Walking Tour of London

 

"The streets of London have their map; but our passions are uncharted. What are you going to meet if you turn this corner?” (Virginia Woolf, Jacob's Room)

Part of this quote is displayed, word by word, in large letters in and around the streets near St Paul's Cathedral, inviting us to explore. I am not used to exploring London on a walking tour.  Attractions are fairly far apart, and with the changeable English weather, the underground is the easiest way to get around London.  There are several reasons you might want to tackle this walking tour:

You will see so much more of the Thames and London skyline. Look for good weather and put on good walking shoes. If you have already paid to enter the most famous sites, or want to keep outside to avoid COVID restrictions, you can see a lot for free on this tour. Personally, I was trying to avoid the £30 entrance fee!

I started at Rickmansworth station, which is on the Metropolitan line and bought an off-peak one-day travel card. That meant I had to leave after 9:30 am, but there was no limit on my return time. This gave me plenty of time to travel to Green Park underground station and walk across the Park towards Buckingham Palace before the changing of the guard. 

In June and July this is daily, but the rest of the year it occurs on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays between 10:45am and 11:45am. It is a drawn out procession led by the Horse Guard and accompanied by a marching band.  I do suggest you get to the Palace about this time, as it is the main attraction, and otherwise the Palace is not much. Covid has not changed the ceremony, but you will find more barriers to contain the tourists into smaller areas and prevent you roaming back and forth to the Victoria Memorial. 

For this tour I chose to avoid Westminster Abbey, as I didn't have the time or money to do the mandatory tour. Instead I followed the lakeside path in St James Park to view the various birds and flower beds there. 

I arrived at the other end of the Park just in time to see the changing of

the Queen's Life Guard at the Horse Guard parade. Again, barricades were in place to keep the tourists at bay, but it was still possible to walk through archway without getting bitten or kicked by a horse. 

Walking south a short way brought me to the busy corner facing the Houses of Parliament, Big Ben and the Westminster Bridge. This is a great place to grab a coffee and take in my first view of the Thames and the London Eye.  The London Eye appeared to be in operation, but the weather was perfect for a walk along the south bank of the river.  

Here I found a skatepark, galleries and several great places to eat outside. Shakespeare's Globe Theatre is also right there, next to the Millennium Bridge. 

I planned to stop and view the exhibits at the Tate Modern, which is advertised as free with a ticket. Although I had booked and downloaded a ticket online, the gallery staff were not turning anyone away at the doors.  Some of the collections were off limits to non-members, and I don't recommend the coffee shop, but I was glad I finally made the visit. The eclectic displays have something for everyone... and its free.  I was hungry, but anxious to have something more than a packaged sandwich. 

The Borough Market is just around the corner, slightly hidden between a full size replica of the Golden Hind, a cathedral and railway lines.  I found lots to eat as well as fish and vegetable markets. Cheeses and fungi piled high next to busy pubs and toffee carts.  And all the time the

trains were running right over our heads. 

A pulled pork sandwich gave me the energy I needed to keep going. I crossed the river via the Millennium pedestrian bridge where there is a great view of Tower Bridge down the river. 

The crossing took me to the side of St Paul Cathedral which is clearly visible from miles away and across on the south bank.  I was tiring and looking for a place to sit and have a cup of tea. That is when I came across the large "what" and "are" letters on the pavement.  Around the front of St Pauls I found "you". While searching for a tea shop I found "going" and "meet".  I was reluctant to go home without finding the rest of the message on the streets of London, but I was just too tired to go on. I jumped on the fast train back to Rickmansworth and missed the "turn", "this" and "corner".