The Best Things in Life are Free

Bloom Paradise
Jun T Lai

One of the things I miss about travelling is exploring and discovering an alternative way of life. Even on the most sedate of vacations things are different to what they are at home and I suppose that is the point of it. Getting away from the everyday routines and being somewhere else.

Since the lockdown was introduced over a year ago, we were unable to go out exploring as we had to stay home and local. And definitely a NO to travel. Once we were allowed to venture out, we discovered we had a so much on our doorstep that in the past we had taken for granted. We started to appreciate the parks, canals and waterways, wildlife, wildflowers, architecture, art .. the list goes on. That's the one positive thing for me that has come out of this pandemic.

Harlequin Four by Mark
Handforth

I have definitely developed more of an appreciation for London and value what it has to offer. Thanks to social media, we are more aware of what is around us and if we never left the city again we would never run out of things to see and do. Much of it can be seen for free or at least the price of a day travel card.

I had to work this weekend, and due to engineering works my station was closed so I've had to find alternative ways to travel there and back. On my way home today I decided to get off the tube at Monument station and being a Sunday the City is almost deserted. 

St Dunstan in the East

I walked for about 5 minutes to the beautiful ruins of St Dunstan in the East. This 900 year old church has quite a history surviving the Great Fire of London in 1666, and was pretty much destroyed in the Blitz of the second world war. All that survives is the north and south walls and the steeple built by Sir Christopher Wren. It is now a wonderful public 'secret garden' tucked away between the modern buildings of the city.

It was an overcast day and the gardens were not busy although there were a couple of instagrammers posing for pictures in the beautiful window arches that remain. I had to wait quite a while for them to move on so that I could get my own photos.

I walked to Tower Hill Underground station where I saw the distinctive style of Julian Opie's 
'Walking in the City' at the CitizenM hotel. I always love stumbling across his work.

The train I wanted to get was severely delayed so I decided instead to walk to Liverpool Street through the quiet streets and there I found even more treasures. 

Confetti Rain

Colourful sculptures, part of Sculpture in the City tucked down the side streets and a massive glass installation 'Confetti Rain' by architectural stained glass artist Alexander Beleschenko, on a relatively new office block on Bishopsgate.

These simple things of beauty make me happy as I come across them, and as I walked towards the bus stop at Liverpool Street station, my day felt complete.

On the bus ride home I saw more street art from Alo the Artist. It's so nice to be able to recognise an artist's work based on their unique style. I managed to snap a couple of quick shots from the window as we drove past.

Alo the artist

I enjoyed a lovely solitary couple of hours wandering the streets, all for free. An afternoon of old and new culture, I've learned a little bit more about the city I call home. 

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