London Bridge?

On Saturday, Mike and I went to Burough Market. We'll include some pictures of that soon, because it was fantastic - essentially a huge farmer's market set in the city viaducts. We got there early, bought apricot balsamic, pistachio baklava, sourdough bread, one huge beautiful tomato and yogurt banana chips. We also sampled rose candy, Mike had a sausage and I had the best veggie burger of my life. Chloe played on a stone structure near a church next to the market and we managed to catch all the sun of the day in those few hours.

On the way to the market, we took a bus and Mike navigated us over the London Bridge, which was a great moment - crossing a piece of history. But then, as I was talking to my father today, he suggested that perhaps the actual London Bridge is in Arizona. And it turns out he is right. See below. What I learned is that the bridge my family crossed on Saturday was actually built from 1967 to 1972 after the original started sinking and needed replaced. Luckily, the Market was so fun, I don't know that it bothers me that much!

It is also worth noting that apparently most people think that Tower Bridge is the London Bridge and are disappointed to learn that is one bridge over.

Us on the "New" London Bridge (see Tower Bridge in the background?)

Tower Bridge

The Old London Bridge - now in Arizona

On 18 April 1968, Londong Bridge was sold to the American entrepreneur Robert P. McCulloch of McCulloch Oil for US$2,460,000. As the bridge was disassembled, each piece was numbered to aid reassembly and those markings can still be seen today. The bridge was reconstructed at Lake Havasu City, Arizona and re-dedicated on October 10, 1971. The reconstruction of Rennie’s London Bridge spans a man-made canal that leads from Lake Havasu to Thomson Bay, and forms the centerpiece of a theme park in English style, complete with mock-Tudor shopping mall. Rennie’s London Bridge has become Arizona’s second-biggest tourist attraction, after the Grand Canyon.
The version of London Bridge that was rebuilt at Lake Havasu consists of a concrete frame with stones from the Old London Bridge used as cladding. Not all of the bridge was transported to America, as some was kept behind in lieu of tax duties. The remaining stone was left at Merrivale Quarry on Dartmoor in Devon, so a large part of Rennie’s bridge never left the UK. When Merrivale Quarry was abandoned and flooded in 2003, some of the remaining stones were sold in an online auction.