30th Birthday - Part Four: Tate to Tate Boat Ride

This last event actually took place on November 6th, the day after my birthday. And to understand it fully, it is important to know just how stunning the view from our living room and front balcony can be. We are fortunate enough to directly overlook the Thames, and on a daily basis we bear witness to many a passing boat and shipping vessel. Now, among these many ships, there is one in particular that I have developed a slight obsession with! Yes, I officially have a "favorite boat" in London and she is the Tate-to-Tate Thames Clipper.

"The Thames Clipper" is simply the name of the company that runs many of the Thames commuter ferries and boats, and the Tate-to-Tate comes from the route that this particular boat specializes in: Among other stops, she ferries passengers back and forth between the Tate Britain and the Tate Modern museums.

But it's not what she does, it's how she does it that matters... And here's where my obsession comes in. She is 10 times faster than any other boat on the river. She slices through the water as if it were a piece of velvet, and on chilly mornings the steam rises from her back side as though she were brewing up a huge cup of coffee. And then there's the wake. Or the lack of one, for that matter...

Every time I see her from the apartment, I stop what I'm doing, jump up and down with glee and shout out to anyone who might be listening (usually John), "Look at her go! You've got to see this!". Sometimes he humors me and actually leaves what he's doing to take a peek. Other times he just kindly nods and affirms my statement, continuing to do whatever he was doing, to which I reply "Oh, nevermind. SHE'S GONE!!". This ritual never gets old (hee hee) and precisely because she is so fast, the entire conversation lasts 20 seconds, maximum!

Long story short, on Sunday morning John treated me to my inaugural ride on the Tate-to-Tate, and it was everything a girl could ask for! Besides the rain (which is just typical London), the ride was smooth and sophisticated! Designed by notorious "YoungBritishArtist" Damien Hirst (who incidentally graduated from my school, Goldsmiths College), her decor is modern and even whimsical. There are colored polka dots everywhere and a sleek bar in the rear of the cabin. She's even outfitted with Bose speakers and flat-screen TVs that show safety videos better than those seen on most planes...

Anyway, I could really go on (that's why it's called an OBSESSION, people), but I'll stop and try to let the pictures do the talking.

I'm over and out with the birthday talk (and yes, I'm really 30). xo