The Reflexive: London Town

London

Hey y’all. It’s been some time since I came at you in this blog to share my travel adventures thus far. Other than my updates of reminders of my photography prints for sale, and my summer discount, which I will do here again, Photo Sale, it’s been almost 3 months since my last entry.. It’s now been approximately 9 and half months since I began this adventure and I am trying to figure out what to do with my life.

I don’t mean in the sense of some sort of panic, "What am I going to do?! What am I going to do?!” It’s more along the lines of, what do I want to do? Today I don’t really know. When I started this, I said after a year I’d come back to Austin. But I really wasn’t 100% committed to that idea. After all, I would need to get another apartment and do all the things that you need to do to make that happen. The truth is I don’t really want to live in one place or settle down as it were. And I certainly don't want to acquire more things. I've really found out that I need so much less. I remember being despondent during my apartment sale because I was getting rid of my things but the reality is I don't miss those things at all, regardless how nice and cool they were. I guess you could say what I want to do is live in a bunch of different places, a little bit here and then a little bit there. It’s pretty much what I’ve been doing this whole time. It’s a lifestyle I want to pursue and I really like but up to a point. The reality is that to continue it this way isn’t sustainable. Although I am traveling pretty cheaply, primarily staying in places for free via Trusted Housesitters and Workaway, I still need to spend money on transportation, food, entertainment and my regular monthly bills, obviously. My plan since the beginning was to hopefully get some sort of remote work. I never did get the remote work, though I have made some money through photo sales. But even without the remote work, I budgeted out to go on this journey for a year with the money I had saved. Another part of this journey I hadn’t thought about was all the down time or unstructured time I would have. After all there is only so much adventuring and sightseeing one can go on. I’ve also never been one to utilize my free time sufficiently, as I can be lazy and a great procrastinator. Though I have devoted time to artistic endeavors such as my photography and writing, I still have free time even after watching all the stuff on streaming TV or wasting time on the internet.I end up using that free time just thinking and that usually is never good. An idle mind is the devil’s playground they say. It mostly manifests itself in negative stuff about myself, which we all go through from time to time regardless of whatever free time is available to us. But I definitely believe that filling up that time with structure, like a job, would certainly help. I guess this is obvious but I just didn’t think about this aspect of my travels. In my two workaways that I did, I did spend about 15- 20 hours a week towards work of some kind, which was good. Everyone would love to spend 2 weeks just lying on a beach in Hawaii but what about for a whole year? You've got to do other things. So if I continue this sort of lifestyle, whether in the states or abroad(I still need to go to visit my family history in Poland) I must do it differently. And isn't that the essence of life: Experience life, live it to the fullest, go through trials and tribulations, learn from them. Repeat.

A narrow boat in Little Venice near Paddington

Covent Garden. The man in the center was singing Volare

Mural in Walthamstow

Now despite trying to figure out my life, I’ve had a wonderful time. I’ve been in London since July 3rd and will continue to be here till at least September 20th. I didn’t plan on being in London this long, that’s just how it’s worked out. I’ve stayed in 5 different areas of London this time around and with the 2 other places I stayed at when I was here back in March, I've really got a feel for London. The place I’m currently staying at in London is in an area called Rotherhithe. I’m literally next to the Brunel Museum, if you want to map it. It also is one of my favorite places I’ve stayed so far. I’m right across the street from a park that overlooks the River Thames. In fact, as I am writing this, I’m at Bermondsey Beach, in a little park overlooking the Thames. My view straight ahead is Tower Bridge. To the right is the financial center skyline of The City of London. To the left is a large crane on a barge that’s involved with sort of work refurbishing one of the piers There are all kinds of boats moored along the docks and quays as well as moving through the Thames. (Technically as I write this now, I’m typing on my laptop in the apartment but I did originally write my first draft overlooking the view I just described)

