The Last Again!

It was a lovely sunny day yesterday. It was also the last day before England closed down once again in a Covid lockdown. This day needed to be celebrated and have all its possibilities squeezed out from it!

 I was excited by yet  another invitation by David for a music event- this time it was a concert by the City of London Symphonietta at Southwark Cathedral- they were to play Haydn's London Symphony at 2pm. So I thought I would walk. 

The route from Ladbroke Grove to Southwark Cathedral is almost a perfect diagonal trajectory from north west to south east central London across some of the city's  loveliest territory: I crossed Hyde Park where I saw my destination in the far, far distance: the Shard, that beautiful spike of a sky scraper where I was treated to a great dinner  by my Minnesota bosses almost exactly a year ago, is just next to Southwark cathedral and seen faintly here in the centre of the picture above the Serpentine.

            I crossed Hyde Park Corner  and continued through Green Park, up the Mall to Trafalgar Square                                                                 

and then crossed the river, ending up at the south bank, which was full of people that had had the same idea as I, wanting to enjoy London for the last time, milling about by  the river side cafes, bars and restaurants.

I was worried about time and walked fast. I had never walked this way before but wanted to find out whether it was possible to walk all the way by the river- and of course it was: it has been possible since 1977, when the Silver Jubilee walkway was put in place to celebrate the Queen's 25th year on the Throne.   http://jubileewalkway.org.uk 

When I passed the 'Wobbly Bridge'- that's what people have been calling the  Millenium Bridge since it  had to be fixed and stabilized when it first opened and 'wobbled' in 2000- I had about half an hour to go ...

 

I passed the Globe and there, suddenly it was! Southwark Cathedral with the Shard keeping it company  in safe social distance...It had taken me almost exactly 2 hours. I thoroughly recommend this walk for an experience of London!

The concert was beautifully played with Haydn's last triumphant symphony joining the sunshine to make the day a joyous last fanfare before it all closed down today again...and David took me for Tapas and wine in the lovely, trendy Borough market after the concert where  hundreds of people had the same idea but we were lucky to find a table. A lovely day!

                                                Da