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| Typical countryside, looking towards Wales |
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| The Birthplace - William Sheakspeare |
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| The Avon |
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| When I'm 64..... |
Monday, 3 September 2012
Photos of Stratford-on-Avon
Photos of Bath
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| My map reading abilities have improved and were needed in Bath |
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| A bridge of shops. |
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| The Roman Baths in Bath |
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| A typical street view in Bath |
London, 500ks, London
2nd September. Den's Birthday
London, 500kms, London
Den's Birthday!!!! Happy Birthday Den. We had already booked a tour to 'See England in a Day' for this day, and decided to still go.
A wake up call at 6am, brekky at 7am and a walk around into the Strand to be collected by 7.30am. The first cup of coffee was greatly needed. As we stood waiting for the bus Den started singing an old Beatles tune...something about 64!!! The tour guide later told us we would cross more than five counties and cover 300 miles as we visited Stonehenge, Bath, travel through the Cotswalds and on to Stratford-on-Avon, and back to London. We were a mixed group - mainly Americans, a couple from Thailand, another couple from Korea, Netherlands, Switzerland and five Australians, (the other three Aussies were from Melb.).
We travelled through the Salisbury Plains an area of 100,000 acres. Nice rolling hills nothing very special. We reached Stonehenge about 10.30am. It had been raining and continued to drizzle the whole time we were there. My nightmare - umbrellas everywhere!!!! The haze of rain seemed to add to the mystical charm of the area. We had a really good audio guide head set which explained and guessed some of the thoughts behind Stonehenge. Some of the stones have been there for 5,000 years. The circle was added to about 4,000 years ago with another 80 or so blocks. The same type of blue stone rock that has been DNA matched to rock from Wales 128 miles away. Then about 3,500 years ago 25 more stones were added. Why or what for?? well that is the mystery. Over the years rocks from Stonehenge have been taken away by local farmers for use in their yards and by souvenir hunters. Some repair work has been done to steady a couple of the larger stones to make it safe for people to view the area, but mostly it is as it was years ago. We wandered around the whole circle and found it interesting from all directions. Back onto the bus, and off again...
Next stop Bath. We had been tootling along just more hills and paddocks, green but nothing like the vivid lush green of Ireland. Then we rounded a bend and there was Bath. Wow was my reaction. Rows and rows of stone houses set onto the hills. The photos will show you more than I can describe. It really is quite special. Settled by the Romans thousands of years ago - they certainly were a very busy race, and left their mark all around the world. We were disappointed to only have a bit over an hour in Bath as it is a very interesting and lovely place.
From there a drive through the villages and towns of the Cotswalds. I thought this was a town but as our guide rather rudely told a lady from California (who had said what I, and probably a lot of others had thought, about stopping at the Cotswalds) It is an area which covers a large number of villages and towns, so we drove through it and unfortunately didn't stop to take any pictures. Just some hurried snaps from the coach. Many of the passengers fell asleep during this time and wouldn't have seen anything!!! Oh well....There was a lovely town called Tetbury that was particularly lovely.
Then just before 4pm we were arriving into Stratford-on-Avon. By now the sun was shining and so it looked even lovlier. The 'Birthplace' of Sheakespeare is in the main street, a pedestrian mall, and is very well maintained with beautiful gardens. There are some lovely quaint little shops here. Many original homes, many like the ones we had passed going through the Cotswalds, still stand and are lived in as is the school that Shakespeare attended, which is also still a school. We also only had a bit over an hour here and were back on the bus and headed for London by 5pm.
Two and a half hours later we were dropped off in London and made our way back towards Aldwych, in the West End where Waldorf Hilton is situated. After a half hour walk we were seated outside the Wellington, a lovely old English Pub for our last evening meal in London to celebrate Den's birthday. We had travelled over 300 miles and gone through Hampshire, Wiltshire, Somerset, Gloustershire, Warwickshire, saw Wales in the distance, Oxfordshire and Chiltern before reaching London. What a day!!! It had been a huge trip but really enjoyable and memorable. Den was still singing that old Beatles song...when I'm 64...Yeah - Darlin I do!!!! .
