go through Buckingham gate and onto the Mall towards Buckingham Palace. A straight walk. 

Constitution Hill, London

The Mall is well used by traffic with most of that made up by what looked like taxis. The manicured lawns are perfect around the surrounding area and the beds looked like they had been turned over recently and readied for autumn. The space the palace affords itself is comfortable enough to be admired and enjoyed by visiting tourists and locals strolling around. Taking snaps, lazing on the grass, jogging, hiking and even a outdoor watercolour class provide a more relaxing atmosphere.

I followed on right and made my way along Constitution Hill which was my the home straight to Wellington Arch. The park land around here is made for all seasons especially autumn with the leaves now changing colour. A large puddle sat amongst the trees served as a reminder to recent wet nights. It was a wonderful reflection which I snapped and gave a painterly effect later using Photoshop.

Wellington Arch, London

Walking along the Mall and Constitution Hill gave me the feeling of making the choice in which peak to climb first as this walk turned green and allowed me to take advantage of the heat of the sun. Up until then I was walking on the sunny side of the street. I got to my final destination via the pedestrian crossing for people (and horses!) across the road that encircles the arch. 
I entered the doorway inside the arch and paid the entrance fee to get to the viewing platform. 

View from Wellington Arch, London

Another reason hit me as to why doing this peak second was provided to me when I was instructed by the person in the foyer to take the lift up to the viewing platform. 
Music to my ears at this stage and I gladly choose the floor to the top. It's like a Tardus in here I thought when passing the exhibition currently taking place in order to get the view from outside. 
Although the view back along Constitution Hill is quite nice with the many trees in view the potential view could be much better. If the trees were just a little lower then a spectacular view of the houses of parliament and of the London Eye would be very pleasing indeed.

After a welcome rest I boarded the Piccadilly line from Hyde Park Corner and headed home.

The Tunnelers Choice....

Island Memoirs, Chapter #35: Aranmore..........

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Forgive me Father for I have sinned.

In with the new SD Card

Out with the old SD Card

  I went on a jaunt to Aranmore in Donegal on Saturday without a SD card loaded into my camera. This is sacrilege I know but I did zip around town before embarking on the trip and nipped into an assortment of shops both ancient and new along the way. You tend to find out certain things the hard way and this trip proved no different. My trusty Cannon 400D is now officially old as it only accepts the now being-phased-out chunkier cards which I can get almost nowhere. I will hold both hands up though and say that Currys in Enniskillen had one which they had to fish out of a box from under the counter but it came with a £75 price tag and was beyond my budget.
And today when writing this post and searching for images to go with this piece I had to scroll through 20 pages of images before finding one that resembles a card that fits my camera. Newest first in Google world..........

Anyways, the trip to #35..........
Donegal bound once again for my final island of the year and I headed the same direction as my previous trip a month ago. The colours of Donegal were still up and even more so after the great win against Cork in the semi finals stage. And since the final was the following day extra effort was in place with almost everyone wearing the colours in some way. A car past me several times completely painted in team colours touring around blowing the horn. The driver with donned with straw trilby hat and several girl passengers looked like living the Donegal dream come true. 

The local radio was also awash with cup fever and it was wall-to-wall songs from Donegal although interspersed with commentary about a well witnessed meteor shower from the previous night that provided perfect views across most of Ireland. A sign from the gods no doubt. It was also the autumn equinox bringing shorter days to all.

With half the county en route for Dublin this meant I had the place pretty much to myself. The schools were also back by this stage which meant bye-bye to almost all tourist traffic.....except me.

I skirted past the turn-off for Portnoo and gave Inishkeel a wave to say hello as it sat in the near distance opposite Narin strand. On past a replica of the Statue of Liberty (dressed in team colours) erected in remembrance of those who headed state-side for a better life. I headed in the direction of Dungloe and reached Burtonport in time for the mid-day ferry to Leabgarrow. Initially I thought I had loads of time as a big sign on the way into the harbour said that the next sailing was 12.45 but on checking a ticket found that the next one sailed at mid-day so a quick dash was made. It turned out that there are two separate companies competing for the route so there's a sailing pretty much every half hour. Busy route indeed I thought.

