The final leg

Why does this happen every year????

Mary (Jane's Mum) came to say good-bye

Final lunch in Ladywell, smashed avocado
was delicious (so Aussie!)

Made it to Heathrow

Doing some shopping
for a VIP (not me!)

I am now at Heathrow airport waiting for my plane to take me home. After burning the candle at both ends for 2 weeks it’s time for 24 hours of rest. Here are a few of the other quirky experiences from this trip:

• saw the International Space Station fly over in the dark skies of Provence
• spotted three Miniature Schnauzers in Brighton
• brought 2 presents for Stephen and 3 for Rosco, oops
• scored 20+ inside-outside postcards to add to the collection
• Walked an average of 13,888 steps a day
• survived a London heatwave (just)

A big thanks to Jane for the fun times, symbolism spotting, photo snapping and giggling (and my boss James for sending me!).

Flowers for a fiver

Upstairs, front window on the 47 to Shoreditch 

Another new area of London to explore

The first stall is amazing

One of the many flowers sellers with lots of
characters, ladies, ladies, ladies, I will
satisfy you.....with my flowers

Peonies only flower for 3 weeks
of the year, how lucky to see
so many colours

Hydrangeas were very popular

Cash only at many stalls

Jane and I trying to make it through the throng of people 

Checking out the street art
in Shoreditch

Mariage Freres,
a bit fancy and very nice

We are off on the 47 bus to Shoreditch and the top front seat is free, score. Lets sit back and enjoy the ride through the back streets to our chosen destination, the Columbia Road Flower Markets.

We must be getting closer there is a man with a shopping trolly full of sunflowers. Ok there is a hustle and bustle of people this must be it. Sunflowers galore, immense numbers of people (the markets are only on for a few hours each Sunday) let’s dive in. I don’t know where to look first, roses on the right, lavender on the left. But what I like best are the flower sellers screaming out, ‘Look what can you get for a fiver, love’ in a broad London accent. 

We are at the hydrangeas, a lady wants two blue and one pink. The flower man screws up his nose but selects the nicest ones with a flourish, then puts it together and shows her. You can tell he is not happy with this colour selection and she realises all is not right. He suggests a change to one pink, one blue, one purple and it looks divine. She is happy and he says, ‘you can only trust a man to pick your flowers’. It must be his standard line, but a very funny moment for the crowd. 

On we go, getting pushed and shoved by the crowd of flower buyers. The peonies are so colourful I want to eat them. We later learn that peonies only flower for 3 weeks of the year and we saw them at their peak. Another lucky encounter on the tourist trail.

This market is the best I have ever been to in London and gives a real slice of what life must have been like when everyone shopped at markets for most of their food and goods.

On we go now to the local shops dotted behind the market, more inside-outside cards. Score. What's this? A pet section at the back of Hiro and wolf, Rosco might like this collar, or a lead, or oh be still my beating heart he just has to have one of these scarves. Calm down there are many more shops to go. This gallery looks a bit funky, let's take a look, wow, hummingbirds, street art, political statements I feel like I am at the summer exhibition. We both like every piece in Nelly Duff.

Time for some sustenance, brie bagel and a mug of tea. Very Shoreditch. Now, lets check out the street art, new pieces by a Lewisham based artist, Nathan Bowen. Finally, its time to head back to the other side as someone has been promising me a chocolate eclair since last week. Well, maybe I have just been saying I want a chocolate eclair for the last 2 weeks after we poked our heads in Mariage Freres in Covent Garden.

Convent Garden has the usual fun going on there is a particularly good entertainer, painted in silver and dressed like Thor who is throwing his sword at all the ladies from 8 to 80 and getting selfies with them. He is amazing, the looks he can do on his face, sad, happy, sexy, all in a matter of seconds. But we must move on.

Ok, let's escape into this French tea emporium and see if it is as good as it looks. The verdict is a resounding YES.

A trip the the seaside (with killer seagulls)

Brighton Pier and beach with rocks!

