A bike tour along the Thames

Today a group of about 30 of us did a bike tour up and down each side of the River Thames. It was a Fat Tire Bike Tour, and previously I have done their Royal Parks Tour, so I was keen to try another tour that they offer.We broke into 3 smaller groups as it was easier to negotiate the traffic that way, with 3 guides who stop and tell you interesting and historical facts about what you see as you are cycling along. 

Today we started near Waterloo Station and cycled all the way down to Borough Market where we had lunch. Then we continued to Tower Bridge, where we crossed over to the north side of the river. Crossing this bridge was slightly scary as it has no cycle lanes and you are sharing a very busy road with huge trucks, cars and impatient taxis. Actually, we never once felt unsafe and as cycling is such a well established and acceptable way of commuting around the city all the drivers were very courteous to us cyclists.

We continued to the Tower of London, on to Billingsgate Market and after viewing the Monument we joined the new cycle superhighway along the Embankment and cycled all the way back to Waterloo. The cycle superhighway is absolutely brilliant - thank you dear Boris, it is a wonderful legacy to leave to this city now that you are no longer mayor of London, and you are forgiven for all your other silly foibles!

It was a glorious day, sunny and bright and on a day like today London is humming with joie de vivre. Did you know London has a beach? The tide was out and people were walking along the beach, beach combing and enjoying the sunshine. The outdoor pubs were full and the south bank was teeming with groups of foreign school children visiting this beautiful city. Near Tower Bridge they have outdoor restaurants and pop up bars in the new London Riviera area with deck chairs where businessmen in suits were sunning themselves on their lunch hour! What a wonderful place to work in the summer.