Well I am sitting here sipping my cappucino - there is a super new internet cafe near my B & B for a pound an hour and it's WARM. Yay. I just spent nearly $20 on two loads of laundry - yikes - so will be handwashing anything that can be handwashed from now on and do another load just before I head to Egypt on the 18th of January.
Snow this morning - it has stopped now and melted almost immediately. This could be the coldest winter in decades - oh goodie. Oh well, beats -45 in Regina!!! I can't wait to get back and change into my (clean) long underwear!! Due to going to a warmer climate I did not bring a winter jacket with me so am coping with my goretex jacket, a light fleece jacket underneath and various tops piled on one another! I did invest in a long sleeved top for 7 pounds but the price of fleeces here is beyond my budget.
The fireworks on New Years Eve were fantastic - we watched them from Waterloo Bridge and had a view through the London Eye (huge ferris wheel on the banks of the Thames). Framed in the middle was Big Ben. Classic!!!! The down side was drunks and broken glass all over. We had to walk back to our hovel (yes, hovel) and on the bridge we stopped to talk to some guy and before I knew it I was on the ground - some drunk ran/danced into me without stopping and I didn't even see him/her. I am just grateful that I did not fall on any of the glass but by the end of the walk back home I was limping as my knees were not happy with the fall. It was a fantastic experience as it was in 99/00 but that will be it for me. Before that we did a pub walk which was fun - we visited three pubs and went down all the little nooks and crannies you never notice on your own. The most exciting bit was seeing the alley where Hugh Grant and Colin Firth had their "fight" in Bridget Jones Diary. Oh my, makes me go all hot thinking about it. :) We sat outside at the last pub and had a mulled wine - yeah it was cold but I had six layers of clothes on and we were warm from the wine at the last place!!!
On New Years Day we saw the parade which is the largest in the world - or should I say the longest. I kept wanting it to end as I only had five layers of clothes on and was FREEZING. Finally I had to run to Starbucks for a wee but guess I only missed the last band and the last float. Highlights were donkeys (I am a donkey fantatic) from a sanctuary, lots of American marching bands, pearly Cockney kings and queens and some uniquely dressed characters. Afterwards we went to China town for a buffet. We wore Happy New Year crowns on our heads and got some strange looks but mostly waves and smiles. From there we went to Winter Wonderland in Hyde Park (lots of amusement park rides, lights & food vendors) and walked around and had another mulled wine.
Friday the 2nd of January we did a tour of the Cotswolds and Oxford with London walks. Fabulous and well worth 39 pounds which included the return train journey to Oxford and a chartered bus which took us out to Minster Lowell a gorgeous village with "houses out of a chocolate box" as the guide said and Burford which was so pretty. We then walked around a bit of Oxford before getting the train home. I am going back to Oxford to do the BWF walk there - I booked a ticket with Megabus for a pound each way for Feb. 5th. Could not resist that price!
Saturday the 3rd we went on a walk in Chiswick which was so interesting - it is a part of London on the Thames with some beautiful old houses and a real treasure. - Pat headed off to Oliver! (I am going Thursday night - can't wait - "Mr. Bean" plays Fagan) as she was able to snag a ticket - it has just opened so hard to find seats. I had a delicious pub lunch and looked in the shops on Kensington High Street then Covent Garden.
Yesterday I went to St. Paul's and then on to the Tower of London. Did not go in as been there done that but walked around the area and over Tower Bridge into Bermondsey and walked a bit of the Thames Path. I hung around the Thames most of the afternoon until it was time to go to my B & B.
It's good to be back - Simon & Rosiem the hosts are so friendly and I love my room. Spent the evening organizing myself and watching telly.
Not sure what's up next - not really in the mood to go back into Central London. Had planned to do a walk in Hampstead but not sure in this weather what I want to do. Having a bit of a "chill" day.
Have to think of something to do tomorrow night as it's not a Corrie night. :)
Snow this morning - it has stopped now and melted almost immediately. This could be the coldest winter in decades - oh goodie. Oh well, beats -45 in Regina!!! I can't wait to get back and change into my (clean) long underwear!! Due to going to a warmer climate I did not bring a winter jacket with me so am coping with my goretex jacket, a light fleece jacket underneath and various tops piled on one another! I did invest in a long sleeved top for 7 pounds but the price of fleeces here is beyond my budget.
The fireworks on New Years Eve were fantastic - we watched them from Waterloo Bridge and had a view through the London Eye (huge ferris wheel on the banks of the Thames). Framed in the middle was Big Ben. Classic!!!! The down side was drunks and broken glass all over. We had to walk back to our hovel (yes, hovel) and on the bridge we stopped to talk to some guy and before I knew it I was on the ground - some drunk ran/danced into me without stopping and I didn't even see him/her. I am just grateful that I did not fall on any of the glass but by the end of the walk back home I was limping as my knees were not happy with the fall. It was a fantastic experience as it was in 99/00 but that will be it for me. Before that we did a pub walk which was fun - we visited three pubs and went down all the little nooks and crannies you never notice on your own. The most exciting bit was seeing the alley where Hugh Grant and Colin Firth had their "fight" in Bridget Jones Diary. Oh my, makes me go all hot thinking about it. :) We sat outside at the last pub and had a mulled wine - yeah it was cold but I had six layers of clothes on and we were warm from the wine at the last place!!!
On New Years Day we saw the parade which is the largest in the world - or should I say the longest. I kept wanting it to end as I only had five layers of clothes on and was FREEZING. Finally I had to run to Starbucks for a wee but guess I only missed the last band and the last float. Highlights were donkeys (I am a donkey fantatic) from a sanctuary, lots of American marching bands, pearly Cockney kings and queens and some uniquely dressed characters. Afterwards we went to China town for a buffet. We wore Happy New Year crowns on our heads and got some strange looks but mostly waves and smiles. From there we went to Winter Wonderland in Hyde Park (lots of amusement park rides, lights & food vendors) and walked around and had another mulled wine.
Friday the 2nd of January we did a tour of the Cotswolds and Oxford with London walks. Fabulous and well worth 39 pounds which included the return train journey to Oxford and a chartered bus which took us out to Minster Lowell a gorgeous village with "houses out of a chocolate box" as the guide said and Burford which was so pretty. We then walked around a bit of Oxford before getting the train home. I am going back to Oxford to do the BWF walk there - I booked a ticket with Megabus for a pound each way for Feb. 5th. Could not resist that price!
Saturday the 3rd we went on a walk in Chiswick which was so interesting - it is a part of London on the Thames with some beautiful old houses and a real treasure. - Pat headed off to Oliver! (I am going Thursday night - can't wait - "Mr. Bean" plays Fagan) as she was able to snag a ticket - it has just opened so hard to find seats. I had a delicious pub lunch and looked in the shops on Kensington High Street then Covent Garden.
Yesterday I went to St. Paul's and then on to the Tower of London. Did not go in as been there done that but walked around the area and over Tower Bridge into Bermondsey and walked a bit of the Thames Path. I hung around the Thames most of the afternoon until it was time to go to my B & B.
It's good to be back - Simon & Rosiem the hosts are so friendly and I love my room. Spent the evening organizing myself and watching telly.
Not sure what's up next - not really in the mood to go back into Central London. Had planned to do a walk in Hampstead but not sure in this weather what I want to do. Having a bit of a "chill" day.
Have to think of something to do tomorrow night as it's not a Corrie night. :)
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