We arrived back in London with packs full of clean clothes thanks to the hostel in Brasov having a washing machine in our bathroom. This was lovely as it usually is a mad rush to get everything clean so I have clothes to wear. We also arrived home to left over pancakes! I love Sundays! That night we headed out for dinner with Damien’s friend from Melbourne Stacey and her sister Alison who had come back from their Contiki tour. It sounded like they had an amazing time and we tried to talk them into getting their UK visa’s and move over here for a couple of years. We’ll see what happens.
On the Monday we did something very cool that is only available for UK residents and important people. We climbed up the 326 steps of the clock tower and saw the bell Big Ben. This was very interesting and it told us about the history of the clock tower, how it was designed and modified with the introduction of electricity. The clocks are still mechanical to this day and keep time to within a second each 24 hours. This was considered impossible by clock makers at the time but they managed. With seasonal fluctuations in temperature the workers who manage the clock add or subtract old fashioned pennies to the pendulum to add or subtract mass to keep the time consistent.
The rest of the week has been pretty lazy. We are preparing ourselves for the next trip, Portugal with Lyn and Kevin Damien’s parents. They are arriving on Friday morning and Damien is starting to get a bit excited about seeing his mummy.
Damien actually got a couple of days work which was nice, just through one of his temping agencies. It means we will get paid this week, although not much, and the second half of the week went very quick.
On the Monday we did something very cool that is only available for UK residents and important people. We climbed up the 326 steps of the clock tower and saw the bell Big Ben. This was very interesting and it told us about the history of the clock tower, how it was designed and modified with the introduction of electricity. The clocks are still mechanical to this day and keep time to within a second each 24 hours. This was considered impossible by clock makers at the time but they managed. With seasonal fluctuations in temperature the workers who manage the clock add or subtract old fashioned pennies to the pendulum to add or subtract mass to keep the time consistent.
The rest of the week has been pretty lazy. We are preparing ourselves for the next trip, Portugal with Lyn and Kevin Damien’s parents. They are arriving on Friday morning and Damien is starting to get a bit excited about seeing his mummy.
Damien actually got a couple of days work which was nice, just through one of his temping agencies. It means we will get paid this week, although not much, and the second half of the week went very quick.
Lyn and Kevin arrived on Friday, and were at the hotel in time to see Damien before he ran off to work. After a walk in Hyde Park and settling into their room, it was time to head down to the Shepherds Bush Walkabout. We were hoping to see the St Kilda game, however the dodgy AFL changed the draw at the last minute, so we ended up seeing Carlton and Freo. It was a good game and we had a few drinks to catch up on the past 18months gossip. Turns out the Saints game the following day was a shocker anyway. 
Saturday after a big English breakfast, we all headed to Oxford Street. This was via Hyde Park and Marble Arch. We did a spot of shopping in Primark (discount central) and were looking for someone to repair Christine’s broken glasses. After a coffee we headed to London Bridge and the Borough Market. This is the food market that we like so much. We looked around, bought some bread, olives and Turkish delight and then had some lunch. We then walked home, a long walk, along the Thames past the Tate, the Eye, Big Ben, Buckingham Palace and St James Park. Exhausted we chilled out at home and ate and drank the night away. 
Sunday was the first day of the Notting Hill Carnival. After a lazy morning and hanging around the hotel until the rain stopped, we headed out to have a look. The Parade was a bit disappointing, much of it were just people sitting on trucks, although there were some good costumes. The heart of the festival was in the side streets where there were heaps of DJ’s on the street, thousands of people, stalls and markets. After the craziness we retreated to Hyde Park for a quiet drink, before having leftover pasta for dinner. 
Our last day in London before we headed off to Portugal was again spent walking. This time along the canals, past Little Venice, Lords, Regents Park to Camden Markets. The park was very nice and we got a few photos outside Lords. Lunch at the markets was good, we saw the Camden Loch in use and enjoyed the colorful side of London, one of our favorite suburbs. We took the train back to the hotel before getting packed and having dinner and drinks. 
One more sleep and were off to Portugal!
As mentioned earlier check this Blog out, quite interesting, similar food to what we have been munching on for the past 18 months!
http://mediterraneanmastication.blogspot.com/
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