Originally written February 2020
I spent my last few hours in London limping around because of yet another footwear drama.
I had brought my winter boots from Australia, but quickly realised they weren’t very practical when you have to use public transport and walk everywhere. So, I bought a cheap pair of boots instead. Unfortunately, they squeezed my little toes so badly that they ended up bruised and blistered.
I tried wearing my comfortable walking shoes, but they got wet — and there’s nothing pleasant about walking around in wet shoes when the temperature is about 5 degrees. So back into the painful boots I went, hoping I might find a shoe shop somewhere along our hop-on hop-off bus route.
No such luck.
Because we were running out of time, I decided I would just wait until I reached the airport to buy another pair.
Aside from my poor feet, I spent my remaining time in London with some of my favourite people.
First, Ruth.
She is one of the most giving and selfless people I have ever known. After work, she would come straight to my accommodation and take on the role of my personal local guide. She insisted on paying for everything and even carried my suitcase around for me.
Then there were my other favourites — the Queen, Princess Diana, Audrey Hepburn, Angelina Jolie and, of course, my Shrek. 
Okay, some of them were slightly less conversational than Ruth.
My final London surprise came when I boarded my flight to Paris and discovered that I had been upgraded to business class.
What a pleasant surprise!
Ironically, I had already made sure to eat dinner before boarding because the last time I flew with British Airways, we were offered a cheese sandwich — with bread so tough and cheese so hard that swallowing it felt like another travel challenge. 
This time, apparently, I could have waited.
Oh well.
After several days of getting lost, wet shoes, bruised toes and budget accommodation, I wasn’t about to complain about finishing London in business class.
Paris, here I come.
Stories Along the Way 