Final Views From The Cruise

First of all, huge apologies for the quality and quantity of pictures in this post. This is due entirely to the steamed up windows on the City Cruise boat! It had started to rain so I took a couple of pics from inside the boat and then realised it was pretty pointless!

As we moved steadily along the river, I was quite struck by the variety of architectural styles and ages represented on the banks of the Thames. Many of the once industrial buildings have been sympathetically converted into residential apartments; there are modern glass constructions; there are Victorian buildings aplenty including one built in the Italian Renaissance style and there is even a replica Tudor warship!

But none of the buildings you pass, modern or old, sum up the history of the River Thames better than Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre. This recreation of the 16^th Century Globe Theatre was opened in 1997 and was the first building with a thatched roof to be built in London since the Great Fire of 1666. As well as being the venue for an extensive exhibition about Shakespeare and the theatre of his time, the Globe also has an annual theatre season with performances of Shakespeare’s work and those of modern playwrights’.

The Globe theatre tour and exhibition is on the list of London Pass attractions and, having seen it from the outside, I am now keen to go inside and see this outstanding reconstruction properly.

All in all, the City Cruise boat trip was a good experience despite the weather. The bonus of doing this with the London Pass is that you get a Red Rover ticket which enables you to use the boats like buses- getting on and off where and when you want throughout the day. If you get your timings right it is quicker than taking the bus or tube from the Tower of London to Westminster. Although I didn’t do it on this occasion, you can also take the boat all the way up to Greenwich Pier where you can see the Cutty Sark exhibition and visit the Royal Observatory and the National Maritime Museum (another London Pass attraction).

The Thames River cruise is a pleasant way to see some of the important sights of London and perfect if you haven’t got a lot of time to spend exploring London in detail.

Views From The Cruise Part 2

If you board the City Cruise boat from the Tower of London it takes you down the River Thames to Westminster Pier, where you get a fabulous view of the Houses of Parliament and Big Ben. This iconic London sight is, in fact, called The Clock Tower. Big Ben is the name of the largest bell inside the tower which famously chimes each hour. I must have looked at Big Ben hundreds of times in my life but the intricate golden details never fail to astound me.

As I’d decided to go straight back to Tower Pier without disembarking, there was a short wait at Westminster before the boat turned around and picked up passengers from the Westminster Millennium Pier underneath the London Eye. I admit, I didn’t enjoy these minutes beneath the huge Ferris wheel - Sparkly Songbird has a slight problem with heights and that includes looking at things that move slowly round and round with the express intention of taking you up high in the sky to look at the view! My fear extends to things getting stuck or falling down… not wishing to put you off a visit to the London Eye but it could happen!

Just as the boat started on its journey back up the river, the heavens opened and the rain came down. This was really the excuse I needed to go downstairs for the remainder of the journey as it was getting pretty cold on that upper deck! I bought a cup of coffee from the bar and slowly started to defrost!

With huge panoramic windows, the City Cruise boats provide great views wherever you sit and I was able to see pretty well until the windows got steamed up! County Hall (right), which houses the London Aquarium, is a magnificent looking building and, in my opinion, is a lot more impressive than the modern City Hall. The Royal Festival Hall (left) is one of London’s premier performance venues but has to be one of the ugliest constructions along the River Thames – it’s a shame as it is quite attractive inside.

Just so you can see how changeable British weather can be I am re-posting a picture you have already seen and another one which, according to my camera, was taken just 30 seconds later! Let this be a warning to you if you are planning some London sightseeing - be prepared for every eventuality; from heat waves to snow storms... anything can happen weather-wise in London!

Views From The Cruise

The boat trip along the River Thames is a great way of seeing a lot of historical London without walking miles or using public transport. The London tube system is an easy way to travel around London but you do miss a lot of famous sights whilst travelling underground. With the City Cruises Red Rover ticket (all thrown in for free with the London Pass) I was able to see these famous places and have a better idea of where they are in relation to each other (maps do tend to confuse me!).

As you board the boat at the Tower Pier, you are surrounded by a mixture of old and new with the Tower of London to one side, Tower Bridge behind and, on the other side of the river, a group of very modern, glass fronted buildings which include City Hall, home of the Greater London Authority (on left of picture above).

Further down the river on the left is the Tate Modern gallery. Once a power station, this is not the most beautiful of buildings along the River Thames but it houses some of the best international modern art in Britain. Unfortunately, the tourists sharing this boat trip with me probably assumed it was a disused building of no interest and kept their eyes fixed firmly ahead! (See picture left).

At various points along the river, you can see the Dome of St Paul’s Cathedral peeking through the skyline. I got the impression that this imposing building was meant to be seen throughout the City and hope that London doesn’t lose this wonderful sight by building too many more unnecessary skyscrapers. In the right foreground of this picture is the City of London Boys School.

The OXO Tower is on your left and, since the 1990s, this iconic building has been home to boutique shops, cafes, restaurants and galleries. The famous red lights which come on as daylight fades are, in fact, windows which were incorporated into the design by the OXO brand owners to avoid the ban on sky advertising in the 1920s.

There’s more to come but don't forget you can see all my London sightseeing photos on flickr

City Cruises

After the Tower of London, I headed down to Tower Pier (30 second walk) where I presented my London Pass and was given an all day City Cruises ticket! This is a great London Pass bonus as you can use the City Cruise boats like a bus- getting on and off where you want throughout the day. On a warm day it would be lovely to sit on the deck and have a little picnic while going up and down the River Thames. (I'm such a romantic!) But as it was cold and threatening to rain I decided I’d just go down to Westminster and come straight back. While I waited for the next boat (above in front of City Hall) I took a few photos of Tower Bridge slowly sinking to the right (only kidding, it’s my wonky photography again!) and also HMS Belfast which is directly opposite the landing jetty.

The City Cruise boats are surprisingly comfortable and warm inside which is very welcome on a cold day. There is a small bar where you can buy all sorts of drinks and snacks and huge panoramic windows to look through. However, being an intrepid explorer I decided to go upstairs to the open air deck so that I could take better (ha ha) photos!

I wasn’t sure what I was looking at some of the time and didn’t want to miss anything so my photos are a little random! Any buildings I can’t name will be put on my Flickr page so that hopefully someone will enlighten me! http://www.flickr.com/photos/sparklysongbird/