Paddington Station

Bishopsgate in The City of London

Pride Matters mural in Shoreditch by Autone and Neist

Being right next to Thames is definitely the main reason it’s one of my favorite places. Throughout this trip I’ve been lucky enough to stay close to the rivers of particular cities, like River Clyde in Glasgow and River Tyne in Newcastle. And if I wasn’t right next to some water, it didn’t take long to get there. When I was in Austin, I was a five minute walk to Lady Bird Lake. I would stroll along the paths by The Stevie Ray Vaughn statue and then head over to the pedestrian bridge and watch the setting sun light up the skyline. One of my favorite spots to be in the whole world is in Seattle, right under the Aurora bridge on the Fremont side. I would come here regularly and sit on the benches and take in all the sights and sounds of Lake Union and the ship canal. I loved gazing at the Fremont Bridge and loved its sounds as it alerted everyone it was about to go up. On a clear day you could see Mt. Rainier rising up in the distance. So I love water, and I love strolling along the riverfront. This area is part of the greater Docklands of London. The main docklands were across the river, like St. Katherine docks and West India Docks. The latter is now home to the London Museum Docklands which I went to just the other day and I highly recommend you check it out if you plan to make London a destination. In my area, Rotherhithe, it didn’t deal as much with goods and the like entering London. Although there are warehouses, most of which have been redeveloped into apartments, there were more maintenance type situations here, like ship repair. The building I’m staying in was built in 1904. It’s one of 5 buildings, called the Swan buildings, that were built to rehouse all the people that were displaced when the construction of Rotherhithe Tunnel commenced. It’s a flat on the 5th floor, it’s a walkup and has a very cool layout. From the kitchen window, the Thames is right there with a view of the City of London Skyline. From the living room and bedroom windows I can see the Canary Wharf skyline. Of course I would arrange things differently in this flat. That’s what I’ve done in all the places I’ve stayed at, redecorated them in my mind. I would move the couch over there and get a round table instead of a square table. Don’t you do that? The neighborhood is fairly quiet other than the many joggers who pass by. There is nobody at the docks or quays in a 10-15 minute walk in any direction, just local folk really but a 25 minute walk to the west gets me to Tower Bridge where all the action is.

Where all the people are at-Westminster Bridge

Tower Bridge

I don’t mind huge crowds of people, If it’s outside on the streets. Probably the most touristy place in London, the most crowded, is around Parliament and Big Ben by the Westminster Bridge and the London Eye. Then from there, the short distance to Trafalgar square with The National Galleries. I love seeing all the people from everywhere taking photos. There is definitely energy I appreciate, which is why I’ve gone back to these areas frequently. I don’t like crowds inside though, especially at a place like a museum. My worst memory of this is when I first went to Europe years ago and went to the Palace of Versailles in France. It was like a cattle call and it wasn’t even the height of the season. Whenever you go to a place, just go early.

Chinatown in the West End

Notting Hill Carnival

Most of all I love walking. That’s when you see everything and I can do what I love best, photography. And there are so many walks to go on. You can walk from Battersea Power station all the way to where I’m at now, mostly all along the riverfront. I did a nice walk recently from The Portobello Road Market in Notting Hill to Abbey Road studios in St John's Wood and from there it was a quick walk to Regent's Park and Primrose Hill. Speaking of Notting Hill, I’ve got an idea for a sequel to the movie. Julia Robert’s character’s career has gone bust, she’s box office poison. Hugh Grant’s bookstore has failed because of Amazon. At some point they get involved in and become ruthless underworld powerhouses in the ecstasy and fentanyl game using the bookstore as a front. Let’s get Tom Hardy involved. He’s usually in stuff like this. That’s what I have so far. I’ll use some of my idle time to punch it up somewhat.

Trelick Tower

Central Saint Giles

I’ve got tons of photos to share. Although I’ve sent links to photos from Manchester, Liverpool and Leeds trips, I haven’t done so through this blog. Plus I have 2 months of London photos to share. It’s a lot of photos. If any of y’all want any advice on what to do in London, or Paris, Amsterdam and Glasgow, let me know. If I could do it all over again, I’d be a travel agent and guide. I’m sure I’d be one of those people holding a flag leading a group of strangers down the street spouting all sorts of factoids at them. I’m sure I’d tell horribly dad jokes as well.
Today is also my birthday, facebook reminded me. I’ll also make another plug for my photo prints for sale. Or if you are so moved, you can get me a birthday muffin. Or even better, one of my favorite bands, Throwing Muses, is playing here in London in a few weeks. It’s fronted by the great Kirstin Hersh. I’ve seen her in many iterations over the years, the last being her band 50 Foot Wave at the Crocodile in Seattle a long time ago. All the links are below.

Manchester

Liverpool/Leeds

London-July

London-August

POC Photo Company Prints

Birthday Muffin

How are you?