So was it hot enough for you?

So, slightly later than planned, here is the report of our trip on the Jubilee Greenway.

Once we had finished applying copious quantities of sun cream to ourselves and the concourse at Waterloo Station, we set off on our trip at 11.30. 

Out of Waterloo Station, down to Westminster Bridge and these are the views that awaited us.

We then headed to Buckingham Palace, just in time for Changing of the Guard, so one or two people around, but not the Queen who would appear to have been away from town getting ready for her trip to Canada.

Up through, and I do mean through, Wellington Arch, half of which used to house the second smallest police station in London, but that has now been replaced with an English Heritage Exhibition. The other half is hollow and is actually a ventilation shaft for the London underground, good disguise!!

On to Hyde Park and then Kensington Gardens, Paddington, Little Venice and the canal. Where we stopped for lunch; the restaurant straddles the canal and this is the view from our table.

More canal tow path, strewn with bodies dangling legs over the edge and oblivious to everything going on around, it made for VERY slow cycling, but what great views. Eventually we joined the Jubilee Greenway proper, much of which has been relaid in readiness for the Olympics. 

 

We got to see the building site that will soon be the 2012 centre, all very exciting, it even seems to be ahead of schedule, which is a worry of its own.

Then on to the views of London City Airport and the O2.

We crossed the river on the Woolwich Ferry, did you know that it is free? So, we were back on the South of the River and on to the Thames Barrier, what a feat of engineering and slightly out of this world, and more views of the O2.

We cycled round the O2 and saw a very strange piece of modern 'Art' that seemed to be made of used windscreen wipers. I now know that this is 'Quantum Cloud, 1999' by Antony Gormley, one of a series, which is itself a little worrying.

It was all a little intense and hot from there on as we tried to pick our way along the Thames Path, which seemed to spend more time away from the Thames than on it, so eventually we just headed for Waterloo and home. A great day, if a little warm and dirty, and significantly longer/slower than we had all thought so once we eventually got home at something after 8pm, a cool shower and a curry were very welcome.

Oh, and the temperature in the shade in London was recorded at 31 degrees Celsius, so quite hot!