FRIDAY's FAVE FIVE

more participants at Susanne at Living to tell the Story.

1.


The last day of my holidays in Eastbourne, I spent at home. I layed in the garden and enjoyed the sunshine and the seagulls sitting on the chimneys of the houses. Fortunately I did, because in the afternoon it started to rain ! My friend had to go to the hospital in Brighton for a check up. I packed my suitcase hoped that I didn't forget something as I usually do, but everything went well.

2.



I took my train to London in this cute little train station and had a last glance on the beautiful English countryside.

3.


When I arrived in London I spent the whole day with visiting and hopping on and off the bus. (see post below)

4. My Eurostar train was on time, but unfortunately just  before Brussels it stopped because an other train had blocked the rails and we had to wait for nearly an hour until the rails were free again. I started to chat with two Belgian ladies who had visited their daughters living in the UK.

Mr. G. picked me up at the station, everything had went well, he even had tidied the cupboards in the kitchen,  which had been in  a total mess ! I appreciated very much of course !



I was so tired that I just put down my suitcase which Pookie then used as bed during the night and went immediately to bed.

5. The routine life has me back, I went to my painting class, but we were only four and therefore didn't paint because we had too many things to tell about holidays, worries with our "children" (some of them are 50 ! but that doesn't matter) etc. After that I went shopping to fill in the empty fridge and then I was busy with sorting out my pictures and suddenly the day was gone.

LONDON MY WAY

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On my way back home, I stopped for the day in London. I got rid of my suitcase for the "modest" amount of 9 £, bought a daily travel card and took the bus n° 10, which meanwhile I know very well. It should take me to Hydepark where I wanted to visit the Diana's memorial fountain. When I arrived there I changed my mind, thought it was so early and I should better go to the Buckhingham Palace before. The best way to see a maximum of London is to take the double decker buses which gives you a perfect sightseeing on the city.

And here my adventure started, thanks to my sense of directions, I got it all wrong ! I thought I should take the bus to Victoria Station and got out of n° 10 and let my vintage bones hop into the next bus indicating "Victoria".

Instead of arriving at the station I found myself suddenly on the way to Buckingham Palace. Very good I thought and "hopped" off.

The first thing I saw was this Buckhingham Palace shop !



I went in not to buy anything but just have a look on the products they sell. Of course it was all about the royal baby and the shop was full ! I thought the whole world gathered here because I heard all possible languages. Most of the tourists were Japonese, Germans and Italians. But also quiet a lot of Spanish tourists despite the catastrophic situation in Spain. Apparently there is still money to spend. From mugs to T-shirts you could find everything in honor of the royal baby. Without name of course, as it was published after the production of all these souvenirs.




When I saw a long line of people wanting to visit the Buckhingham palace. I decided to wait until the Queen would invite me for a tea another day when she is not in Scotland on holidays, and refrained from lining up !



Of course I had seen the palace before, but it was quiet a long time ago. When I compared the size of the guards with the balcony, I thought if the royal family is waving to the crowd they must look like colorful fleas, if you don't have binoculars.



The policemen who watched that people didn't smuggle in joked with the tourists and let them have pictures taken with them. It was really funny.



A girl took this picture of me in front of the Palace to prove that I had been really there.



After a last glance on the Queen Victoria who overlooked the tourists, I decided to walk down the mall.



All along the mall and not even in St. James park I could find a bench to rest, there wasn't a single one ! Finally I sat down on the feet of a statue and wondered why the city is so stingy with benches. After all there are other vintage people who want to walk along this way.

Suddenly I found myself on Trafalgar Square



It hadn't been my intention to visit Trafalgar Square, but as I was there I thought of the nice Pub I had been with Marie who lives in London, because my stomac cried out for a baked potato ! Of course I didn't find the Pub. But from far I saw the London Eye and thought I should go in this direction.



I "hopped" again on a bus and found myself in front of the Parliament ! How nice ! it was at least 20 years ago I hadn't been there. The old Big Ben was lurking over the buildings and I decided to say hello.



Which I did. He hadn't changed at all and I could listen to the 2 pm hour bells ringing.

My stomac was "ringing" too and I desperately looked for a place where I could eat a baked potato ! It became an obsession !



I arrived at the Thames where all sightseeing ships start their tour, and found a stall which sold not baked potatos, but Hamburgers and Hot Dogs ! Finally I gave up to look for a baked potato and choose a Hot Dog instead, which I had not eaten for ages. When you are hungry everything tastes good.

I sat there for a while and watched the tourists and looked over the Thames, before I decided to go back to Oxford Circus where I could catch my bus n° 10 back to Hyde Park and the Diana Memorial.



