Trains, trains and more trains!

The Elizabeth Line opened while we were still away in Germany, so we missed the grand opening, and one way and another hadn't got round to visiting it yet.  The Daughter did use it on the first day, but the Boys hadn't.  Today, the older Boy had an Inset day, so his mother took a day's leave and exploring the Elizabeth Line was high on his list of things to do.  We met at Liverpool Street, and took the first train along to Paddington. 

At Paddington, we came out of the station because the Daughter wanted to see the clock where it looks as though a man rubs out and redraws the minute hand

and, presumably, the hour hand.  So we watched that for awhile and then headed back, this time all the way to Abbey Wood.  Such a pity Younger Nephew and his partner no longer live there.... 

So anyway, we thought it would be a bit dull just going back to Liverpool Street and, to be honest, there is very little to see.  So we didn't get out at Abbey Wood, but caught the next train back one stop, to Woolwich, which I'd never been to before, 

and then walked the few hundred metres to Woolwich Arsenal DLR, where we just caught a DLR train to Stratford International. 

It was lunch time by then, and the Boy wanted Mexican food, so we went to the food court in the Westfield, and the others all got Mexican food, but I got noodles as I'm not just so fond of Mexican.  The Swan Whisperer had to finish my helping, it was so huge!

After that, he went off and the Boy, the Daughter and I went round Westfield on a hunt for t-shirts for the Boy, who is just not quite big enough for x-small men but dislikes, with some justification, the pictures they will insist on putting on boys' t-shirts.  I don't think the shopping trip was a success!  I also wanted to go to Lakeland, which I did, but then was going to have an ice cream but the stall, which had been empty when I went into Lakeland, was rammed when I came out.

I thought I might take the Javelin to Paddington (okay I'd have to pay, but it's not that much), but it turned out I'd just missed one and the next wasn't for over half an hour, so I thought sod that for a game of soldiers and went back to the DLR station.  Changed at Canning Town on to the Jubilee Line and then at Canada Water to the Overground, and at Peckham Rye to a bus, which fortunately came along just as I reached the bus stop.  I was, and am, beyond tired, but it was a lovely day.