Day three in London was spent up in the clouds. I was above the city, 37 floors up to be exact. Seeing everything all at once. The view from above is very different than the experience of being in the hustle and bustle on the ground. Visiting the sky garden let me see the things I saw while walking through the street in a whole new way. Rather than being a small individual in the large city looking up at all the sights I was way up in the sky and in a way practically part of one of the sights. On the balcony of the "walky talky building", as captain Nick from day one called it. Looking down on these people, people I couldn't even recognize as people. More as specs of color in this big picture that created the city as a whole.
While walking through the streets the day before, and even walking to the Sky Garden, I felt small. I felt like a little girl in this big city that I knew little to nothing about. Walking with a group of people who I barely knew, but the only familiar things in sight. And panicking when I couldn't see a familiar face. Afraid of losing the group in the fast-paced environment that the Londoners created as they lived their daily lives. As we turned different street corners the smells changed to match the different restaurants or food vendors we happened to be walking by, and some smells I could not quite identify that I can only explain as smells of the city.
While above the city, the whole feeling changed. I felt free and open, like I could breath again. The fear of loosing the group had disappeared and the only smell I could smell was fresh air, and the occasional whiff of coffee from the cafe inside. All I could focus on was the beauty of The city as a whole. How it was so full of life below but seemed to be so calm. I felt on top of the world. I could see everything so clearly. I wanted to reach out and grab the buildings and rearrange them like toys.
Being so far above the busy streets, with the wind blowing my hair every which way, made me feel like the city was a calmer place. It was peaceful. It was a nice change of pace.