As it was rather warm today we put off going out until nearly 4pm. Our first call then was to…

Jusaka

…yes, to Jusaka, where we drank our coffee on the premises – which I think will be our habit from now on, supposing no resurgence of the virus.

Next, we boarded a 431 bus which took us to Waterloo Bridge and to…

The Southbank Centre

…the Southbank Centre. This is accessed from the bridge by…

Staircase to the Thames

…a staircase. I don’t know how many steps there are, not many, but they are worn smooth and care is advised.

First view of the Thames

This was my first view of the Thames in I don’t know how many months. It gives you a wonderful feeling of openness after the confines of the city and the sky is mercifully clear of intrusive over-tall buildings.

Path beside the river

We set off along the walkway beside the river. There were lots of people walking and sitting but not too many for us all to keep our distance. The only nuisance was cyclists. Apparently, cyclists can’t read and therefore ignore the “No cycling” notice.

Riverside lamp

I love these ancient riverside lamps with their sensuous decorations. Curled around them are dolphins though you could be forgiven for not recognizing them as such. That is because they are heraldic dolphins, not realistic ones. They are distinguished from fish by their rounded heads and broad mouths.

A view of the Thames

I kept my eyes on the river most of time, enjoying its open aspect and watching boats of various sizes sailing past. It was high tide when we arrived and as we walked, the water began flowing noticeably downstream.

Black-headed gull

There were bLack-headed gulls being very active flying back and forth over the water and swooping to pick up food. This one was perched on the railings watching gulls and people. He seemed relatively unafraid of passers-by and I was able to come fairly close to take a photo.

Looking towards Blackfriars Bridge

We passed the famous OXO Tower from where I took this photo of the river and Blackfriars Bridge, behind which can be seen a line-up of familiar buildings, including the Dome of Sir Christopher Wren’s masterpiece towards the left.

Arms of London, Chatham and Dover Railway

There are actually two bridges at Blackfriars, the road bridge, seen in the previous photo, and the railway bridge. There have also been two railway bridges. The first was built in 1864 for the Londow, Chatham Railway Company and second and present one in 1886. Remains of the first bridge are still visible, including the supporting pillars and this rather splendid coat of arms with its foundation date of 1864.

St Paul’s Cathedral behind the bridge

What is now Blackfriars Station was originally called St Paul’s after the neighbouring Cathedral. A notable fact about the present station is that when the new longer trains were introduced, the old station was too small and could not be extended. A new station was therefore built on the bridge. The southbound train usually waits for a while in the station and during that time passengers can enjoy views of the Thames in both directions.

I took this photo from the road bridge where we were waiting for a bus to take us home. We had walked from Waterloo Bridge to Blackfriars Bridge along the south bank of the Thames and you can see that area on this map.

We caught a 63 bus and later changed to a 431 which brought us back to Angel and an evening relaxing at home.

Arthur Rimbaud 1854-1891