The Way Home

London Day 5 pictures
Our last day and it's really a day to tidy up some loose ends, pack our bags and head home.
Margaret started packing last night and isn't finished.
I reckon I can pack in about 5 minutes and achieve this easily, just after breakfast.
We then put our bags in the YHA storage and all head off in different directions.
I want to have another longer look at the Science Museum, Eve wants to go shopping and Margaret is off to St. Pauls.
My walk takes just on an hour, back up through Picadilly, past the Palace, sort of, and finally to the museum.

Apollo 10 Capsule

It is still shut when I arrive, however opens after 5 mins. It's a mad rush to see it all, and that is really an impossible task.
Too much to see and too little time.
It's all overwhelming really.
 Lots and lots of very interesting stull covering all sorts of scientific endeavour.
It's then another long walk back to the British Museum to meet Eve at lunchtime.

Does this marble make my.....

A quick lunch then a run around the Museum, mostly just time to cover the Greek and Roman sections.
Again too much and feet by this time too sore.
I think I walked about 12 kilometres today.
We all meet up back at the YHA, release our bags from storage and order a cab to take us to Paddington Railway Station.

Harrods

We are joined for the trip by a Brazilian Gastroenterologist we got to know at the YHA.
We all get into a six seater cab, and the driver persuades us to have him take us to Heathrow, which he does. We get to see parts of London that we wouldn't have normally seen.
Check in is not that easy as we are travelling on Qantas using British Airways codeshare flight.
Eve is whisked away, with her Qantas Chairman's Lounge Card, and I don't see her again.
I think I hear her say "But I have to wait for my friend." though I can't be sure.
Anyway, they have no seat for me, and when they find one, I don't get my preferred aisle seat.
I complain and am quickly told most people book their seats on line in the 24 hours prior to the flight. My explanation, that I tried and the system wouldn't let me fall on deaf ears, so some poor bastard will have to get up every time I have to have a pee.
So much for being Qantas Club member, I guess carries no weight.
I do find the Qantas Lounge, however Eve is not here, she has been taken to a loftier lounge, she tells me when we make contact by phone.
She is hoping to be upgraded of course. Don't we all, but most of us in vain.
The Qantas lounge is OK, particularly if you want to get pissed.
It's basically an alcoholics dream-you want it, it's here.
I stick to orange juice and coffee, says he righteously. I tend to fly alcohol free.
I head off to find the boarding gate, about 45 mins prior to departure to find they are boarding.
It looks like a full flight. It is!
I am down the back between a tall middle aged man on his way home to Perth, and an older lady from UK on her way to visit relatives in Perth.
The seat isn't as bad as I had imagined and there is more leg room than I recall.
I don't sleep nevertheless, or if I do it is in spasms. Some nights I get restless legs, and this was one of them.
I would get comfortable, then just HAVE to move my legs. And so it went on.
Singapore arrives after 12 hours and we are served breakfast-it is 5.30PM in Singapore!
We unload and I go on a race around the Duty Free.
See nothing I want to head for the Qantas Lounge to link up with Eve.

YHA Computers down!

She's not there, so I call her.
She has missed her plane and is still in London!
Seems she read her boarding time of 2030 as 10.30PM and really missed it. She is trying to sort this out.
Meanwhile I have a shower in the Qantas Lounge and just wait.
The final episode tomorrow when I get home.