Yesterday’s blog detailed our early trip into London, the link is below if you want to hear just how early! The following is an account of the rest of our day and just how surprising secretive London can be. 

Mr W has an affinity for Shad Thames. You can find this on the south bank of the Thames, cross Tower Bridge and take the stairs on the left. The cobbled streets are mesmerising and the once upon a time warehouses reach tall into the sky leaving a narrow walkway below. The gantries above hark back to the building’s industrial past and it’s fascinating to witness London’s history as you have a wander. It was just after 7am as we took the slow stroll and apart from a few joggers we had the place to ourselves. On the other side of this path is Butlers Wharf with the most beautiful view of the city. I can only imagine what the view is like from the apartments that now occupy the old buildings of Shad Thames and with a hefty price tag of £7000+ a month in rent, imagining is all I’ll be doing! 

After a brief visit we crossed the river and took a chance on somewhere new. Always a ‘let’s do it next time’, St Katharine’s Dock has always taken a back seat in our plans. Across the road from the Tower of London it hides between tall buildings and unless you know it is there it is so easy to walk past. But not this time!

Tired but driven, we walked into the docks in amazement. Huge boats costing hundreds of thousands of pounds casually floated in situ. The space was silent. The water was still. I didn’t expect to see anyone at 7:15am and it wasn’t until we walked past the restaurants that lined the basin that we saw another soul. Making note of the coffee bar with benches outside we wandered our way around the outskirts taking in the fantastic swathes of flowers and cobble line pathways. At first I felt like we were trespassing on someone else’s property. The walkways are so close to the boats that you could reach out and hi-five the occupants if the occasion called for it. As it happened, I was able to say good morning to a particularly friendly and bouncing poodle and I was reminded once again how much we miss having a loyal companion of our own. 

The sky above was bright with the morning sun and yet the vast dock was intimate in the shadows. The sun had not yet kissed the space and therefore I felt the need to almost tiptoe to keep the peace. A beautiful willow tree swayed in the breeze as we crossed one of the small bridges. Mr W stomped his feet and made the walkway shiver. He knows I’m unsure of structures with no evident stability. He laughed at my nervousness and I cursed his mocking. 

Hand in hand we took a brief detour to the Blitz memorial in Hermitage Riverside Memorial Garden in Wapping. The park itself was quite unremarkable but is a much needed greenspace for the residents of the concrete jungle of Central London. I can imagine lots of dog walkers come here and enjoy the views up river while their pooches stretch their legs. Dozens of sparrows chased each other through the bushes and surrounding trees as we gazed upon the stunning memorial. A large cutout of a dove commemorates the residents of the East End of London who died during the blitz in World War II. You can view it from both sides and different angles. It is really quite beautiful. 

We stayed long enough for the sparrows to settle and then talk a slow walk back to St Katharine’s dock. Eager for coffee we made a beeline to the benches we had reserved in our minds. Walking past private and council flats alike I reminded myself of how London neighbourhoods are so close to everything ‘touristy’ and historic. I’ll never get over how someone can walk out their front door and see the Tower London or Tower Bridge. It is fascinating. I somehow always forget that the cities of the world, London, New York, Barcelona, Paris etc are residential and how this must feel for the people living there. Do they see it differently to me? 

Mr W took the initiative to order me a latte (no decaf this time) with a shot of vanilla. He knows me so well. We sat on the bench outside the tiny coffee shop on one of the tiny walkways that lined the dock and drank it all in. We sat side by side so we could both enjoy the view. 

Big boats, 

Big sky. 

Big caffeine hit.     

I could have been anywhere. Bryant park in New York with a starbucks in hand. A Parisienne cafè with a tiny cappuccino. It was just lovely to stop. Being somewhere new does that I think. The coffee tastes better. The sounds are different. Everything feels good. St Katharine’s Dock in the sun rising haze felt easy like a sunday morning where the world is waking up and starting its day. It felt like a whispered secret between us and the big rousing city. 

Summer sunrise on the Thames