Aranmore Ferry
Courtesy of Paul H Burns

Aranmore sits less than half an hour sail from the Burtonport and sheltered by several smaller islands. The ferry set out and weaved it's way in a well rehearsed and nifty manner between many buoys and markers to bring it's passengers safely to Leabgarrow harbour. 

It's a car ferry too and had a couple cars and a van that boarded in reverse fashion. I walked aboard and took a seat on the upper deck at the back for an all round view of the passage across. With a population of over 500 the feeling of remoteness doesn't quite sink in when you get there. This is especially true on walking away from the harbour with signs for hotels, a night club (a night club!), pubs, a heritage centre and arrows for the "Aranmore Way" been the first thing you see.

It was Saturday afternoon, there was the odd person out and about for sure, and the island had a nice community feel about it. There's a church, school, at least three pubs, a post office and several general stores adjoined to pubs, a hark to the good old days of course. It was breezy though and in the low teens so hat and scarf were worn as I strode clockwise around the island. The coolness of the breeze prompted me to check the ferry timetable going back and decided upon returning on the 3.30pm boat. 

There's a sea of houses on the island that you initially walk alongside, mostly white bungalows and most are empty. A local out walking his dog told me that most head off for the winter to work and move back permanently when they have their money made. Most of the housing looked pretty new as well which was a give away sign to the boom years of the Celtic Tiger when building was the national sport. But now most were empty with the owners working elsewhere.

Aranmore has a strong history of producing people who worked on large scale tunnelling projects around the world. Tunnels built in London, Scotland, New York, South Africa, Hong Kong, Guatemala, New Guinea, Cairo and Kuwait had involvement from Aranmore men going back as far as the early 1920's. And with the fading fishing industry in recent years this heritage spread across 4 continents is the obvious choice to follow in finding work away from the island. 

Call it coincidental but out of all the islands I've been to so far this one had the most diggers in view and which felt quite apt, but as I say that may have just been coincidence. 

I passed an empty playground and a newly built court for 5-a-side or basketball as I followed the road around the east of the island. A quad bike raced past me back and forth a few times with a couple of young lads letting her rip which looked like great fun as they waved and dooted the horn. Three middle-aged men were repairing the door of a large shed as I took a right along an ascending road. The road turned went from tarmac to stone path and a steeper climb to Cnoc an Iolair ("Hill of the Eagle") which is the highest point on the island. 

At this stage the day was warming and made for a welcome break at the peek marked by a shine to Our Lady with a view over the entire island. From the peek looking west it's completely remote with three small lakes sitting down below surrounded by bog land. A lone couple of swans glided between two lakes and settled on the water in a scene I didn't feel worthy to spoil. They settled in graceful fashion that only swans can. The surrounding bog land showed signs of fresh cutting as people prepare for the winter stocking up the turf that provides Donegal villages it's homely smell from the hearth.

View of Donegal Mainland and Mount Errigal 

from Cnoc an Iolair 

Courtesy of Paul H Burns

When looking back though it's quite the opposite with the sea of white houses all located on the sheltered side of the island. It makes sense though when you see it. And with the Donegal hills' own version of Mount Fuji, called Mount Errigal, in the distance you see the rugged, spread out beauty this county offers. The only thing that didn't fit was the TV mast on a nearby peek which was the only thing that spoiled the surrounding view. 

Cnoc an Iolair,

the highest point on Aranmore

Courtesy of Paul H Burns

It was 2pm at this stage and realising the island's size (7 square miles) decided that the Hill of the Eagle was going to be my turning point in now a circular walk. I gently stepped across the bog and rejoined the stoney path that lead back towards Leabgarrow harbour again. The stoney path turned to tarmac again and the remoteness turned to civilisation. A few chickens ran around the road and made for cover amongst a long row of New Zealand flax plants which seem hugely popular with alot of houses on the island.Never had I seen these types of plants used in this way before. Most were huge and mature and blocked the view from one side of many houses but more importantly it's for the wind I guess.

