Final days in the UK Another London Visit and Epsom Downs:
My next visit to London started around South Kensington.
A visit to Harrods a large Full English Breakfast and Darjeeling tea at the Tea Room opposite Harrods. I then walked Round the Albert Hall watching the arrival of people all dressed up in their suits and attire to attend the Meeting of the Grand Master Freemasons.
Walking past the Albert Memorial I headed towards Kensington Palace.

I had never been inside before and took the audio tour. There was a lot of Princess Diana's dresses on show in the first few rooms and then you enter the older rooms where Queen Victoria was brought up as well as roms where Princess Margaret stayed and used.








Walking onto Paddington Station where I took the tube to Kings Cross/St Pancras Station.
St Pancras station is an amazing building completed in 1868. It is the largest single spanned structure built at the time.
It is due to be the London terminal for the Cross Channel tunnel link from October 2007.






I only had time to walk around the outside of the building as I was heading to the British Library which stands to the left of St Pancras station.
In contrast the British Library is very plain on the outside and looks more like a Tescos Super Store. The absence of shopping trolleys alerted me to the fact that this was actually the library.
Inside it takes on a much more interesting feel.
I had another much needed tea and scone before wandering around the exhibitions of old books, Old bibles, Koran's , Handels Mesiah original transcripts and some works from Mozart and other great composers.
There were many other interesting things there including two original versions of the Magna Carta the original from 1215 and a later version revised some years later.

It was by now getting late and after purchasing a couple of books from the bookstore. I walked back to Victoria Station, passing through Russell Square, Trafalgar Square Westminster, and many other interesting London streets.
One of the best things to do in London is to walk the streets, there is so much to see and you cover a large are without even relising how far you have walked. It was only the next day that I realised as my legs attested to.


Trafalgar Square at night.



















Westminster Cathedral. Peaceful at night Big Ben chiming in the back ground from the Place of Westminster.








Saturday morning I went to the gym. Helen and I then went off to see Mick and his Black MG he is building from scratch at MG BITS just outside Ripley. Already looking in good shape and very highly polished What beautiful vehicle it will be.
He expects it to be complete by Spring for touring around Italy. The Red MG will be relegated to sitting in the garage at home by then.

Helen and I stopped in Pyrford for a pub Lunch and a brief walk along the Canal before stopping into see Mum and then returning back to Helens to prepare for Mick Birthday Celebreations.
We walked to Ewell Village and started the evening at the 'Green Man Pub', met up with the other friends. It was good to catch up with them all.
Mick was given a few presents and then we moved to the 'King Bill' which was somewhat noiser, as it was their Halloween Karioke evening. Several more drinks later and we were ready for another walk.
We left there around 9.45pm and headed off to the Indian Restaurant around the corner from Helen and Micks. Fantastic food. After that, all back to Helen and Micks for final drinks and to complete the present giving.

Sunday was naturally a more quiet day, subdued one could say. Weather fantastic . No breeze even sunny and still warm. I made my final visit to check over number 24 , hoping that the last people who viewed it will choose to rent it.
Mick turned up with Helen in the red MG and joined Mum for tea in the garden of number 21










Helen, Mum and I went for a walk over Epsom Downs.










Memories of times past when we used to walk up there from the house of a weekend, and many memories of spending time up there riding the horses from Headley across the back of the Downs and the racing them alongside the track. Cycling across the Downs to Headley Heath, and flying Stunt kites in the strong winds that can whip up from the valleys and across the hills.


Today was no kite flying day at all. everything was so calm and peaceful.
People walking their dogs. People on horses, and a few flying heir remote controlled planes. A typical Sunday afternoon on the Downs.




When you look North you can see across London and The City the London Eye , Westminster, St Pauls, then further left the BT Tower, The New Wembleys Football Stadium, right around to Heathrow Airport and Windsor Castle.
The views are amazing from the North downs especially on a clear day.


Looking South and East you see nothing but countryside and further South West the steeple of Headley Church, and all of this 15 minutes walk form where I was brought up.




.

Back in England
Arrived at Gatwick a week ago Weather has been mixed. Some sunny afternoons but mainly the mornings have been wet or cloudy and grey.
The car, Wide mouthed frog view. Bird poop strategically dropped on drivers and passengars side of the front window. Too well positioned to be accident . This was a planned action, a synchronized attack.
Two birds or possibly one bird who came round a second time.

I have been battling jet lag, not sleeping early and geting up well kind of earliyish am.

So what have I been doing so far?

Helped Mum in her hours of need sorting out her new Kitchen and appliances.

Went shopping in Epsom and bumped into Aunty Pauline and Uncle Ray, ended up having drink and food with them in a pub.

Sorted out the front and back garden of over grown bushes on our rental house.

Helped Mick sort out the wirless X-Box now working so he can view photos and play Laura Croft on the big screen TV and sound system in the room I am staying in.

Also so far I have visited the Gymn a couple of times.
Attended a Yoga lesson with Helen at Dragons Health Club.

Had my second one and a half hour massage from Karen at 'Essence Spa' in Woodmanstern.

Visitied Judy at the Healing Center in Epsom.

