And now we're home

 

It was a bit overcast this morning, but the sun's trying to come out.

We went downstairs early to miss the hoards of loud kiddies that sometimes stay in hostels!  We had the continental breakfast, toast and jam, kwussants and panno shoko LAH with some tea.

Then we went back to our room to pack up - we're going home today.

We got a new rubber stamp in my passport!!

All we had to do then was cross the road.....

.....to get to the bus stop!

We left a card on the info board too!

BUS BINGO ALERT!!  We got the 381 bus!

And we're off!

There's the Brunel sign!

Not so fancy buildings round here....

And we got off here at London Bridge Station!!

There's the Shard!

Then we walked round the corner up to the bus station and found the stop we needed.

BUS BINGO ALERT!!  We got the number 17!

There's Southwark Cathedral!

Ooo..... that looks interesting!

And we're crossing London Bridge!

We went past another train station

And down towards St Pauls Cathedral

Oooo

More oooo!

Think that's another church!

Oh I recognise that building!

We're going down Gray's Inn Road now.....

And we got off here!

Posh innit?!

And off to get on our train......

Oh!  That's a swimming turtle toy!!

Ach, we just missed a train!  But it's not long to the next one though.

And we got a window seat too!!

We crossed Blackfriars Station...

And then went towards London Bridge Station....

There's Tower Bridge!!!

And off across country!

We saw a plane come into land at Gatwick Airport!

Love this bit

And we're back home!

Just had to get another bus....

And got off at the last stop!  Then we just whizzed home from here!

What a fun weekend!!!

A birthday trip!

 

We got up super douper early today because we're going somewhere!!!

First off was a bus ride.....

.....to the station!

And got straight onto our train!  Huzzah!

And we're off!

Love this bit...

Oh hang on, is that the Battersea Power Station chimneys over there??

We're crossing the Thames!

And now we're getting the Underground!

And after a long ride, we got out here!!

And then had to walk all the way up to here!

Oh, that's an interesting plant.....

We're at the shamanic drumming workshop!  We're doing a ritual with the turtle shell today, which is to do with increasing your creativity.  Excellent!

That was an all day event, and was brilliant fun!  Afterwards, we headed off back to the underground station again.

We walked past a funny sculpture!

We got off at Stratford and saw those metallic "trees" again!

And then we came down to here, Canada Water!

There's the library!

Then we had to get a bus somewhere.

We left a little card on the bus information board!

And we got a C10 bus!!!  (that really is the C10, their display thingy doesn't like being photographed!)

And we're off!

We got off here!!

We're staying overnight at the youth hostel!!!

We got a room on the first floor, all to ourselves!!

I'll have the bottom bunk!!!

When we did the turtle ritual this morning, one of the things we had to do later on was to throw a piece of silver (like a 5p or 10p coin) into a body of water (like the sea or river) as an offering to the turtle.  We've got a 10p...... lets go throw it into the Thames!!

So we went for a little walk down the road.

Oh it's lovely here!!

Then we discovered the stairs to the foreshore and found the tide was out!!!  Let's go down!

We were able to have a little walk ...... let's see what we can find!!

We found some oyster shells and a stone with a hole all the way through!

Then we walked down towards the Thames, and got our 10p offering.

And threw the piece of silver into the water.

We really like it here!

Then we went back to the hostel for a snooze before dinner.

Those are the oyster shells and seaglass we found!

Told you the stone had a hole all the way through!!

A little later on we went out for dinner.  We saw some really pretty roses on the way

Aren't they fab!

Oooooo!!

We left another card on this bus info board too!

Oh, I remember that mosaic!

And there's that murial!

There's the Brunel Museum!

We're going here!!!!!!!!  It's that way!!

Let's go!!

There it is!!!  We're having dinner here tonight!  YAY!!

Because it's Andrea's birthday, we started with a mini bottle of Prosecco because it has bubbles in it!

We got some warm freshly cooked potato chips to nibble on while dinner was cooking.

Then we got pan fried sea bream fish on a pea risotto with salmon in it and roasted vine tomatoes.

It was FABULOUS!!

For pudding, we had a chocolate fondant with icecream - and everybody sang happy birthday to Andrea when it was brought in!!!!!  With a candle on top!!!!  Oh what fun!

After such a yumtastic dinner, we walked back to the hostel.....

We're completely exhausted now, we've been up soooo long!!!

So exhaustipated, we went straight to bed!

What a brilliant day!!!