We'd decided that today was the day to introduce Wendy to our excellent train navigation skills and to head out to Hampton Court Palace to have a look around. I'd been there before and it was one of the best set up Palaces that I'd remembered. So off on the bus to Brentford station, the train to Clapham Junction and then all the way on the train to Hampton Court. Heavy bag today with all 3 of our books and reading devices packed for the train trip. Jacqui shouldered the bag as usual for the start of the day and we were off.
The only hiccup to the travel was that the coffee man on the station was closed, so I couldn't show Wendy the coffee and biscoti that was my habit on these trips. We'd talked about it enough though!
On arrival at the Palace we decided to go to the maze first to test our skills. After walking around the grounds for the toilets (a maze in itself) we entered the maze. Excellent navigational skills to the fore once again- we made one tiny wrong turn but otherwise successfully got to the centre in one go. Pretty pleased with ourselves- and we managed to be one step ahead of the crowds. Pretty pleased with ourselves for that too.
We decided to make the most of the daylight and explore the gardens next- well worth it. Parklike grounds, manicured trees, formal gardens laid out by Capability Brown and lots of ducks and swans. We were slightly underwhelmed by the biggest and oldest vine in the world (as decreed by the Guiness Book of Records) but decided that late Autumn is probably not it's most spectacular time.
We backtracked and made our way into the palace itself. We decided to just wander ourselves and not worry about the audio guide or listening to a tour guide. All of the upstairs rooms were as well set up as I remembered- and we spent lovely time seeing all the wives of Henry VIII and his crown. We even ran into one of his wives who was rushing about asking if anyone had seen Henry. We later came across them all sitting and having a chat- we think we may have stumbled across a costumed guide staff meeting.....
The kitchens however were perhaps being renovated- as they were nothing like I had thought they were. Either that or my memory is fading??
A quick look through the gift shop and we headed back to the train- darkness falling quickly by this stage. We'd decided to have dinner out in Soho to celebrate our last night so headed straight there, with a bit more book reading on the way.
Arrived in Carnaby Street to find that it was the lighting of the Christmas lights- and there was a live DJ and showbags being handed out. We tried to get into the spirit of the countdown but once we reached zero- nothing seemed to happen. The street was decorated by decorations that had been designed by the Rolling Stones, but other than a couple of fireworks going off on the DJ's stage- the decorations seemed no more lit up than before. We retired to dinner, hoping more might happen.
Dinner was some more platters (carrying on from the night before)- a Mezze and an Asian platter with a side of sliders. Interesting combination but delicious all the same.
Then back out into the night to discover that it was all over- we really had seen all there was to be seen. Spent some time just wandering through Soho on our way back to the tube- love seeing a city by night all lit up, and then back home for our last night's sleep at Wendy's.
