Mind the Gap: FOR JESS: A Walk on the Wild Side: South of the Thames *rawr*

Southwark Bridge

This trip took us all the way along the Thames and it was quite the trip. It was really fun to be able to walk all along the Thames and just see all the sights there. But of course I would be amiss if I didn't tell you all about the educational things I saw and did! I know you would all be very disappointed - you can blame my TA Jess.

So during our walk, we passed a total of seven bridges. What's really fun is that each one is totally different from the other. So there is classic, modern, elaborate, simple, and just a whole conglomeration of fun. Once again it's a perfect representation of what London is actually like. It's a huge smash of all cultures and lifestyles. So it's no surprise that this walk would take us on a straight path and show us so much diversity.

Something I especially enjoyed was the vast amount of culture that this one little walk along the Thames had. But let's talk about the most important part the riverside has to offer. I think it's very clear what I'm referring to because what greater landmark is there along that strip of land? That's right everyone, this walk specifically took us alongside the one and only Globe

Original location of The Globe

Theatre. Though this may come as a bit of a disappointment, the Globe has actually been reconstructed and moved, but thank heavens someone took the time to rebuild it!!! What better example is there of London's appreciation towards their culture. At the Globe they work hard to keep the same atmosphere and environment and it's such a unique and wonderful experience. What's also really cool is they don't ring money out of people who want to attend something so historic and AMAZING. They just want to welcome people into the theatre and share the beauty of Shakespeare. Try not to freak out, but to stand as a groundling I paid a total of £5. That is dirt cheap. I paid £35 to get cheap seats at other theatres. I LOVE SHAKESPEARE AND I LOVE THAT LONDON LOVES SHAKESPEARE.

Okay. So that's the Globe. Is there anything else worth mentioning? :)

Borough Market celebrating
1000 years!

We also got to visit Borough Market. It's this huge collection of stalls and booths selling so much food! There's tons of variety and tons of people to boot. What I found incredible was that the Borough market was celebrating its anniversary. What anniversary you ask? 50 years? Maybe 100? 200? Wrong, wrong, wrong. Try one thousand. 1000. How can any market be around for that long?
Talk about dating this city and taking me back to a millennium completely separate from my own. It was bizarre to walk the crowded spaces between stands and imagine what was being sold and who used to attend a market 1000 years ago.

Fun fact;The bridge that most people think of when they think about London is actually Tower Bridge. I'm sorry to burst any bubbles, but the actual London Bridge is pretty plain and boring. So that grand image you have of the London Eye and Big Ben and the London Bridge? Tower Bridge.

London Bridge (Not the best
quality but... I took the picture
which is ten times cooler than
a photo from the internet)

Tower Bridge

Here's a fun story that goes with that. A few years ago, Colorado (or people there - not sure) decided they wanted to buy London Bridge and have it sent to them. If you're asking how this happens then you're asking the wrong person. But that's the story. So anyways, they purchased London Bridge and the theory goes that these poor people didn't know the different between London Bridge and Tower Bridge and they bought the wrong one. Lol. It's the funniest story I've ever heard. One of the delightful things Dr. B tells us about.

"Someday when peace has returned to this odd world I want to come to London again and stand on a certain balcony on a moonlit night and look down upon the peaceful silver curve of the Thames with its dark bridges." - Ernie Pyle