Every big city is a city of surprises, and London no less so. There are always the landmarks everyone knows—the Tower, the Abbey, the Palace and so on—but part of the fun is finding the unexpected.
Excursion boat glides out of the tunnel portal, under a restaurant built across the canal.
On a London visit 20 years ago, the teenagers among us wanted to visit the Camden Lock market area, with all its color and shopping; while there, we realized that the lock was right there, and that the canal still carried traffic, and specifically a tour boat that would take us along the Regents Canal, next to and even under London's streets.
We took the trip, one-way to Little Venice, which we'd never heard of. It's both the big basin where the Regents Canal meets the Grand Union Canal, and the neighborhood around it. It's also the neighborhood of houseboats along the lower reach of the Regents Canal, a place with a life of its own.
Not only a puppet theatre for amusement; there's also an art gallery on a barge
Last summer, while in London, we rented an apartment around the corner from the Maida Hill tunnel, which takes the Canal underground for about a fifth of a mile. Near the end of our stay, we took a morning walk from the tunnel portal down to the basin; these pictures are from that walk.
Plenty of birds make their home along the walk, especially greylag geese and ducks; only a couple of pictures here, but if you like birds, there are some more in the slideshow below.
We planned to take the boat ride again, in reverse, but sadly, a heavy rain put an end to the plan. Perhaps another time!
Comments (1)