London Bridges, 5 Days Down

We’re wrapping up our 5-day stay in London, and it’s been terrific, all we were hoping for. We finally got to see Mark in something other than his purple shirt after his luggage arrived late Tuesday night. All’s well that ends well; we were most delighted to have our much-researched hiking gear for Switzerland and Kilimanjaro back in our possession.

Our Thames River cruise on the way to Greenwich (see July 29 post) gave us a nice overview of what we would explore this week. We could really see the tidal effect on the river at different times of day; depending on the time of year, there is up to a 23-ft difference between low and high tide at London Bridge.  The river looks pretty murky, but it’s actually quite clean, and over 100 species of fish have been recorded in the past 30 years, many within the London section of the river.

London Bridge is often confused with Tower Bridge.

London Bridge
London Bridge
Tower Bridge SMT
Tower Bridge

The current London Bridge is one of several that have spanned the Thames between the City of London and Southwark over the centuries. Mom and Dad have seen the predecessor to this one during their winter stays in Arizona, as it was sold to an American businessman in 1968; the pieces were numbered as they were taken apart, shipped to the US via the Panama Canal, and reconstructed at Lake Havasu City.

London Bridge on Lake Havasu in Arizona
The “Old” London Bridge on Lake Havasu in Arizona

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