Shopping, no matter where in the world we could be, this is still central to any good holiday. Couple of hours on Oxford Street, Soho and surrounds before taking in the British Museum with its incredible architecture, interesting collections including the Rosetta Stone, ancestral figures from Easter Island, ancient currencies and jewels. Then some more shopping.

We parted so that Stan could do a few more galleries and skirt around a fiery anti G8 protest. There was a significant police presence around London and the constant hum of hovering helicopters. All a bit noisy really.

The girls headed off to see the Queen at Buckingham Palace. Alas I think she was out. We had a bit of a rest, dip in the pool, and Stan cooked a yummy pasta. The next event was Lion King at the Lyceum Theatre. The traffic was chaotic and we thought we'd miss the show so we hopped off the bus and raced through a series of back streets and lane ways , full of activity - people meeting at pubs and cafes. Great navigating by Stan had us in our seats well before the curtain was raised. The sets and costumes were fantastic, an amazing show.

Home to pack and leave our 2 bedroom, 2 bathroom, separate kitchen and lounge serviced apartment to head off for a week of youth hostels in the Cotswolds and Cornwall !!