The bus I choose, drove and drove and no Oxford Circus in view. Instead I suddenly saw the modern building of the "Gherkin" from far and knew that I was totally wrong and in the opposite direction !
I quickly got out, and took another bus to Oxfor Circus, instead I mixed up Oxford Circus with Piccadilly circus, but in one way that was nice because I saw the St. Paul's Cathedral and also the blue trees of London.

At Piccadilly circus I changed the bus to Oxford Circus and had another nice sightseeing. Finally I found my bus stop back to St. Pancras Station where I had to catch my Eurostar train and of course it was far too late to stop at Hyde Park and see the Diana memorial !

I arrived in time at the Station, had a well earned coffee, and then checked in and sat in the train. Just before Brussels we got stuck for an hour, because an other train had technical problems.

Mr. G. waited for me in Brussels, and happy with my London tour, although a little different as planned I returned home.

WORDLESS WEDNESDAY

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EASTBOURNE SIGHTSEEING TOUR

Today I am on my way home to Brussels, with a stop in London for the day.

During my holidays I did a sightseeing tour from Eastbourne, up to Beachy Head chalk headland. The cliff there is the highest chalk sea cliff in Britain, rising to 162 metres (531 ft) above sea level.  Unfortunately  its height has also made it one of the most notorious suicide spots in the world.



But first we drove through the town with its gorgeous buildings



and I had a look from the top of the bus on the seafront



Before we stopped for people who wanted to go up to Beachy Head and look down from there on the sea. I had done this before and it's a strange feeling when you walk on the grass it suddenly stops without warning and it's the end, one step further and you fall deep down into the sea.



On the top we also had a beautiful view on Eastbourne.

Then we returned through the stunning landscape of the South Downs National Park The downland is an extremely popular recreational destination, particularly for walkers, horseriders and mountain bikers. A long distance footpath and bridleway, the South Downs Way, follows the entire length of the chalk ridge from Winchester to Eastbourne, complemented by many interconnecting public footpaths and bridleways.












and a little town nestled in the hills

The tour was so nice that I did it twice !

WHAT DID YOU DO THIS WEEKEND ?

Helps you to remember what you have done on the weekend of August 3 . If you participate please put the little logo on the top of your post and leave your link.

On Saturday morning I went again to the seafront.



I never get tired to observe the seagulls' behaviour when somebody feeds them ! This man had fish and chips and a lot of uninvited guests !

In the afternoon I met  Hilary my in Eastbourne living blogfriend again. She kindly had proposed me to go with her to the Eastbourne Redoubt, which I had never visited.



She picked me up at the Queens Hotel, where I waited on the parking, as if I was a guest of this beautiful hotel ! I felt posh but not for long, as she arrived shortly after me.



Hilary had a lecture about the Victoria Cross. Of course being a good continental European, I had never heard about a Victoria Cross and first thought it was a street and wondered why one gave a lecture about a street ! Now of course I know that it is highest military decoration in the UK ! After all I am not Madame Wikipedia !

And while she was busy with her lecture I wandered around the Eastbourne Redoubt a fortress built to withstand potential invasion from Napoleon's forces in the early nineteenth century. There is also a museum inside and as I am apparently persecuted by Napoleon who is very present in my town from the Waterloo battle, I visited the museum and even found some medals of the Waterloo battle ! It was interesting to see the colorful uniforms from the 1800, and all these medals and decorations ! Some of the Generals looked like Christmas trees.



All around the Redoubt canons were placed. Fortunately the one pointing on Hilary's fitness club was dismantled, you never know !

When she came out of her lecture, we had a cup of tea and I had "The General's Cream Tea" but couldn't find any difference to the usual Cream Tea !



We sat for quiet a while in the sunshine and chatted and chatted until she drove me home !

On Sunday we went to a Vintage fair in a little village nearby. We walked around and had a lot of fun when we saw all the things we were used to when we were young and which are now called "vintage". I have to say that I rather prefer to be called a "Vintage" then an "Old woman" ! 



I found a car which would still be suitable for me today, we saw petticoats and dresses we used to wear, furniture like I had in my room and also old and rusty tools.



When I saw these typewriters I admired myself to have learned on these old machines and worked on them for some years, where the keyboard was so hard that from time to time I had a tendinitis ! What a difference with the once I use today !



Through the South Downs we drove back and stopped for a while to watch the cricket players. I don't understand a thing about the rules, but I like to watch !

For dinner we went out to Toby' Cavery which apparently is named after my little grandson !



We had a very nice meal and I could eat my other favorite English plate,  Gammon steak, which we don't have in Belgium.