Perspectives from a canoe: the River Thames

Edition #8

London Bridge from the water

Welcome to my new series - Perspectives from a canoe. I hope my adventures navigating the water inspire you.

A ride on the River Thames via Uber

Today, a different city, a different river and a much different perspective. I am traveling on an Uber Boat on the River Thames in London. Uber Boats are part of a system of river bus services on the River Thames. These river vessels carry about 10,000 passengers each day and make 24 stops each way on their route. Their route is primarily central London.

My ride today takes me from the Westminster Pier in central London to the Greenwich Pier in Greenwich. The length of the trip is about 45 minutes. Along the way, the boat stops at several piers to drop off and take on other passengers. Each stop takes about 2 minutes - from the time the gangplank is lowered and when it is raised back up. I was amazed at the speed of the stops but since this is a commuter boat service, the crew strives to stick to a timetable.

My route today takes me beneath several major London bridges, including the iconic London Bridge, the Tower Bridge, the Millennium Bridge, to name a few. Along the way, I get a sense of this enormous city and how it interacts with the river and its environment.

Why is the River Thames so called? The word brown in the context of the River Thames comes from its ancient name Tamesis which means dark.

Rivers are roads which move, and which carry us whither we desire to go. - Blaise Pascal