Homeward Bound

Well I'm sitting in a railway station
Got a ticket for my destination...

Ok, I'm sitting in an airport, but you get the idea.

Brenda and I spent the last two days enjoying the beautiful weather London offered us and wandering through the streets and shops.

We got into the city around 1:00 P.M. on Wednesday and Brenda immediately snagged us two tickets for Come From Away, my first London theater experience. Another item crossed off the bucket list. The show is a rousing musical based on the hospitality shown to seven thousand stranded airline passengers by the residents of Gander, NFLD on September 11, 2001. It made me proud to be Canadian.

After the show we dined at Norman's Coach and Horses, a vegan English pub, where we had Tofish and Chips, marinated tofu, wrapped in seaweed and deep fried in beer batter. Incredibly delicious.

Thursday was much of the same. A late lunch scheduled with a friend was cancelled and we found ourselves with time on our hands in one of the worlds great cities.

We ended up browsing through the shops, shaking our heads at the crazy prices in Harrod's and eating some vegan street food for lunch on Tottenham Court Road at Enter the Eden. We ate so much, so late there that dinner was a very simple sandwich and crisps (potato chips to us Canadians) purchased at Sainsbury's, where we also stocked up on some gluten free treats to take home for Brenda.

This morning we took the tube out to Heathrow and immediately made our way to World of Whiskey, where we filled our one liter per person alcohol quota with two lovely bottles of Scotch. Of course, the samples of several high proof Scotch Whiskeys on a relatively empty stomach went straight to our heads and I can only hope the ones we bought are as good as I thought they were.

And so this wonderful journey now comes to an end. It's been one of discovery, reunion and relaxation. Of great food, wonderful wines and, surprisingly, a plethora of vegan and gluten free choices.

As much as we enjoyed our travels, the constant moving around was not usual for us, nor was it something we'll likely repeat. We've decided that on our future lengthy journeys, our minimum stay in one place will be one month. Even though we travelled very light the constant packing, unpacking and organizing point to point travel becomes quite wearisome. Live and learn.

As we prepare for take off, all I can say is: Arrivederci, au revoir and TTFN.Read more