London - Day Eleven

Well - at last - our final day in London.  BUT - our flight was not until 6 PM so that gave us some time to do a couple more things.  First off I have to say that we lucked out in our hotel.  The price was VERY CHEAP, it was nice, in a new building, close to the subway and INCLUDED a buffet breakfast. Pays to check out those lastminute.com deals!!!!!  And we literally booked it the day that we needed to stay there!!!!!   OK - so that is NOT for everyone.


Anyway - we got back on the underground and we were off to visit TWININGS.  Yes - the tea place.

But NOT before we got held up on the underground.  This sign boasted air conditioning on 103 trains and delays cut by 40%.  Well it was HOT HOT HOT in London and although we were in a station - it was hot on the train which was stopped due to a signal problem.  We got off the train (ours was NOT one of the air conditioned ones) and moved down to a car that was less populated and the temperature dropped significantly.  A slight delay at two stations, but we arrived no problem. 

The TWININGS store - opened in 1706 - SAME STORE.  Very narrow. 

Inside the shop - they also had a small museum at the far end of the store. 

Now unfortunately, they had a PRIVATE tasting going on while we were there and so no public tastings.  That sucked as there were many teas I would have loved to sample. Well as my tea expert daughter says - you just have to sniff them - well sniffing isn't enough - I want to taste them!!!!!

We had an offer in our travel guide book that if we presented the guide - we would get a free box of tea which we did and we got a box of flavoured iced tea - of our choice. After smelling them!!!!!   The box was only worth 1.5 POUNDS - those teas were cheap - the rest were not!!!!   However we did find a few things to titillate our taste buds.

I found a friend on the street!!!!   

Took a couple pictures of the river and the London Eye from a different angle and then back on the underground to get to our other favourite spot for lunch.

Le Pain du Quotien

M in front of our other favourite lunch spot

Who cares about lunch - let's have dessert!!!!!!

We decided to come back for dessert after we had a chance to visit another museum - this time the Natural History Museum.

Natural History Museum

Escalator to HELL!!!!!  

Actually the escalator led to the EARTH exhibit. We would have loved to spend more time there, but it was HOT HOT HOT and very crowded and we had no desire to stay.  We did not go into the exhibits where you had to pay.


Then we went back for our dessert. By this time - it is almost time to get to the airport.


Back to the hotel to get our luggage.  Oh yes - it was quite an ordeal to get everything packed. M - no problem, but M - well it was a problem. Her backpack was so heavy - I think all you had to do was lightly touch her on the face and she would flip back!!!!!   I went with a suitcase partially full - while her stuff was jammed when she left.  I had to put some of her stuff in my luggage and ended up carrying TWO backpacks on the plane.  I HATE HATE HATE that. But no choice.  There was NO ROOM in my suitcase to put my small backpack.

On the underground on the way to Heathrow. 

 There is no question - London has the transit thing figured out.  As best we know - it costs minimum 2.2 POUNDS to ride the transit - it is tap on - tap off system (at least on the underground). Depends on how long you are on the system. And I was certain that it costs 5 pounds to get to the airport as it is far away from the city center.  When we got off - we were charged 1.5 POUND to get to the airport from the city center. Seriously??????    That is NOTHING.  Anyway - we now have about 4.8 pounds left on our Oyster cards. Sounds like a good enough reason to go back!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


I asked M if she learned any lessons from the trip.   Nope!!!!   Seriously?????   How about PACK LESS on the way out!!!!!

Thank goodness I had an aisle seat on the way home.  Seven hour flight and my leg was killing me.  I was able to get up and down and stretch it in the aisle.  Still hurts like crazy and I am afraid to use the foam roller on it as it hurts without even touching it. Massage is going to be brutal so if you hear a couple of screams today - that is me.

Anyway - I had a great book - Inferno by Dan Brown.  Finished it just before we landed.  Anyone want it????   Otherwise it goes in the give away pile.  Loved it.

We flew over Greenland on the way home.  Pretty cool terrain. and NOT green. 

On that note - I had so much to do today - I had better get started.


Have a great day!!!!!!!!!!!!!


Ciao!!!!!!!!!!