It was nearing 3pm when I started to approach the harbour again and dropped into the nearby pub for a rest and soak up any atmosphere on offer. Half a dozen young people were at the bar exchanging lively gossip and the smell of the turf fire slowly filled the air. A pair of gloves signed by Shay Given hung framed on the wall and a poster of the Donegal 2012 team squad covered another which would have been a sin not to have on display. I ordered a pot of tea and a Kit-Kat (which was a brief conversation stopper amongst the regulars) and took a seat in the lounge that overlooked the beach and incoming ferry. The "Blue" ferry had just left the harbour and was heading out on the right hand side of a line of buoys from the harbour with my "Red" ferry approaching on the left. Like clockwork it pulled up, lowered it's doors and the cars ran off along the little coastal road. 

The last minutes of this short trip were enjoyed by the fire glancing at the paper and admiring the view through the window . Over came the barman to throw turf on the fire saying he didn't know how he was going to get through the winter with "this stuff" as it was burning too fast. He said he was fully stocked but didn't think it was enough to do and delivered in true Donegal fashion "Sure we'll see how it goes".  

I departed from Aranmore a little heavy hearted as the day had warmed up alot more and with the limited time didn't walk to the cliffs or lighthouse (the oldest in Donegal). The island offers a good weekend getaway for sure with lots of community life on one side of the island and remoteness on the other. It's a perfect spot to bring bicycles for the weekend too although my preference would be to walk out to the lakes and beyond towards the lighthouse and furtherest point on offer.

As a note, Donegal won their final game and brought the Sam Maguire cup back home the following day. Their gallant effort ended with a scoreline of Donegal 2-11(17 points) Mayo 0-13 (13 points). You can read a review here from the Irish Times online edition.

And many Thanks to Paul H Burns for the permission to use photos from his Flickr photostream, I'll never leave home without my SD card again!

Hanging out with the stones...

An away day to Stonehenge.....

15th September 2012

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Amesbury Millennium Cross

Squeezing out the last bits of summer is the name of the game now that the evenings are drawing in. On Saturday I joined a day trip on a minibus to Stonehenge organised locally from west London. An eight mile hike was also part of the itinerary which was going to allow the group to explore the surrounding Wiltshire country side and enjoy which looked like the last good day of the summer. 

Armed with clipboard, our organiser Tom marked everyone off as they boarded the 9.30 for Stonehenge. Acton town is  an unusual meeting point for a tour but convenient for me as I live in nearby Ealing. It of course allowed for an earlier arrival home along with, time permitting, the chance to enjoy at least some prime-time Saturday night locally ("cake" and "eating it" are always on my mind). I could also then get home comfortably before the nutty season kicked in.

Off we went. 22 stones fans on board and the bus slipped onto the M3 from the Chiswick roundabout bound for Wiltshire. As with most bus trips it was quiet on the outbound journey with the odd newspaper in view, some couples having quiet chit-chat and a girl in the same row as myself having a snooze. Luckily I had a seat all to my good self so I parked my day pack next to me and fished out a banana. 

Fly fishing along the river Avon

The weather looked very promising and because of the recent stretch of dry days chose to wear my walking shoes instead of my sturdy Brashers. We were to be dropped off in Amersbury, four miles from Stonehenge and which marked the half-way mark of a planned circular walk.

The bus passed into Hampshire after 40 minutes then Wiltshire just before 11 and passed a road sign for Stonehenge shortly after that.  We finally pulled up at 11.45 in the Amersbury where we began our hike. Everyone off of the bus, and a after a few introductions moved off along a lane from the village following The Lords Way.

Walking group winding it's way to Stonehenge

Amersbury is a small picturesque village of a couple of main streets lined mostly with independent family run shops. It gives you a feel of days gone by before familiar franchises and chain stores became the mark of every street.

