Alight Here (series): Waterloo & WiFi

Alight Here (series): Waterloo & WiFi

Monday morning and I am in need of inspiration (and motivation) so decided yet again to embark on a quest to find the ‘perfect’ external workplace. The bonus of freelance life means that I can set up anywhere I choose. In London, the prerequisites include:

1. Coffee

2. Free internet (WiFi), and preferably a power outlet to keep my laptop charged

3. A nice atmosphere (water view ideally, although not quite discovered yet) and/or decent soundtrack

4. Coffee.

Southbank_Centre_-_The_OvertureI realise from a simple web search that there are many other freelancers and students out there in the same boat as I, and it was with their help that I found today’s spot overlooking The Thames, Golden Jubilee Bridges and Embankment Pier across the river – The Southbank Centre.

Presently I sip on a much-needed and rather delicious latte, pondering the energetic surrounds (and stalking two girls who are utilising the power supply… their table is mine when they eventually depart…). The day outside is grey although the sun is doing its best to poke through the clouds. It’s easy to find The Southbank Centre from busy Waterloo Station – just follow signs outside towards The London Eye, Festival Pier, Royal Festival Hall or Southbank then walk with the crowds towards the Eye and water. Even I can’t get lost, and the Southbank area itself is lovely – alive with visitors, playgrounds, entertainment, restaurants, art, music, and shops overlooking the water.

The Southbank Centre is the ideal place to base because ‘Level 2’ (where I’m sitting in the cafeteria) boasts a quintessentially ‘London city’ view. Although it is a little noisy, it is comforting sound – people chatting, working and being productive with their day.

jon-arnold-hungerford-bridge-and-river-thames-london-england

I’ve found London to be very accommodating when it comes to free WiFi. Many pubs and cafes offer the service – just check for signs or with staff.

McDonalds and Starbucks are pretty good options for reliable internet of course; and this morning I found a handy ‘free London WiFi’ locations map via The Londonist.

I’ve got my eye on a couple of other places to try this week too. Apparently there is a gorgeous spot called ‘5th View’ which is above Waterstones book store between Piccadilly and Green Park, and another closer to home, Cafe Brera on the water at Canary Wharf.

Waterloo, originally a location of interest to Cooper and I for a very important reason – the opening scenes of The Bourne Ultimatum were filmed here – but now as we follow in Matt Damon’s footsteps (thankfully not being chased by the CIA… that I know of…) we enjoy the area for so many reasons. It’s a perfect spot to begin a day of exploring in London because from Waterloo (and Southbank precinct) you can not only link to many key bus or train routes, but you can explore much of the city by foot, indulging in breathtaking, historical 360-degree London scenes, passing by destinations like Tate Modern and the new Shakespeare’s Globe.

The area where I’m working this morning has been developed to its present state since around 1951, when the Festival of Britain was held here to celebrate recovery from World War II. It seems to me that – as the girl with a strong Spanish accent practices English beside me, recent graduates wearing black and fuchsia academic gowns have their photos taken by the river outside, other artists tap away on their computers, locals and tourists alike line up for lunch, and the gaggle of Japanese teens wearing insanely high heels for this time of day stroll past me – the precinct maintains that same free, happy, vibrant energy today. A perfect WiFi spot to work, watch, wander.

On my way into town today it occurred to me that I can hardly believe I know my way around a city like this. Usually one to be timid with directions, and ever nervous about losing my way in unfamiliar territories, I can navigate the city with ease and comfort now, and it’s dawned on me that I have unexpectedly fallen in love with this place. Our time in Bayswater wasn’t pleasurable, and the energy was unwelcoming. However, nearly a year on and we’ve well and truly settled, having discovered the true homely beauty of England. I gaze around lovingly at all the old buildings, and I listen with an amused smile at the various accents passing me by, ‘innit‘.

While I was travelling around the area today by foot and on the bus, I noticed a couple of views that I’ve never really taken in before (possibly I was on the underground and simply had not been by the vantage points previously) – stop on Waterloo Bridge and Westminster Bridge – these sit on either side of The Southbank Centre, with the aforementioned Jubilee Bridge in between. The city views from these angles are just divine, and a wide angle lens might even squeeze sites like The London Eye, Big Ben, and a number of other famous landmarks into one photo! Now I understand that Wordsworth wasn’t being overly dramatic in his poetry, but was merely pondering and honestly describing this beautiful city as he saw it one morning in 1802.

Earth hath not anything to show more fair:
Dull would he be of soul who could pass by
A sight so touching in its majesty:
This City now doth, like a garment, wear
The beauty of the morning; silent, bare,
Ships, towers, domes, theatres and temples lie
Open unto the fields, and to the sky;
All bright and glittering in the smokeless air.

Never did sun more beautifully steep
In his first splendor, valley, rock, or hill;
Ne’er saw I, never felt, a calm so deep!
The river glideth at his own sweet will:
Dear God! The very houses seem asleep;
And all that mighty heart is lying still!

(Composed Upon Westminster Bridge by William Wordsworth).

Feature image by Steve Harris, Flickr creative commons
Alight Here (series): About London Bridge

Alight Here (series): About London Bridge

I’ve always been drawn to water – it is peaceful and therapeutic – so unsurprisingly, when I have a ‘free’ day I attempt to find activities by my nearest body of agua. In this case, I’m quite fortunate to be close to the beautiful old Thames, so taking advantage of a ray of summer sun today, I jumped on a bus headed for London Bridge. Usually I would simply take the overground to Canada Water and then the Tube two stops to London Bridge, but if I have time I like to take the bus here because it allows me to enjoy all the streets and views of the city that the Underground journey does not.

London Bridge

London Bridge is a delightful place to alight because while it is hectic with contemporary traffic of all kinds (people, cars, buses, trains, bikes etc.) it still maintains a feeling of the old world, like Dickens’ London you read about as a child, and I love that the precinct offers paths to old pubs, Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre, The London Dungeon and many other ‘creepy old sites’, as I like to refer to them. My day from London Bridge station then really consisted of me following tourists around!

I briefly took respite from the London Bridge noise by stepping inside peaceful Southwark Cathedral (the oldest cathedral church building in London), lit a candle and wished for a nice future. Back out into the bustling busy world of Borough Market, I followed the helpful signs towards the river. Obligatory frappacino in hand, I walked along the Thames between London Bridge station and Tower Bridge (pictured below), wandering by the HMS Belfast docked in the river, and then happened across an interesting international photo exhibition on display as part of The City of London Festival.

london-tower-bridge-pictures

Today I also incidentally entered into a 1-minute game of soccer (football, in these parts) which was progressing in my path (it would be rude to not kick the ball being that it was passed to me!), walked to the top of Tower Bridge to check out the terrific ‘London in Black and Whiteexhibition (on until September 30 2011, for those interested), snapped a couple’s picture by the river, and waited 15-minutes before I could get my own clear shot of the Tower (minus city cruise boats in the foreground).

I stopped for a while to watch the peaceful body of water ebb and flow, and I attempted to record the scene in my mind. I recall children shrieking, dolled-up tourist photographing themselves in front of The Tower of London, and the hum of construction in the distance across the river as ever more buildings are erected. It was a nice day to play a lone explorer, being reminded of all the cool sites on my doorstep at home in London.