Monday. It's the last night of the big trip. Lorraine should be arriving home about now. We said goodbye in Paris on Sunday - she flew home and I came on to London. Paris was hot and crowded but we were both very pleased to achieve an ambition. I saw Monet's waterlilies at the Orangerie and Lorraine bought a small painting in Montmartre. Montmartre was an ordeal as the crowds were horrendous and the temperature well over 30. Thank goodness for the funicular which took us up there. I couldn't have faced those steps with the crowds and the heat. Lorraine has taken to drinking panaches (shandies) and I had a cider to revive and prepare for the painting selection. While we were looking for the right Metro line to return to our hotel, we actually walked underground to the Gare du Nord, our own station. We had thought we might go to the Moulin Rouge for a last night splurge, but it was booked out, so we settled for the number 42 bus instead. We hopped on at the Gare du Nord and it took us past the Eiffel Tower, up the Champs Elysses and to the end of the line. We then hopped off, crossed the road, and caught the same bus back about 2 minutes later. A bargain priced tour of Paris. It was sad to say goodbye to Lorraine at the airport the following day and to set off alone for London. Lorraine and I were proud that we spent so much time together for three weeks and were still talking to each other at the end. We've had a lot of laughs along the way. Arriving in London was amazing because once I was on the tube it felt very familiar. The train was very clean and the stations all looked fresh and refurbished - probably for next year's Olympics. My memory is of very shabby trains. By the time I had found my hotel and checked in I was ready for a cuppa so I put my feet up and watched a bit of telly (in English!). This morning I caught the train to Brighton, a trip of about an hour. I walked down the big hill to the Royal Pavilion, where I did a tour complete with audio guide. What a place! It is absolutely over the top - even more than I expected. I loved the huge chandelier held in the claws of a flying dragon and can understand why some guests were afraid to sit beneath it at dinner. What an extravagant, pleasure-seeking hedonist the Prince Regent was! On my return to London I called in to the Victoria and Albert Museum, where I wandered through the British collection. The fashion/costume section was being refurbished so that was a bit of a disappointment, but I enjoyed what I did see until my feet went on strike. Hot again, but not quite as bad as yesterday or as Paris. Tomorrow I fly home. I have been trying to rearrange my case to get the weight down. There are a few things being thrown out and other bits going from the case to the backpack. Hope it will be OK. Well that's it for the big tour. What a great time we've had and how lovely my own bed will be when I get home.