Wooded path leading to Stonehenge

Not far into the Lords Way we found ourselves following the river Avon with a path that had become overgrown and a sure sign of autumn's return. A few middle-aged men were fly-fishing and with the mix of the partial shaded areas and strong sunlight made it was one of those sights straight out of a brochure for English country life.  

After crossing a small bridge the group followed along trails and lanes and into wooded walkways almost made for this hike towards the monument ahead. We took the sign for Dunford and followed what then looked like a mix of horse breeding country and farmland. All farms had their fields cut with hay piled high and several well packed sheds marked harvest time for sure. 

Cloud watching over Stonehenge

We continued on and from over a hill caught sight of Stonehenge for the first time. Tom announced lunchtime and we stopped for a picnic at the Normanton Barrows which although was in a nice location delayed the reason for my been on this trip. Patience patience I thought. The Normanton Barrows stretches for about a kilometre and is made up of a series of disc shaped barrows like small grass spaceships in the distance from Stonehenge. The curved line they follow feel parallel with the ancient sight beyond. We sat  and had a packed lunch in the strong sunshine and watched a demon like cloud that sailed across the sky in front of us as it peered down upon where we were headed.

Stonehenge is a neolithic monument from around 3000BC that has went through various  rebuilds, additions and face 

Salisbury plain

lifts over time. The image we are so accustomed to seeing isn't the original structure and was preceded by structures made from stone and wood. Many theories exist as to its purpose and the popular use of a place of worship is kept prominent with the strong association with the Druids. There is no actual link or overlap in the known history of Stonehenge and Druidism other than the annual gathering during the summer solstice. This annual procession is enough to keep it in the public conciousness and that of a place of intrigue.

Entrance to car park at Stonehenge 

Lunch over and we headed on. When we reached the monument the group stopped for another 40 minutes allowing the choice of entering the sight and forgo the admission charge or simply relax in the nearby fields. In would have been a sin not to go I thought especially since the sun was just starting to cast shadows from the stones. A good time for take a nice snap or two. 
Those who chose to visit joined the conveyor belt of day trippers queuing for admission then passed through a tunnel that went under a fence and emerged onto a path towards the stones. 

Stonehenge

The breakaway group made our way as close as we were allowed up to the lines that prevent you getting close enough to touch. All visitors following each other slowly around its guided perimeter path. Everyone moved at about the same pace gazing at it's wonder and making the odd remark whilst keeping it light and interesting. With everything from comparisons to the pyramids, one of the wonders of the world, a place of sacrifice, the iPad2 of it's day and "No way am I getting my photo taken against a big lump of rumble!", continual comments that broke the silence and all in the good taste of an enjoyable day out. There is wonderment here and most feel a draw of some kind. The height of some of the stones alone are breathtaking and how they sit and have sat over the years is a wonder. I have to say that few people expressed much knowledge about what they were looking at (me included) and few realised that the current monument wasn't the original circle. Stonehenge is the Mona Lisa of Neolithic history with the surrounding countryside of barrows, Bronze age monuments and burial grounds the Louvre of archaeology. 

One thing that struck me when walking the pathway around the circle is that almost every tourist walked by the equally significant Heel Stone without any thought or realisation of it's importance. When viewed from inside the circle itself, the Heel Stone marks the direction from where the sun rises on the morning of the summer solstice. Relatively speaking though, it is situated out of the way and outside the guided perimeter path around the monument. In fact it's right up against the fence beside the road that passes the site erected to protect and preserve the stones from too much interference. 

Here's a good video overview of Stonehenge.....



Forty minutes passes quick when you're drawn into an ancient world and those that made their way to the stones now had to rejoin the group. The walk back to Amersbury along the open fields of Salisbury plain, beautiful as they were, didn't offer the variety of the route we followed to the monument and didn't serve up the same air of anticipation either. The heat and direct sunlight were causing tired legs as we neared Amersbury again en route for a scheduled pub stop. Cloudier days make for better walking conditions especially in these parts as there's little in the way of shade. Take my advice and wear a hat if you intend visiting.