Balanced all that with work last week, and this week decided to blow off a number meetings, changing my status to 'Definately now on Vacation'.

Visited Wisley Gardens with Helen on a sunny and rainy day.

We later enjoyed a cream tea and bumped into Aunty Pauline again. (She does seem to get around)..

I Popped in to have a cup of tea and see Mick at work one morning.

The back of your van Mick makes Hazels Van and Jonathans car (...well my other car that he uses ..., just for the record) look good. I will not complain about the state of their vehicles even again.

Went out for Thai meal with Helen Mum and Mick and walked back with Mick through a field with an empty bottle of wine in my hands.

Well one does these things after being under the influence of several Gin and Tonics and a bottle of wine each. The wine was Thai wine from the year 2534 BE....A very good year indeed.

I managed a day in London at the British Museum. I have not been there for years. It is such an interesting place.

I really wanted to see againthe Rosetta Stone and the Elgin Marbles.

There was so much to see I saw as much as I could reasonably take in and enjoyed a couple of much needed teas in the cafe there to rest my legs.

On my way back I walked all the way from the British Museum to Waterloo via Buckingham Palace. It was the first night of the Palace being illuminated and was attracting a lot of interest. Press were everywhere and I watched and took photos of them as they ushered a couple to stand on the wall of The Victoria Memorial and pose with the Palace in the background.

Other TV crews were filming. I watched as the press finished photographong and all rushed baclk to their PC's places around the walls of the Memorial opposite the Palace to download their photos and satelite transfer them to their vasrious press offices.

On arrival at Walerloo I found that there had been a de-railed train somewhere on the line. I could not get directly back to Ewell West. I headed to Epsom changing at Clapham Junction in packed trains. I intend to head back to London tomorrow morning and understand there are stil some delays as a result of the damage from the de-railed train.

On the Home front, in Houston ...Around the 6th week all computers were in the Kitchen with the fish tank, where we had our own little cyber cafe around the butchers block.
Things were getting closer to completion in the other areas of the house.
Wood floors being laid and carpets were done before my departure to the UK.
However, living on concrete floors and crammed upstairs and in the kitchen with all the stuff that did not get taken to storage was getting tiresome. Everything crammed into the small areas of the house that we could actually live in.


Joe worked hard to get doors back on frames painted, dry wall fixed and painted and all the other things that needed doing done as fast as he could. He took over the garage for the few weeks he worked on the house.








Once the flooring in the hall way was done things started to look more positive.









Finally you walk into the front of the house and it seems welcoming and warm.










We were all getting used to ignoring the mess and walking on concrete floors. Mostly living upstairs and in the kitchen.






Carpet down and beginning to look like a house one could live in.







The main room for me to start on was the Study
All the books and computers and CD's videos, my gadgets all out of the kitchen and returned from storage. I had my space back.









The final room of course was where it all started. The bathroom. Now I can once again have a full sized bath rather than shower in the kids bathroom which is not only cramped but somewhat of a health hazard most of the time. Boys will be boys.

Indianapolis - The final days. (Well not of the City but of my time there).

Although I worked North of the City I discovered the downtown area was only 30 minutes car journey away.
Over one of the weekends I stayed there I headed down to explore.



Indianapolis is of course famous for the indianapolis 500 Motor sport and the Brickyard races.
There is a lot of reference to the 'Brickyard' around the area.
I assumed it was because of the factories that used to be along the canal downtown, which is now a hot spot to walk go to the museums or take a gondola ride on the canal itself.
On visiting the Indianapolis racetrack I found it to be much bigger than I had expected it to be. The track itself used to be made up of over 3.2 million bricks. Just imagine driving on those nowadays.

The Indianapolis Museum of Art (IMA) was another interesting find on my way downtown. Set in a peaceful park and garden suroundings it is located next to the Ely Lilly House where the Founder of the Ely Lilly Pharmaceutical Company used to live. Quite a mansion and beautiful gardens.
You can visit the inside of the house, which I did not but I did use 'the facilities', so to speak.










The gardens had many interesting features and statues water fountains and wild areas all backing onto a canal that you can walk along.










To the North West of the City is Eagle Creek National park. A large area with a couple of large lakes in it.
Tranquil and full of natural beauty.
One Lake is set aside for the wild life and another where you can fish.







The Downtown area is a great place to walk around. The White River has walkways either side and as you cross the bridge there is also a Zoo.



The main square was just great to wander through.









Indianapolis has a lot of memorials and statues. many celebrating or commemorating wars and famous battles.





WWII Memorial impressive and provided some good vews from up the steps















If ever in doubt even at night one is reminded which country I'm in.




The IMA has its influence downtown also. Many modern statues and 'Public Art features.









It was a City that seemed to be proud of itself, clean and relaxing place to wander around.
I have to say that is was a City I enjoyed visiting very much, in part because it was a surprise to find so many interesting things there.

So for me I move on and next is to travel far away across the Ocean once again.

My next stop being back to the UK for 2 weeks visit. See Mum and sister, check on the house we own there and visit London and the surrounding area.

I will also try to relax a little before returning to the US to work on another assignment.