I've walked along the Thames River in prior visits, primarily on the sidewalks of riverside streets. This time around, I sought out the Thames River paths on both sides of the river, including the Queens Walk. While these are often interrupted, portions of them offer car-free walks and riverside views atop the various reinforcements to the channel's artificial walls.
These paths were especially pleasant for evening walks when the sun was low in the sky, offering mild releaf from the heat wave toasting Europe during my visit. The paths were generally clean, had low lighting, offered entrances for many riverfront restaurants and businesses, and had others out walking as well. Away from major landmarks like Tower Bridge (at top of this entry) and a venue with music where people were dancing, the paths were rarely crowded.
The moon was out and visible at dusk, which made for a pleasant sky.
I hadn't seen beaches anywhere but near the Tate Modern before walking from that museum all the way to the ferry service to cross the river to Canary Wharf, yet there were many small, rocky/sandy beaches along the river's shores. And so many quiet neighborhood streets, whose quiet hid what were surely very high prices.