The George Hotel, Amersbury

We edged back into Amersbury along a different lane from where we had started and Tom guided us to The George Hotel. "The George" is an ancient coaching house founded by Henry II in 900AD as a Pilgrims Hostel. It's a pub of two halves with tables in the court yard in between that still provides Bed and Breakfast and is very olde worldy indeed. 

With our laurels well rested we boarded the bus when it pulled up and set off east back to London. The setting sun made for a quiet trip back which felt quick partly due to the time of day.
We were back on the ground in Acton Town just after 8pm and allowed for that sensible arrival home time. 

Thereafter a well earned bit of Ealing style jazz with food rounded up the day.

If you ever intend going to Stonehenge I would recommend a full day and go and investigate the surrounding barrows as well. Research the area and follow the Lords Way that leads to the monument. It's a perfect approach. Amersbury is a great place to park up, look around and spend time in. It's also a perfect place to start and return to if spending the day of foot. 

For the full Stonehenge experience however go for the mid-summer all-nighter and join the hundreds who show up to celebrate the solstice with the Druids. 

See you there next year :)

Sunday Morning Contrasts

A walk from Canary Wharf to Monument..........

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Today was a complete stunner and billed as the last day of summer. This great spell of weather which has seen almost a week of blue skies has lead nicely into the final day of the Paralympics and a great couple of months of Olympic fever.

Canary Wharf tube station

Canary Wharf to Monument starts at the heart of Britain's largest financial and professional services district and is situated on the Isle of Dogs. Around 50,000 people show up here each day and travel from many parts of London and beyond. Barclays, HSBC, RBS, News International, Reuters, Credit Suisse, Bank of America , Morgan Stanley, JP  Morgan and a huge many more have their European headquarters here.
 
. 

Escalator at Canary Wharf tube station

I met my friend Laura at 9.30 outside the tube station and gave her a quick 20 minute tour of the area. She had never had the privilege of being on the ground in this mecca of big business so we took a walk along North Colonnade. 

Although the feeling of scale, steel, glass and quietness of this sleeping monster is sometimes overwhelming it's the cleanliness of the area is something that does strike you. (Clean desk, dirty mind?) We were both taken back with the number of tours taking place which were on the back of the Olympics I guess. And after a stroll, and an attempt to count the floors on Canary Wharf itself,  we descended into the underground shopping mall for a quick look and picked up a coffee before starting off on our expedition to Monument.    

JP Morgan
Canary Wharf

When heading away from the main throng of the area the scenery changes quickly once you pass Westferry Circus. We were on the Thames path now and passed the Canary Wharf water bus stop where a boat had just arrived. Not many passengers on board which is at the end of the line. 


The Thames was at low tide at this time of day which allowed us to get down to a small beach just pass the water bus stop. The mini beach available when the tide's out was littered with small clumps of seaweed, the odd bit of driftwood and lots of pebbles. Lots of chalk too and we agreed it possibly came from Dover with the tide.   

Chalk on the banks of the Thames river

 We entered the Limehouse basin area which was the busiest part of the canal system in London at one stage. This was due to the connection with the Lee River which allowed goods and produce to make it's way down from Hertfordshire and a link to the Regents Canal provided a delivery route through London. These days it's awash with new apartments, developments of apartments converted from older buildings, warehouses, boat life and the odd good pub. 

Limehouse Marina

We turned off Narrow Street shortly after The Grapes (famed great pub for good beer and great fish menu) and circled around Limehouse Marina. The water was so calm it offered an almost perfect reflection with modern apartments and barges offering any photographer a dream day out. So calm and easy, this place was made for a Sunday stroll.

We returned to Narrow Street and continued again along the Thames Path passing development after development leaving the Isle of Dogs further behind. We headed in the direction of the newly built Shard away in the distance.

View back towards Canary Wharf

The plan was to end at Monument so we, reluctantly, headed off the Thames path and inland into Shadwell and onto Cable street for a more direct path to our end point. Again the feel changes very quickly as we step into inner city east end London. Social housing and east end communities live here sandwiched between the city and young professional area we just stepped away from.

