Friday, July 26, 2013
London-Greenwich-London
Today I went to one of my favorite
parts of London—Greenwich. It is an opportunity to cruise on the River Thames,
to take in the grand architecture of Sir Christopher Wren (which, in the case
of Greenwich, was actually inspired by India’s Taj Mahal) and to stroll through
antiques’ stalls to pick up bricabrac. This time, I made a few more dreams come
true—small ones, but dreams, nonetheless.
I worked for about three hours in
the morning—awaking early really does help me accomplish substantial work and
leaves me guiltless about goofing off for the rest of the day in this
distracting city. Brekkie done (walnut bread toast with peanut butter and goat
cheese, tea) I showered, got myself organized and set off for Westminster Pier
to pick up the ferry to Greenwich. Being a bit early for the 12. 30 ferry,
however, I got off one stop later—at Waterloo—and began the South Bank Walk, according to DK Eyewitness Guides.
Strolling on the South Bank:
Scores
of shots of this part of London (from watching too many BBC TV shows—MI5, Sherlock Holmes—made me feel as if
I were in a movie. Alighting from the Tube at Waterloo, I had the good sense to
jump into a bus that was crossing Waterloo Bridge (as I knew I needed to
conserve energy for all the walking I would do during the rest of the day), and
alighted at the National Theater—that poor controversial building that Prince Charles
described as “a carbuncle on the face of London”. Others described it as a “war bunker”, yet
others as a “power station”. So, no, visually appealing it is not. But it is
practical and functional and I have quite grown to like it.
I
crossed the busy dual carriageway street (whoa, careful there!) and reached the
other side: the Hayward Gallery has a huge topiary display depicting two people
gardening. In the forecourt, I saw a multitude of potted plants and flowers and
in the gallery itself it a special exhibition on Nek Chand, an Indian sculptor
based in Chandigarh, Punjab, who designed the famous Rock Garden there to blend
in with the brilliant architecture of the city by Le Corbusier. Years ago, I
had visited Chandigarh with my late mother Edith who was a great admirer of the
work of Le Corbusier and had motivated my Dad to arrange a family holiday of
North India that would include Chandigarh. Looking at Nek Chand’s work took me
back to amazing holidays with my parents during which my Mum had communicated
and passed on her zeal for discovering new parts of the world. She was, when I
look back now, indeed a ‘studied’ traveler—although, at that time, I was too
young to realize it. It is exactly what I have become.
Resolving to visit the Nek Chand
exhibition on another day, I walked towards the BFI (British Film Institute)
and browsed in the second-hand book stalls set up under the bridge by makeshift
salesmen. Heading forward, I walked past the skate boarding rink that is
heavily graffitied and which usually sports a bunch of young chaps flaunting
their skills. This morning, it was empty. On I pressed towards Hungerford
Bridge past the many riverside restaurants—I have eaten twice at the Wagamama there—before I received a call
from Llew that I took sitting quayside. I also spoke to our friend Ira who is
visiting Southport from Maine for the annual Pequot Library Sale which is going
on this weekend.
Booking a Thames River Cruise:
It
was time for me to get on if I wished to board the 12. 30 pm ferry, so I
crossed Hungerford Bridge on foot and arrived at the Embankment Tube station
from where I took the train for one stop to Westminster. I easily found my way
to the booking offices where there were about 8 people ahead of me buying
tickets to board the ferries. Most folks go only as far as Greenwich which is a
popular spot for a daytrip. But, as I said, this time round, I was making
long-held dreams come true.
Years ago, I had read a series of books on
traveling in the UK and in London by Susan Allen Tott—books that were such
pleasurable reading and that rang so many bells in my mind that I actually
prescribed them for a Writing course I had taught while living and teaching in
London. It was from Tott’s books that I had become aware of the Thames Flood Barrier and ever since
then I was determined to go there and see it for myself. Unfortunately, it is
only open to visitors for a limited time in the year—three months of summer—and
since I have visited the UK usually in the winter, in recent years, I have been
deprived of the opportunity to see it. Meanwhile, on more than one landing into
Heathrow airport, I have seen the Barrier from the air, and it has only whetted
my appetite to be present in person on the ground.
This
was my big opportunity. Thames River Services (TRS) operates ferry trips all
the way to the Thames Barrier (which is half an hour by boat beyond Greenwich).
The return trip is pricey—18 pounds, but I was astute enough to go online and I
found a 50% discount coupon which I printed out, presented at the counter and
was given a return ticket for just 8. 75 pounds! A true bargain considering that I had
paid 8 pounds for just one way on the Regent’s Canal Cruise from Camden Lock to
Little Venice which was a much shorter trip!
