London !!
As you can see by the photos we have stormed around London. We arrived here on Wednesday 18th June after taking the scenic (long) route on Dominic’s recommendation. We left Charmes at 6.30 am and finally arrived at our apartment at 5.00pm after taking numerous trains in France, the ferry from Calais to Dover (complete with White Cliffs), another two trains in England and then a 500 metre walk to the apartment. This was accomplished with two large suitcases, a small case, a backpack and Natalie’s big teddy bear. With Dominic wearing his akubra hat, the Brits must have thought it was an Aussie invasion.
Whilst in London we have taken in the many sights-Big Ben, Houses of Parliament, Buckingham Palace, Whitehall, the Horse Guard, Picadilly Circus, Marble Arch, Hyde Park, Tower of London, Tower Bridge etc etc. Since we are close to Greenwich we also took the opportunity to visit the Royal observatory and stand on the Prime Meridian.(see pics)
Natalie particularly enjoyed the Science Museum and the Museum of Natural History with all the interactive activities. I had a wonderful afternoon ( but needed about two weeks) browsing the shops in Oxford, Bond and Regent Streets and we all marvelled at the beauty of St Paul’s Cathedral during the Sunday morning communion service (complete with a magnificent choir).
On 24th June we picked up our car, took advantage of a beautiful sunny day and headed to Leeds Castle in Kent. In the words of Ron Weasly, “It was brilliant!” The castle dates from 1066 (William the Conquerer) and it has been very well renovated reflecting a medieval mood. The grounds are massive and filled with trees, lakes and typical English flower gardens. And best of all for Natalie; there was an authentic outdoor maze. We all got hopelessly lost and needed to be directed to the end by the guide. Natalie and I were keen for a challenge and tried again, alas to no avail, we needed the direction of the guide once again! At the end of the maze there was an underground grotto- ‘COOL’ was Natalie’s verdict. It was a wonderful way to finish our visit to London and a perfect contrast to the busy city.