Cable Street

By no means the tourist trail of the Olympics this long straight road toward Tower Hill has a vibrant community with family life visible along the way. Older couples and younger families out and about following their weekend routine. 

Face railing Project
Royal Mint Street

As we continued onto Royal Mint Street the housing faces warehouses and the tube track of the DLR and District line separated by some wasteland fenced off by an iron gate that dawns dozens faces of local people built into it. Faces of individuals and groups of people (maybe families) run the complete length right up to the end of the street.  

Face railing Project
Royal Mint Street

A fitting community feel for sure of this good half an hour stretch of road. Later I researched this and found that it was part of a regeneration project called the Face railing project which was funded by city banks and in conjunction with the London Housing Foundation. It allowed local artists the opportunity to give something back to where they live.The inititive reminded me of the ‘Life Span’ project which serves as a perimeter fence for the Royal Victoria Hospital in Belfast. Funded by artists Bruce Williams and Avril Wilson. We ended up at the end of this stretch of Royal Mint Street and crossed over toward Tower Hill.

Royal Mint Street

Again the change was quick with the unmistakeable purple and pink of London 2012 and crowds of people.

Wheelchair marathon
Tower Hill

The wheelchair marathon was in progress so we stopped for a while to catch the race. This part of the route was at the furtherest turning point from the start where the racers follow a hairpin bend and return back to complete each lap. The location and atmosphere was quite special with every competitor getting huge applause and they passed by. They had to be admired not only for the endurance but also the endurance of the heat, sun and lack of shade. Team GB's David Weir went on to win gold but they all deserved credit in the conditions as the sun was at it's highest spot and you could feel it for sure.

Wheelchair marathon
Tower Hill

We were getting close to Monument at this stage, headed around the cordoned off sections around Tower hill and headed up Trinity Court toward Frenchurch street station. Along the way I mentioned my purchase of that station once when playing Monopoly as a kid and got a look that put me in my place. Once passed the steel structure of Lloyds

Leadenhall Market

insurance we entered the ever pleasant Leadenhall Market. Popular with film crews at weekends, bankers during the week and an any-day destination for tourists this Victorian gem is a perfect stopping off point. The original market was destroyed during the Great Fire of London in 1666 and made way for what you see now. 
The Lamb Tavern, situated at market's centre is a popular and well respected pub for it's ale and food, had the bulk of the visitors sitting around it's standing barrels which double up as tables. Throughout this cross shaped market it's lined with eateries and curiosity/souvenir/collector shops along with the odd upmarket suit shop. It's a treat for sure and easy on the eye.

Monument to the Great Fire of London

We didn't stop though as we'd been on foot for over 3 hours at this stage and wanted to reach our planned end. We exited and got onto Gracechurch street which had barriers running along it's length and in the process of been dismantled. The marathon was over at this stage and stewards were clearing up the scene. Spectators and police, stewards and Olympics volunteers dispersing, the area still with that great atmosphere we'd enjoyed today and over the past 2 months.

We headed south along the street and finally found our end point. A welcome rest in a shady window sill on Fish Street was the order of the day. The Monument to the Great Fire of London commemorates the Great Fire of London on 1666. Designed by Sir Christopher Wren, it's height equal to the distance from where the fire first started.

We didn't have a deep interest in the history at that stage, only our promised prize at the end. After a hike longer than first thought, we sat and enjoyed our agreed iced-creams and bottle of water and reflected on a wonderful walk on a beautiful day.

I have learned and re-learned a couple of things from this day's walk. One, it's much more difficult to walk for 3+ hours in heat and in blue skies than you first imagine; to the athletes in the wheelchair marathon I salute you wholeheartedly. And two, when writing a blog for an outing like this you end up passing a never ending amount of points of interest, end up with dozens of photos, and choosing which to include and what to blog about is a tough task. 

We hugged, parted and promised to ascend the Monument for another energetic day........