quaint, infuriating and innovative...

I opened a bank account here last week - and received a cheque book. How quaint!!
Everywhere you go in London, there is traffic. I took a Big Bus Tour last week and most of it was spent sitting in *bleeping!*traffic. And when driving into Ambleside, and the M6 motorway, and... Most infuriating!!
We've discovered a fantastic store called Argos. You go into the store where they have rows of catalogues (like Butterick patterns in Lincraft) - you choose your item (jewellery, furniture, clothes, anything!), write down the catalogue number, pay for it at the next counter, then wait for them to bring it from out the back. How innovative!!

leeds and the lakes district...

On thursday 23rd we took the train north to Leeds to spend a few days with my uncle. The trip cost £5 which was a special deal on the net - it would normally cost anywhere up to £150 ($400-odd)! My uncle has a gorgeous stone house built in the 1840's, and lives in Headingly - we could hear the cricket cheers from his backyard! My lovely cousin Felix, who is 5 and frighteningly smart - told me "Did you know? If a helicopter didn't have a cheese grater, you'd have shredded tweet"! (which I think infer's to the air intake having a cover over it, so it doesn't suck in birds!)

We did some touristy things - mum and I caught the bus into the city for a look around, and later went with my uncle and his family to an estate called Harewood house (pic left), which belonged to the Lascelles family who made their money from slavery. The next morning we went to another old estate called York Gate which had absolutely beautiful gardens.

Anna and Mike picked us up on saturday morning from Leeds, and we drove to Ambleside in the Lakes District. We'd booked a hideously expensive 4 star hotel - and it was wonderful! I had a massive king sized bed to star-fish in, soft as a cloud. I was here 10 years ago and stayed in the youth hostel next door...quite a difference! We took a boat trip on the main lake and nearly froze our respective bits off. Had dinner in another old english pub - nearly ordered ham steak (which they call gammon here), but passed it up for steak (cheap at 12 pounds!).

It took us 5 hours to drive back to London, and because it was a Bank Holiday the trip took a little longer - the M6 motorway became a car park at times. But I've had a great week away! Time to get a job I 'spose....

dr who, grey's and sainsbury's

A few things of note....(maybe)
I was utterly convinced that the IGA in Balnarring was THE best supermarket in the world, but Sainsbury's has pipped it. I sadly judge a place by how good its supermarket is, and I'm going to love buying groceries here! I bought the best choc chip cookies for 29 pence!
I saw an episode of Dr Who on the weekend (they must be mid season 3 already) - and I am extremely sorry to say that the new chick just doesn't cut it. I LOVE BILLIE..!
I am happy however, that Greys Anatomy is behind Aust. - they've only just shown the end of series 2. Yippee!
TV and food....gotta love 'em.

tube, red bus, river cruise...and ferris wheel!

We've done a little bit of tourist-ing! We caught the tube to Westminster on saturday and came above ground right at the bottom of Big Ben. We crossed over the Thames and took a 'flight' on the London Eye - it's rather impressive! Mechanically it's awesome and so are the views. Afterwards we walked from there, via Downing St (no sign of Tone's and Cher), to Trafalgar Sq. It was supposed to be covered in grass for that weekend only, but they musn't have laid the seeds in time cos it was still concrete..!
On sunday we took a Thames cruise to Greenwich, and Anna and I slogged it up the hill to the Observatory where I had my pic taken with a foot over each side of the meridian line. We missed watching the rise and fall of the red ball which denotes GMT midday exactly - by 1 minute.
We also missed, by 12 hours, the Cutty Sark being set on fire... I didn't get to see it cos it was surrounded by huge walls and inaccessible to the public - I can't believe we were there the afternoon before.
We've been to 3 excellent English pubs so far - the Swan, Wetherspoons, and the Coach and Horse.
I'll have to do some serious things soon, like open up a bank account and get a job. But one thing at a time!

from half way around the world...

I've made it! I am safely ensconsed at my sister's house in London (yikes, now also my house I guess!).
Although I wasn't sure we'd make it. Mum and I had a rather stressful trip to KL airport last night. We left the hotel 15 minutes early, but got stuck in the most amazing traffic jam I've ever seen! The highway was 8 lanes wide, and bumper to bumper (now I know the true meaning of that). I thought it was funny and took some photo's of the lanes of red tail lights, until I realised it went on for km's and we were going nowhere fast...
It took us an hour to go about 3km's - of a 70km trip. I was virtually hysterical by this stage (poor mum), and was having visions of us getting to the airport about 14 hours too late. But, the traffic eventually miraculously opened up, and the driver went like a bat out of hell for the next 67km's! The poor mini van he was driving - he had the engine absolutely screaming - fully red-lined. I quite feared for my life, especially when he took corners.
But, we made it in time and the driver was sooo pleased with himself. Mum asked him how fast he was going, and he virtually squeaked with excitement when he said "about 130". So, we even had time for a little duty free shopping....
After a 12 and a half hour flight - which was only half full, with no-one sitting next to us, very little turbulence, but just extremely long - I have arrived in London. I've had very little sleep so I'm kind of swaying in front of the computer. Further adventures to follow, I'm sure!

the second leg...

...being Adelaide to Kuala Lumper. We had a smooth flight, the plane was only a third full - and I think we stood longer in line at the Adel checkin counter, than we spent on the plane. The 7 hour flight seemed to drag, but I got to (half) watch 3 movies (The Queen, Happy Feet, and Eragon) which helped pass the time.
My suitcase came to 23kg's and trying to lug it around KL in 28 degree humid heat late at night wasn't my idea of fun. But we finally got to the hotel - and it's beautiful. The name means palace in Malaysian.
We ate breakfast overlooking a gorgeous garden, then hit the shopping area, Bintang. We got brave and took the monorail which scared the crap out of me cos it tips as it goes round corners. But for 40 cents a trip it was better than walking in the heat! This afternoon we tried to go to the KL Tower (4th tallest in the world), but it's surrounded by an actual rainforest and we couldn't figure out how to get in!
So we gave up on that idea and had a nourishing beer instead. As we sat there, clouds rolled in and we got stranded in a spectacular rain, and lightning thunderstorm! It absolutely pelted down for an hour. We had to make a run for it, back to the hotel.
The rain stopped and tonight we took a taxi to the Chinatown markets where they sold fake watches, shoes, handbags and t-shirts by the bizillion. I bought two watches and a Burberry purse.
Tomorrow evening, tues, is the flight to London, not looking forward to the 13 hour stuck-in-an-aeroplane thing....

the first leg ...

Departing Melb didn't go as smoothly as planned (but then, when do things ever?). Carpet cleaners didn't turn up cos they thought I was booked in for monday, so after some jumping up and down (Viv, you'd be proud of me!) they got someone to come as an emergency. So I was late leaving and more than a little stressed!
The drive to Nhill was good, the car was stacked to the gunnels. The countryside was amazingly, beautifully green - as opposed to the burnt landscape it was in Dec. I drove half of the trip in the dark and got a bit sad looking at the saucepan (stars!) knowing it would be a year before I'd see it again. Goodness knows what stars they have in the northern hemisphere....
Nhill was excitement plus (as expected!). I watched cable tv, an ace show called Miami Ink (about people who get tattoo's, of what and why). The night ended with 10 hours sleep!
I arrived in Adelaide safe and sound, and preparations (ie packing!) start tomorrow for the second leg, Adelaide to KL....