Europe's Tallest

I have always been fascinated with architecture. Brave as I was when I was in high school, I applied to study architecture at UP Diliman which was a big flop. I was good at sketching at drawing but to combine that with elements of mathematics will confuse my synapses. Well, it does not really matter because when I got into the College of Nursing, they said that the best spouses for nurses would either be an architect/engineer or a lawyer. So, I decided that snatching an architect would do then.

London architecture ranges from the very old to well, the not so very old. Photographers would love London for its cityscapes which can be appreciated best from the River Thames. Though professional photography may be difficult to do especially in the City of London (a separate borough) due to private landowners' requirement for photography permits (i.e. tripod use, videography), it is still fulfilling even for the amateur lens to capture how the old and new synergise to create a curious landscape.

I have just been to The Shard early this month. It is the highest skyscraper not just in UK but in the entire Europe. It is very difficult to have tall structures here in London because of aviation laws since major airports like Heathrow and Gatwick serve hundreds of aeroplanes per day that utilise London airspace. High-rise buildings would pose a big safety issue especially that weather here is never lucid which can greatly affect visibility. Recently, because of a very nasty cloud of fog that covered the city, a helicopter crashed into a crane of a building in Vauxhall early morning which killed the pilot and a pedestrian doing his usual walk in the area. Miraculously, the crane operator ran late that morning as his sons failed to wake him up on time for work. 

The Shard is a magnificent piece of modern architecture. It is not that high compared to other skyscrapers in the world but it does make a good London icon apart from Big Ben (recently re-named to Elizabeth Tower to commemorate the Queen's diamond jubilee) and the London Eye (which really wasn't suppose to be a permanent structure). Compared to the Burj Khalifa, The Shard is just a dwarf, a beautiful dwarf that is.

World towers compared. (Credits to Euronews)

For £24.95, The Shard will give you a bird's eye-view of London which you can enjoy till late. You just have to book online in advance to choose your entry time but there is no limit up to how long you can stay. Just a reminder, tripods and food/drinks are not allowed in the viewing decks so you may find yourself leaving them instead on their ground floor reception. If one fancies, you can try the restaurants in the lower floors and experience dining with a view.

The modern "digiscope" located in the viewing decks.

As with all viewing decks, having a telescope is a must. I was surprised with the modern version that The Shard had to offer as it is not just free and digital, it also offers the patrons information about the different structures that are visible from the shard and also has the option to either view it live or in three other modes--dawn, dusk and evening.

Starting photography  at an early age.

The lower deck is enclosed and yes, keeps you away from the cold wind of the upper deck on the 72nd floor which is open aired. Both decks are nice and quiet and you will definitely enjoy the view more with the instrumental background music played continuously.

The top deck at the 72nd floor.

It would be better to visit during spring or summer time as the sky would probably be clearer and winds a bit calmer. But what can you expect from British weather? One day it is sunny, the next day you will find yourself pulling out those hoodies and putting on your warm boots.

"Dear, do you remember how the old London looked like?"

Since the attraction is still quite new. There is a bit of difficulty booking the time slot you want. Online booking is always the best way to go but for those who have spontaneity issues, walk-in ticket purchases can also be done but you won't have that much of option in terms of your time slot.

West view with the Houses of Parliament, Waterloo Station and the London Eye.

East view with the Tower Bridge and London City hall.

Shooting the shooter, discreetly at that.

Nothing beyond the 72nd floor.

I stayed from 3:30 pm until almost 7 at night just to enjoy both day and night views of the city. It felt the same way as when we were up the Namsan Tower in Seoul, Korea. I definitely did not forget to drop by the souvenir shop and got myself a magnet (another one to the growing collection) and a print of the London cityscape. It was a worthwhile visit especially for the photography enthusiast.

I also took a brief video of my visit which you can watch here:

Visit The View from The Shard website for booking and more information.

Navigated Navigator

I was on my way to Westfield this afternoon when two French people approached me and asked for directions. It was a lady and a man (who were friends with each other) who were about to view a flat somewhere in SW19. Well, I was quite confident to give them directions since I have my handy dandy mobile phone with all its navigation apps that we all knoware not perfect but leads you to the right path most of the time. They gave me the postcode which I immediately entered into my smartphone. As the GPS navigation was working its magic I chatted up these lost souls and found out that they just migrated here in the UK about 6 months ago. I told them that the area is posh and quiet though areas around the local primaries may be noisy at times due to the school children. Well, after one century I finally got directions. The place was just half a mile from where we stood (which was just ouside the hospital I work at. I am no good at French nor can they speak good English so I offered to take them myself since I have this magic GPS. But lo and behold, my phone started playing up--both 3G and GPS. Such a shame! I had to rely on Google maps which is not really that accurate based on my previous experiences to get them to that place just in time for viewing.

We made a mistake turning one block earlier but good thing another kind-hearted soul helped us with the directions. I was so apologetic to the couple because it would be actually very easy to find the place had my phone behaved well. We got to the place eventually. Had I known where Victoria drive was before, navigation would have been as easy as ABC. There is a nearby Catholic school there where we usually take our residents for the annual Christmas carol presentation of the pupils there and I do not know why I did not know where it was.

Why did I help these people in the first place without any hesitation? 

During our trip to Seoul last year, I remember being in a similar situation only that we were the lost ones. One very kind Korean helped us find the Trick Eye Museum which is a popular tourist destination but as to why it is located in a very obscure place with little directions still baffles me. Since I forgot to activate my mobile roaming, my phone was not really of good use unless there is a nearby WIFI hotspot (which well, Seoul has lots of). Going back, this Korean lady walked us to the museum and though her English and my Korean was anjoayo (not good) we managed to understand each other jugum manyo (a little). It feels terrible to be lost especially in a country where very little English is used both in the written and spoken form.

It was a sigh of relief when I was able to bring them to their destination. A pat on the shoulders for me today for one simple act of kindness. Hopefully, they too will pass on the same kindness to people who will need them in the future just like this advert about 'paying it forward'.