16 - 25 August, 2014
The first day I headed to
the Chelsea Physic Garden started with getting on the wrong train.
(The second day I headed to there it wasn’t open but we won’t go
there – I didn’t read the opening times properly, and to top that
off, the nearby Army Museum was closed until 2016 for renovations.)
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| Chelsea Physic Garden, through the railings |
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| National Army Museum |
The wrong train led me to
the most touristy thing I did in London, going to O2 (formerly the
Millenium Dome) and from there a ride on the corporately named
Emirates cable car.
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| View of O2 from the cable car |
Both reminded me of Melbourne: the O2 area being as soulless as Melbourne’s Docklands area, and the cable car being sited in a less than exciting viewing area, as is Melbourne’s troubled Star Observation Wheel. The cable car ride lasted all of five minutes but it wasn’t expensive, you could even use your Oyster card. Bonus! (I did feed my Oyster Card quite a bit while in London!!)
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| Fly Emirates cable car |
After the cable car and not
spotting where the tube entrance was (still hoping to get to that
garden!), I found myself across the river from the Tower of London,
one place I’ve never really wanted to visit but I did get an
excellent view of its walls, and the growing field of ANZAC poppies, as I joined the throngs and headed to the
walk across Tower Bridge.
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| Tower of London, from the approach to Tower Bridge |
No sooner had I crossed than the warning sounded: all traffic off the bridge, it was to be raised to let a (motoring) yacht pass. I don’t know how often it happens but it was a sight to see.
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| Tower Bridge - raised |
The next twist of fate led
me to the Old Operating Room of Old St Thomas’s Hospital. To get
there I had to climb a tower for it is housed in the former ringing
chamber and roof space of what remains of the church of the old
hospital.
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| Up the tower at Old St Thomas's |
This would have to be the
smallest and quaintest museum I’ve ever been to, crammed as it is
with old operating instruments, dried herbs, a snake skin and ancient
medical paraphernalia galore.
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| Ladies! ... a cervical dilator 😝 ... amongst other things |
I dare say it’s cleaned
regularly but it’s filled with dust traps and with the old wooden
beams – you wouldn’t want to drop a match! The operating room
itself was quite small and those observing surgeries were jammed in
like sardines (the space between the railings meant being thin was
compulsory!).
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| Old operating theatre |
I did manage to get home OK.
Just as well! - a delicious pub dinner and a lovely chat with my host
Adrian was still on the ‘to do’ list!
