Here we are at the two-week mark of our London adventure, and we are putting in the miles. A typical day sees us pick a distant destination, head there either by train or on foot, then work our way through the streets back to our base at the Barbican Estate. My watch tells me we are averaging just over 12 kilometers of walking a day though we do get to see a lot more of the city and its hidden treasures this way.

Our last week had us visiting Tower Bridge, Greenwich, Kensington (for a second time as rain chased us away the first time), Spitalfields Market, Borough Markets, Trafalgar Square, SOHO, West End, Wembley, and the sky observation deck at Horizon 22.

From the Barbican we have a simple stroll to the Thames via St Paul’s Cathedral, which is our landmark for finding our way home, with the main decision being “Left or Right” when we hit the riverfront. This time it’s a left turn and a walk along the river to Tower Bridge and the Tower of London. It’s a bit of a grey day so I’m taking both colour and black and white photos. For me, Tower Bridge looks better in colour as the highlights are instantly recognizable.

Our stroll continues into the St Katerine Docks area which is a nice quite spot hidden away from the hustle and bustle of London. The Dickens Inn is a bit of a standout in this area as it’s a rebuilt 18th century timber framed building that is tucked away beside the dock.

From here we wind our way back to home base via backstreets taking in the many small buildings and courtyard gardens along the way. The blend of new and old just seems to work well in this area.

Greenwich

The next day it’s a nice day so we board a river ferry and head toward Greenwich to look at the markets and also walk the foot tunnel that travels under the Thames River between Greenwich and Isle of Dogs. Greenwich is busy with the markets in full swing which we take a look around then head back to the riverbank and stroll up to find a spot of lunch. After lunch we walk through the tunnel under the river, which I didn’t know existed, then around the Island Gardens before heading for home.