With an old city like London, it’s to be expected that there would be at least remnants of what used to be but knowing that doesn’t make it any less impressive. It’s amazing to see structures such as the Tower of London, with some portions built during the Roman Empire, next to modern architectural achievements like the Shard. Seeing this, I can’t help but think two entirely different worlds reside in London: one being a world full of technological advances and conveniences but fragile; and another of empires and conflicts but perseverance.
Looking at the Shard from across the Thames River.
The Shard stands well above the majority of the surrounding buildings. It’s an extraordinary engineering feat to have built anything like the Shard. Looking at it on a cloudy day it seems it goes on and on, but when the clouds clear, the top can easily be seen. Standing back and taking it all in, I was able to somewhat picture what the future might look like. Wherever I was in the city, it didn’t take too long for me to find the Shard, almost as if it were a beacon that was there to help me if I lost my way. But the Shard is covered in glass, like many of the neighboring skyscrapers on the London skyline. Although it is such a tall building, to me it seems rather fragile, as if throwing a rock at the Shard would cause the entire building to collapse. I guess the frailness of the Shard could be linked to the frailness of today’s society and, of course, the future. Nothing is set in stone when it comes to the present and future.
Me standing in front of the Tower of London
Just across the Thames River from the Shard is the Tower of London. In some portions, ancient walls are all that’s left of the once mighty Roman Empire. The scars of war and conflicts cover the remaining portions of the castle. Walking around the grounds, from the White Tower to the ramparts of the outer walls, it felt like I was being transported through the ages. Looking around the castle, I could picture the generations after generations of people who lived and worked within those walls. Despite wars and the flow of times, the Tower of London has lived on for hundreds of years and will most likely live on for hundreds more. It makes me think that the people who lived in the Tower of London also were able to endure just as the castle in which they resided in.
I find it fitting that the Thames River flows between the two structures. It’s like going back and forth in the flow of time when I look across from one side of the river to the other. Looking at the Shard from the Tower of London was like looking towards the future, fragile due to uncertainties and ever changing by our actions. On the other hand, looking at the castle from near the Shard was like looking at how the past is set in stone and slowly fades with time. This has been one of the biggest differences that I’ve seen between the United States and Europe: seeing two worlds residing next to each other.