October 29, 2006

This is the last entry - it's around 8:00 am Sunday - Daylight Saving Time is no longer in effect but I'm still on UK Time. I woke up at 4:00 am (well, which is now really 3:00 am) and haven't been really been able to fall back asleep - I've finished tow books - I'm wide awake and my mind is full!

We arrived in Montréal around 6:20 pm - it was a bumpy descent because it was pelting rain with gale force winds. We got through Immigration and Customs without too much hassle - all I can say is they always make you feel so bloody welcome when come home from a holiday. Whatever - 99% of us are not criminals. And then the luggage carousel wasn't working properly and it took way too long for us to get our luggage. The flight was LONG and because I don't want to cause an international incident I won't go into any details... It was a tremendous holiday. I miss it all so much already but I have my memories and photos to sustain until my return."

We left the airport in a cab in the cold and the rain...

October 28, 2006

I knew this day would eventually arrive - the saddest day. We checked out, left our luggage at the desk and went to have coffee at Starbucks. We got back to the hotel right at 11:30 and the airporter bus was waiting - it took about an hour to get to Terminal 3.

We walked around the shops - there were some nice things at the Harrods outlet. Saw a Peter Rabbit that I would have loved to buy and a wee Scottish bear in a kilt...

Best Room - Aberdeen
Best Bathroom - Edinburgh
Best Food - it was all so delicious but Campus Pizza in Glasgow, the Korma Chicken at Ginger in London, the Spicy Potato dish at the Rajah in Inverness and the Fish & Chips from the West End Chippy in Inverness
Hottest Moment - the Bad Ass Pub in Edinburgh
Coldest Moment - ferry back to Holyhead
The Bestest Thing I Saw - Urquhart Castle and Loch Ness
Worst Food - Quarter Pounder in Dublin
Best Bar - The Octagon and the BEST MANHATTANS!!
Best Purchase - my kilt, my bras and my CDs!

October 27, 2006

My last full day in London.

Went for coffee at Starbucks. Then we took the tube to the London Eye. I waited in line for tickets and then we waited in line to get on - this probably all took about 2 hours but everything is organized that you are moving all the time, so it didn't feel like a long wait.

The view was incredible!! Each capsule holds about 15-20 people and the Eye is in constant motion. As one group of people exit, security goes in and scans, off they go and the next group of guests hop on! It's really well-run. And the view is incredible! I really loved it!

Afterwards, we walked across the Thames River to the Parliment Buildings, Big Ben and Westminster Abbey which is white now!! When I last saw it was quite dirty.

We took the Tube to Hampstead and walked around there for a while - saw the 'Heath'! Stopped for lunch at Toast, bought our wee tea mugs.

Came back home and left in the rain and had a walk down Portobello Road. It's a lovely market area but unfortunately they were taking down all the booths. Did more walking in the Notting Hill area. Too say I am sad is an understatement - we both shut down, I cannot quite accept that my holiday has almost come to an end...

We had our final pint at the Prince Edward Pub.

October 26, 2006

Still have the RASH and it's getting worse - well not worse but we're getting more and in more places.

We booked our airporter for Saturday. Then off to Kensington Gardens - saw Kensington Palace where Princess Diana lived after her divorce. Then we walked to the Victoria and Albert Museum. We walked by the Natural History Museum (we were actually going to visit this one) and there was 20 million parents with their wee ones all trying to get into the museum. There was an hour wait after you got through the gates! The V&A was really good - there's lots of stuff in there, rooms and rooms of different things, silverware for instance and dishware - fantastic!

We went to a different Starbucks today. We headed to Harrods - walked through all the floors, the Food Hall and the souvenirs. It's all so lovely. Also saw the memorial for Diana and Dodi - it's really corny, unfortunately.

Shopped at Zara's, they have such nice stuff - hopefully we'll find the same in Montréal. Then we took the Tube to visit the Princess Diana Memorial Playground. Had a pint of Strongbow at the Shakespear Pub where a bitch told me 'we don't take Scottish money'. We promptly left the premises and we won't be back.

Dropped off our stuff and had supper at Ginger. Okay, now that was the best Indian, well actually Bangledeshi meal I have ever had! Holy cow!!






We left on the Tube for the Jack the Ripper Tour and thanks to J'nyn's persistance we kept going and even though we were 5 minutes late we joined the tour in progress! Tanks J'nyn!! The tour was 2 hours with lots of information and I have to say I was quite excited to be there! The East End is actually very nice - lots of great looking cocktail bars and restaurants and condos!

October 25, 2006

We woke up with RASH on our arms, hands and faces! I thought at first I had some kind of disease but then I saw J'nyn had it too.

Had our coffee at Starbucks. Bought a three day Tube pass which is a great deal! We visited the Museum of London and then St. Paul's Cathedral. That was so nice - I've waited a long time to see it as we didn't get to it in 1986. And it's always meant so much to me because of 'Mary Poppins' - 'feed the birds, tuppence a bag'. I love my pigeons, all the 'tits Valiants du monde'! I had an Italian M&S sandwich - watching London go by...

Got on the Tube to the British Museum - fantastic! Except for the Celtic exhibit was closed - bugger. We walked to Covent Gardens and the Royal Opera House - this area is so beautiful, I just love it. A woman was singing 'Nessun Dorma' and I was sobbing. We shopped at the London Museum of Transport - lots of great Tube souvies!.



We had drinks (4 each - a Pimms, Apple Manhattans and a Manhattan!!) at the Zinc Bar watching all people coming and going. The bartenders were quite nice even though one didn't really know what he was doing. It was a great evening - it does not get any better than this! Took the Tube home and stopped at M&S for snacks and cheese.