3 - London: The boys and girls split up

The boys are heading off to the Tower of London today, via Black Friars bridge and a visit to the Golden Hinde (Sir Francis Drakes boat i think). 

Narelle, Mandy & I had seen the tower before, so we set off on the London Overground from Waterloo Station to go to Hampton Court, the palace of Henry VIII.  It is a huge palace with the most amazing gardens (including a maze).  We spent the whole day there - lots of really interesting stuff to see, and the parts you see are restored beautifully.  I was particularly taken with the chimneys - all decorated with a different brick pattern.  Apparently this castle was one of the most luxuriously heated palaces (hence the number of chimneys).

We sat in on a talk from the 'vine keeper' - they have a grape vine that is almost 250 years old and it is this womans job to look after the vine and that's all she does.  It's grown under glass, and has its own heating system of cast iron pipes which are apparently more delicate than the vine.  In the winter they don't heat the glass house for the vine, they heat it for the pipes which can't handle the freezing temperatures.  In the summer they pick the grapes and sell them to visitors.  Up until the late 1970s they were sold in little baskets made by blinded soldiers - but now basket weaving isn't an acceptable rehabilitation past-time, so they had to find something else to put them in.  They don't water the vine and there is a big open area outside the glasshouse where they believe the root system is, and the fertilise this bit of land with horse manure (from the horses giving visitors rides around the gardens).

There were lots of great stories about Henry and his many wives - a great day out!

We cheated a bit on the way home and caught the tube back to Russell Square instead of walking, but the feet were very weary after all that palace walking. 

Met the boys at the local for a drink or two then back to the apartment for dinner.