Somehow we all managed to sleep in until 11am, even Sophie who had to sleep
on the floor. She had to catch a coach back to her school at 2pm so that
didn't really give us time to do anything as so we decided to take it easy.
Anthony went and got some bread for breakfast and we had showers and got
dressed. After breakfast we decided that we would walk to Victoria Coach
Station via Chelsea and Sloane Square. It was a sunny yet brisk day and so
it was nice to be out and walking. There were plenty of people about in
Chelsea enjoying the sunshine and sitting in the trendy cafés. When we got
to Sloane Sq it was already 140pm so we had to start almost jogging to get
to Victoria on time. We arrived with a couple of minutes to spare and saw
Sophie off back to Bury St Edmonds.
We walked back towards Kensington and after dropping into Waitrose to pick
up some dinner we went home. We decided that we wouldn't try to do anything
else and had a rest day instead.
Jetlag had well and truly worn off and we managed to sleep late again.
After breakfast we took the Tube to Russell Sq so that we could revisit the
British Museum and see some more of the exhibits. It was still full of
people and school excursion groups. This time we only looked at things on
the ground floor but it turned out that this was where many of the major
exhibitions were located anyway.
The first thing that we looked at was the Assyrian collections which are
carvings from temples. There are several rooms full of the wall carvings
which are intricate and well preserved. We then went in to see the Elgin
Marbles which are in a huge room. I was surprised to see that most of them
are missing features as they had either been vandalised or blown up in the
1600s. After leaving that collection we looked at the Egyptian material. I
like the sculpture of the Egyptian cat the best. I was then talking to
Anthony about the Rosetta Stone and asked him where it was held. He said he
thought it was in the museum but it wasn't mentioned in our guide book
which is strange because it is such a famous object. Anyway Anthony asked
some old women who were manning a "Friends of the British Museum" booth and
they pointed to a group of people behind us! I had a look at it but it was
hard to get a good look as there were many people gathered around it. We
then went to the museum shop where I bought a pencil, pen and a scarab for
me and one for Elizabeth. Anthony bought a Rosetta Stone paperweight.
We left the museum in search of some food and went into a sandwich shop
nearby. We ordered some sandwiches and coffee and muffins and took them
back to Russell Sq to eat. We then walked to the National Gallery to see
some more paintings as we had had to leave last time. Of course Liam became
fussy straight away so I took him to the baby room and fed and changed him.
We then looked at some of the paintings. I got into trouble from a guard
for not keeping the stroller next to me and most of the guards gave Liam
disapproving looks which annoyed me somewhat. In the end Anthony and I took
turns looking at the paintings.
After we left the Gallery we decided to catch a bus home instead of the
Tube. After much searching we eventually found the busstop and caught the
bus. The conductor put the stroller in a storage area for us which was
good. I liked the bus as you get more of a sense of the geography of the
city when you travel above ground. We got off the bus at the Albert Hall
and walked up to the outside of Kensington Palace before going home via
Sainsburys. Liam had been sneezing all day and was a bit upset that night.
Liam had developed a cold and had a runny nose. He wasn't very happy so we
decided to take it easy. We walked up to Kensington High St where I went to
the Internet café to check my email (and the Babycenter boards!!). Anthony
took Liam for a walk to look at the shops. We then went to McDonalds for
lunch and back to the flat.
In the afternoon we went to the Natural History Museum for the free entry.
We had a look at some of the older exhibits like the minerals room and the
Darwin exhibition but they are pretty oldfashioned and somewhat boring and
didn't hold our attention for long. So we went into the newer part of the
building which is a bit more whizzbang. We took the long escalator
upstairs. It passes through a giant model of the earth which flahing lights
and music and so Liam was a bit overwhelmed by it. The exhibits were much
more interesting and interactive in this section. They had a whole section
dedicated to earthquakes and volcanoes which included a full size model of
a Kobe supermarket which reinacted the Kobe earthquake. The floor moved and
things went flying. Anthony had Liam in the pouch and I was a bit worried
that they might fall over but Anthony kept a hold of the guardrail while
Liam looked around wondering what was going on. We were running out of time
by now as the museum closed at 550pm and didn't get a chance to see
anything else. We left the museum saying that we would pop in to see the
ecology display the next day and went back to the flat. I phoned Trish and
arranged to have dinner on Wednesday night at her house but it wasn't until
later that I realised that Anthony wanted to watch the ManU vs Fiorentina
match and so I decided to call her in the morning to try to change the
date.
The day dawned bright and sunny with blue skies for once. This was lucky as
we had decided to visit Hampton Court Palace. We were a bit slow in getting
moving as usual. I tried to call Trish but all I got was her answering
machine at work and so I left a message explaining about not being able to
come to dinner but I really wanted to talk to her about it and told her I
would call again later. At the Tube station Liam was again the star of the
show when Anthony went to get us tickets. He ended up getting a Family
Travelcard for us all but I don't think that we really were entitled to it.
We caught the Tube to Waterloo Station and arrived with 10 minutes to spare
till the next train. We bought some coffee and croissants to eat on the
train from a woman who thought that Liam was adorable.
