Hello, hello, it's good to be back

skyline 3
Originally uploaded by Darren Foreman.

I've had a whole bunch of "glad I'm back moments", hell I even blogged about some of the things I missed, but yesterday gave me another good 'un. I left the house -- way too late, after frying my brain with a load of dreadful TV -- because I was meeting a couple of people for a couple of drinks in town and I'd wanted to do a bit of CD shopping beforehand. But I never made it to Virgin or HMV, because halfway across Waterloo Bridge on the bus (I was already cursing myself for not walking) I just had to get off.

It's the skyline, see. I love it. It's one of my flimsy justifications for getting the bus from Waterloo to work rather than walking; the view from the top deck of the 176 going across the Thames is astounding. I guess it's probably half-decent from the other buses that go across Waterloo Bridge too, but anyway, yesterday I wasn't actually on the top deck, stood on the bottom one instead. Managed to get a look out East though and that was it, time to get off.

See, the weather was fucking amazing. Behind me the sun was setting, in a cloudless sky. Shining brightly, in fact too bright really to go stare west towards Jubilee bridge and parliament, but that's OK because it wasn't what I wanted to look at. What was best about the weather was that view to the East.

Unlike the cloudless sky to the West, East there was a backdrop of really dark cloud. But the sun was lighting up all the buildings, making the contrast stunning. What's more, the dark cloud's edge was cutting the city in two, creating yet another contrast. Ah fuck it, I'm rubbish at describing this shit really. Good job I took some photos. As it happens this was one of the rare moments I wished I had a real camera and some photographic nous, but I don't and I don't. Hopefully the 5 snaps give a hint though. The real thing I'm trying to say is just that London's skyline is fucking ace and I was lucky enough to spot it on a day when it was really fucking ace. In fact I didn't just take the snaps and fuck off (like I do with a lot of sights), I stood there for probably 15 minutes just staring at it and having a think. I absolutely adore this place.

Today I'm going back into town. Not to try and fluke another great sight or two -- is it even possible to "try and fluke" something? "You make your own luck" is a bollocks phrase -- but to go on an open top bus tour of London or summat. I've done enough of this in other cities, perhaps it's about time I saw this place through a tourist's eyes 'n all. Plus I desperately need to get out of the fucking house and do something vaguely active and debatably worthwhile with one of my last days of freedom. Switch Off (my) Television Set And Go Out And Do Something Less Boring Instead, innit.