Beauty
“Beauty will save the world.”
Leaving the Old Street Tube station on our way to the Columbia Road Flower Market (Sunday, May 8).
Hidcote Blue Lavender produces one of the most amazing lavender scents. This bunch was so powerful we could smell it from across the street.
“Flowers always make people better, happier, and more helpful; they are sunshine, food, and medicine for the soul.”
- Luther Burbank
Not into cactus, but wow!
“Roses do not bloom hurriedly, for beauty, like any masterpiece, takes time to blossom.”
-Matshona Dhilwayo
“Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin. And yet I say unto you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.”
- Matthew 6:28-29
“You’re only here for a short visit. Don’t hurry. Don’t worry. And be sure to smell the flowers along the way.”
- Walter Hagen
Crazy Rich Asians
From the flower market we walked to Brick Lane, famous for its concentration of Indian restaurants—”having a curry.”
Along the way we encountered a flurry of Sunday street markets.
Old cab as mobile coffee shop. The roof lifts and he stands inside and makes the coffees.
And then we discovered this stunnin’ shop.
As we entered we were enveloped with the most delicious chocolate aroma you can imagine. You think Willy Wonka might appear at any moment. Every imaginable chocolate confection was there!
Chocolate growing on trees.
😋
We continued down Brick Lane and had lunch at Aladin Indian Restaurant (No, that’s not a typo. 🙃 Click the link; that’s how they spell it. 😉). Amanda had chana masala (of course) and I had vegetable biriyani. Both dishes were good but we confess ourselves underwhelmed, particularly with regard to spice. The restaurant wins awards every year, including 2022, so I’m not sure what happened today. Amanda even had her dish prepared Balti style, which is prepared in a cast iron dish with added spices and herbs to adds extra flavor. No such luck I’m afraid. OK, now we’re just dreaming of Dishoom—which they also have in London!
I did finally get a Bangla beer again. I had this on our trip with Dan and Elizabeth in 2015 and loved it. Since then I have searched high and low everywhere I’ve traveled in the US and never could find a single bottle. The verdict 7½ years later? Well, it was very good, but at Dishoom in Edinburgh we ordered Kingfisher beer for the first time and I have to say I enjoyed the Kingfisher more. Another benefit of course being that Kingfisher is widely available in the States.
After lunch we walked to the Ten Bells pub but the upstairs was closed, so we moved on and wandered through the Spitalfields Market to get out of the rain.
The rain showed no sign of letting up so we pushed on toward Leadenhall Market. On the way we passed the Kraken-sized suppository known as The Gherkin (the pickle). It is one of the most easily-recognized buildings in London’s modern skyline.
More modern architecture.
Of course we passed a TK Maxx and just had to go in (different name, same crap!). I survived; she came out empty-handed.
We finally arrived at Leadenhall Market. While Sunday had greeted us with lively street markets all day, nearly every shop at Leadenhall was dark.
Leadenhall Market dates back to 1321 and is situated in what was the center of Roman London. The current design dates back to 1881. Enjoying the beautiful cobbled streets and grand Victorian facades, is it any wonder the director chose this as one of the first scenes you ever see watching the Harry Potter movies?
This is the door used by Hagrid and Harry to enter the Leaky Cauldron (and Diagon Alley beyond). The building was abandoned when we visited. Hmm…maybe we should open a Leaky Cauldron; it would be amazing!
It was painted black in the movie, but very much the same place.
We crossed the London Bridge in the pouring rain to get to the Shard. (If we were in the US, there would be a Country music song waiting to be written there.)
Starting to feel pretty soaked through by this point.
The Shard
The Shard comprises 26 floors of office space, three floors of restaurants, the 19-floor five-star Shangri-La Hotel, 13 floors of residential apartments, and London’s highest public viewing gallery on the 72nd floor.
We'‘re head up to The View From The Shard.
The Christmas wreath on the Level 72 observation deck.
More Christmas decorations on the Level 72 observation deck.
The Christmas tree on the enclosed Level 68 (sorry boys!) observation deck.
The view east—HMS Belfast, Tower of London, Tower Bridge, and London City Hall in the foreground. Canary Wharf in the distance.
The view west—London Bridge (right), Cannon Street Railway Bridge, Southwark Bridge, Millennium Bridge, and Blackfriars Bridges.
St Paul’s Cathedral can just be made out in the center on the far bank. At 364 feet at its highest point, St Paul’s Cathedral was London’s tallest building from 1710 until 1963.
The first true "skyscraper" to be built in London was in 1980 in the City of London, not far from St Paul’s Cathedral.
The Shard's construction began in March 2009; ironically, this was precisely when we first visited London. Construction was completed at the end of 2012. At 1,016 feet tall, the Shard is the tallest building in the UK and the 7th tallest in Europe.
You really have to zoom in to see the London Eye (right) and Westminster Palace (left) further west.
The open-air view up from Level 72, with the peak of one of the “glass shards” on the right and another, taller shard continuing up to the left.
As the sun set.
Tower Bridge illuminated
As the sun begins to make it’s way to all of you, all the bridges to the west light up.
St Paul’s Cathedral in noir.
Tower of London and Tower Bridge in noir.
Loo with a View!
Great story.
Back on terra firma.
“Never lose an opportunity of seeing anything beautiful, for beauty is God's handwriting.”
- Ralph Waldo Emerson