The train took about half an hour. Liam got a bit restless but we sat him
in his stroller and gave him a cold piece of toast which kept him happy and
quiet. Once we arrived and got off the train we walked the short distance
to Hampton Court. We bought tickets to visit the palace and the maze and
went into the complex past the guards who were all dressed in top hats and
bottle-green morning coats. In the courtyard we paused while Anthony went
inside the info centre and booked us tickets to a guided tour later in the
day. We spoke with one of the guards who was busy trying to watch (yet
another!) group of French school students and he suggested that we first
visit the Tudor Kitchens. We went inside and watch a presentation and then
decided to get some headphones for the audio tour which I went and got from
the info centre. The tour was good but it was progessing a bit too slowly
and with Liam you can't really take your time examining things as he gets
cranky. We had him in and out of the stroller and he enjoyed squealing at
people while being carried. We toured the Tudor kitchens and then had a
break while I changed and fed the baby before looking at the Georgian
apartments.
It was past lunchtime but we had only another 10 minutes to spare until our
prebooked tour so we wandered around the courtyard. The tour was taken by a
young guide dressed in tights and a cape. We went up into the Henry VIII
section but Liam was chatting away quite loudly so Anthony took him for a
little walk. He then put the baby back in the stroller and by some miracle
he fell asleep and left us to enjoy the rest of the interesting tour in
peace. After the tour we went to find a phone booth so I could call Trish.
I talked to her and we arranged to meet on Thursday night instead. We then
walked back to the coffee shop and had tea and scones for a late lunch. It
was getting late and so we decided to see some more of the rooms of the
palace before they closed at 430pm. We whizzed through these sections and
then went out into the gardens. Liam was awake again and Anthony showed him
the ducks, swans and geese which he quite liked. We noticed some deer in
the ajoining park but they had run away by the time we got to the gate. A
strange older woman was surreptiously feeding the birds and scampering
around which was funny to watch.
The gardens were immaculate and the crocuses and daffodils were in full
bloom. It was quite beautiful. We went up to the maze but it had closed as
it was now after 5pm. I fed Liam while sitting on a park bench and then we
decided to try to catch the 539pm train and had to almost sprint to the
station where we boarded the train at 538pm just before the whistle! We
went straight home via the supermarket.
We had thought that we might go to the Millenium Dome today but didn't get
organised in time. Plus at 20 pounds each it was a bit pricey! Anyway we
decided to go to the Tate Gallery instead. So we caught the Tube to Pimlico
and walked to the Tate. It was cold and rainy again and very windy down by
the Thames. The Tate is being reorganised and moved so it was a bit of a
shambles when we got there. We went in via the disabled entrance. There
were lots of schoolkids there and alot of the collection was not on display
so it's a good thing that it was free!! After changing and feeding the baby
and eating our own sandwiches in the baby change room we went for a walk
across the Thames. We walked up to the London Eye to see how big the queues
were but it was packed so we had a coffee instead. Then we headed home to
Kensington to have a rest before going out again.
Anthony and Liam had a sleep so we were late leaving to get to Canary
Wharf. We arrived about 1/2 hour late and I called Trish to let her know we
were there. She said she would pick us up so we went outside into the
freezing windy night to wait. She arrived not too long after in her huge
van. We put Liam in Keon's baby seat but he cried all the way back to her
house. Once there we met her husband Dave and I put Liam down to play but
he took one look at Keon and started crying!! This set Keon off and both
babies were crying which didn't bode well for the evening. They eventually
quitened down and we sat down for dinner. I gave Liam some nectarine which
he managed to get all over his white suit and then Trish cut up some orange
and both babies had a great time munching away. After dinner we put the
babies down to play. Liam just didn't know where to start with all of
Keon's toys and was having a lovely time. We took some photos and then it
was time to head home. Dave drove us back to Canary Wharf and we caught the
Tube home.
It was our last day which was somewhat sad. We started packing our bags,
never an easy or enjoyable task. Then we walked to Harrod's to get a
present for Liam. We stopped at Boots where I bought some cream for Maggie
White. We ended up buying some tea for Liz and Esther in the Harrod's Food
Hall and were given an extra box free which we kept for ourselves. We went
up into the toy section where Liam was entranced by the mountains of teddy
bears. After alot of deliberation we bought him a soft bug and worm.
Anthony wanted to buy him a Harrod's Humpty Dumpty but it was too
expensive. I changed Liam in the fancy babychange room while Anthony had a
discussion about strollers with an American woman!
We left Harrods and headed back to the flat. We stopped in at the Brompton
Oratory to have a look and bought some curry from Waitrose for lunch. After
a rest we cleaned up and packed the rest of our bags. I had booked a car
for 5pm but at 440pm they rang the doorbell. We had only just finished
packing and so this put us out a bit. Plus we had booked a van with a
babyseat but that car had broken down and they sent a replacement instead.
