Although I have been retired for almost two years I had, up until now, not managed to organise a trip to London so, at rather short notice, I remedied this omission!
I decided to travel light and take only my Panasonic compact camera and, in all honesty, I was not properly prepared. I couldn't locate my pocket street atlas and I'd also overlooked the fact that it was half-term which meant that the capital would be busier than I anticipated; at least the weather was good.
I walked to the railway station and caught the 09:33 to Marylebone which arrived on time. My (rough) plan was to make my way to Westminster tube station so I set off on the Bakerloo line heading for Embankment where I would change onto the Circle or District line for Westminster but delays on the Bakerloo line forced a change at Baker Street and a direct trip to Westminster on the Jubilee line.
Emerging from the tube I crossed Westminster Bridge and took images of The Houses of Parliament, The London Eye and also the new National Covid Memorial Wall which is on the south bank of the Thames opposite the Houses of Parliament.
From here I walked down the south bank eventually arriving at the London Millenium Footbridge which I had not seen before. I took several images here and crossed over to the underground at St Paul's from where I caught the tube to Tower Hill. I took some images of the Tower of London and Tower Bridge and then retraced by footsteps (by tube!) to Monument where I took some images of... The Monument which commemorates the Great Fire of London in 1666. I have previously climbed to the top of it, but not today!!
From here I walked "underground" to Bank station, took a few images and then returned to St. Paul's where I grabbed lunch at the local Greggs.
At this point the lack of a street atlas and the failure of the internet on my mobile was hindering progress but my limited knowledge of the streets of London got me down Fleet Street, along the Strand and eventually into Trafalgar Square where I took my final images. Although it was not late I decided to head for home and caught the16:18 train from Marylebone to Banbury.
By the time I had walked home my Fitbit advised that I had walked 12 miles, and my feet confirmed it!! I have posted some images to a new London Gallery and the trip will hopefully prove a useful precursor to a future more carefully planned expedition!!