England Vacation 2009 -- August 23

Karen has dumped the suitcases and got started on her laundry. Helen Anne put pictures onto Karen’s computer. We had synchronized the clocks on our cameras but they are out by seconds so not all the photos sorted correctly. Close enough though – much better than the year we were out but hours and minutes.

We finally headed over to the train station and got the12:2? something train to Victoria. We were going to get the open top bus tour but the coupons for the discounts, if you have come by train, are being done differently now and we decided it wasn't worth it. So, we jumped on a double decker bus and had fun riding from Victoria out to Hammersmith on the 211. We then got the 9 or 10 bus back and jumped off at Hyde Park. We went and stuck our feet in the Diana Memorial Fountain and got them nice and cold. It felt rather good as the day was nice and warm.

We then wandered through Hyde Park, had an ice cream, and eventually made our way to the gates near Buckingham Palace. We explored the round about there - lots of memorials and monuments. The one commemorating the relationship between New Zealand and Great Britain is rather intriguing. At first it looks like steel beams stuck in the hillside. When you get close, you find that each beam has a picture, description or poem describing the relationship between the two countries.

We then jumped a bus to Victoria and went to Yo Sushi and used Karen’s birthday coupon. We should have waited until 6. They don't restock the conveyor belt until then. However, we were able to order the off the belt stuff and still have the coupon apply. So we both got enough to eat. We were going to have Krispy Kreme for dessert but it was closed. Helen Anne went and looked at puzzle magazines for the flight and Karen got us some pop for the train -- we both finished our pops before the train came.

Once we got home, Helen Anne added more pictures to the computer. I had decided to take my camera for a walk but didn't use it. She also checked in and copied all the pictures to a jump drive so it would be easier to put them on her computer. Then she pasted all the emails to a word document and printed them. She is going to start on the blurb book on the plane home.

Pictures

On August 24, Helen Anne flew back to Canada. Here are some photos taken over Canada on the return trip