The cabin was small but
adequate. P got the top bunk and I spread out in the lower one. They were actually quite wide and luckily long enough for himself to stretch out in. Off we went to sleep accompanied
by the air con and creek as we turned corners and
the clack of the rails, oh and some ignorant smoker setting of the fire alarm in the loos. I did not think I would sleep but a knock on the door and the crew handed in hot coffee a croissant. yogurt and muffin to let
us know it was 7am and we had arrived!
Day 1
Off we got and headed via the underground to The National Archives.
A rather nice building, very well equipped, masses of staff and computers and all sorts of files. P searched and ordered and I photographed pages and pages of secret documents that are now
released to public viewing.
Once they closed we headed off to find our Hotel, It was MILES away in Docklands, a few
changes of under and overground rail and we were there. It was very nice, the room rate was showing at £225 per night but I am sure most paid nearer what we did which was £48 per night.
Wandered along the street to an Italian restaurant where we had yummy pizza and were shouted a liqueur each.
Next day was Sunday and wet and cold , as the archives were shut we headed to Canary Wharf and neither of us had been there and it was only 2 stops on the tube from us. Very impressive if you like tall buildings and busy malls. They did a have an ice skating rink as well. We pottered about exploring the old wharves and the new buildings.
Back to the hotel and the same restaurant for dinner having the pasta this time.
Day 3 and 4 National archives.... more of the same got 2 calls from job agencies both wanting me to go to interviews that week!!! nothing for 4 weeks now I am in London they want me to fly back for interviews.... aarrgghhhhh.........I didn't.
Day 5 Imperial War Museum for him, upset tummy day off for me
Day 6 both at IWM him research me trying to organise flights to Portugal.
managed to use my birthday flight planned for Paris in late March to resched
ule to early March ( at a cost of course) so we are going via Paris with a 2 day stop off.
Day 7 National Army Museum in Chelsea ( lovely area to wander about, Sloane Square, Chelsea old Soldiers Home/ hospital etc, can see why it is an expensive place to live, I passed a school group where the little girls all had matching double breasted green overcoats)
The Museum had lots and lots of young mums with strollers and babies/toddlers, I can only
assume that they use it as a support and meeting place while their husbands are away fighting. There was even a toddlers music group downstairs.
Day 8 all done so we went to Greenwich and had a look at the observatory and stood on the 0 degree with one foot in East and one in Western hemisphere. Watched the ball drop on the clock ( well I did he was getting ready to film it and looked away and missed it altogether)
Wandered round the beautiful navy training/hospital/grand old buildings. trinity college use one of the buildings and there was lovely music coming from an open window.
Then lunch at the market . back to get our bags and then the challenge of getting to Victoria when there were engineering works on a lot of the underground. Finally after lots of changes we made it found the bus which almost immediately left. 1.5 hours to Stansted later.
We had already checked in on line but noted that it said 40 mins from the check in place to boarding gate, hmmmmm our flight closed in 30.
Then we hit security...... queue....queue..... shoes off, coats, laptops, belts etc... I got through and ran on ahead to find the gate no 81!!!On the departure board it showed as boarding... oops
Off I ran luckily it was close but I still arrived puffed. the flight was on final call but they were still queueing. Fortunately P arrived on time and we had an uneventful 1 hour on the plane.
Got the local bus at the airport knowing it has a stop just round the corner from out flat. What we did not know was it went all over Edinburgh first 1.5 hours later , longer than the plane trip from London, we finally got home.
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