Postscript

Arriving into Heathrow at midnight does not lend itself to an early morning start the next day, and so it was for us. We opted for the 11:00 bus to Oxford for the day.

Lots of sandstone buildings, and an endless stream of students with no understanding of the “keep to the left” protocol when careering down the footpath, single line abreast and oblivious to the rest of the world.

But still, the weather was kind, the coffee terrible, and we eventually found a shady spot under a tree to have a bite to eat near the Christ Church Cathedral, the scene for much of the filming of Harry Potter so we were told.

Tiredness, heat and crowds eventually took their toll and we headed for the bus to take us back to Heathrow.

Deciding where to eat that night was never in doubt. Take the 423 bus from terminal 5, get off at the first stop and there is the White Horse. Dating back to the 1500s, this little gem has kept all of its charm and does a mean chicken pie or fish and chips at a very reasonable price. This has become our go to place when staying at Heathrow.

If your really lucky, you might strike the same bus driver that we did, he was hilarious and kept us talking for ages. Then we struck him again on the way back as well. Its these small ad hoc interactions with strangers that leave the best memories.

Day 2 and it was off to see where Charlie spends his time, Windsor Castle. Another bus trip, taking in the sights along the way. Fortunately the castle was closed for the day so we were constrained to looking at the walls. Another lunch at a pub, this time it was the Two Boatmen, and as you might guess, it was on the river.
Windsor was festooned with Union Jacks and buntings, not sure if it was left over from the coronation or if it’s just a loyalist town. But it was a nice day and being propped up in the front row of a double decker bus for the ride back to Heathrow, gave us another close up view of this part of the country.

So for now, it’s the final packing of the cases as we get ready for our flight back home.

We hope you have enjoyed the blog as much as we have enjoyed the holiday.

Not really looking forward to the weather in Melbourne later in the week though.