The City Race on Saturday was an Urban race rather than a sprint, ie longer legs in a less complex area.  Starting in Bermondsey again, we were initially moaning about the 2 km walk to the Start. That is, until we actually did it.  We followed the Thames Path along the south embankment, ducking through little archways and across little bridges, and passing apartments with million dollar views.  We crossed the Thames on Tower Bridge, then hugged the exterior walls of the Tower of London, before arriving in a small park next to a section of the original Roman wall of Londinium.  As Ian said, “shame they made this walk so uninteresting”.  I was thinking “how could Melbourne possibly compete with this?” It was one walk to a start that I wished was longer.

En route to the start, we walked past these …

With views like this …

We crossed this …

And passed this …

to start next to this Roman wall (as you do)

The course planner was determined to take us past as many landmarks as possible.  My first control was just on the other side of the Roman wall on Tower Hill. From there I ticked off the Leadenhall Market, the Walkie Talkie building, The Monument and London Bridge, before running across Southwark bridge and making my way back to Bermondsey through the streets of the south bank.  This area was very busy with tourists, and brought back memories of running through the crowds in Venice.  It was much longer than the advertised 4.4 km, and took me nearly an hour; I tired badly about halfway through.  With longer legs, more straight line running, and less complex navigation, we preferred yesterday’s course, but this one was a lot of fun, and a rare chance to run through an iconic area of one of the world’s most famous cities.

My first control was just the other side of the wall

Control at Leadenhall Market

This one is London Bridge. The other one is Tower Bridge. Tourists take note

I wanted to see the City up close, and at a slower pace, to have a good look at all the modern buildings.  Last time I was here, I spent a Sunday morning in the City, and it was lifeless.  Now there is so much more to see, and a lot more people around to give it some atmosphere.  We began by visiting a 3D scale model of the City, buried downstairs in the City Centre, next to the Guildhall.  This must be one of London’s best kept secrets – its free, and is kept up to date as new developments occur.  We spent some time tracing our respective running routes through the city.

Model of London, City Centre (next to Guildhall)

Next, we took a look at the remains of a Roman amphitheatre, which was discovered when excavating for the Guildhall Art Gallery, and is one of the most significant finds of Roman London.  After that, Ian headed for home via the shopping centre for a rest, while me and my camera continued wandering.

Guildhall outside

And inside

After a peek inside the grand Guildhall, I followed my nose, first to Cornhill, where I saw the Bank of England and the Royal Exchange.  Next was the beautiful architecture of the Leadenhall Market.  From there I wandered to Lime Avenue, Fenchurch Street and St Mary Axe, where the new glass and steel icons of the city are clustered – most famously, the Cheese Grater, the Walkie Talkie and the Gherkin. The new Lloyds building is reminiscent of Paris’s Pompidou, with its infrastructure on the outside.   It’s all very different to the way it looked 20 years ago, but the shine and glitter sits surprisingly well with the grey stone of yesteryear.  What’s nice is that many of the new buildings reflect the old in their mirrored surfaces.  My favourite is the Gherkin, which is actually has a rather attractive exterior.

Bank of England

Leadenhall Market

Older staircase

Newer staircase

Walkie Talkie building

Reflections

The Gherkin

I retraced some of my steps of this morning, following the Thames Path back to the Tower. Years ago, the Tower and the bridge were the only things here.  Now they are surrounded by offices, hotels, restaurants and bars, and tourists swarm along the river.

Old and new

Tower Hill and skyline

I took a closer look at the Roman wall, before crossing Tower Bridge for one last time.  I’d just reached the other side when a siren sounded, an official shooed us behind a white line, and I was able to watch another lift.

Bridge lifting

Patient commuters. Cyclists go first after a lift

It was time to head back through Bermondsey, onto the tube to Stratford and Hackney Wick, then the short, and now very familiar, walk home.

A splash of colour