Return to England

The view as we leave Meta, Italy James and Xavier prepare themselves as baggage to leave Napoli - Italy

We returned to England to find rain and cold. A change from the beautiful weather we left in Italy, but a chance to wear our jumpers again.

We flew into Stanstead Airport, hired a car and headed to Milton Keynes, a place described by Bill Bryson as a strange 'new' city in England with lots of roundabouts and not much character. We neaded there none-the-less as Scott was keen to visit Bletchley Park which was nearby - the place of the Enigma machine and the code-breakers during the 2nd world war.

Pictured below is William with one of the many code breaking machines from World War 1. Over 50,000 people worked at this site during the war.

We ended up spending two nights there and really enjoyed it. Scott and William visited Bletchley Park (another view of which is left with the first computer - what a size!), Elizabeth, Xavier, James and I did some swimming and shopping. All happy really.

We then headed down to Southhampton, having picked the day of the FA Cup to do this. This was particularly significant as one of our destinations was to be Portsmouth, and they ended up winning the FA cup!

We visited Stonehenge (below) on-route and spied the great stone structures.

Then it was on to the beautiful city of Salisbury, complete with a wonderful cathedral which towers over the city. I have lovely memories of a previous visit to this city with my father in 1993. I was so very glad that the city was still as beautiful as I remembered.

We were lucky enough to be visiting the cathedral at the same time as the Salisbury Choir were doing their final rehearsal for their production that evening and had the wonderful experience of being able to sit and listen to them. They were truly wonderful and sounded just beautiful in such a beautiful building.

Salisbury Cathedral is also the home to one of the 4 only remaining copies of the Magna Carta and we were lucky enough to be able to view a part of this. Elizabeth was particularly pleased that the Magna Carta had been signed by King John in the 1600,s as this meant, among other things, that in the instance that a female became widowed they wouldn't be forced to remarry! Thanks King John!

It was then on to Portsmouth to go on board HMS Victory - the magnificent specimen of a ship built just before Australia was discovered by Captain Cook (about 1768 actually) and on which Lord Nelson died. It was great to be able to walk through the ship and see what a beauty it was (and still is!).
We then drove back to London to stay again with the nuns near Victoria Station. The children were very excited about returning here and felt it was a little like 'going home'. I think we were all feeling a little weary and home-sick by this stage so going somewhere where we felt we knew was a good thing.

We quickly got back into the swing of London and picked up our speed, visiting the Science Museum, The Victoria and Albert Museum, Harrods, Hamleys Toy Store (Elizabeth and James pictured below in a car at the Toy Store), Greenich and The British Museum in 3 days.

Absolutely tiring but well worth it - the highlight I think being the British Musuem which is just amazing. The children were particularly taken with the mummies and the contents of the Etruscan Tombs were had seen in Castellina in Chianti, Italy. Scott was keen to show the children the Rosetta Stone and we also found the oldest thing there - a flint which dated back to 100,000BC - enought to blow your mind away!.

The children and I at the Royal Observatory in Greenich catching some sun!

William, Elizabeth and I were lucky enought to be able to see Billy Elliot at the Victoria Palace Theatre which was a real treat and very enjoyable. Scott and William, Elizabeth and I were also lucky to be able to attend the Chelsea Flower Show. This was a wonderful experience. In some ways it showed up the Melbourne Flower Show but overall I would say that the Melbourne Show really is a world-class event. Australia really does do 'gardening' well!

Below - the children and Scott saying farewell to Sister Veronica in London

Leaving England at St Pancras Station to take the Eurostar through to Channel Tunnel to France and Belgium.