A gloomy sky hung above, clusters of clouds moved and rain poured ever so slightly. The murky water of the Thames accepted the droplets of rain, and a concoction of languages were floated throughout the crowded street behind me. It was an experience from a tourist’s point of view; the continuous hand waves to halt the famed black cabs of London every now and then, the eerie looks I got walking down the streets by rushing Londoners, and the numerous stops I made to take photos of prominent victorian-era buildings.
A first stop. A mysterious window into the ocean. The London aquarium is situated adjacent to the Thames. It was filled with children left utterly baffled by the seamless movement of the calm sharks, the blue lighting immersed the visitors with an underwater ambience of calmness. The penguins wobbled left and right. Behind, tiny hands waved and smudged the glass with their fingerprints. The fish swiftly changing direction, trying to flee.
A transition from blue to green. From one form of life to another, I was taking a walk in Hyde park. Large trees loomed above, the shade from their leaves touching the ground. I had a calming gaze into the view in front of me, a cool breeze of wind passed along, people were lying on the smooth green grass, enjoying an earned break from work.
A modern view. A series of high end shops arranged within a shopping mall. Harrod’s provided something for everyone: food, souvenirs, fashion products, toys, and much more. It never seemed to end, floor after floor, shop after shop. Buying an item meant buying another, creating a chain reaction of purchases. The exterior of which was a meshwork of glowing lights.
A moment in the sky. I was standing hundreds of meters apart from the ground in a glass capsule in the London Eye. It overlooked the whole of London, you could see the outskirts of London on on the horizon. The sky still frowning with clouds, the waiting line was filled with a mixture of cheerful and unhappy faces. It felt like forever to reach the end of it, but it was a joy to experience such scenery that the Eye had to offer to tourists.
A snippet of the past. An image of war. The Imperial War Museum of London was dominated by a substantial amount of hanging aeroplanes, rusty tanks, submarines, and a collection of uncharged missiles from both World Wars. The next two floors downwards contained plastic replicas of soldiers frozen in time, shouting and pointing fingers and guns, ready to face death. The darkened, cold, corridors gave the perfect claustrophobic theme of war.
A familiar place. Towards the end of my visit, I found myself in Heathrow Airport once again. Some planes landing, others departing. I waited for my plane, thinking about the experiences I had in the city of fog and how wonderous my visit was. Contemplating about the future and looking forward to yet another visit to London.
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Great writing, but as soon as I saw the topic “City of Fog”, I automatically thought it would be about San Francisco!
This is a lovely post – very poetic. Thank you! Alex