A bit of the Hammersmith Bridge taken from our side of the Thames.


i spend a lot of time writing about how confused i feel living in London and about how different things are here, so today i thought i'd give it a brief rest.

today i took a late morning walk along the River Thames outside my flat.  i walked down to the nearest bridge for getting across the Thames -- the Hammersmith Bridge -- which i adore.  the Hammersmith Bridge is an enormous wrought iron bridge that was built in 1887.  it's painted all over in green and gold, which is probably why i dig it so much, and it's got a rough history:  the IRA has tried to blow it up three times (unsuccessfully in 1939 and 1996 and successfully in 2000).

you have to appreciate something that resilient.

i took a few pictures of the bridge, which was a lot harder than it sounds -- and unfortunately they didn't turn out so great -- then i strolled home. 

on the rather short walk from the base of the Hammersmith bridge to my flat there are five pubs.  yes, five.  i find this a little amusing and a lot convenient considering almost all of them serve good food in addition to drink (something American bars do NOT usually offer).  there's The Old City Arms, Blue Anchor, Rutland Arms, The Dove and Old Ship -- with Old Ship being right in my backyard.  then there's The Black Lion, which i love, but that's on the further side of my flat's building so i didn't pass it today...

ANYway, on the walk home something unexpected caught my ear.  i was passing the open window of a small school classroom, and inside there was a chorus of kids singing in unison to a piano.  it was the most beautiful sound to hear, there in the quiet of a weekday morning walk -- the view of the Thames at low tide, a cool breeze, blue patches of sky above and the voices of little children singing filling the air. 

i wished at that moment that i could take a picture of a sound. 

it was glorious.


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