Boat ride on the Thames

Our plane back to Sri Lanka was not due to leave until 9:30 pm so we had a whole day in London.

Big Ben was restored recently and during the restoration, they found the clock face numerals, etc were originally a dark blue.

By the way, I am amazed at how well the phone camera performed here. This photo was taken from the same position as the next photo, on the corner of Westminster Bridge and the Embankment. The center of each dial is 180 feet from the base of the tower.

The whole tower was restored.

We decided to take a boat ride to Greenwich which seemed appropriate for what will probably be our last trip to the UK.

The London Eye.

We boarded the boat just before it departed. The upper deck was crowded with school children so we took refuge on the lower deck.

Hungerford Bridge which carries trains to Charing Cross Station.

Under the bridge.

The Savoy Hotel to the right.

HQS Wellington.

About to go under Blackfriars Bridge.

Piers for an old bridge that was removed. The railway bridge on the right is now a railway station.

St Pauls Cathedral.

The Millennium Foot Bridge which wobbled when it first opened and needed to be strengthened.

Columns supporting the Cannon Street Station bridge.

The odd building to the right contains the Sky Garden. As the name suggests, there is a garden at the top of the building and it is open free to the public.

The Tower of London.

Tower Bridge.

Underneath Tower Bridge.

This huge mega yacht is owned by one of the family that owns Walmart and cost 300 million pounds. 

The Shard.

HMS Belfast.

A bus on Tower Bridge.

Many of the old warehouses have been converted into apartments.

Airshaft for the Rotherhithe Tunnel.

Limehouse, the entrance from the Thames to the England canal system.

Apartments with a river view are very expensive.

Entrance to a pedestrian tunnel under the Thames at Greenwich.

The Royal Observatory at Greenwich. The ball at the top of the left tower drops at 1 pm and was used by sailors to determine their position east or west. The Prime Meridian passes through it.

The Cutty Sark.

For London, it was a beautiful warm day and a cold cider was most welcome.

The Greenwich Market.

I have missed out on my chance of eating Eel.

Children playing among balls representing the earth.

How Australia looks upside down.

There seemed to be school children everywhere.

By chance, we were there at 1pm when the ball would drop.

Nelson's Flagship in a bottle.

It was time to return to our hotel to collect our luggage and return to the airport. I was intrigued by this entrance to a station.

A new Elizabeth Line station platform.

Finally, the intriguing carpet at our hotel.