Mortlake to Battersea Bridge

I finally, FINALLY had a chance to walk another segment of the Thames Path yesterday. It's been almost two months since I was out there last!

I picked up where I left off, in Mortlake, walking on the south shore of the river. You'll know some of these landmarks from my previous posts -- like the former Budweiser brewery above -- because when I walked the north shore I could see them across the water. This time I was directly beneath them.

The path was a mud-bog, we've had so much rain lately. I must have been passed by about a thousand joggers, all of whom splattered me as they galumphed past. But c'est la vie. It's March.

I passed a flock of swans napping on the riverbank, like abandoned sacks of laundry.

Dave is not a walker, as I've said in the past, so when I take these trips I do it alone. But I love walking by myself, just as I love driving by myself. I can just allow my brain to whirl in whichever direction it desires, I can talk to myself or hum songs, and I can go at my own pace, stopping whenever I want. I used to do the same when I lived in New York City -- I'd go walking for hours on my own. And in Florida, I'd go driving for hours.

It just goes to show that even if your life circumstances change, you can't not be yourself -- you know? My dad was like that too, happiest in his own company. And Dave is happiest in his recliner.

I did wish Dave was on hand when I passed this house, though. It's the former home of composer Gustav Holst, appropriately called Holst House, and now on the market for just £3 million! It doesn't look gigantic but surprisingly, it has six bedrooms. I showed the photos to Dave when I got home, so he experienced it virtually. We agreed to buy it. Ha!

Who says there's no more British Empire?

Here's the old Harrods furniture warehouse, now a block of flats, which I also saw back in October from the opposite bank of the river.

These might be the most stunning magnolia trees I've ever come across. You can barely see the house behind them, or the blue historic plaque marking it as the former home of Australian artist Sidney Nolan, famous for his "Ned Kelly" paintings.

The path led along the waterfront in Wandsworth Park, beneath huge over-arching plane trees.

I got a good view of all the new construction around the old Lots Road Power Station. This is the neighborhood where I reached a dead end on my walk along the north shore.

By this time I'd walked about six miles (I think?) and I crossed the Battersea Bridge and caught the bus home from the World's End estate in Chelsea. There's a bus that goes from there all the way across town practically to my front door. Talk about convenient!