Harvesting the poppies...

I'm afraid I'm rather late in blipping our amazing day out in London. We set off on the 6.46 train and were at The Tower of London by 8.30, enabling us to see the 'Blood swept lands and seas of red...' with relatively few other people round. We strolled round the whole of the perimeter of the Tower of London, and I took many photographs. The weather was grey and misty - somehow more suitable than bright sunshine. We finished our circuit just as the army of volunteers trooped onto the site to start their day of harvesting. I pondered whether to post an unsullied view of the remaining poppies, but felt that this was a better reflection of the day. Somehow the camaraderie, hard work and mud seem a particularly fitting tribute to all those soldiers that the installation sought to commemorate.

We then headed to Tower Bridge, and were among the first in. The new glass floor on the West Walkway was certainly vertiginous, but the highlight for me was the Engine Room - I really enjoyed the beautiful Victorian machinery and puzzling out how it all worked. Then it was off to Butler's Wharf, where we discovered Teapod - one of the best cafes I've ever visited, with a raspberry and white chocolate brownie to die for... Feeling refreshed we continued strolling east along the river towards Bermondsey, finding the remains of old wharves and a floating village constructed from old Thames barges, complete with amazing gardens and cycle racks.

We were planning to visit the Tate Modern, so eventually headed back west along the river, but got totally distracted by Borough Market - vibrant, bustling, so many different wonderful foods - farmhouse cheeses, sourdough breads, game, poultry, oysters from Essex, spices galore, wild mushrooms, flavoured oils and salts - truly a foody paradise - I can't believe that I'd never visited before. We eventually dragged ourselves away and spent a while in the Tate Modern, but returned for a late lunch - superb street food eaten outside in the shadow of Southwark Cathedral. Then it was time to head for the station - exhilarated and satiated by all the sights, sounds and smells of the city.