Reflection...

For those readers who kept up regularly with the trip, you'll notice that I left you in London, on the eve of our adventure on the Continent.

Fear not, those gaps shall be filled in - it was a magical, inspiring, cultural, crazy, late nights, new friends, kebab, crepe and gelato filled two weeks that will be etched on my mind forever - a once in a life time experience of new found independence, strange and exciting places and unforgettable experiences (and re-reading that sentence, full of cliches too!).

It's coming up to nine months since the trip, almost a year since the real planning of our European adventure began. I'm sat here now, almost finished my first year of university with a whole summer ahead of me. Despite promises of different kinds of adventures and fun plans in place, however hard I try I can't ignore the tugging sensation I have in my chest - the travel bug.

The bug that can't quite be shaken is what has brought me back here. I'll finish off the tale of the long awaited travels - with funny stories, observations, reviews and pictures.

With a large dose of nostalgia, i'll leave you with a few holiday snaps to pass the time.

My diary: record of everything we did!

Primrose Hill, London

The Vatican, Rome

Versailles, Paris

Looking over the Seine, Pari

B x

10th January 2012 - London Tourists

After an exhausting trip reliving familiar places of my English life yesterday, i wanted today to be something completely different. We were in London, one of the greatest cities of the world, with the whole city at our feet. So we finally behaved as what we really both were: tourists! Despite living here for almost 13 years, i had really seen little of the city itself. I find it interesting how many people don't appreciate where they live - it becomes normal and banal, whereas for tourists everything is new and exciting!

Unfortunately the London Eye was temporarily closed so tourist target number 1 was off the list. With neither of us familiar with directions and locations, we aimlessly wondered from place to place. We arrived at Buckingham Palace just in time to see the changing of the Royal Guard, Big Ben and Nelson's Column. We arrived at Piccadilly Circus in a rare moment of sunshine, and everything was beautiful. A quick peruse along Oxford Street and Carnaby Street before a drink in Trafalgar Square.





But the day's fun was not yet over! We met my cousin and headed to Yo! Sushi for dinner which was delicious, followed by Ghost: the musical. J may not have been quite so impressed but i was in seventh heaven! Richard Fleeshman played Sam, which was fitting as i had seen him last year in Legally Blonde.


Met my new baby cousin who is gorgeous, before going pretty much straight to sleep - sightseeing is definitely exhausting!

9th January 2012 - London Calling

The first day in London really turned out to be a trip down memory lane for me. We had a look around Kingston before walking along the river to my old house. It's a walk i've been doing as long as i can remember, although it certainly felt a lot longer when i was little!

Along the way i got pooed on by pigeon (grrrr - apparently it's meant to be lucky though..can't see how!). I had mixed feelings seeing my old house. It's so different to Australia, and has certainly changed under the new owners but i did feel something when i saw it, so there are obviously still ties with it!

Walking down the local high street and ran into an old friend, which was lovely! There was definitely a moment when we were both trying to work out if it was really who we thought it was.

After a sandwich from M&S for lunch (oh, how i have missed these!!) we made our way home using a variety of public transport...train/bus/and far too much walking and getting lost (which was going to become a common theme of this adventure!). I found it to be quite an emotional day and certainly slightly confusing, as my two previously separate worlds of Australia and England had finally collided.

7th-8th January 2012 - Bedford

Today all the family (plus J - although given the amount of family he's met so far, he's probably qualified to be included in the term) went to the Bedford Swan Hotel for afternoon tea to celebrate Grandma's birthday!

Despite the stereotypes of me being english etc, i actually tried tea for the first time! (not sure i'll be rushing back for another cup though)

The spread was splendid and we had delicious finger sandwiches, the best scones, clotted cream and jam i've ever tasted and the most beautiful array of cakes and pastries. There was a wedding happening at the same time, so we spent much of the afternoon admiring the bride and critiquing the outfit choices of the guest. A slightly bizarre addition to the atmosphere was the steady number of people heading to the spa, dressed only in dressing gowns and slippers. They certainly stuck out from the rest of the wedding party...

In the evening we gave Grandma all of her presents and cards, celebrated a number of things with champagne (after hearing shrieks from the kitchen when the cork exploded and bounced off the ceiling and walls) and enjoyed yummy mexican and desserts which the household has become famous for!

