What we had was a secondary list: places we had missed on previous visits. They included those we had always intended to see (The Victoria and Albert Museum), and those newly discovered (the Saatchi Gallery). And as we worked our way through our itinerary, we became familiar with all the best ways to get around.
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| Central London = Busland |
Our first excursion was by double decker bus to the Millennium Bridge, a footbridge across the Thames that was closed the last time we attempted to use it. While there we made a quick trip to the Tate Modern (it has been 10 years since our first visit), and then we meandered along the Thames lamenting that the weather was not more pleasant. Another bus, caught midtown, took us back to Gloucester Tce.
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| Over the footbridge to the Tate Modern beyond. |
This became our habit. We regularly caught the bus after all the locals had gone to work, explored our chosen destination for several hours, and then set off for home again in the late afternoon before rush-hour.
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| London Bridge is dwarfed by The Shard, a 72 foot glass tower . |
These bus trips were more exciting (and perilous) than you might imagine because we insisted on sitting on the top of the double decker in order to enjoy the superior view. First we leaped aboard flashing our Oyster cards, and then as the vehicle pulled away we mounted the swaying stairs to the upper deck where we staggered down the aisle and flopped into the front seats. But even sitting down was no guarantee of safety. Returning from an event with Anne, Bruce was thrown from his front row perch as the bus rounded a hair-pin turn. One moment he was sitting; the next he was on the floor. He was sore for weeks after. (We now refer to the incident as "Bruce's bus accident." It sounds so much better than "Bruce fell off his seat." )
Although living in the West End close to the heart of the city, we were not above taking the underground if speed was a factor. In fact, the pace of everything accelerates at a tube station. No dawdling allowed! Arrive at peak hours, and there is a risk of being swept away by the crowd. Pity the poor tourist who is trying to manoeuver her wheeled luggage through the gates and onto the correct platform (Northern Line? Piccadilly Line? ) while everyone else is rushing to get to work on time.
| Wheeeee! |
Best not to forget that undergound stations are under the ground and necessitate the use of escalators, lifts or stairs. The escalators, which are often long and steep, are in my opinion, the most fun. I remember the old days when they were like amusement park rides in some exotic, steam-punk fantasy-land. Today's tube stations, sadly, seem brighter, tidier and less smelly. Now you can even check online to see what awaits at a particular subway stop, and I would certainly advise this for anyone with mobility issues. Had we done a bit of research, we might have been alerted to the stair challenge at the Goodge Street Station, one of the old deep-level stations that served as bomb shelters during WW II. Given a choice of lifts or stairs, we innocently took the stairs, and went spiraling down, down, down and down some more. It was a solitary descent, and no wonder. Everyone else must have read the sign (thanks Google) at the entrance to the stairwell warning that more than 100 steps lead to the platform.
| Goodge St. Station: home of the 100+ step workout. |
As Bruce and I rushed in and out of buses, and up and down subway stairs and elevators, we noted that Londoners of all ages seemed thinner and fitter than automobile-dependent Ontarians. It made sense. The cheapest way to get around in central London is on public transport, so every day, every passenger gets a daily workout. Weight-bearing, balance, aerobics -- it's all there without the trouble of a trip to the gym.
We got the message. We will need to keep up the walking and stair-climbing if we want to come back to London and travel like locals at least one more time.
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