How time is going fast now as we approach the end of our holiday!! We went to London today and were met by Letitia who took us back to Zahra and Rudi's place.............has taken us years to meet Rudi..........we were not sure that he actually existed to tell the truth!! Anyway, Joe was there also and after a cuppa and a chat we left Rudi to go off to work while we all walked along to Hampsted Heath to a lovely cafe for lunch........yet another fine English day as we sat out in the garden eating our lunch, we have been lucky with the weather, especially when you consider that Wimbledon is on......usually it rains for the Tennis!! So after lunch we were off back to Tower Hill where we had arranged to meet Louise and Simon and also Sandra and Peter. Sandra and Peter were already waiting for us at the station along with their son James who is now living in London........he is already racing around London as if born here, didn't take him long! Off to the Minories we went......nice pub we had found last time we were here...........anyway, Louise and Simon came along straight from work..........so lovely to meet her hubbie who, like Rudi, is lovely. They all look so well. Louise is Bridesmaid at a wedding the next day so had the dress with her and had to be off to pick up the shoes to go with it......but we managed a few drinks with them before we all had to be off. Letitia, Louise and Simon went their way as the rest of us headed for Leicester Square for a meal..........getting a bit late by then however we managed to find a restaurant with Mexican food that was delicious!! Then it was time to say goodbye once again as we had to head back to Harefield before we missed the last bus!! A quick walk up to Piccadilly Circus for a look around and then back on the tube to Northwood and bus to Harefield............what a busy day!!
The following day both Marie and John were not working and so we had a leisurely start to the day eating Croissants for breakfast and drinking coffee before Marie put together a picnic and we set off to Chorleywood for a picnic, walking through woods, alongside canels, around lakes and along lovely lanes till we arrived at......can you believe this......a pub! It was a very quaint, low ceiling pub called The Tree, had two lovely dogs there also, Arnie and Zak. We had already eaten our picnic by the lake and so we felt we should stop for liquid refreshments, also I had a play with the dogs while the lads had a pint and Marie a coffee a nice way to relax a little, then off we continued on our walk. I soon kept asking the usual 'Are we there yet?' whereby I got the reply ' You Kiwi's.......we tell you this is a 12km walk and you say this is nothing............then you keep asking are we there yet?' In my defense.......I believe when you stop at a pub this normally signals the end of the walk surely!!! But no, we had to walk up to and over the M25, into more woods where you could hear the quite murmour of the M25's traffic (you could not hear yourself think) and then across a meadow where suddenly both Phillip and John picked up the pace!!!............there was a pub in the distance, The Black Horse. Oh well, by now you have the picture I guess........ we stopped for a drink, as is the custom in this country. A short walk from there was the Chorleywood Station were a train came just as we happened along...........only trouble was Phillip had to top up his Oyster card and by the time he completed this we missed the train. Not a problem ….........normally, but as luck would have it an announcement came over the speakers to say that the next train was running late and we would have to wait 45minutes till the next one!! What was worse is that we had all tapped our Oyster card by then and could not leave the station........oh no!! So, after Phillip and I had run up and down the platform behaving like little children, Marie decided we should have a game of charades........I have not done this in years!! Oh it was such fun!! Boy am I so stupid!! Who in their right mind would try to mime 'The Most Exotic Marigold Hotel'.........Phillip guessed it...I could see it in his eyes, but he refused to 'help' John and Marie and left me doing more and more extreme and unconvincing mimes, to think we have almost made it to 30 years of marriage with him being so supportive!!! Hrumph! Not to worry, we continued with our charades until it was time for the train and I am sure we kept many at the station amused also. Finished off the day by going to a wonderful Indian restaurant called The Maharaj............Yum!!