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Published: June 14th 2017
Geo: 51.48, -0.605995
...well, if the holiday all goes like this, we are in for a wonderful time (OK, I know it won't all be smooth sailing, but how could 109 days holiday NOT be wonderful?)
We left Brisbane at 1.30pm on Wednesday. Steven and I cleverly joined the QANTAS club a few hours before we left, so sat with the kids in the relative peace & quiet of the club lounge. The flight to Singapore was largely uneventful (just how I like my air travel!) other than one officious customs officer at BNE and one silly mummy who opened her mouth before engaging brain!
The 4 hour stopover in Singapore was a little harder, as we were all tired (only the men slept on the plane). I'd researched the airport for things to do with kids - the guide books didn't say that the "famous" Cactus Garden was actually just the landscaping for a wine bar, or that the children's play area was one quarter of the size of the standard Maccas playground, with 4 times as many children. Georgia was grossly offended by the sign advising that the playground was for children up to 6 years old, and that older children
could shop or eat for entertainment!
The A380 flight to London was fine. Initial delays (due to air congestion in the safe path over Afghanistan) were overcome by fast winds, so we arrived just as the Heathrow curfew (6am) was lifted. The A380 is a lot quieter for aircraft noise, and the entertainment system was great, but leg room isn't any better, and long haul flights are always hard.
Arrived in London and everything was straightforward - got our car (Opel Zafira) and got to Windsor, where we went to explore the town, whilst waiting for our hotel room to be vacated and cleaned. We saw the staff arriving for work at the Castle, and saw the guards with their machine guns - impressed the boys. Then we did a little shopping, to get warm jackets for the big kids. The weather was overcast but fairly mild (11 degrees), but the children kept saying it was freezing. They are in for a shock - apparently there will be a cold snap over the weekend!
Lunch was nice, at a cafe on the High Street, and after a nap, we forced everyone back out for a walk. We were going to go to the
Long Walk near the Castle, but a sudden freezing thunderstorm sent us scurrying to a coffee shop near the Royal train station, then we wandered around the Windsor Parish Church (everyone impressed by gravestones from 16th century) before a lovely pub meal at the Carpenter's Arms. G was frightened of the suits of armour in the cellar (where the passages into the Castle were blocked up in the 19th century), and M entertained everyone at the bar by announcing that he only drinks XXXX when it is in a can!
Everyone is tired tonight, so we've come back to our hotel - G is sharing with Nonno & Nonna, whilst the boys and Steven & I have a family suite next door. Off to the Castle tomorrow.
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Bridget
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Glad you arrived safely! Glad to hear that Matthew has inherited his father's high standards for beer consumption - will help him save money for other more important stuff. Hope you all are having a great time. What a fantastic idea this
blog is!