I'll let it go this once, but dont be walking kms in England again.
Oh. 5 miles if that makes you happy
Our London Adventures
After I had arrived in London on Friday 8th of June, spent several hours to get in Soh-dock from the Luton Airport, met Brix, and settled in the hotel, there was some time to get oriented in the part of the city south of the Thames. Of course, we
had to get to the Beer Mile
Waiting for food in an Italian restaurant in Southwark Street.
Yet, the real adventures began on Saturday.
The famous "Richard" (The Shard) skyscraper which is located by the London Bridge Station (this
side of the river). It is doable to get onto the top for sight-seeing but we have never found time to do that!
An impressive view on the City of London from the almost forgotten Southwark Bridge (1921). There is a poor link of that bridge to the traffic system, making that bridge hardly used. There, cyclists have the absolute traffic priority in the Southwark Bridge Road! Road signs explicitly encourage bikers to ride in the middle of the lane, and the drivers have to follow the bikes.
The barely visible white building with the red flag is the Shakespeare's Globe Theatre. As I spotted a pier there, I decided we took the river to get to the famous Battersea Power Station. The UberBoat (running several Thames Clippers) was a painful experience. Long waiting queues, misleading information etc. made us waste one-and-half hour before we could get onto the proper boat! Yet, our sacrifice was worth of the suffering. (Necessary to mention, there is a heatwave in London now).
The iconic Battersea Power Station, famous of the cover of the Pink Floyd "Animals" album. Decommissioned in 1978, it almost fell to ruin until 2014 when a Malaysian consortium was given the task of revitalising the neighbourhood. Now, the area has gentrified and is a posh housing quarter.
In the front of the Battersea Van Moof LBS. I'm not a fan of the brand. Yet, as the LBS was located in a posh area and the dealer knew how to sell those e-bikes, they were selling like hot buns!
No picture but let me tell you a story. After a walk along the power station and back, I spotted a tall, helmet wearing handsome man by a Riese & Muller e-bike. Intrigued, I approached him for a chat. He rode a
Roadster v2. I complimented his e-bike, asked if I could lift it, and having done so I asked the man for the e-bike weight. He said "24 kilograms" (not "pounds",
@Chargeride!) and I mentioned my Vado of the same weight. He mentioned heavier R&M e-bikes, describing them as "long-distance runners" and naming his own e-bike "a city thing", to which I assured him his Roadster was a legit long-distance runner if he carried a spare battery in his pannier (which he owned). Then I asked him whether the other e-bike behind him was his, too. No, it belonged to his wife. He mentioned "Trek" to which I immediately added "a Verve+", making the man impressed with my knowledge in e-bikes
And when he learned I and Brix were Polish, he exclaimed "My wife is Polish, too!" I even asked the guy whether he (by chance) could be nicknamed
@DiggyGun!
(Of course, not). What a story!
The only place on that side of the river where the all four iconic chimneys can still be seen from (the other place is Chelsea behind the river, or the Thames itself). Otherwise, the power plant is surrounded by high apartment blocks.
Back in Southwark's Druid Street. Enid Street ("The Beer Mile") and Druid Street offer plethora of bars and restaurants located in railway viaduct arches. Here, the "Garage".
Vinegar Yard near to the Guy's Hospital, The Shard, and the London Bridge Station in St. Thomas Street.
There, I approached a group of young people; one of the guys carried an e-bike battery on his forearm. A chat again. The guy rode a Decathlon's Riverside e-bike with a Shimano mid-drive motor. An interesting talk again!
Sunday. I was just entering the Luton Airport to learn my Warsaw flight was just cancelled. I do not want to elaborate on how I felt. Two more days in London!
Starting Monday "morning" (actually, an afternoon!) in the Tower Bridge Arms (a BrewDog pub).
A picturesque St Catherine Quay east of the London Tower. That area is rarely trampled by the foreign feet as tourist think there is nothing east of the Tower Bridge! The flowery place is The Dickens Inn. Located in an 18th c. wooden/brick warehouse, it was started by Charles Dickens' great grandson in 1976, and it is reportedly still in the family hands. If you are there, do not hesitate to climb to the top floor! An excellent restaurant serving quality British food in cozy environment! (And the prices are very reasonable as for the location!)
And the yachts? Do you think Russkies have just evaporated from Londongrad?
Inside the Dickens Inn. The thing is Cumberland Sausage on Mashed Potato with Brown Sauce. Delicious!
(No air condition inside but the structure kept cold, and there was a nice breeze from the window).
The ebb of the Thames.
Tuesday morning in the hotel's parking lot/smoking area. A nice professional conversion of a Carrera Krakinos bike. A Direct Drive motor, the battery expertly mounted with Velcro straps, and the controller under the saddle.
On Tuesday morning, I had an extremely fast trip to the Luton Airport by trains (as I seem to have mastered the transportation system of London)
but then the flight was delayed by more than two hours again...
, its been a while since I attempted it but it came out ok and the bike looks way better now!
