Grey Haired Travellers

It’s 2018 and we’re off for another adventure. All packed, with only one suitcase between two of us this time and one carry on. Got the art of packing sorted. Out the door, walk to tram, transfer to train, exit to international terminal. And that’s where the fun stops, almost. Transiting through security is so smooth now, no forms to fill out. Flying Emerites for first time. Very impressed. Staff great, seats comfortable. But nothing and no-one will convince me that 21 hours in the air, plus plane change on the way is in anyway comfortable. Plane travel just isn’t for me. I like to look out the window and see scenery. But we will live in the great southern continent, cut off from the rest of the world. Growing up in the best country in the world does have one or two draw backs.
Landed in London on bright clear day, albiet a bit chilly, hopped Piccadilly line on local train to Barens Court. Checked into our W14 Hotel in Kensington which is a combination of three Georgian terraced houses renovated into a modern hotel, but still contained our first reminder of the age of buildings in UK. Small steep stairs and no lift. So as we dragged our suitcase up from ground floor to our room on second floor I took a mental note to check out this problem with our other accommodation.
As we had spent sufficient time in London before we chose to forgo the requesit ‘must do’s’ in London. Day one we went to Camden Markets, hopped a narrow boat and took a leisurely trip up the river to Little Venice and back. A little reminder of the many many canals wriggling their way around London, once the main form of transporting goods to London Dock.
Day two with another sunny day saw us hopping the District Line to Kew Gardens to check out the newly reopened Temperate Pavillian which has been under renovation for the last five years. This glorious structure, designed by Decimus Burton and opened for the first time in 1863, has been stripped out, stripped down to bare metal, reglazed, repainted and now replanted with 1,500 plant species from the temperate regions of the world which includes Australia and New Zealand.

It’s our last day in London so was very pleased to spend it relaxing, rather than the usual ‘hitting the ground running’.

The gardens themselves were a picture of new season growth and blossoms and plenty of wildlife.

Met up with a squirrell who thought I was bringing him lunch and a peacock who thought that he could hide amoungst the bluebells.

All said and done it was just what I needed after waking up with the a heavy cold. No suprise after being stuck in a tin can full of coughing passengers and and screaming kids for hours on end.

Well there were more things to do in London than there were hours in the day to do them.  We had various kinds of weather from cold rain to hot sunny.  When the clouds blow away and the sun comes out it is amazing how fast the Brits head off to Hyde Park, strip off and bask in the sun.We’ve hopped on & off busses; cruised the Thames, walked and walked and walked, visited the Queen (who wasn’t home), joined the madding throng at the Changing of the Guard  and went ‘one more time ‘round Piccadilly Circus’  before heading off to the West End to see the show Jersey Boys.   This is my third visit to London over the last 20 years and despite having  just had the Olympics games there didn’t seem many signs of change. Don’t get me wrong – the city has had changes which stand out quite dramatically which include the Gherkin, the Shard and of course the London Eye.

Another striking change is that London cabs are not black any more- they are now every shade of the rainbow and covered with advertising.  Such a pity to see this British icon joining the marketing industry and becoming a never ending billboard.

On a lighter note – even though we are in a city with all its concrete and stone, flowers of every colour of the rainbow are everywhere.  In window boxes, hanging from lamp posts, in wire baskets next to front doors.  Pansies, petunias, geraniums, cyclamen, lobelia, tulips, polyanthus and lots more varieties – all beautifully colour coordinated and displayed.  It’s as if the whole city attended gardening classes together where they learnt “how to design the best autumn displays”.  Especially the high class hotels.  You’d think there was a competition running.

We also played a game of ‘spot the Pom’.  Wherever we went, to the shops – the trains- the busses or just walking down the street we listened to the conversations going on around us.  And do you think we could hear any British accents.  They were either French, Russian, American, Australian or Kiwi.  I think the Brits must have seen us coming and headed for the hills.

Time to leave Burford so us and a couple of million other commuters drove into London with clear skies and a hot day.  We were stripping off the layers the closer we got.  Checked into our unit and found where all the police are – they are walking the streets booking everyone in sight.  Whilst we were unloading our bags in a legal loading zone we were asked three times by various parking officers how long we were going to be.

So without a moment of regret we handed the car back to the rental company and began the rest of our journey on foot – and bus – and train – and maybe boat if we can.

Talking of parking cars, they have a very good system here.  You can park facing any way you want.  Often in narrow streets you can only park on one side of the road which keeps the traffic flowing without having to weave in and out of parked cars.  Also if you have a smart car it’s even better. 

Sunday saw us and most of London in Hyde Park enjoying the sun.  Walked from Kensington through Hyde Park to Buck Palace – on to Trafalgar Square to say high to Horatio, then on to Covent Garden’s markets.  Whew – tired, warn out and exhausted we went back to Charing Cross station – bought an Oyster Card and hopped the double decker red bus back home to Kensington.  In all that we missed the changing of the guard.  Well we’ll see that another day.

It’s Monday now and raining so it’s indoors touristing today.  Harrods sounds good – and it’s just around the corner.