KEEPING COOL: FAVOURITE FOUNTAINS AND WATERSIDE WALKS WORLDWIDE

Giant Fountain Depicting a Boat in Hays Galleria, London, England. Photo by Angela Lansbury, copyright.

Hays Galleria, London, England

 One side of the open sided but roofed Galleria opens onto a busy road and nearby railway station, whilst the other side open onto the riverside. These buildings were once the dockside warehouses, now redeveloped.

Problem
I love water. Maybe it's because I'm a Pisces. Most people like watching fountains, or taking waterside walks. If you don't like nature (I have one friend who told me she doesn't) you can watch fountains in a shopping mall by day, or lit up changing colour at night. Where can you to go to see fountains? Or walk beside the water? Or take a houseboat.

Answer
London, England; Italy in Europe; Las Vegas in the USA; Singapore; or Russia. These are the places where I have seen the best fountains. But for waterside walks, Cambodia.

My favourites are:

UK
Everybody's favourites are the fountains in London. Trafalgar Square is the best known. In many fountains it is forbidden to jump into the water.

ITALY
The famous Trevi fountain in Rome.

Fountain at Bugis shopping area in Singapore. Photo by Angela Lansbury.Copyright.

SINGAPORE
The famous and largest fountain is the fountain of wealth in the business district of the city state.

OUTDOOR FOUNTAINS WHICH WILL COOL YOU
But I enjoy the jumping fountains which children can run between for a laugh. Such fun. I love the ones that are lots of small knee high pencils of water you can get up close and run between. You find them in busy, popular places.

WATERSIDE WALKS
My favourite - Cambodia.

INDOOR FOUNTAINS IN HOTELS
Singapore has several hotels with dramatic waterfalls or stepped and floodlit fountains.

Floodlit fountains in Sheraton Towers Hotel, Singapore, near Newton MRT underground railway station. Photo by Angela Lansbury. Copyright. 

LAKESIDE HOLIDAYS
America - just look at the map and pick your favourites. Canada. America. River rafting. Kayaking.
New Zealand. I went on rafting

THEME PARKS
A recent accident caused a ride and later the whole park to close for several days in the UK. One accident was when a girl stood up to change seats. Another was when a group of lads did not stay sitting but stood up for excitement and when the raft hit an obstacle and jolted he was thrown out. Stay seated and stay safe.

HOUSEBOATS
My favourites were in the USA. The scariest boat trips? In the deep south, such as the Everglades, with warning to to throw food which attracts crocodiles. Great for photos but not for safety. So many films evoke the joys and dangers of the waters in America.

If you can't get out and travel, travel with your walking fingers on your computer keyboard. Stay home and watch a romantic film or a horror movie.

WATCHING YACHTS
Colourful yacht races and regattas. Thames river in England. Southern England. New Zealand. California beaches and boardwalk: LA beaches and ship tour; Big Sur; Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco. Marinas.

TOURING SHIPS
For historians and tourists:

• Pearl Harbour.
• Ship tour of Queen Mary, Los Angeles, California, USA. 

If you haven't the time or opportunity to go inside the great cruise liner, see the impressive outside for a selfie. Good to end on a jollier note. It's very cool, in the metaphorical sense of the word.

Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer. I have several posts about the bridges and boats in Singapore and the water walk through a lake in Cambodia near Ankor Wat which was voted the top site int he world. Please share links to my posts.

Costa Coffee and Cake at Hays Galleria, London Bridge station

A typical Costa, queue up for the food, free newspapers in the rack, and a large unisex toilet big enough for wheelchairs, on ground floor. 

You can get a costa card and sign up for the Costa card ap on your phone.

This is my favourite, almond bake. Like British Bakewell tart. It may look small, but it's full of calories.

We split the sandwich and cake.

Doppio espresso con panne, Italian for double espresso coffee with cream on top.

All you need to know about the smoked salmon sandwich is on the packet. Calories to count.

Angela Lansbury, travel writer, author, speaker.

Hays Galleria, London Bridge station

Exit from London Bridge station (Jubilee and Northern lines), cross the road on the crossing to Hays Galleria, only a few steps to your right. Inside Hays Galleria in a glass covered courtyard surrounded by several cafes with indoor and covered 'outdoor' seating, and market stalls surrounding the grand central sculpture. From the centre you can see out over the river to landmark buildings such as the Gherkin. 

The Cafe options include Costa coffee to your right and Cafe Rouge to your left. I saw no signs to public toilets and the people I asked told me to try the cafes. I went into Costa Coffee and decided to stay there and two of us had coffee and cake. 

I have now looked on google maps and found toilets marked in front of Boots the Chemist which is immediately left as you are at the start of the Galleria.

Shopping? I looked at shoes on sale in a shop. Then I browsed a kiosk selling watches from £5 for fancy, decorated dress or novelty watches; £15 for practical watches with date and alarm, seemed a good buy.

(See my earlier post about the Gherkin, the number of steps and climbing the steps for charity, and information on the Gherkin and dining and weddings there.)

More Information

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hay%27s_Galleria

Angela Lansbury, BA Hons, AG CL,  travel writer, author, speaker.