Our last day in Bedford was largely spent packing and preparing for the train journey down to London. We enjoyed one last meal and 3/4 of the Manchester Derby before saying our emotional goodbyes and boarding the train.

6th January 2012 - Milton Keynes

The train journey from Manchester to Milton Keynes went by without a hitch, and we were quickly greeted by more familiar faces. Lunch was at another old favourite, Cafe Rouge! I had a delicious Bouillibaisse and J tried (both to eat and pronounce!) Boeuf Bourguignon. We told ourselves it was great practise for our upcoming french adventure, and J was chuffed he had a meal he could order once we got there! The trio of desserts went down a treat!

That evening, my cousins picked us up and took us out for a lovely night out in Bedford with some of their friends. There was lots of Uni stories shared, (both good and bad!) but all made me feel rather excited about starting uni when i returned to Australia.

5th January 2012 - Manchester

Our last day in Manchester had arrived all too quickly. The weather was what usually characterises Manchester - grey and miserable. But a traveller can't let his/her spirits be dampened by such trivial things as the weather!

About 45 minutes outside the town centre is one of my favourite places in Manchester - Salts Mill. An old mill that has since been turned into a very modern art gallery, restaurant and artist space, it was originally built by Sir Titus Salt, a factory owner who made his fortune in the wool industry. Despite his wealth, he was also conscious of the welfare of his workers and built around the factory a village called Saltaire.






(more information - http://www.saltsmill.org.uk, pictures sourced from google)

I could spend hours in Salts Mill, just wondering around the different floors full of art materials, paintings, photographs, conceptual furniture and books. There is also a whole floor dedicated to the work of David Hockney, an artist who i particularly admire (and a good friend of the owner). Unable to resist, i bought myself a beautiful style/fashion book and some postcards - one a dark brooding photo of Hockney himself and the other of him surrounded by other artists including Andy Warhol.



We had lunch in the cafe, Salts Diner, where the food is as delicious as the mill is breathtaking. I enjoyed a mushroom tagliatelle and yummy bakewell tart for dessert.

After a bit of a rest, one good meal was quickly followed by another. A tradition of visiting family in Manchester for me has always been going out for Chinese. The restaurant has changed over the years, but the quality of Manchester's Chinese food remains almost unbeatable. A table filled with a variety of dishes from duck pancakes to dumplings to seaweed steadily disappeared into our stomachs.

Still yet to experience Manchester's nightlife, J and I went out to see what it was all about. Unfortunately we had obviously picked the wrong time of year, because all the uni student were at home for the holidays, and the place was rather deserted. We ended up having a few quiet drinks in the Moon on the Water (a pub), chatting about what we thought the rest of the trip would hold for us.

4th January 2012 - Manchester

Last night was the night that all IB students had been preparing for since we embarked on the tumultuous journey two years ago - results day!
For me, it was a slightly different experience. I was on the other side of the world, waiting for an e-mail that had the potential to kickstart or delay my dreams of becoming a journalist. The time arrived when the e-mail should have been in my inbox. I logged in with bated breath. Nothing. I refreshed the page. Still nothing. Conveniently, there had been a technical failure on the school system that had affected the email network. After a few more hours of trying, with nerves quickly building up, i decided to cut my losses and go to sleep.
Early the next day, i was woken up by a phone call. Whilst i had been sleeping, my mum had contacted everyone she could think of (including a friend in Hong Kong) to get the necessary contact numbers to get my results. Luckily, she bore good news for me - I had got what i needed to get into my first university preference!

Naturally this news was a good start to the day. We decided to go exploring in Manchester town centre. I was in a great mood and the shops were once again calling me! Conscious that J might be getting sick of all the retail therapy, we were also keeping our eyes peeled for evening entertainment, eager to experience Manchester's infamous nightlife.

After lunch in Pizza Express (a place which for me holds many childhood memories, plus wicked pizza and doughballs!) J was feeling rather daring.

We sought to find one of the many piercing parlours we had passed earlier so he could get his eyebrow pierced! We found one that seemed reputable despite the reasonably cheap prices. Looking just the tiniest bit nervous, J went into the piercing room. He emerged not long after, looking pretty happy with himself!

