Relaxing in the UK

After a high speed train ride to Calais, a ferry across the English Channel, a bus ride to Victoria Station, the Tube to Richmond and a quick bus ride we arrived in Twickenham; my home of two years. Walking up the steps to the White Swan gave me goosebumps and I was very nervous to see all my friends once again. We sat waiting at the Swan wondering when they would appear and sure enough Tom Ganf arrived; it was great catching up with Tom and he gave us a brief rundown on what every one was up to over a cold Guinness. From the White Swan to the hospitality of Dan and Lisa’s beautifully renovated house, their place is amazing! Roy told me before we arrived that we were going to be staying at the best place in Twickenham and he was right. After a quick curry and a beer (to be repeated for four of the five nights we were here) we hit the sack and were out like a light, only to be woken early by the mischievous Mingles who only fueled the fire of Helen’s desire to get a cat.

The next day we did the tourist thing and travelled into London. First stop the London Eye which provided a panoramic view of London, the day was almost clear and the view was spectacular. From the London eye to Westminster Abbey; perhaps one of the more historical churches on the trip with plenty of English Kings, Queens, Lords and Ladies resting here. Then we made our way to Green Park towards Buckingham Palace. The Palace was only 200 meters away when the heavens opened and we were caught in a downpour! Sheltering under a tree we bolted it to the nearest tube station to be whisked back to the safety of Twickenham. Hampton Court Palace was planned for the next day where we wandered the gardens, hardly got lost in the maze and paced the halls of Henry the VIII residence. Saturday night arrived and we were treated to Dan and Lisa’s wedding anniversary, a lot of the old swan crowd (and some new!) arrived and the catching up continued into the early hours of the morning. We caught the train to Wales on Sunday where we met up with Rachael and Jason who are living it up over there! We were treated to the Big Cheese at Caerphilly Castle, one of the great medieval castles of Europe. Having never made it to Wales before we loved the relaxed atmosphere! Back to London on Monday where we finally made it to Buckingham Palace and all the other sites and sounds of London; Trafalgar Square, Picadilly Circus, Leicester Square and Covent Garden.

Watford: The Return

On Tuesday I succumbed to Helen’s request to visit her old home, Watford. After an arduous trip on the tube towards the outer edge of London we arrived in Watford. We walked the streets aimlessly until Helen recognized a landmark when she was here last (as a 5 year old). Unfortunately Helen didn’t recognize anything until we stumbled upon Granville Road and the terraced house she used to live. We then walked to her old school which was all locked up over the summer break, but we still managed to look really dodgy by peaking over the fence. On our return to Twickenham we stopped off at the Camden Markets where I replaced my Atari t-shirt and then had a final drink at the swan, where my baby photos are still hanging (sorry Mum). We managed to have a quick rest before heading off for Vancouver at the crack of dawn!

Thanks for catching up with you all (sorry to those I missed out on), and I hope to see you again sometime soon. Big thanks to Lisa, Dan, Rachael and Jason for looking after us!!!

D