Tuesday October 23 (Google & South Bank)

What an awesome birthday today! It was cool and partly cloudy but we did see some sun during the day. When I opened the window a cat from two doors down was looking at me, lol! Eliza made me such a lovely birthday card!

We set off just after 10.30 am and caught a bus to Surbiton. There is another rail strike on but it did not impact on us and we caught the train we were supposed to as it was running late, lol! 

London Transport will no longer accept cash on buses, trains or the underground but passengers can use a credit card and mine was accpeted, lol, so used it all the way!

The first station after Surbiton was Wimbledon which for two weeks of the year is crawling with people then normal service is resumed. 

Just after we left the station I noticed a large sign, Wimbledon Traincare Depot. I did not know trains needed care, lol!

We left the train at Vauxhall and caught the tube to Kings Cross/St Pancras to get to Google. It was only a short walk and the whole area is full of cafes and restaurants. 

Google is constructing a new building right beside the station and just across from the current block. They will be keeping their current home as this will allow for future expansion.

We arrived about eleven fifty so time for Nigel to meet us with our passes and then go up to the restaurant for lunch. The whole building is incredible with glass elevators on the inside of the outer passages, if that makes any sense!

The restaurant had so many different food stations, various cold drinks, salads, sandwiches, Asian food, hot food as well as dessert. 

I had some plaice and green beans. The lemon drizzle cake and small blueberry items were both delicious. 

It was very busy all the time we were in there, Nigel reckons there are abot 1,000 employees in this building.

We then went up to the roof top where there is a cafe and an outside area with some great views. The sun was out and it was a clear day for photos. 

I wandered round outside then went inside and had a lovely coffee. It was so relaxing as well as fairly crowded up there, the coffee queue always seemed long! 

With school half term break on there were also quite a few other visitors.

Nigel took the kids to the games room but they did not stay long! 

Downstairs we passed the models of what the new gogle development will look like so I took a couple of photos. We carried on down to the shop but it was a YouTube shop so I did not find anything of the Android nature which I would have loved to buy. 

It was then time for us to leave and head for the tube station again. 


We headed for Covent Garden and walked through towards South Bank. it was very crowded and there were many street performers plying their trade. I had never been here before so it was very interesting. We also passed an Apple store!

We crossed the river and saw the Houses of Parliament as well as the London Eye. We then headed for Waterloo Station and caught a train to Surbiton without having to wait very long. 

We waited for a bus not far from Surbiton Station. it was quite a wait and Wendy went into the Clarke's shoe store right beside the stop. I also went in and found a nice pair of shoes, half price in the sale so they will be travelling back to New Zealand with me, lol! When the bus arrived it was standing room only, the boys got on but we waited. The next bus had seats available, lol.

So it was home, to relax for a while and have a fairly early night again. I did manage a lovely cuddle with Rocky, he was on a chair in Eliza's room and rolled over for me to stroke his tummy, he has the loudest purr, lol!