Back To The Old Dart; Homeward Bound
Having packed the night before (even more sitting on the bags required before zipping) we were up early and well-prepared for our brief trip back to London this morning. It was sad to leave Paris but we were leaving with some fabulous memories stored away in the bank. It was quite exciting (and mind-boggling) that we were actually going to catch a train from one country to another and go under the sea to get there! It’s such a foreign concept to us – living in the Land Down Under – that you can conceivably pop in the car or jump on the train and head to another country!
Heading through the Metro one last time we realised how far we’d come since the first time we’d ventured out in this big French city. We were now even excusing ourselves in French when we whacked into other commuters with our unwieldy bags! Saying “Bonjour” was now second nature to us so that was why, when the man at the Eurostar check-in counter, who was going over our passports and entry for the UK gave us such a shock when he answered with an “’allo there!” It was going to take a while to get used to speaking English again!
The Eurostar was really comfy and felt just like a plane. We had little tray tables and “flight attendants” serving us snacks and drinks. It was only when we glanced sideways and noticed we were actually speeding alongside the road that we realised we hadn’t lifted off! Our meal consisted of a croissant and a baguette – 2 of our favourite French staples – but together a bit of a carb overload! I was expecting more of a steep descent entering the “Chunnel” but it was just like going into an ordinary tunnel and didn’t really take very long at all. It was only the sign at the end of the tunnel bidding us “au revoir” and urging us to visit again soon that alerted us to the fact that we had arrived back in England. We were again amazed that the scenery, language, food and culture could change so dramatically from one side of a tunnel to the other! We can drive non-stop for a week in Australia, covering thousands of kilometres and nothing changes (except maybe the football code we follow or the name we have for a swimming costume!)
Coming back to London again was like putting on a comfortable, old shoe. We immediately felt back at home and were relieved to be understood again (even though we missed the pastries already) Rossco was catching another plane to the USA for some more work (such a jetsetter!) and Toby and I had around 12 hours – give or take an hour – to kill before our plane left for Sydney. We bid Ross farewell at the train station where he was boarding the Heathrow Express and even though we’d see him in a few days, we all got a bit teary (well I did anyway!)
Gloves are a bit of a necessity in the European winter but due to the need to be a bit more dexterous from time to time, they need to be constantly taken on and off and are a bit hard to keep track of. Consequently, Toby lost his left glove somewhere on the footpath in Paris one night. We retraced our steps to see if we could find it but think we may have located it on the left hand of a homeless guy (unless of course he was doing a Michael Jackson impersonation). Oh well, at least it went to a good home. I had a hunch I’d left my gloves (actually the gorgeous ones I’d borrowed from Brenda) at the hotel in London before going to Paris and had emailed them to enquire if that was indeed the case. I was so delighted to get their return email to affirm that yes, they were actually there! So Toby’s and my first port of call in London was the old hotel to reclaim the gloves. Phew!
Our next stop was Hyde Park where they were advertising a “Winter Wonderland”! We had intended to go when we’d been there earlier but had run out of time. This was now the perfect way to while away a few hours. It was like a cross between the Royal Easter Show and Oktoberfest, with little wooden stalls all decked out in snow and Christmas lights and a whole array of rides and shows – including a ghost train, a couple of rollercoasters, a giant slide and a few other favourites. The “Blizzard”, known to fans of the NRL Footy Show as the “Vomitron” caught Toby’s eye the minute we walked in. While personally I couldn’t think of anything I’d rather not do (I was ready to heave just looking at it!) Toby was as keen as mustard to climb in and buckle up and couldn’t wait to get his tummy churning! We thought it wise to hold off on consuming any food or drinks prior to the ride and that was a good thing. We saw lots of casualties rapidly unfurling themselves from the safety of their capsules and making a beeline for the bushes once they’d experienced the “Blizzard” in full force! True to his prediction, Toby absolutely loved being shot hundreds of metres in the air, rolled upside down and round and round and rotated at breakneck speed. It made his day!
We ate at a merry-go-round that had been converted into a café and bar. It was decorated with snow and all things Christmassy and the horses had been made into little tables. It was really cool! You would get dizzy if you worked there though!
After our wintery wonderland experience we soaked up the autumn beauty of the expansive Hyde Park. It’s such a great asset to have right in the centre of the city and there were ducks, geese and white swans swimming around on the huge pond. It was so nice!
After our disappointment at not being able to find our friend Amy last time we’d been here, we had managed to pinpoint the exact department where she worked inside the labyrinth that is Selfridges and meet her for coffee on her work break. It was great to catch up and hear all about her life in London and what she’s been up to. She was also able to give us some local knowledge for next time!
Toby and I flashed our Oyster Cards one last time and made our way to Paddington Station where we caught the Heathrow Express, ready to embark on our epic journey back to Australia. We hadn’t been looking forward to the 27 hours in the sky and just as we’d been reflecting on it and how much we were really dreading it, something happened to soften the blow. Toby spotted some green and gold suits and yelled (I’m not exaggerating!) “There’s Greg Inglis!!” Greg Inglis, looking a bit chuffed to be recognised, smiled and got ready to brace himself for the 13 – year – old boy that was launching himself towards him. Toby had already asked for a photo, to which Greg had kindly obliged but since I was the one with the camera, I had to get a sprint on to catch up to them! Toby’s excitement grew as he realised that Greg was not alone. In fact, most of the Kangaroos team, fresh from winning the Rugby League World Cup in England, were now standing right in front of us! They did look very cute in their little green and gold suits and ties – like private school boys (with a three day growth)! We were both feeling quite patriotic, not to mention star struck! Toby politely asked for photos with all of them and they were all more than happy to say “cheese” and help out an obvious fan. There weren’t any other Aussies around so they were quite happy to have a chat to us and talk about our respective holidays. Toby even ran into his hero, Paul Gallen, on his way to the toilet and struck up a great conversation with him! Toby was elated. So, after two weeks travelling around The UK and France and experiencing all the wonderful things we had, this, for Toby, was by far the highlight!
The plane trip home was l-o-n-g! We had an almost three hour delay, waiting on the tarmac in Dubai for clearance to take off. Apparently it was a busy time of the morning at the airport! Toby and I both got about 6 hours’ sleep each and got to watch a few movies, do a couple of crosswords and read a few chapters of our books – just the usual! The iPods got a workout too. Unfortunately I got a migraine halfway home (never good at the best of times but diabolical on a plane) but miraculously the two Panadols the flight attendant brought me cleared it up in no time (at least I think they were Panadols…)
Sam and Molly came to the airport to pick us up and they sure were a sight for sore eyes! It was SO good to see them!! We’d really missed them so much! There were big hugs and kisses all round! We couldn’t wait to pick Maisy up from school and give her a big hug too! Toby and I couldn’t believe how warm it was! We were sweating just holding onto our jackets!
Ahhhh…what a great trip we’ve had and we feel so privileged and so grateful to have been able to have gone!
Thanks to everyone who’s read the blog! It was fun having you along for the ride…
