Day 223/224

Oh my goodness what a day we had in London.

Mikey would have been so surprised at what i did! i even surprised myself. Mikey was right to suggest we do something different every month and it has made me realise more than ever what quiet lives we lead!
Still about my day. Firstly i was too tired to blog last night. I was in bed and asleep by 2130hrs. Cant ever remember the last time that happened, well maybe it was last year when i was in hospital after tripping over and breaking my wrist!

Well i was waiting for Jen at the appointed time only for her to be 20 minutes late! Just got to the station in time. Lucky for us because Lin was on the train from Downham and she had our tickets! Joy and Hamish were on the platform ringing us to see where we were, just got under the pass and the train came in. How close was that!

Ride down went very quickly and we got to Kings Cross then the tube. Gee those escalators are steep, and i had to be told constantly by the girls to stand on the right! The sun was blazing down and we had 30mins to wait before going into the Ritz so we sat in the park. My word you see things you would never see in March. I was busy taking some photos when the man ran past completely dressed in a blue Lycra body suit, not a scrap of skin to be seen, including his head and face! and then commenced doing cartwheels! Well we just looked at each other and laughed because when we turned round there was another chap dressed exactly the same but in green. I couldn't help but look at the lower regions, my word!!!  By the time we had finished gawping we only had a few minutes before we were due in the Ritz.

What a shame that those wretched marchers had damaged all the windows of the hotel because it was boarded up! and we had to use another entrance. Still it was lovely feeling to walk into such splendour.
What a treat to be waited on and be seated, felt quite a lady! The tea was splendid, tiny sandwiches, scones and pastries and the tea , i had lemon verbena and it was so different! all in silver pots!
Listening to the pianist at the Grand Piano gave a final touch to the meal until the birthday music was played and they bought Jen a birthday cake! They then came to the table and asked if she would like it boxed to take home which she did! Lots of photos taken and i will upload later this week.

Following the Ritz we headed of to Fortnum and Masons for a brouse. The noise was incredible in the streets. Linda and i said we couldn't live with it. The buildings just loomed down on you making us feel incredibly small and insignificant, and the people, they were in such a hurry, bit of a culture shock. I think it may have been because inside thew hotel it was as if we were in a different world and then reality hit! How on earth we managed to cross the roads was a miracle in itself! Made a purchase in F and M! just to get a bag, oh the men serving had tails on, what spoilt the image was the bit of white tissue stuck to a bristle under his nose! but none of us had the nerve to tell him.
It was so hot in the building and the lifts were just a tad antiquated but added to the whole experience.

Next to Westminster, tube again!! and came up facing Big Ben and the house of Parliament. How majestic the sight was. We had said we would go on a river cruise. It was incredible that we just walked a few steps and there were the boats and manged to get the last trip to the Tower. We didn't wait or have to queue our timing was perfect.
Well what another experience. The sun was still out and we shed our coats. I had already changed my clothes and shoes in the loos in the underground. I couldn't believe they charged 50p for going to the toilet!  I must have taken hundreds of snaps, traitors gate! although it had been bricked up i did wonder if the river was higher now that then because what was left exposed wouldn't have taken a boat of any size.  The Thames is so big! i cant say i had ever noticed that before when i had been to London but then apart from going to the Tower and the waxworks all other visits had been to hospitals! St Thomas's, University College Hospital, Great Ormond Street.
It also made me realise how far i have got to run if i get a place in the Marathon!

We had decided to go to the Eye which was just across the bridge. We did have to queue for tickets. We were checked before we got on the eye, handbags checked and a metal detector run over our bodies before we were allowed to board! what i didn't realise was that the damn thing never stopped you had to get on and off whilst it was still moving. What an incredible view, St James Park, Buckingham Place, St Paul's, House of Parliament and Big Ben. We actually were looking down on all of those! the boats looked like dinky toys and i was so surprised by the volume of traffic that used the river. The pod was so hot! Jen, Lin and Joy were all seated and i was still glued to the glass looking out and absorbing as much as i could!

We decided to head for the station to catch the 1815 train home so it was back on the tubes, it was rather busy!! Linda was swinging about like a pole dancer and when we said so it caused quite a bit of hilarity especially as Lin isn't a petite size!! We were squeezed in so tight on the Piccadilly line. I wasn't a bit fazed by going from tube station to tube station and i was able to take the lead at one point. Jen had been the one heading of at a tangent and all of us were left in her wake!! What a girl.

By the time i got home , the feet were swollen and aching, but not as bad as the girls! ha they wished they had taken a change of footwear too.

Well i will carry on with this later because I'm still tired and i went for a run today! Lots of pics to add on and today's happenings but it can wait because tomorrow is another day................