A Wet December Weekend by the Thames in London

Arrived in London in early December. The first clear view I had was of The Shard as dusk settled, its spire lit up against the dimming sky. Cranes nearby suggested the city is, as always, still building.

The next day was relentlessly overcast and wet, quintessential London weather. I spent my time walking along the Thames, mostly around the Tower Bridge area. The roads were slick with rain, reflecting the gray sky and the lights of passing traffic. From street level, the bridge loomed through the drizzle.

I walked along the river's edge, getting different perspectives of the bridge against the cloudy backdrop. The water itself was a murky brown. Looking across to the City, the modern skyline was hazy in the fog, a collection of glass towers framed by the bare branches of winter trees.

The entire walk was a study in architectural contrasts. You have the historic HMS Belfast docked permanently, and right behind it rise the ultra-modern shapes of the Gherkin and its neighbors. The Shard, too, would reappear from different angles, a glass peak towering over everything else. It was a short trip, shaped by the weather and the skyline.