Where to start on my trip to the UK in December? It wasn't so much a journey to another continent than the ultimate journey of discovery. The discovery of Me, Myself and I.
I arrived at Heathrow after a fantastic flight on Virgin Atlantic. I was lucky enough to have an empty seat to my right and an aisle to the left and even luckier to be so vertically challenged that I managed to make a little makeshift bed and actually spent most of the flight sleeping. My waking hours were spent listening to meditations on the onboard entertainment channel and reading.
However the onward journey on train and tube through London was not as pleasant. It was peak hour traffic and my very bulky luggage did not fare well with Londoners trying to get to work. With much relief we arrived at my friend LC's place and I unloaded my bright pink extra large suitcase and smaller Louis Vuitton [did you expect anything less?] cabin luggage. We enjoyed a quick breakfast and then it was on the move again, negotiating more trains, tubes and busses!
Trafalgar Square, Covent Gardens, St James Park, Buckingham Palace, High Street, Harrods and some very dodgy very West End area later and I was exhausted! LC wanted me to see as much of London with her as possible but she forgot to take into consideration that us [me particularly] South African's don't do much walking. In fact the furtherest I walk is from the front door to the car! Upon return to her place there was time for a glass of wine before DadP called to say that he was downstairs!
The moment had finally arrived ... I was to meet my biological father for the first time!
Luggage in tow, we went down and there he was. No different to the photo's I had seen, but carrying a bouquet of pink flowers! Greeting him felt the most natural thing in the world. I said my goodbyes to LC and we climbed into DadP's car heading west. We chatted easily while I fought off the sleep threatening to take over.
We arrived at his gorgeous house in the most stunning village and were greeted by his wife and my sister! I had the warmest welcome conceivable. Hugs and kisses and more hugs and wine and food and more wine and more hugs, followed of course by more wine! We chatted about everything under the sun, I regaled them with tales of the kids, my brothers and my childhood. By 2am we were exhausted and I spent my first night in my Buckinghamshire home!
The next few days were spent sight-seeing with DadP. He took me around Buckinghamshire, we toured the Hell Fire Caves, Windsor Castle and Madame Toussards. SisB, her mom and I went to see "The Sound of Music" at the theatre and I went to a Christmas Party with SisB which was awesome! After the dinner we went to a real English pub [is there any other kind in the UK?] and she had a chance to show me to off to everyone she knows!
And then there was Christmas!!!
