Tourist stuff in Greenwich
A riverboat cruise from Embankment to Greenwich only costs around £4.5 if you have a Transport for London Travelcard, which you will if you’re at all sensible and in London. The way the city transforms around you when you travel downstream after Tower Bridge is really amazing. Buildings get weirder and weirder toward the Docklands until you end up in a strangely desolate and quiet area.
I couldn’t quite place what I felt was strange landing on the pier in Greenwich, until I realized it was because the place was silent. The constant humdrum and cacophony of London becomes such second nature that you only notice it when it’s not there. It was replaced by talking tourists, birdsong and other small-town sounds, which made it feel a lot like Helsinki, especially with the green in the park which reminded me a lot of Kaivopuisto. I remember how I read old books at my grandparents’ that mentioned Greenwich as a “village outside London”. It isn’t a separate village anymore, but feels very distinct.
I’d have pictures but the camera battery died just after Tower Bridge. It just means I’ll have to go back to take some.
Of course, the place is completely oriented toward the tourist, but it was still quite enjoyable, being mere miles from Central London but having a distinctive maritime feel. It is definitely a place I’d recommend visiting in London. Besides, the bus ride back into London takes only half an hour and takes you through the scenic borough of Lewisham, with the council estates in Deptford and Rotherhithe – a bit of real London.