truth is, other than a family visit there as a child, my lasting memories of London are with an ex who I suspect cheated on me and spending six long weeks there with him in a terrible place in the middle of winter...
it was cold and grey and frankly, miserable; weather probably reflected both my mood and the state of our relationship...
so in the year of my 50th birthday, I was determined to see the capital city of my country of birth through a different lens...
mission accomplished!
what an incredible city - stunning architecture, history galore and of course, my cultural heritage...as a mate said to me yesterday it has a sense of familiarity (and of course that's because most of our Australian customs, are in fact English!)
it helped that the weather was fabulous - actual summer!
it helped that I was on Sarah time and had very few obligations so that I could wander and explore as I like to, namely enjoying just aimlessly wandering and stumbling across whatever might be on offer...
it helped that I got to stay at the RAF Club which had just undergone a full renovation, and that the Club itself is in Mayfair!
it helped that we won at Edgbaston whilst I was there - nothing better than a win against the old enemy!
there are too many highlights to mention but I will just list a few (mainly for my own memory, which in years to come, may not be quite as sharp):
- St Pauls Cathedral
- Kew Gardens and the Chihuly Glass
- The Moon Museum at the Natural History Museum
- Tate Modern
- Hyde Park
- Bomber Command Memorial
- Australian War Memorial in Green Park
- Green Park
- The Mall
- Bond St
it's nice to have discovered another city that I can go back to and explore....and there is so much that I didn't get to do! even though I had 7 days, I think one could spend 7 years there and still not do everything....
thanks London for a fabulous trip - I'll be back!
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