A mini trip!

We got up really early today which is weird because it's Sunday.  Then all of a sudden, Andrea spotted the time on her laptop and almost snorted her coffee because the clocks had gone forward and she had forgotten all about it!!  We had twenty minutes to get dressed, have breakfast, grab our bags and get out of the door to the bus stop!!!!!

And the Coach was on time for a change!!!

Where are we going?

We gave them a floppy disc.....

....and a few minutes later, arrived at Poole Valley, Brighton.  But we didn't get off here.

We went past the Royal Pavillion.....

And then got the Jaffa Caykes out!!  Hurrah!!

nomnomnom.....

....nomnomnom....

A while later, we arrived at Gatwick south terminal.  But we didn't get off here...

Then we arrived at Gatwick North but we didn't get off here either...

Then we got the Panno Shoko Lah out and ate them too!!  Yum!!!

More Yum!!

Where are we going now?

Ooo Heathrow Terminal 5..... but we didn't get off here....

Then it was Heathrow Central Bus station but we didn't get off here either.....

But the coach driver then told us that the usual route down the M4 wasn't open so we were taking a diversion and we'd arrive 30 minutes late to where we were going.  That's OK, we've got a seat and Jaffa caykes!!!  We're good!

OH LOOK AT THAT!!!

Oh wow!!!

I think we're in London now....

Ooooo there's a Magnolia tree!!

Mmm.... defo London!

OH!! We're at the Coach Station!!!  

And we only arrived 10 minutes later than expected, so the driver made up good time!!

We used the facilities first and left them a CD!!

And then set off somewhere.....

Aha.... off to the bus stop over the road!!

BUS BINGO!!  We got a C10 to Canada Water!!!

They got a CD as well!!

We're going over the Thames!!!

And there's the Houses of blithering idiots Parliament

Ooooo!!!

And we got off at the very last stop at Canada Water!!

We're going for lunch here!!!

They didn't have Moules Mariniere on the menu today (which is what we had last time we were here) so we had fish & chips instead.  And a very good fish & chips it was too!!

And then it was back to the bus stop to get the bus back.

We got the C10 again!!

They got a CD too!

That's the duck pond near the Youth Hostel!  They have swans and moorhens living on there!

Ooooo...!!

That's the Imperial War Museum!!

And now we're crossing over the river again!!

And then we got off at Victoria Coach station.  Are we going home now?

That's the National Audit Office over the road.  It's another art deco building!!

OH!! BUS BINGO ALERT!!!  We got another bus - the 11!

They got a CD!

Where are we going now?

Ooo that's Horseguards Parade!!

And we got off at Trafalgar Square!!

And then walked up the road a bit to Leicester Square!

We're staying at the Premier Inn??  We're stopping over?!?!?!  OH HOW EXCITING!!

We got a room on the 4th floor and had a ginormous bed all to ourselves!

AHHHHH!!!  That's better!!

Tea making facilities.... excellent!!

And an OK view out of the window.  But we're not here for the view...!

Anyway, we brewed up a cuppa because we were parched.....

And then got stamps in our passports!  Hurrah!!

Then we went out for a little stroll to stretch our legs a bit...

There's Harry Potter!!

He's playing Quidditch!

And there's Mary Poppins!

And there's Gene Kelly singing in the rain!!  And it really IS raining today!!

We also found this sculpture made out of squished tin cans!!

And there's Laurel and Hardy!!!

Then we popped into a nearby art shop and bought a few things (we'll show you later!)

And then wandered into Chinatown a little to find a restaurant for dinner tonight.....

There's lots of red lanterns out!!

We decided on this place!!! Er Mei....

Presumably that says Er Mei in Chinese letters.

Bearing in mind we got here about quarter past seven on a Sunday night, this place was HEAVING BUSY!!!!!  The staff were rushed off their feet and there was a queueing system to wait for tables!!!  Took about 20 minutes to get seated...... clientele were predominantly Chinese, young people mid 20s to early 30s, with a few Western faces like us lot.  Well, not mice.... humans!!  We got a beer.

And then we got a stir fry king prawns with yummy stuff in and a stir fried rice with normal prawns in.  We didn't trust Andrea with the chopsticks though (she tends to throw food around the restaurant and start food fights when she uses chopsticks!!) so we made her eat with one of the serving spoons.  But it was proper nommy food!!  A bit expensive (£35 for all this lot) but worth every mouthful!!  They did offer to box up the leftovers for us to take home with us, though.  I suppose if we'd had an AirB&B place, that would've made sense.

Then we ambled back to the hotel room....

And said good evening to some dragons....

And then were so exhaustipated, we went to bed!!!

.........zzzzzzzzz.............