Iceland and UK 2016: London 14/15 July

Thursday 14th July. A roof-top garden in London? Sounds good, so let's go! You have to book? Yes, free-of-charge, but many visitors want to go to the Sky Garden so there is a booking process, security checks, guards constantly patrolling etc.

The 'Walkie-Talkie' building (will explain that later) at 20 Fenchurch St and the Sky Garden would probably be a property in Monopoly if that well-known game was invented last week. Three levels of gardens on floors 35-37 and a 'morning tea' spot par excellence.

Hmmm... that looks like .....

The views of London from the rooftop garden were superb. The 'Shard' is a dominating structure on London's skyline and there is a story as to why the top had to be split, leading to the design which looks like several 'shards' of glass thrown together.

The Tower Bridge looks good from any angle but this and many other views from here are spoiled by the intrusive glass security screen. This causes reflections etc.

The 'Shard'...

... and the security screen has etched line drawings of the main landmarks as you look at them, in case you didn't know what it was.

The 'Gherkin' labelled ....

... and 'The Gherkin' unadorned.

A view of St Paul's in amongst the reflections. Truly a great building.

The Sky Garden building is called the 'walking-talkie' building. Guess you see why when you look at it from a distance.

Up close you can see the lines going up are not vertical. The only constant is horizontal, so it must have been a nightmare to build. I suppose some high-tech assistance may have helped and the old style 3-4-5 triangles and 'plumb-bobs' may have been used to give builders a vertical line for a door etc.

A casual stroll south across London Bridge and hook a right turn downriver leads to the 'Shakespeare's Globe Theatre' which is a replica reconstruction of the original. At this time, there was a production of 'The Taming of the Shrew', so Mary booked us in well in advance. A sensational experience! Did not know the story so picked it up through the play, but it was very entertaining with the cast interacting with the audience, especially the poor 'peasants' who had standing room tickets in front of the stage. They, and the cast, would get wet if it rained, but it was clear and sunny on the day we visited.

We were on the top level, which was 50 steps up the staircase out the back. Seats are wooden, so one can hire a cushion if you'd prefer. The seats are cramped with no leg room, but people were much shorter back in Shakespearean time. We could lean over and feel very involved.

The show commences with some musicians 'warming-up' the crowd. They then provide the music for the play. No photos were allowed so I'll check for online photos and post them if they're legal.

Short people are especially welcomed.

I suppose hecklers in the old days could throw things if dissatisfied with the performance. Tomatoes and eggs etc were not provided for the performance we attended.

Then a quick trip on the Underground at peak hour, which helps you understand two things: what sardines feel like and why Mr Rexona did what he did! OK, just joking. The Underground is incredibly efficient at moving millions in minutes.

The day finished with dinner at Pachamamas, a Peruvian Restaurant in Marylebone, with some of Kate's work colleagues. Another great day!

Friday 15th July .... ahhh the weekend! So what do you do in London if you've got a weekend? How about Paris? Yes, let's go....

OK, it was booked some time ago, but why spoil a good story with facts? Off to the Eurostar! Will be in Paris in 2 hours.

The train gets along quickly, but it's only when you fire up your navigator to check the speed that you realise how fast it is going. Just under 300 km/h is pretty slick!