The return of the rain

Stuart pointed out that it was raining when we arrived, and now it's raining on our last night in London.

QANTAS got in touch to say that our flight had been delayed. I also noticed that there is industrial action tomorrow and that the Piccadilly line to Heathrow will not be operating. Small inconveniences, and no doubt not the last of the trip. We have booked our stay in an airport hotel, at the Hilton no less, but only because the Aerotel was all sold out.

I woke up feeling like crap after a bad journey home from Upton Park last night. In fact, I feel like I"m on the brink of a cold, which is also a nice bookend to the trip.

We caught the tube this morning to the Natural History Museum after hearing from a girl working at Foyle's Bookstore in Bristol that it was "UGH-MAZING". And you know what? It was ugh-mazing, from the very moment the building curved into view. It is preposterously, monstrously, palatially large, and even from the moment you walk in, the very first exhibit is of a Blue Whale skeleton, which is also preposterously large. (In fact, it's the largest creature that has ever existed.)

Many of the exhibits in the Natural History Museum were interesting, but the building itself was the prime exhibit. Stuart and I walked around with our jaws agape photographing the architecture rather than the suspicious didactics of glass-case taxidermy. Everywhere we looked in that "German Romanesque" building we saw little statues and decorations of animals and plants. There were very few statues - one of Charles Darwin positioned in a provocative placement so that he looked Messianic (I didn't approve) and another of Thomas Huxley with his knuckles clenched ready to fight for acceptance of the theory of evolution. (If only he knew this fight would still be going on!)

I slouched and trudged and winced through the place, high on painkillers again, and ultimately spent as much time in the cafeteria as I did at the exhibits. Of course I went briefly apeshit in the giftshop. (Stuart: "Why are you buying an Ankylosaurus?" Me: "Because it is my FAVOURITEST DINOSAUR!" Stuart: "You have a favourite?")

After the Natural History Museum I limped over to the V&A but didn't have the muscular strength to go in. I offered to Stuart that he could have a look through while I went to a cafe, but he was tired too. We tried finding somewhere to eat in Harrod's but it was too posh to endure, so we went to Thunderbird Chicken in Earls Court instead. Beer and chips, food of the Gods I tell you.

This afternoon was a bath and some KFC. We are ready to go home, I think. The rain is gorgeous. We have had such unexpectedly and such uncharacteristically fine weather, from Surrey to Inverness, that some tears from heaven on the final day seems sweet and apropros.

We might watch Lord of the Rings tonight before conking out. Off to Heathrow tomorrow.Read more