Because I knew you went in search for a loo first instead of getting on the PA system and calling out to me! -- I'd just driven 250 miles! "Busting" is as good a word as I can think of! - Sorry folks! Back to the plot... I can honestly say that meeting her was like meeting an old friend that one hasn't seen for a long time. So now I'm old? I'm not bald! -- See??? See everyone??? Here's me being nice... We spent the rest of the day in London, finding a guest house, then trotting about looking at the sights. On a red bus. No trotting. Heard Afrikaans on Leicester Square because you can hear Afr. any time of the year, any time of the day on Trafalgar Square anyway! Boys got smothered by pigeons ... -- I haven't got to that bit!!! You're zooming on ahead here! However, now that you mention it, here's some photos of the boys in Leicester Square, absolutely fascinated by the chap who was dressed up as a robot statue. He was moving really slowly and when the boys stood in front of him he rubbed thier wrists with a model sparrow that was sitting on his finger!

We walked down to Trafalgar Square where Marlene compared the horse's and the Aussie's and Jaco and Theo decided to feed the pigeons. Now just why these pigeons aren't the fattest birds in the world I'm not sure because as soon as the boys had got their tub of food they more or less disappeared under a huge pile of feathers. They both remembered it as a high point of the day but I rather suspect that at the time they were glad when it was over! Right our gang - onto the big red bus! "Fares please!" CHING!

Dining and Sleeping

We did the full bus tour of London, hopping off for a look around the Tower of London area and by the time we got to thinking about food the boys were getting tired In fact, once we got into a restaurant, Jaco promptly laid down on the seat and went to sleep. Totally. Unshakeably. When we finished the meal I had to carry him out of the restaurant - this is London so no one got up or offered to move chairs out of the way. If anyone reading this remembers getting pushed or walked into - it serves you right!

Jaco slept blissfully during all this mayhem - diners getting faces pushed in soup - me only being able to see out of the corner of my eye - Marlene looking worried - Theo trying to swing from Jaco's dangling legs.... Fran managed to flag down a taxi and I propped Jaco in the corner of the back seat. (Over to you, Sis - I know you like to remind me of the next bit!) It is easier to tell in person than on keyboard (again a Dolly Parton situation) but I'll try. (One of Marlene's favourite challenges - try to describe Dolly Parton without using your hands...) Sorry, Sis, do carry on... Right. So, here's my son (who celebrated his 8th birthday on the plane over to England, by the way) tired out by all the sights and sounds and excitement of a new city. And if Jaco doesn't want to eat, that means he is really, really tired! Boet propped him up in the corner of the taxi's back seat while Fran and I flipped down the two extra seats. Not paying attention to you-know-who for just a second. And then we heard this kind of "Eep!" sound - very small - and there was Boet jumping up as if being stung by a hornet! He was sitting on my son's head!!!!!!! That was the only sound poor Jaco could make ...... Jaco had sort of slipped down from the corner and while Boet was turning around to sit down, he toppled over on to his side on the seat. Or that is what Boet insists happened! I ask you!? Next morning Jaco was most upset to hear that we have been in a London cab and he slept through the experience. Maybe just as well....