thawaio.a personal journal
thawaio.

Part 1 of 8Tagging along to London

Our first days in London

Landing at Heathrow, and a first full day around the Tower of London, St Katharine Docks and Tower Bridge.

By Thawaio1 min read23–24 April 2022 · London

Tower Bridge seen along the riverside walk at Tower Wharf, with tall plane trees in new leaf, people walking on the paving and a blue sky with white clouds.
Tower Bridge from Tower Wharf, 24 April.

We flew to London on Singapore Airlines SQ308 and landed at Heathrow at 3:40 in the afternoon on 23 April. For the first week, we stayed at the London Heathrow Marriott.

This was my first visit to London.

Our first full day

On Sunday, 24 April, we were meeting some of my wife’s friends for lunch. We set out early, so that we could see some of the landmarks nearby first.

A wide view across the brown water of the Thames to the Shard and the offices on the south bank, with a large white cruise ship moored by a pier, under a blue sky.
The Thames from Tower Wharf, with the Shard across the river.

We saw the Tower of London from the outside.

The stone outer walls and round towers of the Tower of London, with the White Tower rising behind and visitors walking along the paved path in front.
The walls of the Tower of London.
A tall black weatherboarded building with balconies of flowers beside a marina, with small boats moored in front and trees in new leaf.
The Dickens Inn at St Katharine Docks.

After lunch

After lunch, some of the friends left. The rest of us stayed near Tower Bridge, chatting and enjoying the atmosphere.

A boy in a blue jumper, seen from behind, leaning on a stone river wall below one of the towers of Tower Bridge.
My son at the river wall below Tower Bridge.
The pointed glass tower of the Shard rising between two office buildings, with white clouds behind.
The Shard, later in the afternoon.