Tomorrow we are picked up from our hotel at 2.15pm to go to Heathrow to fly to Singapore and then later onto Melbourne arriving there at 6.20am Wednesday morning.
It has been a wonderful trip and we look forward to looking back over the past weeks and remembering the wonderful people we have met and the places we have been. It has been a great adventure.
London, 500kms, London
Den's Birthday!!!! Happy Birthday Den. We had already booked a tour to 'See England in a Day' for this day, and decided to still go.
A wake up call at 6am, brekky at 7am and a walk around into the Strand to be collected by 7.30am. The first cup of coffee was greatly needed. As we stood waiting for the bus Den started singing an old Beatles tune...something about 64!!! The tour guide later told us we would cross more than five counties and cover 300 miles as we visited Stonehenge, Bath, travel through the Cotswalds and on to Stratford-on-Avon, and back to London. We were a mixed group - mainly Americans, a couple from Thailand, another couple from Korea, Netherlands, Switzerland and five Australians, (the other three Aussies were from Melb.).
We travelled through the Salisbury Plains an area of 100,000 acres. Nice rolling hills nothing very special. We reached Stonehenge about 10.30am. It had been raining and continued to drizzle the whole time we were there. My nightmare - umbrellas everywhere!!!! The haze of rain seemed to add to the mystical charm of the area. We had a really good audio guide head set which explained and guessed some of the thoughts behind Stonehenge. Some of the stones have been there for 5,000 years. The circle was added to about 4,000 years ago with another 80 or so blocks. The same type of blue stone rock that has been DNA matched to rock from Wales 128 miles away. Then about 3,500 years ago 25 more stones were added. Why or what for?? well that is the mystery. Over the years rocks from Stonehenge have been taken away by local farmers for use in their yards and by souvenir hunters. Some repair work has been done to steady a couple of the larger stones to make it safe for people to view the area, but mostly it is as it was years ago. We wandered around the whole circle and found it interesting from all directions. Back onto the bus, and off again...
Next stop Bath. We had been tootling along just more hills and paddocks, green but nothing like the vivid lush green of Ireland. Then we rounded a bend and there was Bath. Wow was my reaction. Rows and rows of stone houses set onto the hills. The photos will show you more than I can describe. It really is quite special. Settled by the Romans thousands of years ago - they certainly were a very busy race, and left their mark all around the world. We were disappointed to only have a bit over an hour in Bath as it is a very interesting and lovely place.
From there a drive through the villages and towns of the Cotswalds. I thought this was a town but as our guide rather rudely told a lady from California (who had said what I, and probably a lot of others had thought, about stopping at the Cotswalds) It is an area which covers a large number of villages and towns, so we drove through it and unfortunately didn't stop to take any pictures. Just some hurried snaps from the coach. Many of the passengers fell asleep during this time and wouldn't have seen anything!!! Oh well....There was a lovely town called Tetbury that was particularly lovely.
Then just before 4pm we were arriving into Stratford-on-Avon. By now the sun was shining and so it looked even lovlier. The 'Birthplace' of Sheakespeare is in the main street, a pedestrian mall, and is very well maintained with beautiful gardens. There are some lovely quaint little shops here. Many original homes, many like the ones we had passed going through the Cotswalds, still stand and are lived in as is the school that Shakespeare attended, which is also still a school. We also only had a bit over an hour here and were back on the bus and headed for London by 5pm.
Two and a half hours later we were dropped off in London and made our way back towards Aldwych, in the West End where Waldorf Hilton is situated. After a half hour walk we were seated outside the Wellington, a lovely old English Pub for our last evening meal in London to celebrate Den's birthday. We had travelled over 300 miles and gone through Hampshire, Wiltshire, Somerset, Gloustershire, Warwickshire, saw Wales in the distance, Oxfordshire and Chiltern before reaching London. What a day!!! It had been a huge trip but really enjoyable and memorable. Den was still singing that old Beatles song...when I'm 64...Yeah - Darlin I do!!!! .
