The Waste Land: My Best Photos of London Fog
First off, I’d like to start with a disclaimer. I am not, nor am I in any way possible, a photographer. And I don’t play one on TV.
Nope, I’m just a person who goes places with her super out-of-date technology and snaps some photos. One of the most frustrating things about traveling for me is the constant need to capture everything. I struggle on every level to remember to take photos in the first place, and then add to that any degree of walking speed, and I end up with awful, hurried, and usually blurry photos.
But I also love to stop and look, and take it all in. I’m working on building this concept into life in general, and I don’t think it would do my photos any harm either.
Despite any lacking quality or number of photos, I’ve compiled my favorite pictures of one of London’s most famous stereotypes: fog.
1) Unexpected Park
I love a lot of things about traveling, but one of my favorites (and definitely one thing I was hoping would happen a lot while in London) is randomly finding hidden spots that take you by surprise with their quirks and beauty.
At the very start of a self-led T.S. Eliot walking tour, my class, led by our professor, stumbled upon what looked like a dog-park. When we actually walked through it, though, we found that it seemed to double as a cemetery.
It might be weird to say, but the fog was perfect!
This haunting place somehow tied in perfectly with T.S. Eliot’s The Waste Land, and was close to a lot of his old stomping grounds. Unfortunately, due to my terrible memory and poorly detailed travel journal, I cannot tell you with complete confidence where this park is. However, according to Google Maps, and my finest guessing skills, it is between Montague Pl and Keppel St, near Bedford Square, and behind The British Museum.
2) The Shard
This is one of those instances in which I wish with all of my heart I had better photography skills. The Shard is now one of London’s most recognizable landmarks, and really is an impressive structure.
Can you see it in this picture? No?
That’s partly because of the the bus, and partly because of my aforementioned photography skills, but mostly because of fog. The Shard is much much taller than this picture shows.
3) St. Pancras
St. Pancras station is a beautiful and massive structure! At one point we trudged about two miles through the streets of London with all of our luggage to catch a train to Paris. It was one of the most exhausting walking experiences of my life, but I simply love this building, and it wears London fog really well.
If you find yourself at Kings Cross Station due to the popularity of a certain wizard boy, you should cross the street to St. Pancras. You won’t regret it.
4) Tower Bridge
Tower Bridge is a classic London landmark, and I highly recommend walking across it every chance you get (though it is pretty busy all the time, and there are plenty of other bridges to cross that also offer great views of London). This particular day had enough fogginess to almost completely cover the famous bridge, and when I was taking this picture I wasn’t even sure you’d be able to actually see anything.
I love London no matter what, but there is something about misty, foggy skies that completes the London feeling and atmosphere. Though I wish beautiful weather for anyone traveling, I hope if you’re in London you get to experience at least one day of glorious fog.
You cannot say, or guess, for you know only a heap of broken images, where the sun beats, and the dead tree gives no shelter, the cricket no relief.
T.S. Eliot, The Waste Land
Happy Travels!