5th Weekend Part 2

Saturday morning we got up and I went to the train station to pick up breakfast and bring it back to the room because Paul fell back asleep while we were getting ready for breakfast. We ate and took our luggage to the train station to check it because we had to check out of the hotel. It took almost an hour to do that and while standing in line, we figured out our watch was wrong and we missed the changing of the guards. We decided to take a Taxi to go to the British Museum. It was too far from where we were to walk. The museum was huge and Sunday was a very hot day in London. The museum didn’t have air conditioning and some rooms were very uncomfortable. I went to feed Paul and the room was so hot his little cheeks were red and we both were drenched when I was done. The museum had some pretty neat things displayed. The first of the most popular items was the Rosetta stone discovered in 1799 and is the key to deciphering Egyptian hieroglyphics. They also have some controversial pieces such as the Elgin Marbles that once stood at the Parthenon and the Parthenon Scriptures. The Greeks demand Britain return their relics, but so far they have refused. Britain’s ambassador brought them here in the early 1800’s. We also say some pretty impressive mummies. There was so much to see and not enough time or stamina for Paul to take the heat in some of the rooms there.

 

We headed to Oxford Street from the museum. This is one of the famous shopping streets in London. We had some lunch, went to a couple of shops and then took a taxi back to Victoria Station to get our luggage and catch the train.

Paul Taxi

We got on our train going home and once it got started we found out that the train was going to split into while en-route. We were on the wrong half of the train. It was a mad scramble to move 3 cars forward trying to carry all our stuff. Actually it was impossible. John had to go back to get the stroller. I am not sure how many people I banged in the head with several bags on my shoulders while carrying Paul up the narrow aisles on the train, but thankfully we made it to the correct part of the train before it split. That was a lesson learned. I had no idea they would split a train while en-route! We got off our train to change trains so that we could go into our station. We finally made it home and we were exhausted from a full 3 days. It was fun, but I was glad to be back at our temporary home.

The week after went by pretty fast. John had to work late every night so we didn’t get to go to McDonalds. John had to drive to a town called Bristol to work at a different Boeing office on Friday. It was about a 2 hour drive, but there was an accident so I think it took him over 3 hours. He took off early to go to The New Room. It is the oldest Methodist building in the world. John Wesley built it when he was giving his outdoor sermons.  He came to Bristol and discovered he needed to build a "New Room" to meet in.  He also lived on the second floor of this building and there was a window from his living quarters into where people preached so he could hear them from there.  The people were very nice to John and took him around and showed him the place.

 
While John went to Bristol on Friday, Paul and I took the bus to a town called Fareham to go shopping.  We caught the bus in our town square and it was about a 30 min bus ride. It cost 4.50 pounds (about $6.75) round trip. We had lunch had Burger King and shopped in the mall and at a few shops in their town square. One thing they do well here is the accommodations for babies. At the major malls and supercenters, they have great facilities for babies. Usually they have a changing room with a nice counter and sink to wash your hands. Also they will have chairs to nurse or even a little room with a shower curtain you can go in and feed your baby. I love them; I wish we could have great facilities like that back home. We might get a fold town table in the way of the restrooms for everyone else. I will miss that luxury from here.