Yay, We're at home. There is stuff everywhere, We're completely stuffed, the dogs are actually talking to me and I want my own bed, but we're here!!! Yay Yay Yay!!!
Customs took awhile, but was fine. The bags collection took even longer. Neil's mum hadn't rung to check the plane, but she seemed fine with that. There have been no breakages in the bags and all we have to do know is wait for the kilt, glasses and packages of paper to arrive!
Not surprisingly, there is a tiny bit of anticlimax, which I'm sure will grow, but for now I'm just tooooo glad to be home.
Well I'm signing off from this blog for now and it's back to my normal one. See you there :)
06 September 2007
Homeward bound - Hong Kong
Right, so we're back on a Qantas plane, which is good, cos the TV's are better, BUT our plane was meant to depart at 9.10am. It's now closer to 12.10pm and we're taking off. As you can imagine, I'm not too happy about this. On the plus side..... actually, apart from nearly being home, I can't see one. Gee's I hope Neil's mum checks the plain arrival time before going to the airport.
05 September 2007
Homeward bound - Helsinki
Well, for some odd reason, they lady at Heathrow only booked our bags in to Hong Kong and she put up in separate rows of the plane for Helsinki to Hong Kong. Thankfully the lovely lady here, in the bizarre airport, where there is a smoking room, as fixed it all up and told us how to sort the bags in Hong Kong. She has also sorted it so that we are sitting on the ends of the central row of seats, with no one between us, so we have 4 seats and can lie down!! Magic! I always pays to ask!
We're all running to schedule so far. I noticed in a watch shop here that they have started making automatic Swatches in plastic again.
We're all running to schedule so far. I noticed in a watch shop here that they have started making automatic Swatches in plastic again.
Homeward bound - Heathrow
We have had a most fantastic time, but we're both soooo glad to be going home. The bags are all packed with the declaring stuff in one bag, we have huge amounts of really heavy hand luggage, and I'm carrying my bear. We'll have hours at the airport and I'm not expecting any 'issues'.
04 September 2007
London 2
Day 2, our final day, as I discovered when I looked at our tickets. We both had in mind our flights left Heathrow at 4pm, but that when we leave Helsinki! We leave London at 10am ish therefore we have to be at the airport before 8am! So cos of the train strike and this being out last day, we did a slight change in plans. We walked to the V&A museum (after booking the expensive, but easy mini bus to the airport, to pick us up between 6.30 and 7am in the morning!)
The V&A was good, lots of things to play with, old stuff, costumes etc (not that you can ever have enough costumes.) 3hrs later and we were strolling up to Harrod's. I wanted to get a bag with a scottie on it (just for something different) :( They didn't have any :(
From there we went to a few shops to pick up a few last touristy things, to see Nelson's column in Trafalgar Square (Neil was wondering what all t he fuss was about). As we were getting tied again, by this stage, we decided to go on a boat trip up the Thames. Quite relaxing, and a good was to see the sights. Unfortunately I couldn't work out where Jack's had taken her really nice photo of herself in a red phone box with Big Ben in the back ground :(
We dropped in to the BBC (they don't have a shop like the ABC here, bugger it), the House of Fraser, where I bought a lovely, if expensive bag and the local sci-fi nerd shop, which was full of all sort of cool nerdy stuff (I could have bought a remote control K9!)
Last stop for the day was to meet up with an old school friend, who I hadn't seen for years, for some beverages. We had a great time catching up, then went on to dinner, which was delicious. A great way to end our last day in London!
The V&A was good, lots of things to play with, old stuff, costumes etc (not that you can ever have enough costumes.) 3hrs later and we were strolling up to Harrod's. I wanted to get a bag with a scottie on it (just for something different) :( They didn't have any :(
From there we went to a few shops to pick up a few last touristy things, to see Nelson's column in Trafalgar Square (Neil was wondering what all t he fuss was about). As we were getting tied again, by this stage, we decided to go on a boat trip up the Thames. Quite relaxing, and a good was to see the sights. Unfortunately I couldn't work out where Jack's had taken her really nice photo of herself in a red phone box with Big Ben in the back ground :(
We dropped in to the BBC (they don't have a shop like the ABC here, bugger it), the House of Fraser, where I bought a lovely, if expensive bag and the local sci-fi nerd shop, which was full of all sort of cool nerdy stuff (I could have bought a remote control K9!)
Last stop for the day was to meet up with an old school friend, who I hadn't seen for years, for some beverages. We had a great time catching up, then went on to dinner, which was delicious. A great way to end our last day in London!
03 September 2007
London 1
Day one of our two day assault on London. As out transport tickets are off peak, there is no rush to get going, which is good after the shit sleep we have both had.
The train we needed had had a few 'issues' earlier in the day and was a bit busy, but we made it to the Tower of London to see the Crown Jewels. the London Pass made getting in very quick and easy. the jewels were very shiny! The Tower and all it's associated bits, in much the same was as Stirling and Edinburgh Castles, were really interesting, needed all day to look at and had too many people at them, but for some reason, the people aren't bother me as much. Maybe I'm used to it now?
