Back to London 2 October

Following our final leisurely breakfast at the Queensberry we packed our bags and took a cab to the train station.

After an uneventful but relaxing train ride to London's Paddington station we made our way to the Circle Line on the Underground to St. Pancras. Once we arrived we texted our niece Mallory, who is spending this semester studying in London, and the three of us met at for lunch at Le Pain Quotidien right there at the station (she's staying nearby so it was a short walk for her).

We spent the next hour and a half or so catching up, and just enjoying her company. But eventually, she had to leave to shop for groceries or do homework, she wasn't sure which would come first, and we had to catch a Thameslink train for St. Albans.

Before boarding the train we texted Pauline to let her know that we were on our way back to their home. Unfortunately, we caught the slow train --not the fast one heading for Bedford as we had planned -- but did get to see the station at Cricklewood on the milk run to St. Albans. While there is little to recommend Cricklewood's station in the way of either a cultural achievement or an architectural gem, it was just being able to say that we had actually stopped in a town called Cricklewood. I still can't say it enough.

Richard was waiting for us when we arrived at long last and whisked us off to Ellis Fields and a superb dinner prepared by master chef, Pauline: pasta with chorizo sauce. It was, in a word, mouthwatering. Although we'd had damn fine fare this trip, there is still nothing like home-cooked food.

Tomorrow it's off to Westminster and a river cruise on the Thames to Greenwich for lunch. Don't click around!