In the morning Grant, Roxy and Paula did the London Eye.



Dad and I wandered around Bloomsbury for a while and we then went to Piccadilly Circus and walked down to the National Gallery, where I got to see the Van Gogh sunflowers - another item checked off my bucket list! Grant, Rox and Paula went to Abercrombie and Fitch – one of Rox’s “must dos”. We finally met up and popped into a Cinnabon for a snack, yum!

Finally it was back to the hotel to wait for our transfer to the airport. And do some last minute wiggling and jiggling to get our luggage to fit. (And yes, Rox did have to buy more luggage!)


When we got to Heathrow we weighed our luggage and then became those people you laugh at who are all red in the face, unpacking luggage and trying to make it all fit back in and somehow weigh less! Customs at Heathrow was hectic, they even made us take our shoes off!


Our flight back was okay, as flights go. It's strange this fear of flying that I have developed since I became middle-aged and matronly. Weirdly, I actually enjoy the experience of being on the plane. In some bizarre way, I even get a kick out of the airline food - all in it's separate little containers, cute. I love plotting the journey on the map and I even find the loo on the plane quite fascinating. What gets me down is the take off, the landing and any turbulence inbetween. Freaks me out badly!


Jo’burg was freezing, something ridiculous like -2 when we landed! We had Manchester City F.C on our flight so we got quite an awesome welcome, crowds of adoring fans, vuvuzelas and all ;-)

We nearly froze to death waiting for our flight to Durban, I can't remember ever being colder. I eventually went and bought Rox and I some socks, I was starting to fear frostbite! Paula, Rox and I managed to snooze for a bit before our flight was called. Well Paula and I snoozed, Rox fell fast asleep, dead to the world!

Our flight to Durban (which Paula and I had been dreading after the trauma that was our Dbn to Jhb trip) was completely uneventful, boring even. And this time around all our luggage landed with us. Thankfully!

We got home with such mixed feelings. It was lovely to see our pets and Mom and Dad and Eunice and Imps…. But I felt so sad!

The only solution has been to start planning the next trip. Egypt in 2010 and Ireland in 2011 is sounding good!