I woke up early Thursday morning looking forward to a “light” 10-mile ramble from Putney Bridge to Tower Bridge, the heart of London. The day did not turn out as I expected.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The trip to London was just fine. I took the 5 AM Tube to London, getting off at Notting Hill, just a short Underground Ride to the Putney Bridge stop. When I arrived at the Underground station, it was chained shut. “Hmmm, they must be doing work on this station. Let me see where the nearest open station is,” I said to myself. Stepping into the nearby coffee shop, I received bad news from the barista: the Underground workers are striking today. There is no Underground service available.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Fair enough,” I said. “My ramble on the Thames Path is only 10 miles long. It’s only 3 1\/2 miles to Putney Bridge from Notting Hill. I did 16 miles on Tuesday; the extra walking will be a breeze, and I’ll get to see a part of London that I wouldn’t otherwise get to.” I started from Notting Hill for Putney Bridge, a route that takes one through the heart of Fulham. It was a cool, dry day, so the walk was refreshing. I made it to Putney Bridge around 9:30 AM, the official start of my ramble. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

But here is the deal: the strike wasn’t over when my ramble ended. At Tower Bridge, I needed to make my way to Victoria Station, a 3 1\/2 mile walk from the Bridge. During my walk to Victoria Station there were several times when I considered taking a bus the rest of the way. My feet were begging for it, but I resisted the temptation. I am rarely in London, so the walking gave me the opportunity to take in sites from the city that I might otherwise overlook on a quick bus ride. All told, I hiked 17 miles in London today. My feet were feeling it at the end of the day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n