Wrapping up in London...

The day after the walk started late because #1, we had walked about 20 miles the day before all said and done.  Whew!  That's a lot!

We got up to have a lunch together before we met back up with the girls and Sam so they could all head back to their home in Sheffield.  I was happy to see the girls again, and to visit with them a bit before saying goodbye.

Then I walked to see where I ended up.  And found the best bear next to the station named for him.  I didn't have any marmalade with me so I just had to say hello.

 I walked past the Hyde Park Mews and wondered to myself, I wonder if they're working mews.

 Then turned the corner and answered my own question...I had to watch where I walked for a bit!

I ended up in Hyde Park and saw some children finishing their riding lessons.

 I walked into the park and took in some of the great trees like this one.  I've never seen a tree like this at home.  It was the largest weeping tree I had ever seen.  And I love weeping trees!

I turned the corner and stopped right here because I didn't know what I had stumbled into.  "Oh no...a riot of some sort."  I stood and tried to figure it out and realized I wasn't in a riot at all...it was Sunday and I was at Speaker's Corner....awesome!!  It was difficult to hear any one argument, so I just watched the chaos of people giving speeches without brawls and riots breaking out.  

I walked a bit through the park and then found a tube station because I was tired of walking already, and wanted to find some dinner before heading back to the hotel for an early night.  As I was walking down the stairs to the underground I felt a sharp pain run up my right leg from the center of my foot. I grasped the handle bar and stood on the stairs until I could steady myself.  I got to the bottom of the steps and found a bench to sit on.  What had just happened?!  The train came so I got onto a car that had seats open and sat on the way to King's Cross and St. Pancras stations.  

 Once there I walked really slowly around checking out the shops, and remembered where I was...Platform 9 3/4!  I knew I had to stop here and get trinkets for all my Harry Potter fans, including Max's teacher!

And while there was a line for people to put on their house colors and pose in front of the cart, I didn't have the energy for that.  So while the superfans were changing out their scarves from Slytherin to Gryffindor, I jumped up to take a quick picture.  (Also I think it's pretty great that neither of those names show up in spellcheck...Harry Potter has taken over spellcheck!)

I took this picture for my friend Kris.  The last time I was here, we were getting off the train from Paris!

I took this photo for Steve.   This is the outside of St. Pancras station, and up in that clock tower is someone's home.  When it was renovated it was turned into someone's actual flat.  Can you even imagine living there!?  We can't...but we like to. 

This was also the end of my photos for the evening.  My phone was being just terrible with giving me directions from here to the restaurant I was looking for.  My foot was throbbing in pain and I just wanted to sit down.  So, I got in a black cab and went to the restaurant Steve had made reservations for me.  It was a Jamie Oliver restaurant, and since I had been to a few of those I felt like I would like it.  However, when I got there I realized this must be his nicest restaurant because I was certainly not dressed nice enough for a seat.  I didn't even go in.  I found the nearest tube station and headed back to the hotel and got something to eat right beside it.  Once I got in the hotel and propped my foot up I thought, if this isn't feeling better by the morning, I'm going to have to go to a hospital to have it checked out.  

By morning it was still aching, but I could walk on it.  I could bend all my toes.  It was not swollen or tender to touch...it just hurt when I walked, so I chalked it up to doing a half marathon. I put on some good shoes and headed to one of my favorite shopping areas, Covent Garden.  It's an outdoor market area with lovely little shops.  Also, it is a pedestrian area.  I was feeling really overwhelmed from making all the decisions, and finding my way to every destination by myself at this point and wanted to be able to just stop in the middle of the road if I got lost.  Covent Garden offered that to me. 

I walked ever so gingerly over the cobble stoned streets, and more than once thought....ooph, I'm going to need to go back to the hotel, this is not good.  But, I was able to rest in between shopping and having lunch and ended up making it through.  

One of the markets in Covent Garden

A fun exhibit of Shaun the Sheep. Aren't they cute?

All kinds of fun things in the market.  I actually found some great things, but there were some signs up to not take photos of the booths, so I just kept the camera in my pocket.   I ate at a Jamie Oliver restaurant and found a great tip...they had free wifi and free use of the toilets.  Both had a code and sense I was in the area the whole day for shopping I was able to use them both all day.  Score!  I never know where to use the bathroom when I'm there, so usually stop in restaurants and museums. So the takeaway, if in Covent Garden, eat at Union Jacks.

 After my fun day of shopping,  I stopped to figure out where I would have dinner.  I was in England, so I needed a national dish....which is not fish n chips!  Time for a curry!

I stopped at a new place, called Dishoom, that has been getting great reviews.  Once I found it, I got my name on the list and ended up the front of the line that ended up down the block within ten minutes.  It was totally by luck that I ended up in the front of that line.  It was a bit chilly so they were handing out peppermint tea to those waiting.

I got seated at my table of one fairly quickly and ordered my best meal of the trip!

Spicy okra fries. 

More peppermint tea...so tasty.

Incredible biryani...it was so good! After getting full on delicious food, I was ready to get back to the hotel  to pack and get one more semi-sleep (jet-lag was rough this trip!) before I left in the morning.

I bought an extra bag to bring my goodies home in.  This is just my dirty clothes, I was able to check it and just carry my souvenirs on my carry-on and it was a lot lighter...which was good because my foot was still so aching.  

My time at the airport, and flight back the next day was really uneventful.  I did a little bit more duty free shopping, and ate before taking off.  I was able to watch a lot of movies and rest a bit on the flight.  The lady behind me was hacking, coughing and moaning all the way home.  I wrapped my scarf around my face and hoped and prayed I wouldn't catch whatever terrible disease she was spreading all around the cabin.  

Of course no such luck....because the next morning I woke up feeling poorly and only got to feeling worse, ending up with a trip to the doctor and a confirmed flu diagnosis.  In my forced bedrest I was able to rest my foot for nearly a week.  But, since feeling better, I've been up and walking around and have noticed there's definitely still something going on with my foot.  Steve has been traveling nearly non-stop since I got home, so I haven't had a chance to get to the doctor.  This weekend I may go to an urgent care to get imaging done just to know what's going on. 

All in all, it was a great trip.  One I felt so grateful to get to go on.  I realized some things about travel by myself.  There were some things I really liked, and some things I really did not like.  I also decided the next trip I go on will be to a beach, where there will be no excessive walking!  

Thanks all for following along, and cheering me from all corners of the earth.