Easter in London and visiting family

Wednesday 4th April
The plan was to fly to London and meet Caroline at Stansted Airport… but not all plans workout. Emma and I were in good time to arrive for our Ryanair flight, only to find that it was delayed from 18:00 to 23:30! Called Caro to let her know the bad news and that she should find her way to Michaels flat without us. Me and Emma did some work, listened to music and read books for hours and eventually left Sweden at midnight. Our late arrival in Stansted meant we took the coach into London and Michael collected us outside Liverpool St. Station. It was very late when we got back to his flat and Caro was waiting for me in bed… hugs… very tired… long sleep.

Thursday 5th
What a sunny morning to wake up to in London… our first trip to London together. The Easter weekend is looking good with about 18 degrees warm and no wind. Take it easy and chat and then Michael, Emma, Caroline and I take the walk along the river to Canary Wharf. It’s so sunny and Caro is looking good and happy and is relaxed chatting to Michael. We have a pub lunch outside with another first; me and Caroline share our first fish-n-chips at an English pub…mmmm delicious. In the evening we all cook together and have a very casual end to the day.

Friday 6th
Mum, Ross and Zoë come over and we have lunch together on Michael’s sunny roof terrace. We take a walk in the other direction along the river and visit a Borough Market, which is a great farmers food and produce market where we buy some Italian ham and Swedish salmon for evening snacks. Caroline seems quite at ease with my family who are all making an effort to chat and get to know her. Hannah arrived in the evening from Stockholm, having left later than us as her school holiday is the week after Easter. Michael’s assistant cooked dinner for all seven of us and we enjoy eating around Michael’s big dining room table in his almost fully renovated flat.

Saturday 7th
Hannah and Emma go shopping on Oxford Street. They just love being big sisters shopping together in London and seem to find all that they want there. Caroline and I go into London on our own. We sit on the top of a double decker bus and enjoy the views of London. We decide to take a small picnic to Green Park. It’s quite warm and mainly sunny and we pay for deck chairs in the park and eat and chat in the spring sunshine. Then we walk past the palace and through St. James Park to Westminster. We all go over to Zoë’s new house for dinner.


Sunday 8th
Having borrowed Zoë’s car, Hannah, Emma and Caroline and I drive up to see my Dad. We make it in a few hours and get to the pub at lunch time. We have a drink and chat to him outside the pub. The girls are very please to see him and he’s looking well. He practices a bit of his German on Caro and she’s please to see he can still remember it so well. We have lunch in the pub and then take a walk in Ashby and look at the remains of the village castle. On the way home we stop at my Auntie Carol’s and have an unplanned afternoon with dinner at her place. Carol’s pleased to see us, even though it’s a short visit, we have fun talking and looking at some old photos of us and her family.

Monday 9th
We drive down to Elstead to see Penny and Less and their family. Its good to see them all and we go to the pub for a drink and lunch, where we meet Viv and Graham. It’s nice to walk on the common with Caroline and have some moments to share this beautiful English countryside with her. It’s again warm and sunny and I’m reminded what a lovely part of England this is and how I remember this area so well. We have a big family dinner at Penny’s and then drive back up to London.

Tuesday 10th
Caroline and I take a short trip into London and I get some books and a German/English dictionary and CD language course. I have to get started with my German and need some help. We take the train to Stansted and fly “on-time” home to Sweden together with Emma. Hannah is staying in England for the week to visit her friend who is living there.