It was a smaller car without a babyseat but somehow all the luggage fitted
in. The car was packed by 5pm but the manageress was nowhere to be found
even though we had told her that we would be leaving. Anthony ended up
putting the keys in a plastic bag with a note. I put Liam in the Kapoochi
and we set off for the airport.
The driver was a chatty bloke who didn't like Americans very much. It
didn't take as long as I thought to get to the airport so we arrived with
about 3 hours to spare! We checked in our luggage and then went through to
airside. We went and got a coffee at the first café we came to but there
was no carpet and so we took turns at carrying Liam around the Harrod's
duty free store. We managed to find different places to sit where Liam
could lie on the floor but it was very busy and the seats were all squashed
together. Eventually they announced our gate and we went down to be close.
There was a small playgym there and I was playing with Liam on it when they
announced preboarding for infants etc. I went and got Anthony and we were
allowed down the ramp. But when we got to the bottom the crew were still
boarding and so we stood and talked to the woman at the gate who fell in
love with Liam. Meanwhile they had made a general boarding call which meant
that there ended up being a huge queue of people behind us. Eventually they
let us on and we took our seats near the front of the plane. We were seated
next to a couple who were about 6 months pregnant. Then four "lager louts"
came and sat in the seats behind us. We were late leaving London and Liam
was getting hysterical until he finally fell asleep. I stayed awake for
dinner and to watch the movie "Sleepy Hollow" and then tried to sleep. But
the louts behind us were intent on drinking their way to Bangkok and they
kept me awake. The guy next to us told them to quieten down and they did
for a while but then they started again. Just our luck!!
Due to the time difference we landed in Bangkok in the late afternoon. As
we were getting ready to leave the plane they called out my name "that's
Curr, C-U-R-R" and told me to see the ground staff. So I went ahead with
Liam and saw this woman from BA who was all confused about our
accomodation. She kept saying that the booking was for me and a baby and
seemed to act as if I had just picked up Anthony on the plane! In the end
she looked at our hotel voucher and said that there had been a
misunderstanding. We still have no idea what she was on about! We headed
towards immigration. It was about 35 degrees so I stopped in the toilets
and changed Liam into a summer suit. I was pondering how I would change my
shirt when some Swedish women just stripped theirs off to change so I
followed suit and then Anthony went in to get changed while Liam
entertained some Chinese travellers and some Thai cleaners. Once we reached
the immigration queues we were taken aside and through the fast track
counter and ended up beating the lager louts which made me feel good! We
collected our baggage and went out to the arrivals hall only to find that
our hotel bus wasn't there and we had to wait about 15 minutes. We got to
the Ebina House Hotel and checked in. This time we were given a normal room which was a
bit of a comedown after the previous occassion! I gave Liam a bath and then
put him to bed. Anthony ordered room service but they had no hamburger buns
so we ended up having grilled sandwiches and fries. I went to have a hot
bath but Liam woke up gasping and coughing so I got a bit worried about him
and fed him and put him to bed with me. We watched Melrose Place to keep
awake and Anthony stayed awake to watch ManU live on Thai cable TV but I
slept. We had a fitful night's sleep as Liam kept waking up.
We were awoken by the ringing of the telephone which Anthony answered. It
was the front desk asking if we wanted our room made up. We thought this
was a bit rude until we turned on the light and looked at the clock and saw
that it was midday!! We had showers and ate some cereal that I had brought
with us. We then ordered a sandwich for lunch and packed our bags. By this
time it was nearly 3pm and time to go. Of course Liam did a big leaky dirty
nappy just as we were leaving so I had to change my shirt. We were driven
to the airport by the hotel bus. We were pulled out of the economy class
queue and put into the business class queue thanks once again to Liam! We
then went through to passport control where we were once again taken
through to the fast track counter. Travelling with a baby does have its
advantages sometimes!! We went to the gate only to find that the plane was
out on the tarmac and we would need to catch a bus. The plane was delayed
and we sat and talked to a couple who had just been holidaying in Thailand.
We caught the bus out to the plane and boarded still carrying the stroller
which went into an overhead locker in business class. We were seated next
to a single guy but he didn't seem too bothered by the prospect of sitting
next to a baby. We took off and Liam went to sleep. Just after meal service
it got bumpy and so I had to hold Liam in my arms. I watched two movies:
"Ride with the Devil" and a French film called "Est-Oeust". I couldn't sleep
and neither could Anthony. Liam was up and down too so we all had an
unsettled flight.
We arrived in Sydney to a warm but rainy day. We caught a taxi which was a
minibus and got home around 830am. The house was all musty as it had been
raining for weeks. Kaboobie was happy to see us and sooked around all day.
Last updated: early 2000Monday 13 March 2000
British Museum and National GalleryTuesday 14 March 2000
Kensington and Natural History MuseumWednesday 15 March 2000
Hampton CourtThursday 16 March 2000
Tate GalleryFriday 17 March 2000
Our Last Day in London!!!Saturday 18 March 2000
Back to ThailandSunday 19 and Monday 20 March 2000
Homeward Bound
© Andrea Curr 2000
send your comments to Liam's mum