We returned home to a yummy dinner of baked chicken and peaches before the excitement and worries of last night finally started to catch up with me. After Skyping A and watching a bit of tv i was more than ready to climb into bed and fall straight asleep.

3rd January 2012 - Manchester

With the grey and drizzly weather inhibiting some of our original plans, we drove to the beautiful Harrogate, Yorkshire to visit one of my favourite places in the North of England - the infamous Betty's!
A well established and respected Yorkshire tea house, Betty's delivers some of the best homemade good british food and cakes you can ever have! Although - no-one has any clue who 'Betty' was!
We'd been told the two best dishes were the fish and chips or the Welsh rarebit. Faced with the tough decision both J and I opted for the rarebit. To warm our icy fingers, we started with freshly baked bread and spicy tomato soup before being presented with our Welsh rarebit. Cooked and served in a pan, it was a cheesy delight, with bacon and a delicious array of sauces and spicy relish. To finish off i selected a cherry and frangipani tart from the dessert cart which was perfectly crumbly and fragrant!
We walked around the bountiful antique and boutique shops in the Harrogate streets before being chased away by the oncoming hail!
AB and I went to pick up my twin cousins from school and we spent the afternoon playing and charting away with them before getting them ready for football practice.
Dinner for that night was a new cuisine for me - Thai! We were the first customers in the restaurant but within 15 minutes the place was buzzing and packed! Unsure of what to order - we chose a range of (mild!) dishes to share - curries, fish, chicken and beef which all disappeared quickly!
After driving back from Leeds, anticipation for final IB results was mounting and led to a drama filled night!

2nd January 2012 - Goodbye Edinburgh

Not wanting to leave without having a proper look at Edinburgh castle, we woke up early to ensure we saw it before catching the train back to Manchester. Even before opening time, the queue for tickets was quickly increasing - many of the visitors who had descended on Edinburgh for Hogmanay obviously sharing the same idea as us!
The sheer size and age of the castle is impressive enough, and it's extensive history equally fascinating. A highlight was the view of Edinburgh from its battlements, although it duly reminded me that we had not had enough time to climb Arthur's seat - something that had been in my checklist to do before we left. Save that one for my return!
After exploring the 'dungeons', towers, military exhibitions and the Scottish crown jewels it was time to head to the train station.
The train was packed and with a problem with seat reservations for everybody with a ticket on the train we were lucky to have a seat!
We arrived back in Manchester just over 3 hours later, a little travel weary and very hungry!

1st January 2012 - Edinburgh day 3

Feeling rather ahem...tired after the previous night, we woke up and went for lunch at Jane's house, seeing my cousin for the first time in a long while and meeting the rest of the extended family. A lovely buffet lunch surrounded by excitement and remaining remnants of Christmas and new year celebrations led to the ultimate entertainment - an attempt at just dance on the wii! J refused however, probably not yet ready to unleash his moves so early in the afternoon!
After lunch, we walked Fergus along the Edinburgh beaches, greatly appreciating my warm gloves and scarf as the bitter wind blew against us as we walked towards the dunes.
A great surprise awaited us about halfway - a group of 3 beach goers heading straight into the 5 degree sea! Some had even taken the Scottish tradition of the Loony Duk even further and were skinny dipping!
As the sun began to set, we watched from the top of the dunes. Soon however the wind became too strong and we drove home, our Edinburgh trip coming to a close. After a delicious homemade dinner, and watching the new series of Sherlock -( no one does tv like the English!) went to sleep for the last night in Edinburgh.

Hogmanay - Edinburgh

Fireworks, live music from the likes of traditional scottish bands, friendly fires, wild beasts and mark ronson, beautiful views of the illuminated Edinburgh castle and 80,000 people - were clearly going to be the perfect recipe for a great New Years! The atmosphere was amazing, jovial and friendly - everybody wishing everyone happy new year and striking up conversation, caught up in the madness of Hogmanay! Despite fireworks every hour on the hour leading up to midnight, the countdown seemed to arrive out of the blue and arm in arm with strangers and friends, the crowd broke into a huge drunken chorus of Auld Lang Syne. After the most amazing entrance into 2012, we arrived back home at just before 4am and failed to wake until nearly 10 hours later...