Cruising the River Thames:
No matter how often I do this, a
cruise on the River Thames is an exciting adventure for me. It offers views of
the city of the London from a unique perspective and you get to see bits of it that
you could never see from any other angle. I have cruised to Greenwich on innumerable
occasions and each time, I have discovered something more about this fabulous
city.
The cruise leaves from Westminster Pier which offers
incomparable views of St. Steven’s Tower which is commonly known as “Big Ben” (which is really the name of
the bell that is concealed in the uppermost compartment—not the clock, as many
believe). The ferry turns around to bring the London Eye and the Aquarium
into focus. And then we were off: the sights from the river that stay with me are
Shakespeare’s Globe Theater—this is
exactly the perspective Queen Elizabeth I would have received when she came
theater-visiting by boat from Hampton Court Palace or Richmond Palace. The Tate Modern, St. Paul’s Cathedral
with its imposing dome and twin spires, colorful Blackfriars Bridge, The Gerkin and now the Shard and further on, the magnificent Tower Bridge flanked on one side by the historic Tower of London (you can see the
ominous entrance to Traitor’s Gate from the water) and on the other by Sir
Norman Foster’s “collapsed pudding” of a building that is City Hall. St. Katherine’s Dock comes next with Dickens’ Pub close by. More pubs dot
the bank: The Mayflower (denoting
the spot from which the Pilgrims set out in a boat of the same name to colonize
the New World), The Prospect of Whitby
which has a noose hanging over the river (from which gangsters/pirates were
once hung) and closer to Greenwich, the Trafalgar
Tavern (about which more later). The shabby warehouses of Wapping and the wharfs (West India Wharf, Butler’s Wharf, etc.)
that once lined the riverfront (and did brisk trade at a time, for centuries
really, when the Thames was the commercial lifeblood of the country) have all been converted into luxury flats
whose prices present sticker shock or into fancy malls (gallerias) before the
skyscrapers of Canary Wharf come
into view—the major newspaper/press offices and all the big banks moved here
from The City to create a small financial township on what is called The Isle of Dogs. The domes of Wren’s National Maritime College then come
into view as do the dome-like structures that mark the entrance to the amazing Greenwich Foot Tunnel that offers a
footpath under the river in another brilliant feat of Victorian engineering—and
which I had once crossed—to denote that most people had reached their
destination. They disembarked and our boat sailed on.
Approaching the Thames Flood
Barrier:
Once the bulk of the boat’s human
cargo was released at Greenwich, the boat rounded the prominent hairpin bend in
the river that is marked by the great white dome of the O2, known as the Millennium
Dome. It resembles a gigantic white tent with gold prongs sticking out of
it. Used for concerts and being full of restaurants and amusement arcades,
there is a lot to keep one occupied inside. I had once attended an exhibition
there on the Treasures of Tutankhamun
that had traveled from Cairo to London. A new contraption in a walkway along
the circumference which, for a hefty price, allows visitors to climb over the
outside of the dome—the bottom is very steep and most challenging.
Once we left the Millemmium Dome
behind, I knew it would not be long before I could catch my first glimpse of
the Thames Flood Barrier. And
indeed, in a few minutes, there it was. Now I am no engineer so I am afraid I
cannot comprehend the complicated design and the operation of this incredible
device. But this much I know: From time to time, the Thames has flooded her
banks so badly that water has rushed into the Houses of Parliament and destroyed significant parts of the city.
When this last happened (in the mid-1960s, I believe), it was decided to do
something permanent to effectively prevent any such disaster from occurring,
The result is the Thames Flood Barrier which consists of about 8 or 9
structures that were constructed across the width of the river. They look like
giant stainless steel domes but they open out and close like the petals of a
flower. Underneath each of them are massive flood gates. These are opened or
closed to regulate the amount of water in the river. If there are heavy rains
or too much melting snow entering the river to threaten floods, the gates are
closed. If there is too little (which can threaten to stall river craft at the
banks), they are opened. As a result of this manipulation of the volume of water,
London has never been flooded and the device has been hailed as revolutionary.
Visitors to the Thames Barrier by
boat can merely encircle it in their craft. I do not believe there is a landing
pier for if there was, we’d have disembarked to visit the Information Center. I
believe that one can get to the center by land through Woolwich—but I am not
certain.
At
any rate, by boat, you get really up close and personal to the barrier and you
are dwarfed by it. I was thrilled, absolutely thrilled, to be there and you had
to pinch me to get me to believe that, after all these years, I was actually at
the spot. The boat made a slow loop around one of the pillar-posts and started
its return journey towards London. As for me, one of my dreams came true and I
was simply beside myself.
