A lovely hike through The Weald region southeast of London.
I hopped an early train southeast out from London, hoping to enjoy a morning of cloudy-maybe-sunny weather that didn’t involve any precipitation. (Such weather has been scarce for the past month, as we’ve received some rain nearly every day.) My goal for this hike – my 22nd consecutive weekend hike – was a region of rolling hills, pastures, and small villages called The Weald, between the North and South Downs. It was lovely! and very, very muddy.
21st consecutive weekend of hiking!
It has rained nearly every day for two weeks, here in London. So when this morning broke sunny and clear, it was time to go hiking! I headed for Epping Forest, an extensive area of forests and meadows on the northeastern edge of London. The sunny (though chilly) weather inspired many other people to get outdoors – walking their dogs, riding their horses, strolling with friends, or jogging the muddy trails. Two weeks of rain + heavy foot traffic = muddy trails!
Five miles across west London.
It has rained nearly every day for the past week, and the forecast today appeared to promise on-and-off drizzle. At best. Nonetheless, I was determined not to break my streak… and go hiking for this 20th consecutive weekend. I chose to walk end-to-end across the three Royal Parks in London’s West End: Hyde Park, Green Park, and St James Park, on my return from Saturday-morning coffee with colleagues to my home near Victoria Station. It was a surprisingly pleasant five-mile walk, and it seemed half of London was out to enjoy these parks today as well.
Marking history.
London is so steeped in history, it’s hard to go anywhere without running into it. Today I was walking through the London drizzle to an appointment at University College London and passed the Darwin Building. Really. How many universities have a biology building named after Charles Darwin? Wow. Although Darwin apparently never had any connection to UC London, he briefly lived in a home previously located at this site… so there is a historic marker on this building, and his bust is displayed prominently in the entrance.
Continue reading “Darwin again”A visit to the Royal Observatory Museum at Greenwich.
Today we visited Greenwich, and the Royal Observatory Museum that sits atop the hill in Greenwich Park. It has an expansive view across the park, past the Old Royal Naval College and the River Thames, to the skyscrapers in the Canary Wharf financial district of London. This observatory is where the question of longitude was studied – and in particular, a decades-long challenge to find a reliable means for mariners to estimate their longitude while at sea. As a result, it was later selected as the zero point – the reference point for 0º0’0″ longitude, aka the Prime Meridian. Given the importance of measuring time for measuring longitude, Greenwich was also designated as the basis for universal time – hence Greenwich Mean Time (GMT), now known as Universal Time (UTC). We and the other tourists had fun standing on the meridian, one foot in the Western Hemisphere and one foot in the Eastern Hemisphere.
Sunrise split by the London Shard.
I glanced at my watch as I strode out of the Tube station and through the drizzle into the emerging daylight. The time was one minute before sunrise – but would the clouds cooperate? I was heading once again for Primrose Hill, a popular site for viewing the sun rise over London’s cityscape, which I’d first visited on the winter solstice. This was my fifth visit in four weeks, and I was determined to capture a particular scene, a particular moment, that I’d forecasted one month ago. To get the shot, the sun would need to actually show up, and in rainy London that’s never certain. At home in the pre-dawn darkness, it was raining hard and the forecast was gloomy. I need to make a go/no-go decision 45 minutes before sunrise to reach to Primrose Hill on time. It’s always a gamble. Today I gambled and won.
Views from the iconic London bridge.
Although many Americans think this iconic bridge is called London Bridge, it’s actually called Tower Bridge – and is just upstream from its famous and historic neighbor, the architecturally bland London Bridge. Tower Bridge opened to the public in 1894; as a bascule bridge its central span lifts open to allow tall ships to pass, while its twin upper walkways allow sightseers like us to enjoy expansive views of the river and the city. Today we took the opportunity to visit. On this rainy winter weekday, there were few other visitors so we almost had the place to ourselves as we climbed the tower, walked across the high pedestrian bridges, and then down into the depths to view the historic coal-powered engine rooms.
An organ recital in a 13th-century architectural icon.
It is hard not to be moved when the first notes of the organ echo throughout an iconic 13th-century cathedral, especially one with such a storied history like Westminster Abbey. You feel the deeper notes resonate throughout your body as the music fills the hall with an even greater sense of grandeur.
An afternoon tour of the East Wing.
When offered a chance to tour Buckingham Palace, how can one say no? After all, we live within walking distance, and I often walk past the palace on my way for a stroll in Green Park or St. James Park. Out front, the grand gates attract throngs of selfie-taking tourists, gawking at the grandeur of the palace and snapping photos of the iconic guardsmen. Today, we stood with a small group of others who waited by the front gate for our designated entry time.
Just a dusting here.
I glanced out the window at just the right moment – to see snowflakes swirling madly through the air. A snow squall was passing through our neighborhood in London – the first snow I’d seen in England – so I pulled on my coat and scurried outside. The snow had ended as quickly as it began, leaving only a dusting on the pavements and nearby garden squares.
David Kotz 