The Great River Race

John and I belong to a local walking group in Leigh on Sea, they organise walks and cycle rides and other social activities. There are generally two or three walks a month and a couple of bike rides. Mostly we drive out to a designated area and are guided by a fellow walker who has reccied the walk beforehand. Sometimes however, we take the train to -  guess where?  yes London.

Yesterday saw ten of us on the Isle of Dogs with a view to watching the start of the Great River Race where some fellow members - four boats in all - rowed up river 22 miles to Richmond. There were hundreds of boats taking part and some with as many as sixteen rowers.

 

We took the train to Limehouse and boarded the Docklands Light Railway to Crossharbour

and proceeded to walk to the start

It was a race in itself just getting their boats into the water!

 

 

 

and across the road!

 

 

The sun shone all day - it was glorious

 



After the starter gun went off we continued our walk along the Thames Path

These old wharf buildings are everywhere - restored into luxury apartments

 





 

And some were so pretty too

 



 

 

You wouldn't expect to see so much greenery in such a heavily built-up area

After about three miles we arrived at our Lunch destination -

The Prospect of Whitby - supposedly the oldest Riverside Inn

 

 

Where we sat upstairs and ate our lunch overlooking the river from the terrace and later viewed this fabulous skyline of London's financial district known as "Canary Wharf"
 

We continued our walk which totalled approx five miles, towards
The Tower of London, on our way to our train home.

 

 

 

All in all a wonderful day, with plenty of sunshine, good company and a peep into life on the Isle of Dogs. A return visit is definitely on the cards.

 

 

Bye for now - have a good week