The Anonymous Widower

A Morning Trip In The Rain

I’ve been there many times in my past, both as a child and as a parent.

It’s raining, cats, dogs and hippopotami and all of the things to do indoors have been done to death. So this morning, I decided to see what the new Emirates Air-Line is like in the heavy rain.

I took my usual route to the Northern terminal at Royal Victoria DLR station, by taking a bus and a tube to Bank station and then getting the faithful Docklands Light Railway. Is there a railway anywhere in the world, that was built as on-the-cheap as the DLR, that has morphed so successfully from an ugly duckling into a swan? Or possibly in the DLR’s case to a whole game of swans.

Even on the short trip from Bank to Royal Victoria, there is much to see, like the expensive yachts, housing and offices, the many spires of the East End and mud flats, factories and construction of the River Lea. It is a trip that delights most children.

I took these pictures on the way to Royal Victoria, during the crossing and then at North Greenwich.

Afterwards, I took the Jubilee line to Canary Wharf for a late Full Italian breakfast at Carluccio’s.

So was it a worthwhile trip? And would it be with young children?

1. I only got wet walking between Royal Victoria DLR station and the cable-car and between the cable-car and North Greenwich tube station.
2. The queues were less than last Sunday and marginally worse at North Greenwich.  Is that because there’s parking on the South bank of the river.
3. The view from the gondola wasn’t too bad at all. Is the glass treated with a water repellant?

So on balance, a trip in the rain, may even have an advantage in that the crowds are smaller and you don’t have to wait.

July 8, 2012 - Posted by AnonW | Food, Transport/Travel | Cable-Car, Carluccio's, Coeliac/Gluten-Free, Docklands Light Railway, Jubilee Line, River Lea