Leaving London

  We finished up our last day by returning to the Tower of London to see the Crown Jewels - at 9 am, there was NO line. We walked right in and absolutely NO photography is allowed. Truly amazing - I'm glad we went back to see it all. It's not just the crown jewels, it's pictures from past royalty, a video of the coronation of Queen Elizabeth, and then the Crown Jewels - after you pass through an open vault door, you proceed past some ridiculously expensive dinner ware - that's hardly the word for it as most of it was solid gold. Some pieces were being used by the Queen and her family for their Easter dinner. We get to the Crown Jewels and there is a moving sidewalk (slow, but still moving) on either side to keep the people moving. You finally exit the other side of the vault door (try to forget about what happens if some idiot tries to steal something while you're in there and those doors close) there is a booth/drop box for donations.....really?! Donations?? I found that very ironic....

We make our way to the train station - remember my last unsuccessful train ride....this one ranks right up there. We get tickets for Eastbourne (first mistake), one way tickets (2nd mistake), had commented before we wanted to see more English countryside (3rd mistake). Turns out we only had to go one underground stop farther and we would have made it to the hotel in Lingfield...enjoy the pictures - they tell quite the story.

I'm an intense reader when I think noone was is watching and taking photos....

and here's where the trip turns bad - shouldn't have been on the train that long....

 this is where Jeff gets google maps working and we are about an hour past where we need to be and we (ready for this.....) have to buy tickets back. ugh. I was so mad - again. Jeff mad again. I hate trains, again.

 we finally make it on the right train and we're in a hurry because I need to be there at the hotel for the Hen's night for Alyssa. I told her what happened and she gently laughed and said rookie mistake....now I know. I don't know everything and always ask, double ask, have Jeff check and double check at the train station, where we need to go. 

We finally make it to Lingfield and we have to walk, carrying and lugging our suitcases 'off-road' to the hotel about a 10-15 minute walk.

We made it, I showered and left Jeff to have some alone time......he earned it after me and my trains not getting along.

We stayed at the Lingfield Marroitt which is right on a horse track. Our window on the first floor opened up to this:

 It was beautiful and peaceful without all the chaos of the city. I loved this.

Jeff had bangers and mash for dinner, I headed out for a ladies night - complete with dancing and sparklers.... :)