31st December - Edinburgh day 2

We were obviously even more tired than we had realised and managed a full 12 hours of sleep! After having breakfast and witnessing J's first experience with weetabix, a healthy appetite and a smaller bowl than he is used to, we got ready and ventured into town.
Edinburgh's public transport system is an interesting one - namely very limited as they currently try to reinstall (?) the tram system they took out some years ago. We were dropped off at the park and ride station, about a 15 minute journey from Edinburgh Waverley. Complex ticket machines that would take only credit cards confused more than just us, and with so many lost expressions it became clear that tourists were outnumbering locals.
Once in town, I spotted my good old friends Topshop, Primark and H&M. As became reacquainted with them, J found himself free wi fi and a hot drink.
Shopping cravings quickly satisfied, we walked up and down princes street sorting out where we would go when we returned for Hogmanay celebrations later in the night.
Feeling slightly peckish, we returned to the Christmas market and got ourselves huuuuge Angus beef burgers topped with cheese, bacon, onions and tomato relish from a stall. We sat down at a nearby bench to tackle the messy, greasy but delicious food. The atmosphere of the street was celebratory, the aftermath of Christmas and the anticipation of New Year.
I managed to convince J to go on the Edinburgh Wheel, a smaller cross between the London eye and a ferris wheel which was fun, spinning round and admiring the views of Edinburgh.
Whilst on the wheel, we spotted the Walter Scott monument and decided to seek adventure and climb to it's top. Hundreds of stairs later, the views wee magnificent if not concerningly windy! The stairs, as in many old buildings became increasingly narrow and low proving a problem for tall J!
With not enough time to properly see the castle, we decided to save it for another day and instead head on home and prepare for the night ahead!
B x

30th December - Edinburgh

The train to Edinburgh was packed full of revellers all with the same intention: Hogmanay! With two window seats we were in prime position to admire the breathtaking views along the way from Manchester. The weather was cold and the skies a light grey but the rolling hills and surrounding landscape were a variety of vivid greens, yellows and browns - providing a sight better than a picture perfect postcard. It was the quintessential English countryside - matched by nothing.
Following these were some amazing views of the lake district before crossing the border into Bonnie Scotland! Our hopes were raised and then immediately dashed at seeing a thin peppering of snow on the hills which quickly disappeared.
The journey was just over 3 hours but passed easily. Lugging our suitcases off the train, we immediately spied some familiar faces.
After depositing our suitcases in the car boot, we were taken on a wander around the streets of Edinburgh to get our bearings for New Years Eve the following day.
It didn't take long for me to fall in love with Edinburgh, remanents of Christmas decorations and lights still lining Princes Street, the beautiful architecture and the romantic atmosphere I felt! Despite the pouring rain that ensued, we explored the Christmas market, grabbing a huge steaming 'hog roast roll' piled high with apple sauce for lunch. We spotted the castle standing high atop the hill, looking out over the whole of Edinburgh and walked around the outside. Even now, the entrance is both imposing and majestic - a figure if stability and strength.
To escape the rain, a visit to a local pub was suggested. The first was a seemingly small one, but upon entry it was packed, every nook and cranny crammed with dark wooden tables and chairs filled by animated conversations and beer. Inside was a maze - twisting corridors and stairs but no spaces!
We then found ourselves in an Irish pub (yes, in Scotland I know!) with four chairs but no table. A group of Irish travellers saw our soaked, probably pathetic looking faces and struck up conversation gladly sharing their table and warmth with us. I tried my first (half) pint of larger (not a fan!) and J his first pint of Guinness (similar reaction but still drunk it...and mine!)
The rain became too much and we headed home, had a delicious cooked dinner of roast pork and vegetables and apple and blackberry crumble. With an eventful day and new years eve in mind, we found ourselves falling asleep quickly and gladly.
B x

Coming soon...

Firstly, apologies for the lack of recent posts. Constant traveling has meant a few technical difficulties and sometimes lack of internet. But fear not! We will endeavor to fill in the blanks ASAP, and tell the tales of Edinburgh, Manchester, Bedford and London and the start of our continent tour! B xo