Jane made me put up a deck chair
there are 15 photos before this of me
trying to get it up

One of the many KILLER seagulls 

Fun for everyone, on the left, is a helter-skelter,
which is a big slippery dip complete with
hessian bags to go faster

Love a good merry-go-round,
this one went much faster than I expected!

I was promised Fish and Chips for lunch
and Brighton delivered,
it was the most popular choice for everyone

This 2p machine had us engrossed,
gamification before it was a thing

6 pounds and 2 hours later with we 'win'
three plastic biscuits, so proud 

Quaint, do they still sell film?

The lifeguard had a beanie and water
temperature was a tropical 18.8

Another new experience today, we are on the Gatwick Express train to Brighton. A seaside town with a bad wrap and in countless TV shows with bodies found under the pier. What will we find?

Alas it's raining, but Jane says this is a good thing otherwise every inch of the ‘beach’ will be taken. First up let's check out the Royal Pavilion, think we go down this street, there are some Morris dancers and here we are. Well, that looks a bit decrepit. The pavilion was the seaside pleasure palace for King George IV. The first room is some kind of ugly Chinese style, second is just as woeful, really like the ornate lampshades in the Indian section and the redone carpets. But overall this place is ugly get me out of here. Exit through the gift shop, score four inside-outside cards. 

Now on we go to the sound of squawking seagulls it's pretty easy to figure out which way to the beach. People are everywhere on this drizzly, grey day, Brighton certainly is popular. From the first step, it is intoxicating, lights, music, movement the Brighton Pier is the place to be.

Along we go, the wood seems a bit flimsy its a long way down to the water. Do we want doughnuts with chocolate or Brighton Rock? Everyone here seems to have a favourite from their childhood that they are lining up for. Even groups of grown men are lining up excitedly for candy floss and toffy apples, move on boys I need a photo. The party atmosphere continues with lots of groups from hen's parties to little girls birthdays.

Squueeeeel, ahhhhh, eeeeeeek, get me outta here! the closer we get to the end, the more screams we here, But why is everyone screaming who are not on the rides? Its the killer seagulls! They perch on the top of rides and swoop down onto unsuspecting 'big kids', groups of happy teenagers waiting in line for the scariest rides that are at the end of the pier. They scream more about the seagulls than the rides that blast them high into the air and twirl around pulling g's. It is hilarious. How can they be scared of a seagull??? I move in for a close shot of one of the killers, will I survive, I get close enough to put out my finger, Jane warns I am going to end up in Brighton hospital getting it sewn back on, but phew I get a good shot and live to tell the tale.

Now onto the 'penny arcade', we get our pound coin and change for 10ps, now we have to go to another machine and change them for 2p, seems over complicated but let's just go with it. Ok, put money down the slot, no Catherine you have to get it on the blank bit to push the coins forward. Ok, another test, another test, now I have my rhythm when the coins are the closest release and ta da. I have it in the right spot. In the coins go, and again and again, this is mesmerising I feel like I am in a trance watching the coins fall, all the other noise falls away and our focus is intense. Closer, closer, a bit more, a little bit to the side. YES we have a yellow biscuit. That is strangely satisfying. A mesmerising two hours later we have won three biscuits.

Eventually, we move on walking, exploring, merry-go-round riding, fish and chip eating and snapping 500 metres of pier takes quite a while! Onto the lanes now to check out this quirky part of Brighton.

Enjoyable day at Eltham

Wimpy burgers

Its raining, a welcome relief
after the heat

Entry to art deco house

Selfie with another lemur
(repeat of Singapore trip)

We love a good dress-up

Love this bathroom

More art deco, swoon

Walking in the footsteps of Henry VIII
he played here as a child

Bess and butterflies into overdrive

Original moat

After the punishing heat of yesterday its good to have a slower start to the day. Hard-hitting stories on the BBC this morning, like what to do when everyone is wearing the same dress as you. All of London has their summer dresses out, have seen some gorgeous ones.

