Saturday 9th March - London

So, last evening (Friday), we headed off for our appointment to view the City of London from The Shard - the newest, tallest, most amazing building in town...  With great anticipation we caught the tube over to the site, and joined the queue - we had an appointed time, which we'd chosen so we could see the lights of London coming on at dusk!!!.
We zipped up half way, changed lifts with great ceremony, and finally arrived at the viewing floor - floors 68 and 69 I think, - not sure how high, but the 72nd floor is 244M above the ground.  The view????   Bugger all...    Thick, low cloud enveloped the entire building, and we could see a small amount directly below the building, but otherwise, NOTHING....
Wow, talk about anticlimactic.....  Very disappointing, but they DID give us a gift voucher, to come again......

So, we wandered off, and found a cozy pub which was positively buzzing.  Freezing cold, but about 30 patrons lined up on the pavement drinking outside!!  Hardy souls - we thought, until we'd spent about half an hour inside, and realised the temperature must have been about 35 degrees, inside...
Found a restaurant, mostly empty, upstairs, and had a nice dinner..

We've been on and off so many trains already, we feel like locals, and are absolutely in awe of the number of people moved all day, every day, on the tube, and local trains.  It is really incredible, so no wonder London grinds to a halt when there is some major happening and the trains don't run.

Saturday
Today was "Visit Wimbledon" day.
Caught a train out to Earl's Court, and had a massive cooked breakfast.  Not too bad, until they gave me a jug of milk for my coffee which was SO off, it had set like blanc mange!!!!!  Nice.   They had the good grace to be equally appalled, and apologised a dozen times.  Might have been a wake-up call to check the milk in little jugs more frequently....

We got another train to Wimbledon area, but got off the train one station early (Southfields) and walked....   As is our wont, we walked for miles, actually around the perimeter of an 18 hole golf course in Wimbledon, through an athletics field and around a lake!!!  Passed some magnificent houses overlooking the golf course, and some of them must have been on half-acre blocks.  Brilliant...  Some new houses being built, all being kept pretty much in the same style, nothing hideously jarring, ruining the streetscape.

If I ever have the need to come to London to live, I'm definitely living in Wimbledon...

Had a look through the "Great Stadium" and looked in the Museum,  were shown "Henman Hill" by the guide, with a sense of 'awe' at how brilliant it was, and how busy!!!!  Very small, we thought, about half the size of the Village Square in Melbourne Park, but good manners prevented us from saying anything!!!

Got home pretty knackered, had an hour or so R&R, and headed out agin....

This time we went to see "We Will Rock You", the musical written around Queen's best songs.
Once again, we emerged from the tube, to find we had to walk about 20 metres to the front door of the Theatre.   Great....   Great Show, good fun, and good music.

Home.   Bed by about 11.30pm.  Worn out!!!