DAY 2 Wharfs, High Chai, Pubs and Cats

The first London Walk today was "Undiscovered London: Butler's Wharf and Shad James." It went along the Thames River from Bermondsey to the area of the Shard and the Tower Bridge (in the distance).  An area of pirates, cholera and squalor in the past.  The cat pictured was part of a group of sculptures honoring a doctor who helped clean up the area to rid it of cholera. The girl sculpture below was of his daughter who died from cholera.  The cat sculpture is to left looking out at the girl. 

The wharfs developed as a way to stop theft from ships and barges.  London is built on clay and the clay along the river was easy to excavate and then shore up with bricks.  The wharfs specialized in different products and buildings had bridges linking them to make it easier to move and exchange the various goods.

The area has modernized but retains some historical reminders such as the horse statue below that symbolizes the breweries that were in that specific area and the one above of an exotic fruit. 

After the walk I had a "High Chai" at the Lalit Hotel (just minutes from where the tour ended).  This alternative to High Tea featured tasty bites from across India including a spinach kabob that was similar in texture to falafel. 

In the evening I went on a "Hidden Pubs of London Walk" in the Temple area. The group stopped at a couple of pubs for refreshments along the way. The walk also provided a history of Fleet Street and journalism in the area. Of course, pubs played an important role in the day-to-day life of the journalists and workers in the area!

Near the Cheshire Cheese Pub was a statue dedicated to Hodge, Samuel Johnson's cat.  The pub is not far from his house.  The Pub is one of London's oldest and was rebuilt after the the great fire of 1666.