We spent the weekend in London. What a treat – Harry’s firm shouted us all for Christmas. There were about 70 of us. We went in two 50 seater buses as some pulled out at the last minute). We had about 10 on our bus going up but the driver said his smallest number was 1. (A secretary was asked to book some transport so booked the bus and the driver drove the business man from London to another city because that is what she ordered – wonder if she kept her job). The traffic was pretty heavy in London and it took an hour to go the last 15 miles so we got some pretty good sight seeing in like the ice rink and lots of buildings and gardens. On the way home the journey took over 4.5 hours due to the M4 being closed and us having to take a back route past Stonehenge and through Bath. Our hotel was on the corner of Oxford Street – yes Oxford Street. Out the door and round the corner and we were right beside the Christmas lights and window displays. Outside House of Fraser, Debenhams, Selfridges and not far from Harrods – are you envious shoppers? We walked passed all of them without going in - those of you who know us well wouldn't be too surprised at that. However, it wasn't quite true – Harry couldn’t resist buying a jacket in the Motorsport shop (McLaren what else!!) and I cruised into a shop when I saw a nice dress in the window which I thought was cute. It's true what they say ‘if you want to know the price you can’t afford it’. Harry and I thought perhaps £150 which was way above what I wanted to pay but it was £520 – I should have tried it on anyway, but they probably wouldn’t have let us jean clad kiwis near it.
We wandered all the way to Trafalgar Square and had a peak in the National Art Gallery for an hour before it closed. We saw da Vinci, Monet, Cezanne, Van Gogh. It was amazing cos we saw some Cezanne’s and Van Gogh’s that were painted in Provence where we went with Jim and Margot. Having been there made the paintings come alive and we could feel the warmth and dryness of the Provence summer as we looked around them. There were paintings back to the 1200’s (most had religious themes back then) and it suddenly occurred to me why some people were interested in Art History as there were definitely themes through the ages. It was captivating – more so than the Tate Modern Art Museum which we raced through in 20 minutes (I think there are 5 floors). Back to the hotel for dinner (through the crowds, shoulder to shoulder, bumped by a few umbrellas put up by brave souls wanting to miss a few drops).
Dinner on Friday night (and breakfast both days as well) was on Harry's work and we enjoyed the company of a few of Harry’s workmates at all those meals as well as the good food.
Dinner on Friday night (and breakfast both days as well) was on Harry's work and we enjoyed the company of a few of Harry’s workmates at all those meals as well as the good food.
Saturday dawned and we wandered through the streets again to watch the Lord Mayor's parade. It was a bit like a Christmas parade at home but without Santa. The Mayor must have been in one of the first horse drawn carriages cos he wasn't at the end like the celebrities at home. We watched a variety of bands (brass, piano accordian, pipe) and cars (Harry says their were early and new Rolls Royces) and lots of floats (I discovered that a float is from the time when parades used to be on the Thames. They would float passed the crowd. Once the Thames got a bit too polluted they moved them onto the roads and there they remain.) One of the most intriguing things was the army groups that walked by with real guns (I thought that they were toy ones from the Warehouse but Harry put me right and said that guns now have lots of plastic parts which make them look a bit like toys) and real bayonets. There was also a display of those in camouflage for the desert with masking tape stuck onto the guns for a bit of the brown look. I did wonder at the appropriateness of this in a parade - the day before Armistice day - and whether by doing this we were actually glorifying war rather than commemorating the war and remembering all those that died. Food for thought.
Using cell phones Michelle and Zane found us standing on the footpath watching the last of the floats. I wonder what we would have done before cell phones. With us not knowing London well we could have been waiting at different corners for a while before we gave up!! We wandered to an Aussie and South African pub by the Thames for lunch where if you wanted you could eat kangaroo or springbok or just a good old burger or pie. We all chose the latter!! 
We watched the parade go back after lunch along the Thames while eating lunch and then wandered over the Millenium bridge to the Tate Modern Art Gallery which was the same way as the flow of traffic (we gave up trying to get to St Pauls against the flow). Well, it didn't take long to realise that all of us was not really taken with modern art - our first piece of art we viewed was an 'earthquake fault' along the length of the building, deep and jagged which seemed to intrigue a lot of people but not us. St Pauls was far more interesting. We wandered to the top 431 steep spiral steps later to see the view, went down to the Whispering gallery where we could whisper romantic things to each other along the wall (when the woman wasn't whispering 'no photography please' ). Got a lovely view from the top and I thought Zane was joking when he said 'we could view the fireworks from the top'!!! Saw the crypt down below - the biggest I think in England. All that when I thought I was going to see a church.
Because it was Remembrance Sunday the next day and Armistice Day as well there was a fireworks display along the Thames. Roads were closed off so that the hoards of people could watch a fairly spectacular display with the London Eye as a backdrop. The underground stations were closed (a regular event says Michelle) due to over crowding so we wandered past Big Ben in the early evening (it's dark by 4.30 with fireworks at 5.00) and Westminister Abbey. Big Ben was smiling down on a very special place. Each regiment in the wars had a little place marked out on the lawn of the abbey and people had placed crosses on the grass to remember their loved ones.
Sushi for tea at Victoria Station and the four of us sat mesmerised by little coloured bowls of goodies going round and round in circles in front of our eyes. Zane and Harry couldn't resist the chocolate dessert but Michelle and I stayed with the authentic Japanese food. Then the last treat for the evening - we all went to Wicked. The story of how the witches became good and bad before Dorothy wandered the yellow brick road in the Wizard of Oz. And also how the Lion lost his courage, the straw man his brain, and the tin man lost his heart. A very funny show with some very powerful singers and actresses. Lines that tickled my fancy were ‘when will you start teaching us history and stop talking about the past’, and the good witch looking in the mirror like the typical blonde she was saying ‘ooooh hello there’.
The next day we were leaving at 12.00 so had a quick wander down Baker Street (home of Sherlock Holmes) and along to Regent Park.
The next day we were leaving at 12.00 so had a quick wander down Baker Street (home of Sherlock Holmes) and along to Regent Park.
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