My friend Claire and I went on a boat tour of the Thames, which then landed us in Greenwich (apparently pronounced "Grenitch"), which was all her idea, and man was it a great one.
It was the Tall a ships Festival while we were over there, and sweet lord were there no ships... yeah, we found it odd too. Literally, we saw one. Maybe two, if you were willing to give a smaller ship a pass. So, that was weird. However, we saw a bunch of fun stuff, which I'll detail below with the pictures.
(Is it me or is this dirty-blonde woman tucked in the back also giving me the stink-eye? Yesterday the woman at the market, today a woman on a boat. I'm sure not MAKING friends!)
This is an old, old ship, which you can go on and take tours, etc. We didn't, mostly because it didn't appeal to us, but more mostly (yeah) because we were already on a boat, and that boat would have had to meld with our boat in some sort of scientific feat in order for it to work. That did not happen.
Just another view of the gorgeous Tower Bridge, but from an angle on the water. Beautiful. The dude telling us all about the scenery and buildings as we floated past said that the bridge is actually considered a ship/vessel, because it has so many moving parts that is has a captain and crew. Also, I'm pretty sure he also said that it's a drawbridge, and that the first time that they were showing off the technology of it, it didn't work and a huge ship crashed into it. Oops! Somebody don't make bridges no more!
Random ship not in the water for the festival, rather on land, not floating.
ie. Doing the opposite of fulfilling its destiny
We went to this pub, my first pub experience (I know!!), and three things happened:
1. The menu has a category called "Sandwiches OR Baked Potatoes". You guys, it means that anything on that part of the section can be either made into a sandwich, or smothered all over a baked potato. It may be the best way to make a menu that I have ever seen. Okay fine, not the best for my logic brain, but for my stomach brain... man.
2. I ate the hell out of some delicious fish and chips.
3. There was a group of about six older men, we sat beside them, and they were such a treat. They were trading life stories, stories of the war, and it felt like we were sitting in a pub with the "after" actors in a movie, taking about the past. They were such lovely men, we could tell, and one of them told me all about how the fish in his hometown in North London were three times the size and half the price. I wanted to hug him. All of their different accents made the world a better place. Just wonderful men.
(He wasn't angry, just telling the best old man story ever!)
Above is a road that we walked down to get to some other fun stuff. Below are some pictures of this beautiful building we went into that was called something like "The Painted House". I do not remember.
This is the Prime Meridian! It marks, "The earth's zero of longitude, which by convention passes through Greenwich, England." That's were we were! Meridianing it up!
Apparently the little rectangle hole there in the top door looking thing has a laser that shoots across a long way, and if you look closely at night you can see it in the sky (http://youtu.be/yy5hN9OYTnM).
We had to climb up a wee bit of a hill to get to the Meridian, it was a workout, but it was work it.
Random (though likely not to some) beautiful building.
London Eye from the water.
This is a FroYo truck, but it's a double-decker, so people were able to sit at tables on the second floor. So much fun!
I went to a place called Wahaca the other night, which I wrote about, and this is another location of the same restaurant. They made it out of friggin shipping containers. Like, come on. That's brilliant! Those are tables set up in shipping containers. Man.
And if you glance further down at the graffiti/stunning design on the wall, and you're anything like me, you've just fallen in love!
This building, as told to us by our non-professional (as told to us by the man himself) tour guide on the boat, is voted the most ugly building along the Thames, year after year. It is quite ugly.
London had these signs up all around the town, showing what is within a 5 minute walk, and what's within a 15 minute walk. I had to show it. It's so damn useful!
This is a beautiful building, not only in design but in function.
This is a pillow covering that I had to have. No option. Love it. Apparently the guys who makes them (along with other non-tube-related pillows) had special license from London Underground, and that's why it has that official tag on the right. BOOM, mind blown.
Below. Eff. I bought some handmade marshmallows yesterday from that Queens grocery shop place, and just ate them tonight. Look at them. I apologize for the drool on whatever device you're reading this on.
(Left to right, top to bottom : Maple Walnut, Mango, Raspberry, Strawberry, Coconut, Plain)
Below is the bird necklace that I mentioned I bought at the Take Modern. It's the 3D printed one. Beautiful!
As I cleaned up my stuff to head to Edinburgh on Monday, I found this, and while I won't keep it, it needed to be documented, so here it is.
Tomorrow is laundry, Victoria Station for my train ticket to Gatwick on Monday, Harrod's, Brixton Market, food of some sort, then final packing for my flight on Monday. I'm sure London will have a few more surprised for me tomorrow. Can't wait!
(As I read through this thing again, I've realize that the image and copy that applies to it is not consistently above or below. Oh well, hopefully it's clear enough. Party on.)
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