October 18th, 2014 - A Day Out Along the Southbank

It has been a few weeks since I left Bromley to have an adventure in London. This was because I have been swamped with work and just been too tired to make the trip into central London. However I did have a good excuse and time to make an afternoon trip out to the city.

I didn’t make it a full day in London, just a few short hours, but in that time I was able to see quite a few things.

I took the train to London Bridge station, which puts me on the south side of the city and in an area that has quite a few interesting things to see. Things like The Shard, Borough Market, The Globe Theatre and bridges that cross the Thames.

I had decided that I wanted to visit Borough Market.

The market has been operating in the Southwark for 1000 years. It is one of the most well known food markets, which also sets it apart from other markets in London, which sell things other than food.

Borough Market is partly covered by glass roofs and by a train bridge. So it gives the whole place this underground and enclosed feel. It means that walking through the stalls is cosy. The smells of the market is wonderful, from warm breads to delicious cheeses. There are also the sounds of the different vendors selling their wares.

After a leisurely stroll through the market investigating what was being sold I headed out towards the Thames.

Walking along bankside you see a variety of things.

One of the great things to see is Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre. Which is a recreation of the original. I didn’t have time to go into the museum or to see a play, I am saving that for the spring when the Shakespeare performances start up again and I get to experience one in the open-air theatre.

Walking further west along the Thames I came to the Millennium Bridge. It is the most futuristic bridge that crosses the Thames and from below it looks as though the people could just fall off. I didn’t cross the bridge, but I did go stand on it to get a great shot of me with St. Paul’s Cathedral in the background. Seeing the cathedral from the bridge is just a wonderful juxtaposition of the modern and the old.

After that it was having a wonderful dinner in Borough Market with Santina. Thanks Dita for putting me in touch with her. She offered some great insight into London and some things that I should see and do.

The evening ended with a walk along the Southbank to parliament and that back down the other side to the train station.

Overall it was a wonderful afternoon and I am excited to see some of those things that Santina told me to see and experience more of London.

Up next is my exciting half term trip up to Scotland!