Waterloo Sunshine

When I got up at about 8.30, the mercury on my iPhone was indicating minus five degrees. As the iPhone, like its mistress, tends to be a bit of a hypochondriac about the cold, I also checked a few other weather websites and the consensus seemed to be that it was about minus three. Nonetheless, it was beautiful and sunny and I saw no reason not go ahead with my original plan to catch the Tube down to Waterloo and then do a circular route along both banks of the Thames.

The South Bank was busy, even for nine-thirty on a freezing cold morning in December. Also, because I haven't done a proper run along the river since I got my iPhone, I kept stopping to take photos, which meant my iPedometer probably wasn't very accurate.

I ran along the South Bank to Tower Bridge before crossing over--Tower Bridge isn't exactly Brooklyn Bridge, but on a bright, winter morning it's a fairly striking sight. I then ran all the way back along the North Bank, past Somerset House, St Stephen's Tower and Westminster Abbey, to Vauxhall Bridge. Finally, I crossed back over and completed the circuit by running up to the Jubilee Bridge.

By that point, it was after ten-thirty and the tourist hoards had made a beeline for the London Eye, the Aquarium, the Christmas markets and the other range of excitements on offer on the South Bank. I, meanwhile, could walk smugly back to the Tube station before jumping into a scalding hot shower in an attempt to regain some feeling in my feet. I have definitely earned my bacon sandwich today!