Epic Hikes of the World ( PDFDrive )

flows swift. You notice the traffic on the river, not just the roads – pleasure cruises
full of tourists, police boats speeding up and down, barges carrying goodnessknows-what.
Gulls wheel above, screeching. As the tide goes out, the bridges seem
to grow taller, and the riverbanks reveal themselves. A bulldog chases a stick, a
couple of amateur archaeologists pick their way along the water’s edge. All the
while, the river flows by. The Thames isn’t big by global standards, but it is the
heart of this city today, as it has been for 2000 years.
“You’ll see more nationalities here than almost anywhere else on earth”
The second thing you’ll notice is that this hike isn’t just about landscape. The
soundscape is just as varied and interesting. Sure, there’s traffic sometimes. But
most of the time, there are the sounds of water, boats and gulls to remind you that
you’re in a port. You hear snatches of conversations in Cockney and Catalan,
Arabic and Urdu. Sounds dip in and out. Eaters and drinkers add hubbub,
punctuated by raucous laughs. Music undercuts it all.
It may not be natural beauty, but if you want to spend a day marvelling at what
man has created, then a stroll along the banks of the Thames is, well…epic. PP
ROYAL PERKS
While Tower Bridge to Lambeth Bridge hits the most sights, the section from
Hampton Court Bridge to Richmond Bridge is almost as spectacular, but shows a
different side to the city. It starts at King Henry VIII’s Hampton Court Palace and
meanders past stately homes and country parks built as weekend retreats in
centuries past. Or the keen can walk the whole 184 miles (296km) from the source
of the Thames to the sea.
ORIENTATION