During my first trip to the United Kingdom two years ago my friend and travel writing compatriot, Mike Sowden, took me on an architectural walking tour of York’s old city walls. As we neared the megalithic York Minster Cathedral, he asked what cities I had visited in England.

“Only Newcastle and here,” I said.

“You haven’t been to London yet?” he asked, astonished. “Good for you,” he added after a few moments of reflection. “So many tourists only visit London and think they’ve seen England.”

St. Mary’s Axe, one of London’s modern skyscrapers, is affectionately known by its nickname “the Gherkin”

This time, I decided it was finally time to visit London and see for myself what the hype was all about. Fortunately, after a miserably long and cold winter, the sun came out on the day I arrived and stuck around for the better part of a week. Hoping to see the most important sights, I walked for hours each day. Crossing over to the north shore of the Thames I meandered down to the Tower of London and Tower Bridge, then back into the financial district for a close-up view of unexpectedly avant-garde skyscrapers that dominate the skyline. St. Mary’s Axe, affectionately known by its nickname “the Gherkin” soars skyward like a giant ‘conehead.’ Just down the street, the Lloyd’s building looks for all the world like a stack of spiral-bound notebooks plunked down on a library shelf. Nearby, tourists and locals alike rubberneck at the city’s newest skyscraper, currently under construction, which features a startlingly concave, gravity-defying design. Continue reading →