Tomorrow we are picked up from our hotel at 2.15pm to go to Heathrow to fly to Singapore and then later onto Melbourne arriving there at 6.20am Wednesday morning.
It has been a wonderful trip and we look forward to looking back over the past weeks and remembering the wonderful people we have met and the places we have been. It has been a great adventure.
Saturday, 1 September 2012
London
1st September
London
After a quiet morning we decided to head to Covent Garden. We watched some of the many street performers. They were quite entertaining and a needed distraction. We had a look around the market, and bought some tickets to the matinee of the stage show Jersey Boys. This is the story of Franky Valli and the Four Seasons. Being in the middle of the West End it is just amazing how many stage shows and theatres are in this reasonably small area. We wandered around, along Charing Cross Road and up to Old Compton Street to the Lord Edward Theatre. Time for a bite to eat and then the show.
It was a very slick show, with the actors singing, narrating, moving sets, and playing insturments while telling the story with the hit songs of the group. It was very enjoyable and lived up to what we had been told about it. After one of the songs the audience clapped for so long that the actors looked at each other wondering how long to wait till they went on with the story. At the end a lot of the audience were on their feet dancing to the last number.
A nice light tea at 'Garfunkels' and then home for an early night.
London
After a quiet morning we decided to head to Covent Garden. We watched some of the many street performers. They were quite entertaining and a needed distraction. We had a look around the market, and bought some tickets to the matinee of the stage show Jersey Boys. This is the story of Franky Valli and the Four Seasons. Being in the middle of the West End it is just amazing how many stage shows and theatres are in this reasonably small area. We wandered around, along Charing Cross Road and up to Old Compton Street to the Lord Edward Theatre. Time for a bite to eat and then the show.
It was a very slick show, with the actors singing, narrating, moving sets, and playing insturments while telling the story with the hit songs of the group. It was very enjoyable and lived up to what we had been told about it. After one of the songs the audience clapped for so long that the actors looked at each other wondering how long to wait till they went on with the story. At the end a lot of the audience were on their feet dancing to the last number.
A nice light tea at 'Garfunkels' and then home for an early night.
Photos of London with Sunshine
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| St Pauls Cathedral |
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| Westminster and Big Ben |
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| Carnaby Street |
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| Marble Arch |
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| Harrods |
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| The Stocking Shop of Portobello Road, Notting Hill |
London
31st August
London
We woke to the unusual sight of bright blue skies. And without knowing what had happened we set off on a most enjoyable day. The swelling in my face had gone down quite a lot, and so I was feeling a lot better.
We still had another day's pass on the 'hop on off' bus, with our first stop St Pauls Cathedral. It really is quite beautiful. Back on the bus and off to Buckingham Palace to hopefully see the changing of the guards set down for 11.30am. We got there about 11.10 but hundreds of people had beaten us to it, of course, and taken up positions. We got a good place - being tall comes in handy some times - and waited. More and more people arrived. I can't imagine what it must have been like after the wedding when Will and Kate stood on the balcony with 1 million people in the area!!!! While we waited a couple of girls asked us what the crowd was about. We tried to explain about the guards - they were a bit disappointed as they thought maybe one of the royals was about to make an appearance not just some horses. They stayed and cheered anyway.
It is quite a big affair. Soldiers go from here to there in the area behind the gates and then more come from the barracks through the streets. The traffic stops, and the soldiers march in from the streets, a marching band follow them, mounted soldiers come along. It is all very regal and full of traditon. A chap from Manchester was telling us that they are real soldiers, often do 6 months at the palace and then onto the next assignment. The police, mounted and on foot, trying to keep the pedestrians in the correct places had their work cut out for them. Lots of yelling and finger pointing and waving. Then it was all over and the crowds of people dispersed and the traffic resumed whizzing around.
