Enjoying London

This weekend I finally found some time to look around and to see where I actually am. The weather has been really really kind to me. Looks like London is doing its best to look nice and friendly to me (yeah yeah, I know it's just a heat wave over the whole Europe, but I'd like to think this way :) ).

I live in Camden Town now and every morning and every evening I enjoy a pleasant 15 minutes walk down the busy streets of West-Central London. Some interesting things I have noticed which are new to me:

• People run to work. Meaning that they are dressed in sport shoes, backpack on their back, they actually run to the office. I guess they have their towels and toiletries, the office clothing and makeup stored in the office. Not a bad idea, and defnitely cheap, considering London transport fares.
• Small cafes open early. At 7 AM you can already get a coffe-to-go on your way to the office. In addition to that, probably, due to the high competition (or maybe just because it is fun) almost every cafe has something amusing to attract you. Many of them have funny and original signs, and one next to my current place has a board with a new phrase every morning. Today it said "Water is essential for your life, because you cannot make coffee without it." :)
• Drivers give way to pedestrians (unless you are jaywalking :) ). I definitely didn't expect such behaviour in a busy London.
• Some places of central London are actually quiet. And I was surprised to see lots of small and big patches of greenery, gardens in the center, some with huge centennial trees in them.

 

By now I found 3 friends here in London, all leaving pretty close, all from Estonia, having moved to London for various reasons.

Last weekend we went to Greenwich. The trip to Greenwich with DLR is a beauty in itself. You pass by a modern district with nice houses, tall shiny bank buildings, walkways, water pools and bridges. 

Then the train dives under the river and stops on the other side - next to a famous Cutty Sark ship.

Behind it - beautiful British Naval Museum, Old Royal Naval College, University of Greenwich and the park itself - open, hilly, green and beautiful. On the top of the hill there is a famous Greenwich observatory with its Zero Meridian, and a beautiful view to the eastern London.