There's a Phantom on the road

Super excited to see this. I would have draped myself over the bonnet had there not been a driver inside.

But there was !
As I moved to the side I saw him eyeballing me. Stop shutter.

And what exactly was it doing parked all alone here on this quiet street ? 
Well, Super posh people like to stay at Bailey's Hotel down the road.

Thus their drivers have to babysit this handmade beauty to prevent people like me from leaving my thumbprints all over its body .

See no touch, still it was a pleasure bumping into.

Hay's Galleria

 We've reached Hay's Galleria, a wharf from the 1800s converted into a shopping arcade .
I wouldn't go out of my way to see this place, it's just that we're cutting through to get to the tube on the other side of this building.

The names they give their pubs...

It's full house in here

The crowd inside is quite boisterous as

everyone seems to be nursing a beer.

Pass....

This is the entrance.

The roof you see is styled after a Victorian era railway station. Reminds me of one art gallery in Paris and another arcade in Sydney.

Somewhere in the middle lies an intriguing sculpture by David Kemp called The Navigators

It's a vessel with fins ,harpoons,moving parts and all

Second time here and I'm still not compelled enough to try out one of the cafes

The back road where we eventually found the tube station has livelier options. Putting this area on my KIV list

The Queen's Walk

The Queen's Walk is a riverside promenade by the river Thames. 
Take this route and you can brag that you have whizzed through most of London's best known attractions such as the Millenium Footbridge, St Paul's church, Shakespeare's Globe Theatre (amazing), Tate Modern Museum, London Eye and the Big Ben...all of that... in one day.

Compared to the Tower Bridge Piazza earlier on, this area was buzzing with life.

There was a free Olympic big screen viewing area for those without tickets.

Even a ping pong table on the field

Supporters comprised of locals and friendly foreigners

Besides the major attractions, many office buildings line the walkway

Stumbled upon this open air art exhibition

Found myself drawn nearer....

...to this brave "You Will Never Defeat Us" lady from Sarajevo who defied the Serbs and went to work as usual .

Would have loved to linger around like this girl if I weren't in a hurry to get back

...but I was and we passed the HMS Belfast, a real warship turned into a real museum today

Sky getting darker by the minute.

Going to Hays Galleria and taking the first Underground I see.

Tower Bridge Piazza

I don't suppose you would have the chance to explore this riverside street if you joined a tour group. Such a pity because it's really picturesque and dotted with many cafes to while the time away.

However as we walk inwards,  I find that many shops are beginning to close for the day



I'm not going to wander too far,  just up to the pretty gift shop before we make a U-turn back



This is as far as I will go as things are not so safe on this side of the Thames what more when it's so deserted at this time of the day

Most souvenirs sold in these kinds of set ups cost higher.

For example if one item costs £5 elsewhere, you'll probably be charged £5.99 here

Postcards are still in vogue here

They flank both sides of the shop

Turning back, we pass the engine room of the Tower Bridge and later The Vault, a makan joint that goes way back to 1894 .

As well as this very uniquely shaped postbox so different from the boring regular shaped ones.

Bought a can of soft drink ( cost a bomb !) and a soft ice cream ( tasted like the 99 sen cone from Mc Donald's) from Mr Whippy before moving on

The Shard

Coming from the land where the Petronas Twin Towers are , it's not difficult to see why I am a fan of new skyscrapers.

Overcast skies magnify it's majestic presence



Red double decker rumbles by

Interesting and mysterious .....

...from whichever angle you choose to shoot it

Views from Tower Bridge

Dead Man's Hole is actually a small foot tunnel that runs underneath the Tower Bridge

Make your way from this side of the Tower of London

Towards this small tunnel

From here take a left turn

Up the stairs

And walk forward

Turn back at this point, for views of The Gherkin and the Tower of London

We chanced upon something unusual today, the Olympic rings had been folded in

Directly under now .

The reason why this happened was because they were about to open up the bridge

Hurriedly snapped away...left...

...and right

I like this one the most

Sights around the Tower of London

By the time we made it here, the Tower had already closed for the day. 

Thought of backtracking into this historically steeped gift shop but didn't do that in the end 

Not to worry as there's plenty to see and do.

Enough to keep one busy and entertained.

Ever seen a lady chat up one of the beefeaters in bubble skirt ?

On this day I bore witness to it

The advantage of coming here even when closed is , you are able to catch many of the famous sights from one place.

Such as The Gherkin

Or comparing the Shard's modern contrast to the London of old

Tower Bridge 

Apparently it's not called London Bridge. The real London Bridge is a rather plain bridge further down.

Also wildlife on the banks of the river Thames