A Thames Walk and Play Day - Sep 14, 2019

We decided to do something a little different today, take the tube out to Hammersmith and walk on one of the Thames walking trails. Saw this awesome looking building on our way from Hammersmith station down to the Thames. The bonus is the chimney pots, so it looks like a two-for-one photo.

Hammersmith bridge over the Thames built in the 19th century. It is a suspension bridge that uses wrought iron bars linked together rather than the modern system of cables.

Currently it's closed to vehicular traffic due to cracks in its pedestals. Considering its age, it was built in 1887, those cracks are probably very well earned.

It's an interesting bridge. Think of Google as your friend.

A close-up of the links.

The Thames is a tidal river and it changes significantly when the tide is out.

The water is very smooth here and the shore is lined with rowing clubs which were out in abundance today.

Linda really like this photo which shows the eddies made by the horse and gives an indication of just how fast these sculls are moving.

Linda was laughing at the low bridge remembering our canal ride in Alkmaar where we had to continually duck our heads as we passed under the bridges.

The bridge is truly a thing of beauty.

Originally we were going to walk along the north bank which was a paved pathway next to the Thames. However we decided to walk across the bridge simply because it was so beautiful and once on the side we discovered that the path was a gravel path that wound amongst the trees yet gave many views of the Thames.

Things that I don't even notice intrigue Linda to know it. This sign was one of them.

You would never know you were alone the Thames in London.

Linda the rock hound never passes up on intriguing looking rock no matter where it might be.

Serenity in the city.

It was cleanup day along the banks of the Thames for some and play with your dogs in the water for others. Note the couple taking a scull out of the water in the background.

Rockhound at work.

I have to admit that she does find some very interesting rocks and she's also very good about carrying them back herself, something that has taken me a long time to train her to do.

A set of views so you can see how she searches for her finds. And while long time readers might call these photos by a different name, they are merely I attempt to show how diligent she is at searching.

One thing for certain, sculls are only for skinny people.

The inside of an eight person scull. The hull is of fiberglass while the outriggers that hold the oars are titanium. We know that because they have a label saying titanium on them.

The seats slide back and forth on rails while the shoes are fastened to the plate.

So I take pictures of the different rowing clubs buildings and the one that looks the nicest I don't get the racks of sculls stacked in the bays. Suffice it to say that inside those large doors on the lower level are racks of dozens and dozens of sculls.

Linda the photographer at work. She's actually taking photos of the geese in the water but I thought she had some other interesting photos that she took a few minutes later.

A little in camera HDR and the picture really pops even if it is not quite what the eye saw.

What happened this when you take the same photo only have only the red colors show. Note the double-deck bus on the bridge.

I couldn't help myself, I just had to take this photo. He's on the left and she's on the right but the hairstyles are almost exactly the same.

Theater time. All the tickets we buy carry a 1.50 pound theater restoration levy. It looks like they were putting it to good use at this theater where we attended a matinee performance.

It's a bad photo, for some reason I've had a bit of a streak of not getting the exposures right, something I'm going to wait until we get back to Retama to correct.

As always, there is a theater selfie.

When you shake the camera during a long exposure you call it an art photo.

A very simple stage setting. The play was by far the best play we've seen in several years. Come Far Away is the story of a small town in Newfoundland that was suddenly thrust into having thousands of passengers land at their airport on September 11, 2001. It's a musical, and it's much much more than that. If you get a chance to see it, it will be something you will remember for a long time.

Just to confirm that Linda make sure that certain articles of clothing we wear our always clean. As a side note, she removed her similar type of apparel that was hanging here before she took this picture. I don't know why she do that, after all I think she looks pretty awesome in them.

No suspense for what the evening play was, and it was another musical, Waitress.

No scenery showing for this one before the play, and lots of set changes throughout, but we had another fantastic time with this wonderful story and great singing. After our disappointment that to musicals in one day earlier in the week, today just showed that you can't pick them all but when you do pick good ones are they ever good. This would be another one we would recommend for people to see.

Obligatory theater selfie. Hey I couldn't leave out the last one we took for the trip, now could I?

So I'm walking up the street after waitress is over, turn around to check on Linda, and there's no Linda there. It turned out she was back on the little short street that led up to the theater where The Lion King was playing taking pictures of the brightly lit tuk-tuk's waiting for the theatergoers to pour out of the theater. And with that I shall call it a day for today and get ready for our last day in London tomorrow even though I'm writing it at the end of tomorrow. Confused Bob. I think it's just about time to head home.