To the tower with them!

We decided on a whistle-stop to the UK last weekend to visit my brother and sister-in-law (R&L). Also, Kate and Heather were in town to attend Heather’s OU degree award ceremony. Our afternoon and evening with R&L was great, after a tour of the light industry area of Aylesbury we got to Princes Risborough for some shopping and the wine bar. To my delight Delia failed to find shoes or a handbag she liked in the first shop, but a brand name handbag (Boden?) in a charity shop. Posh towns have posh charity shops – another time, in Pangbourne we found a watercolour print we liked for £5 and when itemising for packing we found it was worth £150! Lyn fed us copiously and deliciously as usual. Plus, despite the visit to the wine bar and the usual free flowing flow of wine with the meal… I had no hangover though Delia was a bit fuzzy.

 

We had an early start to catch the train into London, as we wanted to get to the Tower of London early to avoid queues. So my neice was already up at 7.30 and gave us a lift to the station. We met K&H at their b&b – third floor converted servants quarters by all accounts. Then off to the tower. We’re still getting used to just being able to touch-in with our debit cards on the underground (its coming in France but its still unusual). Touching in at the underground (just like an oyster card for you Londoners) it all worked and, having just checked my bank statement, significantly cheaper than buying a travel card.

The skyline at the Tower was familiar including Tower Bridge, The Gherkin, The WalkieTalkie, the Shard. I found it surprising that having seen it from the other side of the river so often I had couldn’t recall ever having been into the Tower itself. Costing £25 each might explain why? Anyway, it was a fascinating visit better illustrated than narrated.

After the Tower we checked into our tatty abode down the road from K&H in a similar converted posh town house (fallen on hard times). It was cramped but functional (just). That evening though we went to a posh pub for some posh fish and chips (Delia had a stacked hamburger – a Tower if you like). Next morning, a full English (or thereabouts, from a Croatian(?) cafe off the Bayswater Rd) and the Stansted express for our Ryanair bus home.

This is now home and shots of my morning dog walk

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