another suitcase in another airport...

oh woe is me... i am headed back eastward and to perth. i can hardly believe it's over. almost anyway. enough that it counts. :)

and i think that london is weeping with me as it's been raining all day, so i didn't get the things done that i had planned. no hyde park or portobello road shopping. but i did manage to take in a couple of sights, so i'll share them with you, as you commiserate with me.

started out at the enbankment station this morning. wanted to get a "doctor who" shot of the london eye. for you fans out there, you will recall first episode, first season with christopher eccleston and billie piper.


walked a little way along the other side of the thames, sprinkling rain. this side had griffin benches instead of the swans.



not even close to the tardis i know, but i love that the uk still has these sort of public telephones about the place.


went looking for downing street and came across the horse guards.


when i did come across downing street i had to take stock of all the changes that have happened in the intervening 30 years. my dad went to the uk in 1978 - you should see the pictures of him in a burt reynolds moustache... ha... anyway, he has a picture of himself standing next to the guard by the door of 10 downing street. (oh, for those of you who don't know, 10 downing is famous because it houses the british prime minister). so dad could actually knock on the door if he had a mind too and now nearly 30 years later we can't even get into the street.


this is the back of the houses of parliament and big ben before i got to westminster abbey.



and the abbey is still beautiful. i wasn't in the mood to put up with the crowds inside so didn't go in. i think i'll come back in a winter to avoid too many people.




after this i caught another tube to knightsbridge.



now for some interior shots. mostly from the food halls.









and xmas comes early at harrods. already there is a christmas department. it could be there all year round for all i know, but it is very lovely.


i went all the way to nottinghill, braving the downpour but it got to be too much so i hid in a pub called the prince albert. a burger followed by rhubarb crumble and custard.

now i sit at heathrow airport, over my last starbucks frappacino for a while....sigh.... this'll be the last digital postcard from these lot of holidays. but you never know i might be back to share tidings from perth. afterall, summer is on it's way - the city might just be waking up.

a BIG thankyou to my generous hosts while travelling, julie and vince in los angeles. trish and stuart in west ealing. louise and lorne in chelmsford. whenever i have a home you are more than welcome to kick me out of my bed.

i'll be back!