I caused a delay in catching further transport. I always have trouble adjusting to the larger numbers of kronar involved in routine financial transactions. When the ticket-vending machine for the airport train refused to accept our Australian credit cards, I went to a bank machine to get some cash. Lou suggested 1500 Kr. The train tickets cost 250 Kr and the machine gave me 500 Kr notes. So I waited in line at the foreign exchange bureau to get some change. That was unnecessary and meant that we missed a train and probably another train or bus.
As it turned out, we might not have been able to get a train to Degerfors anyway. There were no more seats by the time we got to the counter. The first bus we could get was at 4.10pm and the guy at the ticket counter said it would not stop at Karlskoga. While we were waiting, I got a SIM card for my phone and we rang Kajsa to say that we could get off at Örebro.
It turned out that it did stop at Karlskoga, but by the time we knew we could not reach Kajsa. Of course, we were quite late but Kajsa served a lovely meal.
The BA flight we boarded this morning took off 90 minutes late. The captain stated that all electronic systems would have to be shut down and rebooted. Sometimes, he said, "we have to control-alt-delete".
I really hope aeroplanes don't run on Windows. (That's not a joke.)
Today we visited Greenwich. Sue and Kiera made it to the meridian but we all visited the National Maritime Museum. Daniel was a bit ratty so we ended up eating there rather than finding a local pub to sink a soothing ale.
That's one of the ambitions I had for this trip: to sit in a pub and have a local ale. The other was to treat my mother to churros and hot chocolate (or coffee) in Spain. it didn't quite work out that way.
Today is my birthday. I have been reminded of it several times over the past few days and it is always a little surprising as it's the last thing I've been thinking about.
Daniel announced that he was giving me a new laptop. I suspect there's a certain amount of self-interest there because he mentioned specifically that it starts up "really, really fast". That way he can begin watching Thomas the Tank Engine or Thunderbirds on Youtube, or start playing his Pippi Longstocking CD-ROM sooner!
A new laptop would be very nice, but it's the sort of item I would really want to get myself. It's of too great a value for a gift. I'd want to feel I'd earned it.
The major tour for today was the Tower of London. Like many sites in Spain, it's difficult to appreciate the immense history of the place.
The succession of British kings and occasional queen is a lot more straightforward than the Arab and Moorish conquests and the subsequent establishment and unification by the Spanish kingdoms.
The site was established by the Romans, used by William the Conqueror,and then much expanded by the Plantagenets and the Tudors. It comprises several palaces and armories. However, it's not been used as a palace for three centuries. The Crown Jewels have been on display for all of that time. It's now a marvellous museum.
The major exhibition at the moment is entitled Henry VIII: Dressed to Kill. Daniel really liked seeing all that armour.
There was a demonstration in the moat (now filled in) of siege machines used in the 13th and 14th centuries. The audience was invited to participate. Daniel, on my shoulders, was made Captain of the marauding French army and shouted "Havoc!" with great gusto. Other children volunteered to die horrible deaths as they "sacked the walls" and were repulsed by the Tower's defenders.
Two teams, men and women, operated the perrier. The men flung a pig's bladder (well, a water-filled balloon) a good distance. The women managed to drop one straight down. Much merriment was had but it emphasized the point that the machines were very dangerous.
The site was established by the Romans, used by William the Conqueror,and then much expanded by the Plantagenets and the Tudors. It comprises several palaces and armories. However, it's not been used as a palace for three centuries. The Crown Jewels have been on display for all of that time. It's now a marvellous museum.
The major exhibition at the moment is entitled Henry VIII: Dressed to Kill. Daniel really liked seeing all that armour.
There was a demonstration in the moat (now filled in) of siege machines used in the 13th and 14th centuries. The audience was invited to participate. Daniel, on my shoulders, was made Captain of the marauding French army and shouted "Havoc!" with great gusto. Other children volunteered to die horrible deaths as they "sacked the walls" and were repulsed by the Tower's defenders.
Two teams, men and women, operated the perrier. The men flung a pig's bladder (well, a water-filled balloon) a good distance. The women managed to drop one straight down. Much merriment was had but it emphasized the point that the machines were very dangerous.