European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - August 25, 1994, Darmstadt, Hesse                                A amps Dava Dudlo a View of the House of parliament  big Ben from across the names. Boating in big bends Shadow spend some time on the to get a new View of Cit Yby William e. Schmidt the new York times with two Short blasts on the Horn the Captain throttled Down the engines  slipped the Sarah Kathleen sideways wrestling the tidal surge of the thames As he began to bring the boat around. The Cruiser had just glided underneath Tower Bridge  most of the passengers who paid for the hour Long sightseeing trip aboard the open decked 60-foot,boat were still twisted round in their seats squinting at the great gothic style towers soaring above the River. Quot now would be a Good time to get out your cameras a the Captain announced Over the Loudspeaker As he swung the Bow upriver  steered Between the Bridge s huge Stone piers. Never mind that the boat  everyone s cameras were now aimed into the late afternoon Sun. Bac lighted  framed in Shadow the Gray Stone towers  latticework Sotiron girders freshly painted in Brilliant White  Blue to celebrate the bridged Centenary this year loomed spectacularly Over the River offering a new  dramatic View of one of London s most familiar landmarks. London has bus Tours  walking Tours museum Tours  tube Tours. But on Balmy summer afternoons there Are few better  More interesting ways to see London than from the deck of a cruise boat gliding along the thames. The River after All is not Only the heart of the ancient capital  in a Way its main Road it is the very reason that the City exists London was founded by the romans As a River port in . 43. Simply As a Vantage Point for seeing London the River opens up whole new vistas affording a kind of wide Angle perspective of City  sky that is rarely glimpsed within the capital itself. With its dense labyrinth of narrow streets London at Street level tends to concentrate the Eye on the foreground detail rather than the wider cityscape. But viewed from the thames the great dome of St Paul s or the buildings of parliament or the 1 both Century splendor of Somerset House just beyond Waterloo Bridge loom much larger  More powerful. The River itself is cleaner  More pleasant than it used to be. While health authorities say the River is not Safe for swimming officials of Britain s National River authorities say they have counted 112 species of fish in the River As a result of anti pollution projects started during the 1970s. On the lower stretches of the River boats Are again thames a amps Dave Didio sir Christopher Wren designed St Paul s Cathedral. Harvesting cockles  Dover sole  oven Salmon swim freely along its length. As recently As the mid-19th Century the thames was Little More than a tidal cesspool More than 400 sewers emptied directly into the River  the smell was so horrific inside parliament that sheets soaked in Lime Chloride were Hung in Riverside committee rooms in the Hopes of overpowering the stench. While the thames is still very Busy a barges pleasure boats  other cruise ships seem to be in constant. Motion a it is not nearly As crowded As it was earlier this Century when freighters  cargo Barques used to tie up in Long rows beside Riverside warehouses. Many of those warehouses a especially the ones on the South of the River across from the City of Ondon a have since been converted into trendy a Pard its offices  restaurants which have Given the River a new  friendlier Public face. In several locations pubs  restaurants have opened Terrace decks overlooking the River. Most River cruises begin at Westminster pier just below the Tower of big Ben. The boats tied up at the pier across the Street from the Westminster tube station Range from enclosed double Deckers Complete with bar to smaller packet boats with open air decks. Travellers can choose to go either upriver toward Hampton court or downriver in the direction of Tower Bridge  farther along Greenwich  the thames flood Barrier the control Structure stretched across the River to capture flood surges. The simplest Way to see the River is to jump on one of the cruise boats that run regularly Between Westminster  the Dock at the Tower of  boat trip Only takes 20 to 30 minutes depending on the tides  along the Way passes beneath six Bridges that carry both vehicle  rail traffic through the heart of London. During the summer months the boat pilots usually keep up a chatty travelogue combining a running commentary on Riverside site with a handful of obviously scripted jokes  social observations Quot the hotel you see on the right is one of the most expensive in London catering to three classes of people the Rich the very Rich  the filthy Rich Quot. The journey carries the traveler past the gentle curve of Victoria embankment  Cleopatra s Needle the ancient pharaonic obelisk brought from Egypt in the 19th Century the modern Glass  steel pile of the South Bank Center London s largest cultural Complex the glorious wedding cake Steeple of St. Bride s Church  dome of St. Paurs  has Belfast the world War ii Cruiser Moore Don the River As a kind of floating museum just across from the Tower of London. Among other things approaching the Tower of London from Riverside offers the casual Day tripper the eerie sense of what it must have like centuries ago for the likes of Anne Boleyn  the Earl of Essex. Condemned to death they arrived like All prisoners by River entering the fortress through traitors Gate clearly visible Only at Low tide in the Wall at the thames Edge. A longer voyage downriver to Greenwich takes about 40 to 50 minutes  passes along the Way the Zero degree Meridian separating the Eastern  Western hemispheres. The trip upriver to Hampton court the former Royal Palace takes about three to four hours. Along the Way the boat slides under the victorian fantasy of the Chelsea Bridge  traces the course from Putney Bridge to Mortlake of the annual Spring race Between the Oxford  Cambridge Crews. Past Kew the River opens up into Lush Countryside passing cottages  gracious Homes. At the end of the cruise Don t be surprised if the Captain passes a hat around but tips for the guide Are voluntary. For those who Aren t looking to travel anywhere in particular but just want to spend some time on the water there Are regular sightseeing boats that run from Westminster  Charing Cross piers some of which offer dining luncheon Tea or dinner. There is also one addition to this year s Fleet a four hour nighttime cruise with an after dinner show by an Elvis Impersonator. August 25, 1994 stripes Magazine 9