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Published: July 13th 2007
We're writing this on French soil as we didn't have time to do it before we left London. Fortunately for you all, we've now mastered the French keyboard so this should read in perfect English???????
Can't believe we've only been gone just over a week, it feels like much longer. We've been quite busy.
After our long flight we arrived last Wednesday at our London hostel at about 11:30pm, some 30 hours after waking up "the same" day. We spend the next day getting our bearings, sleeping and looking out the window pointing and giggling at the unmistakably London icons in the street - red double decker buses and post boxes, little box like police cars and of course the ever present grey sky!
Friday we packed up and caught the bus to Bath which greeted us with more icky weather. Where is the summer? Both us and the locals were asking!
Bath is a beautiful city unfortunately overrun by damn tourists. The Bath Abbey is lovely until the sunlight hits it and transforms it into a spectacular glowing cathedral. Apparently the Bath limestone is famous for its luminous qualities. We also visited the Roman Baths
that Bath is famous for. It was amazing to be walking on the paving paved by the Romans some 2000 years ago.
We also did a day tour of the Stonehenge and Averbury stone circles - very mysterious and interesting but completely ruined by loud tourists (particularly those coming from a place beginning with "A" - and it isn't the Aussies......). We also got to see some crop circles before the local farmers got rid of them.
Back in London we ticked a few more must see boxes and visited the Houses of Parliament and Big Ben. We gathered around the Palace with all the other tourists in London (there are a lot!!!) and watched the changing of the guard. Almost got trampled by trigger-happy snappers and Trish couldn't see a thing but luckily Dan got some great shots over everyone else's heads. Perhaps he could earn a few extra pounds taking pics for people in crowded spaces.....
We were glad to relax in Kensington Gardens to eat our picnic lunch afterwards.
Our last day in London (for now at least) was taken up visiting St Pauls Cathedral. A must see for anyone doing London. No
pics as they weren't allowed to be taken inside, but none would do it justice anyhow. It is simply amazing. The detail in the architecture and painting is incredible. We climbed the 400 odd steps to the very top and had a great view - who needs the London Eye!!
The Whispering Galler, where you can whisper into the wall on one side and have it heard clearly on the other side about 40m away was a bit spooky and eerie but fun!
Tuesday afternoon we attempted to explore the British Museum which ironically has barely a skerrick of British artefacts or history. We only got to see the exhaustive Egyption wing before realising that this museum cannot and should not be tackled in one hit plus it is free so we can always go back.
We left London for Paris on Wednesday and haven't done much. Trish has been sick with the flu and now Daniel is coming down with it - oh the joys! Luckily the Paris weather is more pleasurable than London - finally some summer!!!
We are enjoying our holidya but have increasing doubts as to the longeviity of our travelling. The
dollars to pounds conversion is crippling as it is but with Western European prices it is cringeworthy and our hip pockets are shuddering. But we will enjoy it while it lasts, we are here after all and might as well make the most of it.
Had our first Parisian picnic dinner last night - yes Rosemary - bread and cheese! We skipped the wine and opted for cold and flu tablets instead though perhaps the wine would do the trick????
More on Paris later though, we are here until next Wednesday.
Hope all is well in Oz, where the sun shines when it is supposed to and dogs aren't allowed on public transport.
Au revoir
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Jo, Daniel and Kaylah
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Amazing Photos
Sounds like your having a great time. Dont eat too much cheese as you wont be able to go to the toilet for a week. lol...... The photos on your blog are amazing! i hope that when you get back we can put an order in for some to be blown up to make into photos with picture frames. We are all looking forward to your next updated blog. XXXXX Jo, Daniel and Kaylah