"Let me try this on the ginger"

I spent yesterday taking in the sights, sounds, and scents of the Thames Festival.


When we set out, I had no idea what I was getting into. This festival was huge!!! It spanned from Westminster Bridge to Tower Bridge, which Google Maps tells me is 2.3 miles (yes, we walked all of it, and most of the way back). The whole way along was packed with awesome: taping of a CBBC show, a trapeze (that you could try... sadly, we missed this), free runners, a wheel of death, a night carnival, welly-throwing competitions and sandcastle building at the beach, swing dancing to live music, archaeological walks, photography master classes, a market (I had a vendor call me a "ginger" - teehee!), street performers, and much, much more. I even got a massage.

My favourite part, though, had to be the fire garden. It was like stepping into another world. Imagine, if you will, a garden with fire suspended everywhere. Here's the description from the program, as they describe it better than I do:

Fire alchemists Compagnie Carabosse are one of France's most important street arts groups. For this major commission they create a magical and awe-inspiring fire garden outside Tate Modern with animated fire machines, garlands of flamepots, boilers that belch flame and glorious structures laced with fire.

I felt as though I had suddenly become a part of some kind of crazy commune.

The festival was punctuated by the greatest fireworks display I have ever seen, designed by winners of the International Fireworks Festival in Montreal.


It astounds me that this seems to have been just a no-big-deal festival on a run-of-the-mill weekend in London. One thing's for sure, I will never be bored so long as I am living here. I just worry what it'll be like to go back to the rest of the world.