It is a beautiful morning in London, Remembrance Sunday. HM the Queen will be laying the first wreath at the Cenotaph in Whitehall in a few minutes. Somehow, it seems almost irreverent for the sun to be shining; no doubt the dignitaries must be grateful that there is no howling wind, no frost and no battling umbrellas.
On Friday morning we stood in Trafalgar Square with hundreds of others as the silence descended at 11 am. It was eerie and beautiful: nobody moving, no traffic, no chatter. Only the notes of the faultless trumpet drifting. Even the pigeons were stilled.
Yesterday we walked down to the Thames and watched the river of history surge by. The tide was very low when we reached the Embankment and began to race in almost as we arrived. We always try to get to the Thames when we are here.
And this poor chap was fighting the tide:
and making good progress - I suppose the current is not so strong close to the bank in a straight reach of river.
I can hear church bells calling across the roof tops in the clear air.
x
3 comments:
This is a nice post. I am sad I couldn't be in the centre for the silence but have been nursing s horrid bug. Enjoy the rest of your trip
Beautiful post. The shadows at the Cenotaph were very striking, very fitting.Such a poignant occasion, particularly when the real parade starts - 10,000 marchers.
I hope your trip is going well and you're enjoying plenty of bacon and sausages and a little refreshing rain now and again.
I hope you enjoyed your trip.
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