all the
FUNICULARS *

TODAY'S ITINERARY

---

Monday, 18 June, 2019

Underground and Overground

---

I did not attempt a funicular journey on the day I arrived from New Jersey. There's something about sleeping not enough in a chair on a plane and then entering a world that's running on a five hour time difference. Something best set aside. I checked in the hotel near Kings Cross that was my base for exploration. With that done, since it was about noon in London I decided to reset my clock by getting some food and a pint at the pub across the street, and never mind what time it is back home. Then I visited a few places within London.

I first went off to south London to take a few pictures for my other project, The Atmospheric Road. The day turned out to be the only rainy one during the whole time I was in the country—a surprise, but British weather is like that. Any forecast there more than two days ahead is just wishful thinking. I was ready for rain to change my plans, but not what did: intense heat in one case, and for another, a one-day rail strike. But I got them all: all the funiculars.

Local pride is a good thing. People in the Norwood area are proud of... the world's first reinforced concrete underpass.

My daughter admires the work of Tove Jansson, and there is a Moomin Shop in the Stables section of Camden Market. What could I do, right? I picked up a few things for her and felt good about myself.

After that, having wandered around for quite a few hours by this time, I was hungry and tired. But food before sleep. There in the Market I found a myself having an Indian-spiced lamb jalfrazi burger served by a wonderful shop owner from Barbados. It's the kind of thing that usually makes me say "only in New York" but I was in Camden Town. I sat at the bar and had a nice conversation with him. He told me his parents were white and black and that was not any big deal in Barbados, and I had to agree that was how it should be. Because of the light rain all day, or that it was Tuesday, it was not busy. I forget what the drink was that he recommended, except that I liked that too.

From where I was at the north end of the market I thought I might be closer to Chalk Farm station than Camden Town, so I walked up there. I'm glad I did. It has an original station building with a red tile exterior and a wonderful UndergrounD tile logo over the door, plus an old style electric sign with the lines over and under the intermediate letters.

I counted 51 steps to the platform, generously including the set of three steps I went down before I reached the landing with this sign. Maybe I should have gone back up to double check before casting stones in public, but someone else can do it.

In case the name means anything to you: it is a real station, and a busy one too.

I both love and hate that old style of G with only a vertical bar.

After this running around town: sleep. The next day out was going to be a killer.