We walked along the parkland down the side of the Palace wall. Lots of trees and wide footpaths. It was rather nice and peaceful after the crush of the crowd. We caught another bus to Knightsbridge to go to Harrods. We went for a walk inside Harrods - very big - very posh - and very expensive. Next stop a cafe across the road for lunch. Then back to the bus and travelled to Notting Hill Gate as we had been told to see Portobello Road. Very interesting place. Very alternate, vibrant and a bit grubby all at the same time. Back on the bus and off at Oxford Street. One and a half mile long strip of shops. It was crowded, noisy and quite hectic. From there we joined into Regent Street as seeing Carnaby Street was on my wish list. It wasn't like the pictures of it in the 60s and 70s - now very expensive shops had taken over the area. From there we walked through Piccadilly Circus, Leicester Square and on to our old favorite place of Covent Garden. We found a relatively quiet area for a nice meal and then back to the motel. Our doorman greeted us and we chatted for a short while. There was an Indian wedding in the hotel later that night with 300 guests. The doorman told us they have a lot of wedding there and they are often arranged marriages which can have their problems. He told of us of one wedding that the police had to be called to break up a fight between the families and later in the night the police had to be called to break up a fight between the bride and the groom.
We then checked our e-mails and found the news Lindsay had sent. We have decided to continue on in London until Monday when we were due to fly to Singapore and stay for 5 days. We have changed our flights and now arrive into Singapore at 2.40pm and fly out 9pm and arrive into Melbourne at 6.20am. Singapore Airlines were very helpful with changing these flights. The two concierges at the hotel were very helpful and couldn't do enough to help with free phone calls and looking up phone numbers etc, for us. They were really wonderful and we were very grateful.
London
We woke to the unusual sight of bright blue skies. And without knowing what had happened we set off on a most enjoyable day. The swelling in my face had gone down quite a lot, and so I was feeling a lot better.
We still had another day's pass on the 'hop on off' bus, with our first stop St Pauls Cathedral. It really is quite beautiful. Back on the bus and off to Buckingham Palace to hopefully see the changing of the guards set down for 11.30am. We got there about 11.10 but hundreds of people had beaten us to it, of course, and taken up positions. We got a good place - being tall comes in handy some times - and waited. More and more people arrived. I can't imagine what it must have been like after the wedding when Will and Kate stood on the balcony with 1 million people in the area!!!! While we waited a couple of girls asked us what the crowd was about. We tried to explain about the guards - they were a bit disappointed as they thought maybe one of the royals was about to make an appearance not just some horses. They stayed and cheered anyway.
It is quite a big affair. Soldiers go from here to there in the area behind the gates and then more come from the barracks through the streets. The traffic stops, and the soldiers march in from the streets, a marching band follow them, mounted soldiers come along. It is all very regal and full of traditon. A chap from Manchester was telling us that they are real soldiers, often do 6 months at the palace and then onto the next assignment. The police, mounted and on foot, trying to keep the pedestrians in the correct places had their work cut out for them. Lots of yelling and finger pointing and waving. Then it was all over and the crowds of people dispersed and the traffic resumed whizzing around.
We walked along the parkland down the side of the Palace wall. Lots of trees and wide footpaths. It was rather nice and peaceful after the crush of the crowd. We caught another bus to Knightsbridge to go to Harrods. We went for a walk inside Harrods - very big - very posh - and very expensive. Next stop a cafe across the road for lunch. Then back to the bus and travelled to Notting Hill Gate as we had been told to see Portobello Road. Very interesting place. Very alternate, vibrant and a bit grubby all at the same time. Back on the bus and off at Oxford Street. One and a half mile long strip of shops. It was crowded, noisy and quite hectic. From there we joined into Regent Street as seeing Carnaby Street was on my wish list. It wasn't like the pictures of it in the 60s and 70s - now very expensive shops had taken over the area. From there we walked through Piccadilly Circus, Leicester Square and on to our old favorite place of Covent Garden. We found a relatively quiet area for a nice meal and then back to the motel. Our doorman greeted us and we chatted for a short while. There was an Indian wedding in the hotel later that night with 300 guests. The doorman told us they have a lot of wedding there and they are often arranged marriages which can have their problems. He told of us of one wedding that the police had to be called to break up a fight between the families and later in the night the police had to be called to break up a fight between the bride and the groom.
