a London Jaunt of Unquantifiable Pleasantness
On this (double!) Bank Holiday weekend, also known as Easter Weekend, the Author took advantage of the tremendous weather and the London Cycle scheme* to go on an aimless jaunt around London. While the Author would rather avoid adapting the tone of a tour guide, she is willing to take that chance so as to share her thoroughly pleasant bike ride. So please, join the Author, her clementine Longchamp and her clunky blue Boris Bike, as they traverse London on a perfect spring day.
She began her trek in Earl Court and headed down Cheyne Walk towards the center of town…
…continuing along Chelsea Embankment…
Pimlico Garden
…and zig-zagging through Westminster, past Clerical Clothing Boutiques and a Blitz Shelter…
Lord North Street
She made her way around St. James park and past Buckingham Palace (where the preparations for the Royal Wedding are well underway) before getting stuck amongst buses near Victoria. Following that nervous experience, she needed a lie-down in Hyde Park before journeying onward.
The Author’s ultimate goal was King Cross Station, but she went a leisurely route via Green Park, wandering up Mayfair, through Fitzrovia and Bloomsbury, stopping to appreciate Gordon Square and the group of clever folk who loitered in numbers 48 and 51.
A brown (not blue?) plaque commemorating the Bloomsbury Set and it’s shindigs
Bypassing her destination to venture out into the seemingly industrial wasteland north of Kings Cross…
the Author does wonder what this structure is for. Perhaps the beginning stages of a giant bongo drum?
…the Author was surprised to find lush greenery:
Camley Street Natural Park: complete with a garden centre, a path along Regents Canal and butterflies.
Her journey ended at Kings Cross, where, with her face a tad red from exertion, her legs scrapped from a temporary loss of pedal control and her heart beating fast with Love for London, she greeted her friend arriving from Scotland.
*Our Fair City’s new bike hire scheme, affectionally called ‘Boris Bikes’ after the floppy haired Mayor of London, where you can rent a bicycle for a minimal amount of money.
On the topic of bike tours, The Man From London, recommends the Pongo-lead bicycle dash in 101 Dalmations as an introduction to London landmarks. Perhaps, the Author ventures to suggest, a more leisurely pace would be more enjoyable.
the Diligent Observer 
What a ride! How many miles did you add to Boris the public bike? Also, Barclays would be pleased to know that their sponsorship of the bicycle program has received free and organic publicity from your post.
This was great! Wish I could have gone with you. And I love the map. The mystery structures are probably the skelatal framework of tanks to hold large quantities of a liquid or liquified gas material, such as oil, gas, chilled water, detergent, ammonia hydroxide, corn syrup, coke, ketsup, maple syrup, or, well you get the point although more likely one of the first three items mentioned.
There is nothing quite like a leisurely jaunt through the confines of such a marvelous city. I must commend (and express my envy) for your location. I would particularly like to have joined you where George Elliot and Henry James (the brilliant geniuses that they are) laid their heads for the eternal rest. Someday I shall travel to those marvelous isles, leave the (frankly uncivilized) states behinds, and take my place in the true cradle of civilization, honour, and artistic beauty.
‘Til then, Clarissa! ‘Til then.
Thanks for sharing your bike ride with us. That looks like a fairly long ride. And that is one interesting clunky bike, never seen anything like it.