Trip home

Simon came over with Bethan and Jacob to say goodbye, then Lindsey, Ian, The Builder and I ambled off to Bridge Street in Richmond for a final lunch.

We went to the Richmond Hill Cafe and Larder, which Lindsey and Ian like a lot.  Not sure that I was all that impressed.  We had been told they didn't take bookings - which made the reserved tables a bit of an anomaly.  Also, when I send back food which is more or less raw and is cold, I don't take kindly to having it returned from the chef and to be told that "It's supposed to be like that".  If the chef is prepared to eat raw scallops then he's a braver man than I ....  So I ate the extremely delicious salad and left the scallops.  I had no wish for a repeat of the flight to Oz when The Builder had food poisoning from undercooked fish!!  Rather to my surprise, they brought a fresh plate after I had finished the first one.  The scallops were beautifully cooked.  The salad had enough salt in it to slay an ox!!  Can't win!!!!!

Then Lindsey, The Builder and I abandoned Ian to pay the bill, and we caught a tram into town for some last minute supplies shopping.

Back to the flat for fish and chips from the shop downstairs (fish, as expected, a delight - chips a considerable improvement on the last time we had them from there two years ago) and then off to Tullamarine to catch our flight to Abu Dhabi.  Lindsey and Ian went to Ballarat instead of Abu Dhabi.

Quite enjoyed the flight to Abu Dhabi - although at one point "over night" it was deeply unpleasantly hot and airless.  Had to kick my shoes off.  And wander off in search of gallons of water.  But apart from that it was OK.

We had hours and hours and hours to kill in the airport in Abu Dhabi.  There was an earlier flight but it had less than a two hour turn around.  I've done that kind of rushing about before and have vowed never to do it again - and certainly not if it is I who has made the bookings.  Can't control travel agents!!

But that was OK.  We made our way to the food hall and had a rather idiosyncratic Traditional English breakfast in the Traditional English pub.  Actually - I rather enjoyed it though the eggs were undercooked to my taste and the bread was surprisingly sweet.  But it was very tasty.  And I was glad of a cup of coffee and a glass of orange juice.  I was a touch surprised by the number of lads who were eating burgers and drinking beer though.  It was, after all, only just after 7 in the morning!!

We went for an amble about, re-visited the camel shop and acquired more small camelly things for Lindsey (and put them immediately in the hippo bag, lest they escape like the original camelly things).  We messed about on our laptops (Abu Dhabi airport has free wifi).  We had an early lunch in the Hippopotamus Bar, and were at the boarding gates ready and poised when it came time to board our onward flight to London.

Didn't enjoy that flight as much as the others.  When the people in front reclined their seats, you practically had your television screen in your face, and there was no room to eat comfortable.  I managed to cover myself in (rather delicious) rice because I couldn't get my fork clear of everything!!  It was a tad on the cramped side!!  Still, it came in on time and with no excitement, which is as much as you can ask of a long haul flight!

And here we are at the Jury's Inn, Heathrow.  Which does have the advantage that it has proper tea bags in the room.  Apart from that - next time we will stay at the Radisson again. Not much more expensive and a much better hotel and much, much nicer food.  Although from our room in the Jury's Inn we can see a field with horses and donkeys and geese. There's a lake to the left And there is an amazing array of birds.  The Builder has just seen a parrot!!!!!!!  And you can't see the airport at all - although you can see lots of planes.

Wish us luck.  We are off soon to play with the Bank Holiday Monday trains.  Tube to Kings Cross.  Train to Retford.  Change there for Sheffield.  Change there for Chesterfield.  Not the usual way we go (St Pancras to Chesterfield) - but very considerably cheaper, even though I booked the tickets on the day they were released.

Thank you to everyone for a truly wonderful three weeks in Victoria.  We had a fabulous time.  And brace yourselves - we'll be back for a couple of weeks in February.