We then checked our e-mails and found the news Lindsay had sent. We have decided to continue on in London until Monday when we were due to fly to Singapore and stay for 5 days. We have changed our flights and now arrive into Singapore at 2.40pm and fly out 9pm and arrive into Melbourne at 6.20am. Singapore Airlines were very helpful with changing these flights. The two concierges at the hotel were very helpful and couldn't do enough to help with free phone calls and looking up phone numbers etc, for us. They were really wonderful and we were very grateful.
Sad News comes to London - A Tribute to Ma
31st August
Sad News While in London
Today we received the terribly sad news that Ma, Den's Mother, has passed away.
She was a great lady, always with a story to tell, and the wish to make the hearer smile. Ma had a good long and happy life. She loved her four children and many grandchildren and great grand children dearly. There was always a story about the family to be told and she loved to tell those stories. Ma always tried to make the most of whatever situation was thrown her way, and greeted everything with a smile. She was greatly loved and will be sadly missed.
Sad News While in London
Today we received the terribly sad news that Ma, Den's Mother, has passed away.
She was a great lady, always with a story to tell, and the wish to make the hearer smile. Ma had a good long and happy life. She loved her four children and many grandchildren and great grand children dearly. There was always a story about the family to be told and she loved to tell those stories. Ma always tried to make the most of whatever situation was thrown her way, and greeted everything with a smile. She was greatly loved and will be sadly missed.
Thursday, 30 August 2012
London Photos
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| Tower Bridge |
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| Part of the Tower of London |
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| Another view of the Tower of London |
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| Nice of the Royal Family to greet us |
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| The London Eye |
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| Westminster and Big Ben |
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| A close up of Big Ben |
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| Buckingham Palace |
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| Only two guards to be seen, the next changing of the guards will be tomorrow, weather permitting. I suppose it would be difficult getting those helmet dry!!?? |
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| The gates of Buckingham Palace |
London
30th August
London
We started the morning with very swish brekky. Booked a trip for Sunday and bought our tourist bus tickets for the 'hop on hop off' bus and off we set. Grey clouds and occasional raindrops but that was not about to deter us. We heard today that this summer has been the wettest London has had for 100 years!!! Oh well.... we had our raincoats.... All was going well. We were seeing lots of the well known landmarks. We drove over Tower Bridge and decided to get off on the next stop - London Bridge to take some photos of Tower Bridge and to see the Tower of London. As a kid I always remember singing London Bridge is falling down - I never dreamt that one day I would fall on IT. But fall I did in a most spectacular fashion. It seemed to take ages for me to actually hit the ground and in that time I was really concerned I would smash my camera or break my glasses. I landed on my knees and my face. My camera and glasses were fine. I took a chunk out of my nose, top lip and my chin. The worst bit was I gashed the inside of my top lip and it bled like crazy. One chap was ready with his speed dial to call an ambulance!!! I was ok. Den helped me up and made sure I was in one piece. He brushed off the dust and helped me to mop up the blood and we got going. More slowly, and a little shakily, but going.
We walked on past the Tower of London and went on a cruise down the Thames. It was very enjoyable. A great way to get a different view of the city. We then re-joined the bus trip and went onto Buckingham Palace. As most of those things that you hear about it was very different when I actually saw it. St James Park was a nice place for a bit of lunch. My lip was still very sore and swollen but I was rather hungry so just a nibble very carefully and all was well. Back onto the bus. One of the spots the commentator mentioned was the round about in Griswalds European Vacation where Chevvy Chase gets stuck and continues going around and around - so we went around that today - but only once!!!! Past No. 10 Downing Street, and most of the streets from the monopoly board. We were also told that a decision was made way back that there would be no roads in London - streets, squares, avenues whatever but no roads - why?? well because all roads lead to Rome and that was not going to be said about London. Strange when London was settled 2,000 years ago by the Romans.
