Putney Boat Race

The Putney Boat Race between Cambridge and Oxford has been going on for many years.  I thought it would be a good idea to check it out given that I live in Putney and this event puts putney on the map.

London Waterloo Station

Here's a typical scene when there's a problem at Waterloo Station on Friday when people want to go home.  Good thing was that my wife and I were meeting at Waterloo to go out to dinner.

New Bompton

My Brompton arrived for a late Christmas and fortunately today was a nice day to go for a spin in London.

Fully Loaded, surprisingly this setup was not bad.  I had about 6 books in my bookbag in the front

Ready to go

Chain setup, 3 speed

Park position with the little wheels on the rack to roll it around when folded

Folded, the seat is also a handle for the entire bike when folded

Chain in the middle, so you can't get dirt on yourself when carrying it

Fits perfectly in my car, note the built-in bike pump

Wimbledon Windmill

I like this time of year, just before the cold sets in, the sunsets are really nice and the nature beings out it's darker colors.

This windmill is in located on the park between Wimbledon and Putney.  There's a museum and also a nice cafe in the back where you can get warm food and a drink.  The hike is quite nice, just wish they would get rid of the parking lot and make people walk to it to enjoy it like they do in Holland - but that would not be the British way of doing it would it?

Ordered a Brompton

I miss my old bike in San Francisco and commuting in London is not the most exciting thing in the world.  The tube does work (most of the time) and is ok, but the drawback is that it's madly expensive (I would put it up as the most expensive in the world) and overpacked for a system that is 150 years old.

Fortunately my current job is only 8 miles away from home.  I use to cycle to work in San Francisco (with real hills!) and enjoyed it quite a bit.  So it was a no brainer to get a bike in London.  My thoughts jumped around on what kind of bike I should get - a full size hybrid, a fast fixy, or a foldy.  After thinking it over the idea of a Brompton looked really attractive.

Advantages are that you can really take it everywhere, on vacation, on the tube if the weather turns sour during the day.  I also like the fact that they are built in London and are a local business employing people who I see daily.

Here's a photo of my order, it's expected to be ready by Christmas:

St Paul's Cathedral

Within the City, there are laws that regulate the visibility of St. Paul's Done.  No building should be built that blocks it.  But it's not the tallest building as in Munich or Rome.

St Paul's Cathedral at Sunset

A photoshoot on the steps of St Paul's Cathedral

A bus zooms by

City (2/3)

A few more photos as the sun was getting lower.

The Shard

The Tower of London

Leadenhall Market

Lord Mayor's Mansion

City (1/3)

After getting my photo permit for the City of London, I went out and took this three part series of photos.

The Cheesegrater

Lloyd's of London

Royal Exchange

Cutty Sark

Some more photos of Cutty Sark.  Here's one older ones.

Greenwich Park

Some photos from Greenwich park.

The Royal Observatory at dusk

Greenwich College

More photos of Greenwich College.

Greenwich College and the green laser that marks the meridian from the Royal Observatory

Canary Wharf at Night

Some photos taken on a photowalk of Canary Wharf at night.

London

A few photos taken in spring:

Greenwich College

Trafalgar Square and the National Gallery

Slow photography

Got a new ND filter for my camera and was playing around with some slow photography.

City Sunset

Some photos taken when heading home after a night out in the City.

Brick Lane London

Brick lane, and the area around it is known for the Banksy and others graffiti.  It's an interesting mix of cultures, art and urban life.