We arrived back at our apartment Wednesday evening to blessed silence. No kids in the bathroom, nobody there but the two of us. We were a little concerned that some new “extra” would arrive, and hoped fervently it wasn’t a group for a bachelor party. But we had hope because the extra room door was open and it obviously had not been cleaned.
Off to Stonehenge
Thursday morning dawned rainy and chilly, but we were on a mission to see Stonehenge. We decided to go by train via Bath, and in retrospect I highly recommend a bus tour if you don’t have a car.
It took half a day on the train to get to Bath, then another hour and a half to make our way to Stonehenge. The weather was awful. Cold, heavy rain and wind. We got our tickets, had a quick bite to warm up, then boarded the bus that would take us up to see the stones. Just as we arrived at the spot where we were to get off the bus and join the line to walk around the stones, the bus driver got a radio message saying the monument was being closed due to high wind. WHAT? We weren’t even allowed off the bus to get a glance of the stones or snap a quick picture. Instead, they loaded about 30 more people onto the already full bus and drove everyone back to the visitor’s center.
We were told they might reopen the site, but no. Then, because Stonehenge is in the middle of nowhere and shuttles were not running because of the weather, it took forever to find a taxi to take us back to the train station so we could get back to London.
Needless to say, it was a very disappointing day.
We finally got back to the apartment, and Woo Hoo, the third room was still dirty, so we went to bed confident we wouldn’t be sharing the place with strangers this night.
Visiting Hampton Court
Friday, our last day in England, was cool and cloudy. We headed out to see Hampton Court. So worth the trip! The castle and grounds are absolutely beautiful, and learning more about the history was fascinating. After seeing the castle, we had lunch in a wonderful pub then caught the train back to London.
Back in London, we returned to the apartment to pack before heading back out in search of the Drury Lane and the places our ancestor Nell Gwyn haunted in the 1600s. Of course, we both had the silly song “Do you know the muffin man” stuck in our heads, and thought it would be a hoot to go to Drury lane and ask random people if they knew the Muffin Man.
After a little research on the Muffin Man, we decided against that since we learned the Muffin Man was actually a murderer who killed rival bakers! The rhyme was used to scare children into behaving, like the boogeyman.
Instead, we had a wonderful late dinner and strolled the streets of the theatre district, imaging what life was like for our ancestor Nell.
Back at the apartment, we spent another lovely hour on the balcony watching the boats on the Thames, then headed off to bed, sad that our trip was over, but already making plans for our next adventure.
So, friends, where should we go next? I would love to hear your thoughts and suggestions!
Until next time…
Kelly