We rode the train back down from Scotland on a Saturday. It was crowded and much less pleasant than the weekday ride up. When we returned to King's Cross, we had a little time, so I talked Brian into pulling our bags a mile a so in order to see the Charles Dickens museum on Fleet Street. Dickens was born in Portsmouth, but he lived in London as an adult. This was the house he lived in for a few years after he became famous. The museum staff let us stash our bags while we walked through and we took a few photos of me kickin' it in Charles' house. He would have needed my help. He had about 10 children. His sister-in-law was actually named Mary and she lived there and helped out.
I liked that there was so much blue china in the house. I would not say I collect it, but I have quite a few pieces.
This made me glad that I have my amazing laundry system at home.
Dickens was a famous writer, but he was also a famous reader. He traveled and read his work and he also read it at home for friends. Here I am in the parlor waiting for a reading.
In England (maybe other places too) they used to have gold pounding shops. These arms with mallets used to hang above the shops. Dickens, in his book Tale of Two Cities, mentions a specific gold shop that really existed. He passed by it often. When the book became a best seller the owner of that shop willed the arm to Dickens estate...and here it is above. I thought it was cool to see the arm from the actual shop.
We made our way to the hotel by the airport after the Dickens Museum. It took a long time in a hot cab to get there, but it usually does. The driver went passed the hotel. This is a deadly mistake in London because there is no easy way to turn around. He ended up leaving us a considerable distance from our hotel and we hiked there. When we got settled in, we called Hannah and then walked to dinner. Luckily our stroll to the hotel allowed us to see a restaurant.
The flight back was late taking off, but we made our connection in Minneapolis to Kansas City. Brian's parents picked us up and we walked in our door at about 10 p.m. I put Hannah to bed and then crawled in my own to sleep. I went to work the next day, but Brian picked me up and we all went out to lunch. Then Brian's parents left early Tuesday morning. And that is the end of our almost two week international adventure.
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