Next we went to the Tower Bridge, which is just down the road. Neil was very impressed with the engines that drove the bridge. I was just a shame they only have them running on compressed air.
Just down the read from there is a really old surgery, that was built for pre-anesthetics and pre-proper hygiene practices. So the whole thing is made of wood. It was built into the roof of a church. When the hospital moved, they closed the surgery and everyone forgot about it. It was found again in (from memory) the 1950's still in almost perfect condition. It was really yukkie.
Heading to the train we discovered that a rail strike was in full swing! Oh No! This meant we had to brave the buses. These were large, red, sardine tins, but we made it home, exhausted again!
The train we needed had had a few 'issues' earlier in the day and was a bit busy, but we made it to the Tower of London to see the Crown Jewels. the London Pass made getting in very quick and easy. the jewels were very shiny! The Tower and all it's associated bits, in much the same was as Stirling and Edinburgh Castles, were really interesting, needed all day to look at and had too many people at them, but for some reason, the people aren't bother me as much. Maybe I'm used to it now?
Next we went to the Tower Bridge, which is just down the road. Neil was very impressed with the engines that drove the bridge. I was just a shame they only have them running on compressed air.
Just down the read from there is a really old surgery, that was built for pre-anesthetics and pre-proper hygiene practices. So the whole thing is made of wood. It was built into the roof of a church. When the hospital moved, they closed the surgery and everyone forgot about it. It was found again in (from memory) the 1950's still in almost perfect condition. It was really yukkie.
Heading to the train we discovered that a rail strike was in full swing! Oh No! This meant we had to brave the buses. These were large, red, sardine tins, but we made it home, exhausted again!
02 September 2007
Train trip 2: to London
With a minimum of fuss, Mum and Dad dropped us off at Salisbury station. We said goodbye. I hope they have a fun time, I have to admit that Mum's driving had improved with more sleep.
We had an uneventful trip into London and got off at Waterloo station. As we were both fairly tired, we decided not to brave the public transport system for the trip to the hotel. For me it was the ticketing system rather than the trains or the baggage that beat me, I just couldn't work out what to buy!
On the way in the taxi we saw a 'big red bus' shop that we might have to go back and find. By the time we got there (Hyde Park Towers..... oooo flash sounding) it was 1pm. Too early to check in, but we left the bags. Still feeling to scared to use PT, we deiced to walk to the tourist info place, it didn't look very far on the map.
So we made it along Oxford Street to Regent Street, with only a short stop to get food. Then we discovered that Regent Street was having a massive festival and that we were at the wrong end of the street for the i place (we were at ~50ish, the i place was at ~350ish) Eventually we made it there. We picked up our London Passes, with their attached transport passes and headed off into the crowd again. Man there are a lot of people here.
We wondered fairly aimlessly for a bit til we accidentally found the Queen's house, of course a few pictures needed to be taken at this point. Getting tireder and tireder by the step, we walked trough Hyde Park and Kensington Garden back to the Hotel. Then after a short nap in our hot and humid room, we went for dinner.
Approximately every second shop here seems to be a souvenir shop, so there is no shortage of purchasing opportunities.
We had an uneventful trip into London and got off at Waterloo station. As we were both fairly tired, we decided not to brave the public transport system for the trip to the hotel. For me it was the ticketing system rather than the trains or the baggage that beat me, I just couldn't work out what to buy!
On the way in the taxi we saw a 'big red bus' shop that we might have to go back and find. By the time we got there (Hyde Park Towers..... oooo flash sounding) it was 1pm. Too early to check in, but we left the bags. Still feeling to scared to use PT, we deiced to walk to the tourist info place, it didn't look very far on the map.
So we made it along Oxford Street to Regent Street, with only a short stop to get food. Then we discovered that Regent Street was having a massive festival and that we were at the wrong end of the street for the i place (we were at ~50ish, the i place was at ~350ish) Eventually we made it there. We picked up our London Passes, with their attached transport passes and headed off into the crowd again. Man there are a lot of people here.
We wondered fairly aimlessly for a bit til we accidentally found the Queen's house, of course a few pictures needed to be taken at this point. Getting tireder and tireder by the step, we walked trough Hyde Park and Kensington Garden back to the Hotel. Then after a short nap in our hot and humid room, we went for dinner.
Approximately every second shop here seems to be a souvenir shop, so there is no shortage of purchasing opportunities.
01 September 2007
Rest day
Finally we got a proper rest day. I spent most of it in bed. To be honest, most of the real reason for it was probable to avoid being driven round by either Mum or Dad. Mum and Dad went out to a castle. Eventually we got up and took a stroll 2 miles down the road to the pub, where we chatted with the people there and I drank cider. Mum and Dad turned up eventually and we had dinner.
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