London Calling

and I loved the call!

Well, The Clash’s vision of London Calling is much darker than my call for visiting London—but at least we had one thing in common: I also lived by the river. Well… the hotel was near the Thames.

I’ve dreamed of visiting London forever, to be honest. And this year, I finally decided to pull the trigger. It wasn’t very expensive—flights from Poland are actually cheap—and the journey wasn’t very long either. Still, it always scared me. I was afraid of the big city. Even though I’ve been to some major cities in Europe—Rome, Munich, Prague—none of them compare to the Great Mr. London.

My friends told me there are only two options once I arrive in the City: either I’ll love it or I’ll hate it. Because it’s just so much more of everything than what I’m used to.

I loved it. I loved it so much that I’m already planning my return to this majestic city.

I’ve never been in such a photogenic place. And the “vibe” in the city? It felt very much like mine. I was welcomed, I was hugged. I know—100%—that this might be deceptive, since I only had a few days and stayed mostly around the city center and major landmarks. But still, I didn’t meet a single pushy seller on the streets—something that’s all too common in places like Milan or Rome. No one tried to make me buy some stupid crap or forced me into anything, like I experienced in Rome.

Now, since it was my first time, I took a few postcard-style shots (as you can see above). I wasn’t alone, so photography wasn’t my main focus, unfortunately—but I’m leaving you with a couple of shots from my first time on the streets of London.

P.S.1: I only brought my M11 with a 35mm lens. Nothing more. This thing is a BEAST!
P.S.2: I treated myself to a little gift: This Was Then by Mike Abrahams. Hard to get in Poland!

London 2025