Our chosen destination is Eltham Palace, originally a bishops retreat complete with a moat that evolved into a royal palace where Henry VIII and his sisters spent their childhood. Then finally rescued from ruin by Stephen and Virginia Courtauld who restored the great hall and added their own art deco house.

We have to travel only 4km from Ladywell Lodge, this is a much easier journey and I get to check out the home turf of Lisa R and her cat Thackery, Eltham. We are now following the signs to the palace and have made it to the main street, Jane is surprised and screeching in a very high pitched voice, there is a WIMPY, we must go there for lunch. Ok, lets go there, its a throwback to a 60’s style American diner of her childhood. Hamburgers and chips anyone? Actually, that was quite good and the service was exceptional. Much better than the time she took me to pie and mash.

On we go to the palace. Crossing the bridge and I finally experience another London quirk, the parakeets. They make a hell of a racket.  We start with the brilliant introductory video with actors inviting us to a party. 

From the first steps in the ‘house’ is something to swoon over, the reception room is circular with a space ship in the roof, this house is amazing. I would have liked to have been invited here to a party in the 1930s. Virginia Courtauld was rich, flamboyant and eccentric but what I like best is her pets, a great dane called Ceaser and a cheeky lemur, called Mah-jongg (brought at Harrods). The lemur had its own quarters and lived for 15 years. One of my favourite experiences at Singapore Zoo was with the lemur so Virginia is my kind of lady.

In we go to Virginia’s bedrooms, there is dress-ups - don’t mind if I do. I love this hat, let's add some pearls. Snap. Snap. Now everyone wants to dress up, we always start a trend. The house is just stunning with all types of rooms and lots of history, out the back here is the medieval hall. Well, that is a pretty unique back room. 

Time for a cup of tea and lemon drizzle cake to get back some energy and onto the garden we go.  There is movement in the moat, big movement, it is fish. They look like they way 10 kilos and are big. We should have brought some cake for them, they keep coming to the surface and opening their mouths at us. Henry VIII and his sisters grew up in this palace and I am now thinking he must have played here, it's hard to comprehend. The bees and butterflies are working overtime in the flowers and the scents are wonderful. Yipee its time to exit through the gift shop, I definitely want a postcard of Mah-Jongg in his deck chair.

 Overview video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6XWS7a6vyYc

Lady Dora does Downton

Expecting the hottest day ever in England today
and we are meant to not travel,
but you cant keep tourists at home 

We made it!

Its hot, not sure if I can get out
of this chair

Entering Highclere, no photos inside :(

Sundial to fuel my
new obsession

Looking pretty as a picture

Smelling the wonderful scents
in the secret garden

Posing again, in the Monks Garden

Monks Garden

Our ride home? 

Warning, warning, severe weather alert, expected high temperatures. Everyone is being asked to stay at home. BUT we have tickets booked for Highclere Castle. What do we do? Jane thinks it will be fantastic, the trains will be empty. A plan is hatched to get to Paddington station and then see what happens.

Its 6:33am and a bleary-eyed we board our first train to Charing Cross. Everything looks ok, change to the tube, now at Paddington on time for the express to Newbury. Well, that was dandy, we are in the gates to Highclere Castle as they open and ready to get into a photo frenzy. Highclere Castle has been here since the 17th century and owned by the Earl of Carnavon, currently, the 8th earl is in charge. However, it has been made famous by the TV show, Downton Abbey. 

It's baking hot, but nothing gets in the way of our sightseeing, we are snapping the castle from every angle and running between the shade of the trees.

 Jane says its 'hotter than Uluru here'.

Let's get those young girls to do our we have been here shots, they look like they know what they are doing. Now time to return the favour. Love friendly tourists. On we go there is the cafe, phew time for a sit-down. 

