Flash Back #2....
Although we are now technically residents of good old London town we still need to see all the endless supply of sights. Ok so we are still tourists in a way, and kept on sight seeing especially when Mitch and Megan, some dear friends from home visited us during their amazing Europe trip where we saw London Bridge (not really what we were expecting), the Tower of London (too expensive to go inside), walked across Tower Bridge and spent hours in the Imperial War Museum. Then it was time to say goodbye!
In the time since then we have spent countless days walking through, picnicing and feeding squirrels in any number of the hundred parks here. Hyde Park, St Jame's Park, Greenwich (Standing on opposite sides of the world) and Richmond to name a few. We have seen the London Eye, Westminster Abbey, The Houses of Parliament, The British Museum, Buckingham Palace, watched the Changing of the Horse Guards and had our picture taken in a Telephone Box (we couldnt help it).
London never ceases to amazing with the amount of things to see and do. In the months here we have only scratched the surface.
Wembley Stadium was our next stop to see the 4 Nations Final. The size and atmosphere of the stadium was impressive to say the least, the Mexican wave was definately a highlight! After what was an extremely entertaining game it was time to beat the crowds to the tube, exiting as winners!!! Although its no surprise it took us 4 times the time to get home than it did to get there with 40,000+ people heading for the same spot. Ray had the football fever so it was no surprise that we were soon headed to Leeds for the final!
Again back on a bus (they never seem to end) and off to Leeds, our first city in England other than London and the excitment in the bus for the final and Darren Lockyer's last ever game was insane! We checked into our hotel and headed out with our newly made friends, then we were all shuttled off to the big game, it was not long after that we realised our bus had left just a tad too late which had our group running for the stadium and the national anthems. We made it just before the kick off and it was apparent that our tour group of around 100 yellow and green clothed Australian supporters stuck out like a sore thumb in the sea of red and white England supporters.
Our extremely outnumbered supporters were not scared of making a huge noise at every Australian try (I even think we made it onto the TV). And it wasnt long until we were triumphant... winners!!!, all of us feeling a sense of national pride. It was then out to the Leeds Walkabout (they pop up everywhere), good old Australian tunes and the beginning of a friendship with Matt and Ange! A very late night followed and I was glad that we had decided to stay an extra night (we felt the pain of those that had to get back on the bus to head back to London). After a nice sleep in it was time to explore Leeds!
First impression.... cold, foggy and all uphill! We walked and walked, visiting the canals and attempting to find the way to Kirkstall Abbey. Hopefully on the right bus off we went, arriving to find one of the most stunning structures so far, allowed to decay naturally, the fog only adding to the magic of the place. We studied the area, the main road of Leeds once went straight through the chapel and imagining what it would have been in it's former glory. Still amazed by the beauty of the place we headed back into town to catch a movie and have some dinner.
Not surpisingly Leeds still had more to offer and Ray took us to the Royal Armouries which boasts a huge range of weapons, and armour! Since we were up nice and early we had most of the museum to ourselves and time to admire the last remaining Elephant Armour in the world and a range of James Bonds weapon props. Once again we had spent a good chunk of the day looking at items of days long gone. It was time to return to our London home and back to the world of work.
L&R
