Around the Grand Gherkin of London

All photos taken with my tiny Panasonic DMC Lumix 3 camera

The Gherkin Building of St Mary Axe – London
The Gherkin stands out among conventional buildings – London
City of London Cigars – a cigar, anyone ?

Who goes to London in the middle of Winter? Well, I have no real choice. My Thai bank asked me to come to Bangkok to renew my bank card. That is 12.5 hrs flying from Marseille. After months of dispute the bank suggests to fly to their London Branch, first for signing the papers and a second time to pick up the card. Two return flights to get 1 card.

Man looks right for traffic – London
Man looks left for traffic – London
Pedestrians walking straight ahead – London

Finally the bank decides that I visit only once, the Head Office in Bangkok will send the documents plus the card in one time to the London Branch. I am an exception to their rules 😉 I check the weather report, it will always be raining. Two nights max, I think, one full day.

People on bikes in busy London
forest Bikes for rent – London
On the Tower Bridge of London

The bank is easy to find in the financial district of London, it is only footsteps away from the famous The Gherkin, more commonly known as the “Pickle”. I was pleasantly surprised that the name Gherkin derives from the Dutch word “augurken” which means, indeed, pickles. This part of London is also cultural with the Tower of London and Tower Bridge.

People and traffic cross the river Thames by the Tower Bridge
Color blue on the Tower Bridge
Just passing – below the Tower Bridge of London

The meeting at the bank is very pleasant, talking about my time in Thailand with the Thai official, she also mentions that living outside one’s own country changes you deeply. We have common ground here. After obtaining my new bank card, I feel relieved and free to wander around in that little part of larger London. But, the cloudy sky is also dark.

That looks like a little pickle – art in black – London
The Tower Bridge over the river Thames – London
Historical England – London

What can you do in one day? The gloomy weather inspires for black and white photos and every time I see something of strong color I switch to color film. The Asian quarter where my hotel is located is quite a busy market area. It shows that the cultures from Pakistan, India, Iran, Turkey and Bangladesh mix here more easily – unlike in the larger world.

At the bus stop – London East
Pedestrians in London East
Market along the road with The Gherkin at the back – London East

You can experience quite a lot in such a short time of only one full day. The next morning I go to Paddington Station to take the Heathrow Express to the airport. Before that, I look a bit around in Paddington.

The city taxis of London
Keep the City Clean – London

I notice the bronze statue – The Wild Table of Love, a gathering of wild animals at a table enjoying each other’s company with a cup of English tea and some food. Now, that is a heart warming and telling scene. That is what its two creators, Gillie & Marc, also mean – a Message of Unity.

The Wild Table of Love – A Message of Unity – London Paddington Station United Kingdom

All Photos Copyright © 2019-2026 August Timmermans – All Rights Reserved