Nearly over the jet lag - London, United Kingdom
London, United Kingdom
Where I stayed
House Swap in Brentford
What I did
Picadilly Circus, Westminster, Big Ben, St Paul's Cathedral, Trafalgar Square, Buckingham Palace, British Museum
It is today actually the 15 th December. I am still working out hiw to use this app,so this is a mere summary of each day so far. Pics are included to illustrate the story. 10th Dec We flew over Heathrow at sunrise to find it wrapped in thick fog. Our efficient Lufthansa pilot informed us that we were "in hooding patter fur vier und viertzig minuten" and so we were. Briony and I watched all the other planes circling Heathrow in holding pattern. We did land at last. John was cold in things and shorts. We ended up catching a black taxi out to our apartment in Kew ( or Brentford really) because we were too tired to work out what to do with trains, buses and public transport ticketing systems. We are still trying to work out the latter. John had his pub lunch with Guinness. We strolled along the Thames. By 3pm we were asleep. 11th Dec Made first ticketing mistake. Purchased "Oyster Card" from local convenience store in Kew Bridge. Also found out we had been given a counterfeit 20£ note as change by the pub the day before. Starting to feel like tourists. Maybe it's our loud grating Australian accents? John has his first "caf" breakfast complete with sausage, black pud and hash brown. Then into London and doing then real tourist thing, taking in the sites on the red double decker bus. Once the fog clears, there is filtered sunlight for an hour or two before it sets at 4ish and once again we all just want to go to bed. We can check off the following: Big Ben, Buckingham Palace, Piccadilly Circus, trafalgar Square, Tower of London, Tower London and Waterloo Bridge, the London Eye....... After dark London at Christmas takes on a magic quality. Large round baubles filled with silvery fairy lights are webbed across Oxford St. Small wooded stalls selling sweets, waffles with melted chocolate, cinnamon pretzels and mulled wine (see note above). The mulled wine, which I confess I am growing fond of, contributed to my lethargy. 12th Dec Still feeling like a tourist, we have a new rule. Stay away from any street theatre. Gentle Yoda, appearing to be seated suspended above the ground,is really only after our pounds. We ended up hiding in the National gallery after both Jack and Briony were "given" bright cotton bracelets that ended up costing 2£ each. We had a walking "Harry Potter" tour around the hidden alleyways and antique book and sweet shops in the West End of London. More red bus, and a boat cruise down the Thames after dark. Once we returned to Kew we visited the Botanical Gardens to view the night lights. Jack missed this because he did not feel well. And though we were all tired, the mulled wine was warming, and the lights magical. 13th Dec Big tourist mistake of the day: did not swipe Oyster card as we changed trains at Clapham Common to go the Haslemere, costing us in excess of maybe 50£. We have been frustrated by the lack of rail staff to help with tickets,the machines that won't take cash, and when we do find some-one, the confusing advice. Anyway....all part of being a tourist. A lovely visit to see Clare, James, Ellie and Abi in their beautiful Surrey home. A warming lunch of sweet potato soup, crusty olive bread, panini for the kids, stilton cheese, Belgian chocolate Yule log all washed down with Elderberry cordial. We struggled to walk it off at the Devil's Punchbowl. It was cold and windy, yet everyone was out walking kids walking dogs. If it were like this at home we,d be having a dooner day in front of the telly. But Sydneysiders don't know how to do cold weather. 15th December Sunday: another day grey and gentle drizzle, not as cold as yesterday. We took the Tube into Gloucester Road and explored our old haunts at Stanhope Gardens in South Kensington. The buildings have had a fresh coat of paint, and probably now house wealthier and more gentile inhabitants that when we squatted here back in 1990. Museum of Natural History, a dry and warm and crowded respite. Like the British museum far too big to explore in one day. You can spend as much time admiring the intricate stone work, and ornate ceilings, as wondering through the evolution of dinosaurs (Paul's kids would love it here) and people, glass aquariums full of 100 + year old taxidermic specimens collected on various voyages, manuscripts from Charles Darwin and Sir Joseph Banks. Outside is an ice-skate rink. These have been set up all over town, we are yet to brave them. Last time I skated was in England and although I'd love to have a go, if I do my knee it's going t be a long 6 weeks hobbling around Europe. We had dinner ini a local pub, the Bell and Crown. Warm fire and rain falling in the dark outside, with a view of the shadowed river. John at last had his roast and Yorkshire pud, which still looks like a big lump of dough to me. Kira would enjoy London. Dogs seem to be allowed on the Tube, and in pubs. Very civilised. 16th December Monday: aborted Tower due to unexpected long queues. (We had thought we had avoided tourists by travelling in winter, but it seems that the numbers have swelled this week.) A quick morning coffee (which is how we avoid paying 50p to use public toilets) and then we, walked to markets. First Pettycoat Lane, which were sparse and wet, and smelled of Indian spice. Then on to the warm undercover Spitalfield Markets, in Whitechapel. These were more to our liking in the grey drizzle. Warm and undercover, with smells of chocolate and sugar, and leather goods. Goods on display included leather bags, T-shirts, coats, fob watches, scarves and toys. The undercover area was glittering with Christmas Fairy lights. After lunch we indulged Briony by walking up to Oxford street,where she immersed herself in Topshop and Miss Selfridge to see if there was anything inside she could afford. Oxford street by twilight (about 3.30pm) is magical, with lights strung across the street like a glittering spider webs. Then back past Piccadilly Circus to Leicester Square, and to the movies (Catching Fire, and Captain Phillips for John). 17th :December Tuesday: we woke at 6.15 just in time to hear coverage of Mitchell Johnston collect the final wicket of Anderson, and Australia have won back the Ashes! Very nice! The rest of the day consists of English commentators and sports writers wondering what went wrong with English cricket, and whom do they need to sack to fix it. We have not contacted Rupert yet to pass on our condolences. Tower of London, no queues today. We spent all day here and could have spent more. The kids agreed it was the best "museum" yet. Full of history in architecture, armoury, jewels and of course torture. There were also some cruelly small enclosures for exotic animals ( polar bears, elephants and monkeys) which were kept here, gifts from Kings and leaders in foreign countries. The ravens are cheeky and overfed. Their wings are clipped presumably so they stay put. 18th December Imseem to have missed a day. Lost somewhere in the fog of Jetlag. If I remember what happened to it I will amend this entry.