Kew 1 - The Thames

It was a nice day so off to Kew Gardens. There are a few ways of getting there, some quicker than others. We went the REALLY slow way, a boat up the river - takes about 1 1/2 hours...

Westminister Pier is a god place to start. There is a big gold eagle and that blue boat with the red and white funnel is a pub, so that's alright.
Across the river is the Millenium Wheel in front of the Shell building (the oil company - it doesn't actually look like a shell).
Back up-stream, we'll be going past parliament.
There it is. The red tents on the left are where the Lords entertain and the green ones on the right are for the commons..
Dunno what this buildig is but it looks pretty cool with the pointy-end of a ship coming out of it.
If you're a swarthy foreign-looking chappie with a British passport and your door comes caving in the middle of the night followed by some big buggers with guns, chances are they came from that building on the left, home of MI5.
If, on the other hand, you're a swarthy foreign-looking chappie without a British passport (Australians take note) and your door comes caving in the middle of the night followed by some big buggers with guns, chances are they came from here, home of James Bond. This is right on the river so that the atomic-powered speed boats have somewhere to land when they come shooting out of the side of the building. People think that Q works in the basement. Not true. His workshop is in a tunnel under the river. Now you know that, I'll have to shoot you.

This bridge has 8 bronze women, each representing something about Britain that is great. This is 'architecture' which you can tell by the perty firmness of her breasts.
Battersea Power Station. Grade 2 listed building and a fine sight along the river.
The Peace Pagola in Battersea Park. Built by Bhuddist monks, when every city in the world has one, there will be world peace. So they had better get a move-on then.
Another pretty bridge - Hammersmith, I think.
One of the boats that used to carry cargo up and down the river. Quite a few have been restored and still sail around. This one's parked up outside one of the new, and very expensive, riverside apartment blocks.
Some more old river boats, this time outside a very pretty church which, apparently, once held the world record for the number of weddings in a year.
What's better than a riverside pub?.
Two riverside pubs!