Greenwich

The trip to London was as good as the previous six jaunts. When the alarm sounded and told me rise & shine on a Sunday, I was only happy to get up. I was in London and all set to feast my eyes on this metropolis where modernity mingles effortlessly with history.

The only tourist place I hadn’t visited before beckoned me and I did give in, Greenwich. From London Victoria station, the tube took me to the remarkably well built and stunning Canary Wharf station. Canary Wharf is where the skyscrapers are built in London, a contrast to the testimonials of the old architecture elsewhere in London. The sky kissing glass edifices of Citigroup, Barclays, HSBC etc. stood like stalwarts right outside the station gleaming at the passers by. A huge LCD screen was constantly getting updated with the latest world news right in front of the Reuters. The coffee bar next to it was bustling with activity. I was to catch a DLR train (Dockland Light Railway) to Cutty Sark station. Cutty Sark station gets its name from the one of the last sailing clippers which is permanently docked at Greenwich.

Winter time is when sun bids goodbye to Europe at around half three in the afternoon. The most valuable thing in winter is daylight and I had to make the most of what was available. After a considerable time at Cutty Sark, I made my way to National Maritime Museum and Royal Observatory. Museum boasts of exhibits of importance from the British naval history, in short, it encompasses Naval History in an enclosure. Behind he museum is the road flanked by trees whose leaves had been stolen by autumn. The twilight made the scenic surroundings etch a permanent picture in my memory. The orange glow among the trees only enhanced the beauty.


The thoroughfare led to the Royal Observatory which stands on a hillock. Though the building wasn’t all that impressive, but it still is considered the holy place when modern astronomy is the religion. The Prime Meridian passes through the observatory. It is marked by a brass strip in the courtyard where the cameras were clicking with everyone trying to sit on either side of it. The new addition, a bright Green Laser, shines across the London sky, for us to view the imaginary prime meridian. Standing on zero degrees Longitude…half of me on the eastern hemisphere, half on the western hemisphere, the London skyline was nothing less than captivating.

A few quiet moments and some photographs later, I was ready to call it a day, and a good day at that. Hopefully, the lazy me will sleep allowing me to write about the other places in London and the neighbourhood visited.