It was interesting to hear the other side of the WW2 story to the German stories re the bombing of Cologne etc. Today we heard about the bombing of London and the terrible loss of life. It was easy to see what area had been bombed as the replaced buildings were all big concrete block style buildings. It was said that every morning after the bombings (that happened every night for over 50 days in a row) Churchill asked if St Pauls Cathedral had been hit. It only took a slight hit, probably for the same reason as the huge cathedral in Cologne was left standing.
We came back to the hotel about 4pm. The swelling of my face was going down but the cut inside my lip seemed really wide, so we got the directions to the hospital and had it checked out. After a bit of a debate they decided not to do any stitching but just gave me a tetanus injection. Amazingly it was totally free seeing we were on holiday from overseas. Well that took a few hours so by 8pm we were seated at a nice little restrauant near our hotel for an easy to eat meal. Home to rest and get ready for another day in this amazing city.
London
We started the morning with very swish brekky. Booked a trip for Sunday and bought our tourist bus tickets for the 'hop on hop off' bus and off we set. Grey clouds and occasional raindrops but that was not about to deter us. We heard today that this summer has been the wettest London has had for 100 years!!! Oh well.... we had our raincoats.... All was going well. We were seeing lots of the well known landmarks. We drove over Tower Bridge and decided to get off on the next stop - London Bridge to take some photos of Tower Bridge and to see the Tower of London. As a kid I always remember singing London Bridge is falling down - I never dreamt that one day I would fall on IT. But fall I did in a most spectacular fashion. It seemed to take ages for me to actually hit the ground and in that time I was really concerned I would smash my camera or break my glasses. I landed on my knees and my face. My camera and glasses were fine. I took a chunk out of my nose, top lip and my chin. The worst bit was I gashed the inside of my top lip and it bled like crazy. One chap was ready with his speed dial to call an ambulance!!! I was ok. Den helped me up and made sure I was in one piece. He brushed off the dust and helped me to mop up the blood and we got going. More slowly, and a little shakily, but going.
We walked on past the Tower of London and went on a cruise down the Thames. It was very enjoyable. A great way to get a different view of the city. We then re-joined the bus trip and went onto Buckingham Palace. As most of those things that you hear about it was very different when I actually saw it. St James Park was a nice place for a bit of lunch. My lip was still very sore and swollen but I was rather hungry so just a nibble very carefully and all was well. Back onto the bus. One of the spots the commentator mentioned was the round about in Griswalds European Vacation where Chevvy Chase gets stuck and continues going around and around - so we went around that today - but only once!!!! Past No. 10 Downing Street, and most of the streets from the monopoly board. We were also told that a decision was made way back that there would be no roads in London - streets, squares, avenues whatever but no roads - why?? well because all roads lead to Rome and that was not going to be said about London. Strange when London was settled 2,000 years ago by the Romans.
It was interesting to hear the other side of the WW2 story to the German stories re the bombing of Cologne etc. Today we heard about the bombing of London and the terrible loss of life. It was easy to see what area had been bombed as the replaced buildings were all big concrete block style buildings. It was said that every morning after the bombings (that happened every night for over 50 days in a row) Churchill asked if St Pauls Cathedral had been hit. It only took a slight hit, probably for the same reason as the huge cathedral in Cologne was left standing.
We came back to the hotel about 4pm. The swelling of my face was going down but the cut inside my lip seemed really wide, so we got the directions to the hospital and had it checked out. After a bit of a debate they decided not to do any stitching but just gave me a tetanus injection. Amazingly it was totally free seeing we were on holiday from overseas. Well that took a few hours so by 8pm we were seated at a nice little restrauant near our hotel for an easy to eat meal. Home to rest and get ready for another day in this amazing city.
Photos London
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| The view from our window |
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| Covent Garden Market |
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| Where's Denny |
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| Near our hotel |
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| The Lyceum at Night |
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