Home to New Jersey

Tuesday we did a bit of last minute shopping before checking out of the Winrose B&B and paying the bill. My verdict on the Winrose is cheap, respectable and very basic. The location was good for the buses and underground lines, but if I were a woman alone I'd be a bit put off by all the middle eastern men hanging out in Edgware Rd. But that's just a cultural thing. And we enjoyed the two dinners we had on Edgware Rd....lots of ready middle eastern food.

The 53 stairs up to our top floor room (or 68 from the basement breakfast room) certainly developed our leg muscles on this vacation of steps. I was concerned about this for Mitch, but I was unable to stop him from searching out even more stairs to descend.

The worst things about the hotel were the poor wifi connection and the lack of comfortable seating in the room. So, next time, we're not going to economize quite so much. So, remind us, will you when the time comes that $175-200 per night is the best you're going to do in London.

We added the fare to Heathrow onto our Travelcards and took the Circle Line to Glouster where we changed to the Picadilly line to Heathrow (note for next time: room on the Picadilly line?) We had allowed plenty of time so weren't rushed as we walked the 17 miles of corridors to our gate at Heathrow. Lunch at Pret a Manger and my favorite crayfish and rocket sandwich.

Flight home on American Airlines was uneventful. No frills and $6 drinks, but enough movies and TV selections to keep us busy. I watched PBS' 'Tess of the D'Urbervilles." Depressing! So then I watched Nia Vardalos' "I Hate Valentine's Day." Now that's a contrast!

So we are home and it's rained all night. And we only got 3 drops in London, so I guess we did something right.

Trip Highlights: Southbank Centre with all the free and state-subsidized culture - concerts, theater, etc. Saatch Museum and Duke of York outdoor market. Trip to Oxford and the Cotswold. Travelling all over by bus. Walking across the Thames again and again.