London, wow - what a city!

Large does not describe the vastness of population and buildings. The Crystal was defiantly worth seeing and so was the Emeritus Sky Ball thing. The view alone was worth the trip. The train system both above and underground could show Australia how this type of system should work. For a person who is known to get lost, I was able to navigate around London to see the Tower of London, Big Ben and the Palace without too much stress. This was done without a map or mobile phone.

I found the people of London to be as helpful as the people of Sheffield. The bomb threat at the Palace was extra, however I caught the tail end of it. What amazed me the most is the speed some (most) of the vehicles were travelling at, and how there were no persons run over while trying to cross a road.

I had a nice tour of the Thames by boat, a Big Red Bus ride to Trafalgar Square plus heard how loud Big Ben was. The biggest bonuses for me were seeing the group at the Palace and for the first time seeing a Squirrel.  Although this trip to England has been a wow factor, I must admit I do miss my children and husband. Out of this adventure I will go home with a deep appreciation of my single story house on a ¼ acre block. That my home does not  look like any other in the street, that the supermarket sells hot chickens and a cup of bought coffee is not the strength that it would put hairs on the chest.
-Marie Hopton (Bachelor of Arts)