London, episode 4. In which we take a Texas-size stroll along the Thames.

With heavily-studied and colorfully-flagged Lonely Planet London City Guide in hand, Mari and I made our way above ground at the Westminster tube station early morning on the Wednesday of our 2007 Spring Break.  We were about to follow one of the recommended guided walks for which Lonely Planet had allotted a few hours, but for which we had reasonably rationed the full day, knowing we would stop for photos, sustenance, and a little dramatic effect along the way.  I highly recommend the recommended walking tour, but you can pretty much just cross Westminster Bridge as we did with the morning rush and walk down to the South Bank where you will turn left towards the London Eye (hard to miss) and follow the Queen's Walk about three meandering miles until you reach Tower Bridge where you will cross back across the Thames to end (not meet-your-end, of course) at the Tower of London.

You could do that or you can follow along and enjoy our eight-hour walking & talking, stopping & touring, and souvenir photo snapping & temptaliciously tasty snacking tour.

When you find your way above ground at Westminster, the colossal enormity of the Palace of Westminster (Parliament) is impossible to miss, but also impossible to fully appreciate (and photograph) until you've crossed Westminster Bridge to the south bank of the Thames.  Here is your view as you turn back around and (if you're lucky) Mari steps in front of your camera.

Previously pictured was one of our views from the top of the London Eye, an experience I highly recommend despite its touristy nature.  You will see the enormity of this beautiful historic city whose history, skyline, and warm and generous population is constantly on the move.  I also highly recommend purchasing tickets with a reserved time in advance so you can avoid waiting in one line at least.

Visit the site to purchase tickets and to learn about special packages offered to make your 30-minute spin even more of a whirlwind.

londoneye.com

After enjoying our spectacularly scenic look at London from above, Mari and I ambled along the pedestrian walk, finding much more along the way than my guidebook's predicted list of top sites.

As you make your way around that first bend and begin walking east, you will pass Waterloo Bridge where you will sight the National Theatre, its majesty barely able to contain the memorable mark its impossibly talented visitors have left on British culture.  Then as you pass Blackfriars Bridge, you will come upon the Tate Modern, pictured here, where we made our next stop.  Along the way there are small shops, galleries, and friendly local vendors selling souvenirs, books (yes, book stalls!), and refreshments (perhaps even a Starbucks to quench your non-tea cravings).  There are plenty of picture-perfect photo opportunities and roaming pedestrians along the way to keep your casual stroll serendipitously entertaining.

Much like our first rushed tour of the Louvre (which would actually be the following chunnel-transported day) we limited ourselves to a touristy-quick two hours at the modern art museum, enjoying every bit of the wide variety of art as well as the beautifully spare surroundings of the century-old institution.  Visit the site for up-to-date information about current exhibits as well as help planning your visit.

tate.org.uk

As you leave the Tate and continue walking the walk, past the correspondingly modern (and just a bit groovy, baby) Millennium Bridge, you will chance upon a site which was near and desperately dear to my college English major and (at the time) high school English teacher heart and soul, Shakespeare's Globe Theatre.

Although no productions were scheduled at the time of our visit, we immersed ourselves in an informatively entertaining tour of the recently reconstructed (completed in 1997) theater--a tribute to Shakespeare, British history, and its talented citizens.

Not to worry, we would have our day in the viewing gallery

on a future summer's day (and in a future blog post).

Visit the informative site to learn more about Shakespeare, the history of the Globe, and to plan your visit.  A performance schedule is also available.

shakespearesglobe.com

At this point in our extended walking tour, much like Cassius, a lean (not so lean in my case) and hungry look took over my countenance and we found ourselves in desperate need of sustenance.  As the Queen's walk came to an end, we would found a savory solution a short and satisfying detour away.

More on the best brownie ever next time.