Travel House London

... crashed twice and I had to call cabin crew to fix it. There was a good choice of films, I was really spoilt for choice as it was only a 10 hour flight. I watched Knowing and Gran Torino. Knowing was good, although I thought the alien part was a bit stupid. Gran Torino was excellent.

The food was pretty good, for airline food, much better than the **** “Last Choice” gave us. I liked the breakfast as it actually ...

... so we though we would go there for breakfast. Unfortunately it wasn’t open for breakfast so it was off the the Greasy Spoon. We had breaky and took James on a Brixton tour. Everyone should experience Brixton, it is my favourite suburb. So much funky culture, and cheap, so cheap. But a poor area, and poverty breeds crime, so it can be pretty dangerous. A bloke at Joss’s work got mugged in broad day-light at the tube station and no one helped, they all just hid ...

... 12.30 – EEK!
We literally ran to the gate where one of the reps was waiting, oh dear, was not a fun moment! Luckily, we DID make the flight, but now I can officially say I know what its like to be ‘that last person’ getting all the tuts and things! HA!
The flight to Lima was not so enjoyable, 12 hours was a long time to be stuck on a plane. Fortunately I slept a fair bit but even when I woke up, we still had another 6 hours to go, eugh.

When we ...

... we see police and hear crowds of people. Turns out we have ran upon a protest in progress. We skirt that and proceed on to Westminster Abbey! Really have no interest to become part of an international incident. After Westminster we go to St. Paul's Cathedral and climb the 257 stair steps to the Whispering Gallery. By the time you make that trek you are lucky to be breathing, much less ...

This morning Anne broke out the Canadian maple syrup for my pancakes, which was a very nice treat. Then I squished my belongings back into my bag and we headed for the train station. I got on a train to London and she drove my bags over to Auntie Ali's house. I was on my own today and spent a lot of time being lost. But I got into the city easy enough and headed straight for Buckingham Palace. It wasn't far from the Victoria station where I arrived ...

... 530 carats ... which could feed a lot of bunnies!) Our feet were getting very sore by this time and while we considered going on the Jack the Ripper walking tour, it was also getting a bit cold and rainy so we went to Leciester Square, bought some cheap tickets and went to see Andrew Lloyd Webber's Sound of Music at the Palladium instead. We were so glad we did as it was absolutely awesome! Sound of Music is like ...

... I am off on tomorrow. I will not say what it is, only that it will involve the eating of lots of good food. (You see, this is my insurance that you will continue to read my blog; because I know that you are just DYING of curiosity.) Eventually I did find a tube station and returned to Bloomsbury, where I stopped at an Indian restaurant (best one ever!) and then came back here. But now I am very tired, so I am off to watch a movie.

... I had to concentrate rather carefully to understand her. Edinburgh was more beautiful than I expected, as well as friendly and clean. Having lived in London for a month I had become desensitized to the grime, smog and significant lack of customer service. Literally and metaphorically, a breath of fresh air - wonderful. A tour of the underground closes, Edinburgh Castle itself, and the Royal Mile and I have even greater respect for JK Rowling. I tried ...

... Street. It was about 6:30 by then and I was in the heart of rush hour. I love being here when hundreds of business-men are leaving work. All the men in suits is never a bad thing! Really though, the city just comes alive - and it's a completely different kind of "life" than that of crowded markets or parks. It's a different side of London. By 7, I'd hit Spitalfields and any thought of ever catching a tube back completely died ...

... deceptive. Once you get inside the first gate, you realize Hampton Court is a very large complex. The buildings alone encompass six acres. The grounds are over 75 acres.

As is the case with most Royal properties, it's not a cheap place to visit. But, it's worth it. The palace is a fascinating mixture of Tudor style and Georgian sensibilities. In addition to the splendors of the palace, the staff tries enhance the experience of touring the structure. There are ...