Getting to Know Greenwich Again:
Half an hour later, we were at
Greenwich. I disembarked and began my walk using the DK Eyewitness Guide. It was 2. 30 pm and I had until 6.00 pm to
catch the last ferry back to London. I had no intention of entering any of the
historic buildings or museums for which the city is known as I had seen all the
major ones. Still, it is a joy to wander around Wren’s great creations and I
never miss the opportunity to do so.
I fist passed by the Cutty Sark—this was a Victorian tea
clipper (sailing ship) that was commissioned in 1868. For almost the next 100
years, during the golden years of the Raj, it had carried tea back from China
and India to England to make it the world’s greatest nation of tea drinkers. It
fell out of commission after World War II and lay in dry dock at Greenwich for
decades until a recent fire on board destroyed most of it. It was closed for
years while refurbishment and reconstruction went on and was only very recently
reopened to the public (sometime after January 2012 which is when I was last in
Greenwich).
I had visited the Cutty Sark (after which the famous
Scotch Whiskey is named) in 1989 on my first visit to the UK and had been
fascinated by everything I had seen in the museum down below: the tea chests
that held the merchandise, the smaller tea caddies, the collection of wonderful
figureheads from various ships, etc. Hence, I did not visit it again this time
round. It looks spanking new and gorgeous and if you are a kid, I would imagine,
it would be a great thing to do.
I should add, as an aside, that when
I was in Greenwich in 1989, I had also seen the Gypsy Moth II which has been moved to Cowes on the Isle of Wight.
My walk took me quite suddenly into Greenwich Market which offers a
combination of things: arts and crafts, clothing, food and bricabrac. And
here’s where my next dream came true. In these stalls set up in a giant indoor
market, I came upon something I have been hunting for years—a ceramic Dundee
Marmalade jar from the 1900s. These have become ever so rare and so sell for
very heavy prices. The last one I saw was in a small antiques’ shop in Windsor,
a few years ago, but when I had inquired, I was informed by the salesman that
it was not for sale—he used it to stash his pens (which is what I plan to do
with it). The grumpy old saleswoman had priced it at 8 pounds—a real steal,
believe me—but embarrassingly, I had forgotten to replenish my stock of British
cash and since I rely mainly on my credit card, I am often caught short. When
this happened, I asked the lady if she could do better on the price. She firmly
refused and informed me that such objects are now really hard to come by (as if
I did not know this!). I literally counted out the last pennies in my purse and
found that I was short of 10p! I asked her if she would give me a 10p discount
and she said, “Well, I suppose so”. I was just thrilled (small pleasures,
right?).
Lunch in a Traditional Eel House:
Yes,
you read right—eel house! My walk led me to Godard’s
of Greenwich, an old-fashioned eel house dating from the late 1880s where
traditional British food has been served for well over a hundred years. Jellied
eels were sold mainly to the Cockney population for whom it was a staple food.
Today, few shops sell this delicacy and Godard’s
is still one of them. I have to admit that I did not have the courage to try
them but the shop does sell other traditional food such as Pie and Mash which
is what I ordered: the counter is equally ancient as was the saleswoman (who
refused to give me a taste of the eels as she said they are very expensive!) My
Beef Pie was tasty but it needed a lot of salt and pepper sprinkled on it. The
Mash was served with what she called “liquor”—she told me it is traditional—it
was a whiteish gravy flecked with parsley (and it needed a lot of more salt
too). It was a good meal, very filling and very welcome as I was starving by 3.
00 pm, when I was eating it and I felt well fuelled to continue my exploration
of the area.
Greenwich Walk Continued:
My
next stop was St. Alfrege’s Church
which was built by Nicholas Hawksmoor, Wren’s pupil, in the late 18th
century but a church has stood on this spot for nearly a thousand years and is
very historic. Henry VIII who was born at Greenwich Palace (no longer standing)
was baptized here and poor Thomas Tallis, a musician and composer in Henry
VIII’s reign who was falsely accused of adultery with Henry’s second wife, Anne
Boleyn, was executed and buried in this churchyard. Unfortunately, it was
closed but I managed to walk around the burial stones before I emerged out on
the street again.
