Last day!!

Today the girls and I ventured into London by ourselves while Alastair played golf with Ross. We had a quiet day yesterday recovering from the traffic ordeal though I did take the girls ice skating again at Alexandra Palace.

We went to the London Eye today as that was something the girls had really wanted to do. It was great. They really enjoyed the experience of seeing across the top of some of the buildings - although it was a little bit misty so we couldn't see too far beyond the inner city areas. We then enjoyed a Chinese lunch together.

We leave tomorrow for home - everyone is a little sad about our holiday coming to an end. The girls have had a lovely time really getting to know Ross and Susanna. Alastair and I have also enjoyed the opportunity to catch up with them. We have also really benefitted from being able to be away from work and all our other involvements - so feel very rested.

Carlene

Warwick Castle

Today (Monday, October 1) we went to Warwick Castle. It’s a big, big castle. Outside the castle was a big ditch they use to put stinky sewerage inside We went in a room it had wax statues. A lady asked us if we wanted to get a costume on and pretend to be a statue. I said yes. Then we went to a ghost castle. It’s really scary, even a grown man would be scared. Then we went to visit a castle that was nice.
Katherine

Warwick Castle

After the disappointment of Legoland, I was a little apprehensive about our visit to Warwick Castle the next day (Monday, October 1). We found it easily with the help of the Tomtom (which took us via various back roads and through some lovely little English villages with thatched roof cottages) to get to the castle. It was fantastic. It was unashamedly tourist oriented but still provided lots of interesting history. The girls had a great time because the history was really brought to life. We saw an interesting talk and demonstration about long bows and cross bows and another demonstration of a giant trebuchet (a huge catapult used to bombard besieged castles). The ghost tour was also great. Ellen was scared the first time in and burst in to tears so we left. But she bravely wiped away the tears and decided to try it again. It was in a darkened tower of the castle and told the story of the death of one of its former owners. People were dressed up and acted as statues and leapt out at you at various points. Other parts of the castle have rooms set up showing various parts of history. One is devoted to a ‘royal weekend’ and shows parts of the castle converted into a Victorian house for a weekend in late 1890s. Wax models depict various characters at the weekend house party. It’s all really well done with the furniture and models giving a real sense of what it was like. Another part in the lower parts of the castle that weren’t converted into a house shows a story of medieval times. Again wax models and recordings are used to really bring it to life. In this section one of the staff got the girls and Alastair involved. They were dressed up and set up as ‘wax models’ in one of the scenes. They then tricked the other people who came through. It was great fun. Alastair particularly surprised a couple of Portuguese visitors, who had not noticed any of the real people in the scene, by calling out Ola after they had been watching the scene for a couple of minutes. The look on the woman’s face as she realised they were real was priceless. We also climbed up and around the ramparts and saw another section where they used two films – one projected onto a giant wall – to tell the story of preparing for battle.
After that we set off for Ross’s. The two-hour journey this time took us three-and-a-half hours as we found ourselves caught in yet another traffic jam as we came back into London. I really couldn’t cope with living in a place where traffic jams are such a part of everyday existence – what a waste of your precious time.
Carlene

Legoland

Today (Sunday, September 30) we drove to Legoland. Legoland was good. We went on a lot of rides one that was called Sky Rider. That was like a roller coaster. Then we went to Miniland. Afterwards I and Ellen went on the trampoline. Then I, Ellen and Dad went on a pirate ride. We got wet through.
When we were driving we got in a traffic jam. We drove 100 kilometres in four hours.
Katherine

Let’s get your dough land

We visited Legoland on Sunday (Sep 30). The best thing about it was the view of Windsor Castle and the Windsor plains – it was all downhill after that. The brochure promised that most rides inside the attraction were free – and after shelling out 25 pounds for each of the girls and 32.50 pounds for each of us, we expected that would be the case. But it was obvious that the accountants are now in charge of the place and have the attitude that they must take any opportunity to rip off the punters. There are shops scattered throughout the place to take even more of your money on clothes, toys, souvenirs and books. About half the rides are free and the rest charge some fee. It soon became obvious which rides were free by the length of the queues to get onto those. The attitude of the staff was appalling with most clearly just going through the motions. We even observed two of the younger staff on one stall that sold alcohol consuming the product while on duty! On the bright side, the girls really enjoyed it. Mini land where they have various models of different countries was not bad – but in parts was looking very tired and faded. The girls liked the pirate ride that they went on with Alastair. They also enjoyed the driving school. It was a series of little roads set up with mini cars (like dodgem cars). Firstly they had a little video lesson in the rules of the road and then they and about 20 other kids got to drive around the roads. It was highly amusing with kids on the wrong side of the road, others showing obvious road rage and not many having any understanding of give way signs. Katherine was very careful and a little stressed out about it at first, while Ellen really enjoyed it and decided that if going around the roundabout the wrong way was the best way to avoid the traffic jam then she’d do it.
On the way to the B&B we were staying at in a little place called Sparsholt we got to experience a real English traffic jam. The motorway was completely blocked – all three lanes. As a result what should have been a one hour journey took four hours – with at one point about one-and-a-half miles taking two hours to traverse. Fortunately Ross had lent us his Tomtom GPS navigation device. So it was able to show us an alternative route once we got off the motorway. I doubt we would have found the little village we were staying at without it as it was up a tiny country lane.
The B&B was cute – set up in a 300-year old barn at an old pub. It was also really quiet and had a little brook running through the garden.
Carlene

Covent Garden

Today (September 29, 2007) we went to a market and bought a little magnet puppy and a head band. There were a lot of people there on the weekend.
Katherine

September 29, 2007

Today we went to Covent Garden. We bought some things in little shops and I bought a little dog called Benjy and I bought a headband and it was purple with black spots with little lines. Then we had lunch. I had a falafel and hummus wrap and organic juice.
Ellen

Going to the science museum!

Today we went to a science museum that was very interesting. We went to the Launch Pad. That’s a place where you touch things. Then we had lunch and then we went to a place called Pattern Pod. We drew pictures there.
Katherine

September 28, 2007

Today we went to the science museum. We went in a room called the Launch Pad and it was full of cool things. Mum and I had a go on a satellite where someone talks on a thing and you (well whoever is at the other end) hears you because of the satellite and the other satellite. We saw bubble things where you pushed a handle and bubbles blow. I don’t know why it is there because it doesn’t mean anything. I saw and went in a thing where you make a shape (a pose) and the machine takes a photo of your shadow.
Ellen

Train back to London

Today (Wednesday, September 26) we caught the train back to London. We were in carriage one. Ross and Aunty Susanna were in carriage 2.
Katherine

September 26, 2007

We were walking down from our apartment in Paris and Dad was carrying the two suitcases and we were down the stairs and Dad was trying to hurry and he fell down the stairs and hit his badly. But he is okay. Then we went back to London on the train again for two hours.
Ellen

September 25, 2007

Today we came to Ross and Susanna's hotel and we spent the day with them. First we went to the playground. Then we went on the Ferris wheel and Susanna could spin our carriage and Ross said he would stop it but it was a coincidence. So he kept trying and he stopped it again and again. Then we went back to the playground and it started dripping and we said to S and R it is okay to go outside but then it really started to pour down and they were still sitting outside. So they had to run in the shelter. After that we had lunch and I had some dessert, which was real vanilla. Then we went on a boat and had a little look around in the boat. We saw the Eiffel Tower and we saw Notre Dame and we went past the island with Notre Dame on it. Then we had dinner and Ross and Susanna took us home.
Ellen