We've given the upstairs/downstairs folks a week off.
We're headed- The Mister and I, to Jolly Olde England for a week.
We haven't been over home across the pond since landing on Vancouver Island two and a half years ago.
It'll be fun going back.
London at Christmas.
Oxford Street.
People. Shops. Christmas Decor.
Trafalgar Square's huge tree overlooked by Canada House with its huge Red Maple Leaf Flags flapping in the December Breeze.
Usually, we shop a little. Walk a lot and eat at our favourite pub- The Three Tuns.
This trip after an initial day in London, we'll grab a train from Paddington and rail two hours west to Somerset. There our friend Cate and hubby Steve will pick us up at Taunton Station. From there we'll spend the Week End in and around Hinton-St-George. Lots of historic buildings including manors, pubs and scenery.
I can hardly wait!
Apparently, we are a short drive to the Jurassic Coast and a longer drive to the Cotswolds. We'll see what we see but mostly we just want to soak up local colour and catch up.
Catch up?
Yes, we haven't seen our friend Cate in 18 years!
In fact she kind of slid off the radar for that time.
We simply lost touch.
I can't remember how or why exactly.
Cate- originally from England, lived here in Canada and we worked at the airlines together at Pearson International in Toronto.
The friendship endured and we saw her regularly, even boating on Lake Simcoe in Ontario with her and her second husband.
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| London at Christmas |
It was on my bucket list.
After several attempts over a few months I found her a while ago- at least I found an address. I wrote a note in a nice card and she responded a week later.
We were gobsmacked!
We've chatted on the phone and e-mailed regularly over the past while.
Now, we'll have a chance to catch up in person and Cate and Steve- he's number three! They can show us their part of England.
It'll be fun and all the shops should be set for the Holiday Season.
Once back in London, we'll shop at Primark- a favourite, Marks and Spencer, John Lewis and Selfridges- which is owned by the Weston Family here in Canada.
Canadian flags- mixed with the Union Jack, fly proudly from the department store rooftop.
We may even hike it through Hyde Park, past Buckingham Palace and Kensington Palace over to Harrods in Knightsbridge. There's usually a huge Christmas Market and carnival in Hyde Park not far from Marble Arch. The sellers in those wooden huts all around the market sell practically the same thing at inflated prices.
Christmas...ya gotta love it.
We'll be back in Canada for St. Nick's Day and the Christmas Season ahead. My Brother is coming for the Holidays and who knows who else. With snow and rain and cold back in Ontario I wouldn't be surprised if half the City of Orillia didn't migrate west this year.
Goodness.
I wonder if we have enough sheets and towels?
