Last full day in London :(

Decided to make the most of the morning sunhine, and the car, and head on up to Alexandra Palace (Ally Pally) in North London.

We had wanted to play 'pitch and putt' but it was too muddy to push the pram around. So instead we walked around the gardens and the lake, Mitch played in the playground and then we went up into the palace for lunch with views back into the city. Decided that this would do nicely as my bday lunch (since we really weren't in a state of celebration on Sunday, despite the cocktail).

Back home via the shops for tonight's dinner. Ganey then took our beloved Kia back whilst I had to make awkward small talk with the cleaner who was still here. Not sure if it was my accent, or English in general, that she couldn't understand but it made it difficult for banter.

Last dinner in London so Simon and Lizzie came over (which was a mammoth effort since Lizzie had come via Birmingham and Simon via somewhere else that involved 17hrs on the road today!!!) and so did Tom and Julia. Ganey cooked a roast chicken with a Fosters up its butt whilst Bern and I did roasted veggies.

Was a really lovely end to our trip (from memory, very similar to the end of our trip in 2007 too). Lizzie and I are really bad at goodbyes so have decided that we shall next meet in the middle - Asia - in summer 2014 (who's 'summer' is yet to be decided)...