I crossed Stockwell Road and at the corner of Nevada Road, I spied the Spread
Eagle Pub which was once the watering post for tage coach horses of a past
era. Opposite is the Tudor Rose Pub
that was established in the reign of Elizabeth I. I walked towards King William
Road which is full of enticing shops offering souvenirs and historical
memorabilia. And then I was at the gates of the National Maritime Museum which I have visited on a past occasion. I
then walked towards the exquisite Queen’s
House designed by Inigo Jones— which I have also visited before--a simple
cube of a building in front of the famous Royal
Observatory where one can stand astride the prime Meridian—it involves
climbing up a steep hill which was not part of my walk but which I have
straddled on a past visit as well. Across the Queen’s House are the gates of
the National Maritime College and I
could see that a graduation ceremony was in progress as varied cloaked young
folks were walking all over the place. Right enough, it turned but to be
Graduation Day at the University of Greenwich which now occupies these majestic
buildings. This meant that, irritatingly, I was not able to go beyond the
entrance of the amazing Chapel with
its glorious altarpiece by Benjamin West and its elaborate Neo-Classical
plasterwork ceiling, walls and balcony (location of one of the most memorable
scenes in MI5). I crossed the yard to
get to the Painted Hall, one of the
masterpieces of British architecture, painted by James Thornhill, who also
painted the dome of St. Paul’s Cathedral. It shows George III in great glory,
but here too, I was unable to get too far inside as it was closed except for
graduation ticket holders. However, having seen it in years gone by, on many
occasions, I was not too disappointed.
Getting out of the area of Wren’s
handiwork, I walked to the riverfront to the Trafalgar Tavern which has stood on this site since the time of
Nelson who was a frequent visitor—as were Wren and Charles Dickens. Inside, it
is a collection of lovely rooms filled with painting, photographs, engravings,
etc. that depict Greenwich in various guises. There is a great deal of history
in this area and I am constantly fascinated by the allusions to the great names
from the past.
I
walked along the Thames Path then by
the river and took in the sights of a number of water fowl—including a family
of ducks swimming all in a row! It was only 4. 30 pm and I felt I had the time
to go out and see one place that I had never seen before—the Fan Museum on Croom’s Hill.
A Fan of the Fan Museum:
By the time I climbed Croom’s Hill and arrived at the unusual
Fan Museum, it was already 4. 45 pm.
Although it costs 4 pounds to get into the museum, they let me get in for free
since it was closing in 15 minutes. I made a beeline for the top floor to see
the collection of fans of Helene Alexander that numbered 2,000. Over the years,
the museum has added to its collection and today there are really unusual fans
in the cases. There are traditional ladies hand held fans that are painted
elaborately. I saw the use of ivory, tortoiseshell and wood in the creation of
fan frames and all of it was wonderful. There was a short film that features
the museum’s highlights—from fans that concealed pistols and hearing aids and
mirrors to touch up make up. Everything was amazing and I loved it.
On the walk back, I spied the home
of Cecil Day-Lewis, Britain’s Poet Laureate at one time and the father of the
famous actor Daniel Day-Lewis. This was where Daniel grew up and it tickled me
to think that the riches of Greenwich were in his backyard. Croom’s Hill is
filled with very well maintained old homes that are much sought-after real
estate today.
It was time to get back to the
Landing Pier and at 5. 30pm, I was on a boat, really fatigued, as I sailed back
to London.
Dining a Deux with Michelle:
At Westminster Pier, I took the Tube
to get to the next place—Regent’s Street to the Ten Café at Café Royal, a very snazzy, very upscale space, where I
had been invited to have dinner with my Bombay college classmate Michelle who is
a lawyer specializing in European Law with the British government. We have remained
close friends over the years and I always make sure I meet her when I am in
London. Seeing her again was a real pleasure and, as always, we spent the next
two hours just talking nineteen to the dozen as we caught up.
As for the meal, it was wondrous. We
both started with a cocktail—a Picador—that was reminiscent of a margarita. For
starters, we had a Tomato Salad full of heirloom tomatoes, a marinara sauce and
a garnish of parmesan flakes. For a main, Michelle chose the Salmon while I went
with a Rump of Veal with a Bordelaise Sauce served with parmesan crisp on a bed
of spinach. It was really very good and we enjoyed it thoroughly before we
perused the desserts menu and decided to share the Cherry and Chocolate (a deconstructed
Black Forest Cake) and a composition of puddings with Apricot—sorbet, soufflés,
cream, candied. They were all fab. We had excellent service from our French
waiter named Emericque and were just charmed by the lovely flower arrangements
everywhere in the hotel which was truly gracious. He even took us to the Caviar
and Champagne Tasting Bar which was a revelation—a room more reminiscent of the
Palace of Versailles or Fontainbleu rather than a room on Regent’s.
It was about 10.15 pm when we decided
to leave after what had been an excellent dining experience. As someone who
lives mainly on sandwiches when I am occupying the homes of other folks, to
have both the company and the opportunity to enjoy a meal with a good friend
was a special treat and I felt deeply grateful for it.
I got back home at 11.00 pm and
skyped with Chriselle for half an hour. It was great to see her again and to
catch up on everything that has happened to us since our Baltic Sea cruise—so I
had a lot of news to share with her.
About
midnight, I fell asleep ready to take on the weekend.
Until
tomorrow, cheerio!
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