Now its time to enter the house, yippee, excitement mounts. A vaulted ceiling entrance, the library, the sitting room, on and on it goes. Am itching to take a photo, but they are not allowed. Now we start to talk to the room guides and I settle down into the flow. Molly, a guide in the sitting room lives in the nearby village and is telling us great stories including:

• how the Queen arrived in a helicopter for Lady Caravon's funeral
• the 7th earl's love of horse racing 
• how Lady Almina set up a hospital in WW1 

Molly talks about the house, children and grandchildren with love and devotion, she has been involved with the family for a long time and lives in the nearby village. The rooms are dotted with family photos and they also have big photos to show scenes from the show and we can stand right where Dowager Countess (Maggie Smith) stands near the fireplace. 

Up into the second floor, we go, see all the bedrooms with magnificent views of the grounds but the bit I like best is looking down into the saloon, called the heart of Highclere. It is all big chairs and fireplaces, surrounded by the most ornate stonework and tapestries and filled with light from the glass-covered roof three stories above. 

Eventually, its time to stop pretending we are Lady Jane and Lady Catherine and live here and move onto another important section, the Egyptian Collection. The 5th Earl of Carnarvon and Howard Carter after many years of archaeological digs discovered, Tutankhamun. A famous meeting took place in Highclere where Howard Carter asked for just one more year of funding and this was the year Tutankhamun was found, the rest is history. 

That was amazing, time for some lunch, now onto the gardens, all spectacular with lots of rests in the shade, it says its 36 degrees now but a tourist must go on. Jane runs from the shade of one tree to the next, she can be fast when she wants to. Time for an ice-cream, strawberry and cream, please. What a day.

The final tally on the weather, we were 0.4 degrees below the hottest day on record. Ever. 

Did make the record for the hottest day ever in July at 38.1C (100.6F) in Cambridge. Paris and Amsterdam recorded their hottest days ever.

Heading to the big smoke

Time to reenter civilisation
and travel to Marseille airport

Lots of bike riders still out on the road,
we drove by where the race starts
at Pont du Gard today

Can never get enough sunflowers

"The Last Selfie'

My ride home, on time

Goodbye France

Time to catchup on blogging

Buckingham Palace from the plane,
wonder if the Queen is out sunbaking in this heat?
Or getting ready to meet Boris
and invite him to form a new government?
(happened 3 hours later)

Caught the Heathrow Express
to Paddington Station

After a lovely evening to soak up the Provence twilight we all set our alarms for 5:45am with an advertised departure of 7am.

With a heavy heart and my final Provence cup of tea, I wave good-bye to the Provence sparrows and we hit the road. We are out the gates and it is 6:59am. Do you think we should wait a minute? Russ and Jane have planned a route to Marseille that takes into account road closures for the Tour de France, even the Pont du Gard gets into the limelight today.

I am blissfully sitting in the back with bird book, binoculars and camera taking in the sights along the way, glorious sunflowers, oops, I’m too slow, more sunflowers, too slow again, more sunflowers finally I capture them. They are facing us in the morning sun. This is interesting, the pollution is higher today so the cars have to reduce speed by 20km/hour. Now, lets pay attention to the birds, spotter Jane, Russ and myself all spy one each for that’s 3 new ones for a total of 19 species on the trip. Too soon we arrive at Marseille airport for the flight to London. Let's have one last selfie.

THANKS to Jane and Russ making me so welcome in their home and sharing a slice of Provence with me. What an experience!

A new airport, more French people pushing French people when will they learn? A quick cup of tea and its time to board. What is Joanna Lumley going on about, oh, it's the British Airways safety video with classic English actors in it, too funny.

Seat belt sign off, better catch up on blog posts or my Mum will wonder where I am. Its a quick trip over and before I know it we have landed. Now we all know how I love different transport options so its time to try out a train I have not done before, the Heathrow Express. The BBC news headlines are playing on the train, we are in another heatwave and Boris Johnson is now the prime minister of the UK. What is going on here? A very quick ride in comfort, totally worth it.

Onto the Bakerloo line - this is hotter than waiting in 38-degree heat for the Tour de France. At Charing Cross, Ladywell train in 3 minutes, run. Back to Ladywell Lodge in record time.