Day 6, and 7: London

This kids have started school this week, and as it turns out, that has taken away from my hanging on to the last moments of my holiday.  I guess it's time to wrap up the journal of my trip.

Day 6 in London started with us greeting the last of our party, my friend Shona, from Belfast.  We all got around and headed out for a day of shopping.  Yes, that was the entire plan for the day.

We went to Covent Garden and hit a tea shop, and a toy store.  Then stopped for lunch.  The pictures from this day are seriously lacking...but that's because I was so busy visiting.  I wanted to squeeze every last ounce out of my visit with friends who I don't know when I'll see again.

A couple of times, though, Kris or Gwen grabbed my phone to get a photo for me.  I think they must have known I would want pictures to remember.


After lunch, we hit Paperchase, which used to sell their products in Border's Bookstores in the States, but don't sell anywhere that I know of now.  It's one of my favorite shops in the UK!  But the store I was most looking forward to in Covent Garden was Cath Kidston.  Shona, Rachel and I have been planning a trip to Cath Kidston for a while, and this was our chance.  I'm glad I had them there to talk me into buying a new bag!




We stopped in a clothing store, and then on to Harrod's.  And FINALLY it started raining.


It's just not a visit to London without the rain.

In Harrod's, we had a drink of lemonade, and then looked around at the audacious prices on everything!


We found our way back towards the apartment after Harrod's and stopped for dinner at a Jamie Oliver restaurant.  I had a chicken and tomato dish, but the best bit was dessert, lemon pie.




( I snagged this photo from Kris)

We ended the evening watching some telly, packing our bags, then one by one dropped off to bed.  

I can't believe I've already been home two weeks.  It seems like we were just all together visiting! 

The next morning we all said goodbye, and headed to the airport to our different terminals to leave.  I was there the longest, and first found myself in a stall in the bathrooms crying my eyes out about leaving.  Ridiculous? maybe...but I just love it there.  It's hard to say goodbye each time.  I am so thankful for the opportunity to go, every time I get to go. But I do so dislike saying goodbye.  The flight was overbooked, and they offered me a ticket for the next day, and a hotel to stay on one more day.  I was terribly tempted...but I had a few people at home who were very anxiously awaiting my arrival.  So, I pulled myself together and wandered around the new terminal in Heathrow, shopping for my final gifts.  

I hopped in to get a picture of the Doctor's booth for my brother in law...

And found myself at another Cath Kidston, with items that weren't in Covent Garden!

I ate lunch at Wagamama before making my way to my gate. 

Then endured another long flight home.  I got through customs quickly, and was greeted by the three who mean the most.  We got home and I handed out gifts all around, then found my own bed, and slept hard for the first time in a week, surrounded by my people, and dreamt of London.