Thames walk

The sun's back in the UK, and we've been taking advantage by going for little walks around our new 'hood. Last weekend we walked north around the river, past the BFI and NFT, past the Globe theatre, the Clink and the Golden Hinde, and enjoyed some good food and drink at the Borough Markets.

This weekend we headed south, past the Florence Nightingale museum and Lambeth Palace, crossed the Vauxhall bridge, and came back by the Tate Britain and the Houses of Parliament. A lovely little circuit indeed, made curiously interesting by the tide being somewhat out - revealing the assorted flotsam, jetsam and general detritus of the Thames.

I did a little beach-combing at the London Duck launch site (a land and Thames tour on a converted DUKW amphibious vehicle), and found a piece of patterned pottery. No idea whether its modern or old. Apparently the London Walks do a special beach-combing trip, turning up Victorian roof tiles and occasional Roman-era objects. Cool huh? How's that for living history...

Incidentally, here's a video of the duck coming ashore:



Kayaking on the Thames sounds like fun, but I wouldn't want to get wet and contract ebola, Hep C or whatever the hell lurks in the brown waters...

Battersea power station from Vauxhall Bridge:

Tate Britain:

The Buxton Memorial Fountain at Victoria Tower gardens, commemorating the emancipation of slaves in 1834:

Houses of Parliament: