On the weekend, we explored a different part of London, taking a crowded walking tour called "Burnel's London". The tour started with a boat trip along the Thames to look at the different bridges designed by the Burnel family before getting off in the Docklands and Greenwich to wander around and go to the site where they built the world's largest boat of the 1800s, The SS Great Eastern.
From there, we made a stop to see Wapping Station, home of the Thames Tunnel. The Tunnel is the world's first under-river tunnel and was considered the Eighth Great Wonder of the World when it first opened. Our next stop was to the Brunel Museum to learn more about the making of the Thames Tunnel. As part of the museum, you can descend into the Rotherhite Tunnel, a brilliant brick tower that was sunk into the ground by the power of its own weight and provided the launch pad for the workers to carve out the Thames Tunnel. This building of the tunnel used a completely new way of tunnel building by relying on a reinforced moving wall that enabled workers to carve out small sections at a time and building a support structure all around it.
Although sunny, the day was very cold. The large tour size and a cancelled rail connection resulted in the tour moving at a glacial pace and by the time we finally got to the museum, we were absolutely freezing. Thank goodness for the 400-year old Mayflower Pub just steps away. It provided excellent vegetarian options and some deliciously warming beverages. We really enjoyed exploring another part of London and are convinced that it is virtually impossible to run out of things to do in this incredible city.
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