Going home
The day after completing the walk we took the bus to Scarborough then trains to York and London. From central London we took the tube out to Hatton Cross and walked around the corner from the station to our hotel, the Jury's Inn, at about 4pm. We had planned to go to the theatre that evening, but Mary wasn't well and we were both very tired. Graham had a meal in the hotel, then we relaxed in front of the TV in our room before falling asleep by 9pm. We had the best sleep of the trip – we didn't wake until 6.30am.
After a buffet breakfast we checked out at 10, but were able to leave our luggage at the hotel. We set of by bus to Hampton Court. The bus route wound around all the suburbs and stopped frequently. It was interesting seeing the houses and shops and the great variety of people getting on and off the bus. Most people seemed to be going to or returning from their local shopping centre.
Fittingly, our last day in England was sunny and warm. We got to Hampton Court at midday. We had lunch at the Tiltyard Café, where Graham had a bagel with smoked salmon, cream cheese and dill, washed down by a beer, and Mary had a wine. The highlights of our palace tour were the kitchen garden, the rose garden, the kitchens, and Henry VIII apartments. After picking up souvenirs for family and friends from the palace shops, we caught the bus into Kingston for our last drinks in a real pub, the Prince of Wales. We caught an express bus back to the hotel, picked up our luggage, then took an airport bus to our terminal at Heathrow. The flight home was comfortable but long, even though we did manage some sleep.
'Hampton Court Palace'
'Rose garden in the sun'