London

It's impossible to see everything in London really unless you live there so attempting to see everything didn't even enter our minds. Mr John has been avoiding London for some time deciding it's too crowded and just a big city. I'm pretty sure he's changed his mind after my personal tour guide services a bit ironic really, an Aussie showing a Brit the delights of their capital. 

Even though we'd chosen to stay in Twickenham and more on that in another post we'd planned ahead with our Oyster cards which were an absolute godsend and much cheaper than buying your tickets on the day. Getting in and out of town was pretty painless except on the Sunday when there was a bus replacement to another station. We circumvented this on the way back by going to Richmond and then getting the bus, which stopped outside our front door.

Anyway, I'd carved up our viewings to do some museums on the Friday as they're open until 10pm and some shops on the Sunday. Of course we then found out the London Marathon was being held on the Sunday so we switched our days around phew!.

We started at Liberty which Mr John had never even heard about honestly. I didn't want to buy anything there but I really thought he'd enjoy the architecture of the place and I wasn't wrong. Although looking much older, the building actually went up in 1924 though the store itself had been trading since 1875.

A short walk on from there and we were at Hamleys. This shop opened in 1881 and the five floors of toys is something else. Mr John was grateful to have a baggage allowance that kept him on the straight and narrow. He reflected that it was probably a good idea he hadn't been here whilst we were still living up north. I couldn't resist taking a photo of the ladies toilet on the fifth floor. It was like being in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. The staff here are amazing and there's entertainment on every floor they must really earn their money.

A bit more walking I wish we'd had a pedometer that day brought us to the Burlington Arcade which opened in 1891. You can still see the attendants in their top hats walking the floor. And virtually opposite this arcade is Fortnum & Mason which was founded in 1707 though this store has only been around since 1840. Mr John really wanted to grab one of their trolleys and go crazy until I suggested the complications of getting everything into the two backpacks we had and whether it would survive a Thai "summer". I'm also not sure a teachers wage cuts it at the Queens supermarket. Don't forget to check out the toilets when you're in a place like this.

Of course no trip to London is complete without seeing some famous landmarks and some of the hidden gems that hide in the back lanes. Please don't dismiss this city as too big to handle. There is gorgeous architecture at every turn and living history with every step. Mr John is yet another convert to what this great city has to offer - just don't try and do it all in one weekend.