Sunday Snapshots

Woke up early on a beautiful, and freezing cold Saturday morning to go to the Harrod's Christmas Parade.


This year was a Wizard of Oz theme.


Then on Saturday night, we drove down to Chiddingfold in Sussex for Bonfire night.


Those who know me, know that I am terrified of heights, but on Sunday, I went on The London Eye. All I can say is I am very thankful for the seat in the middle to hold on to and it was a lot better on the way down!


Very glad I did it though. The views of London are just amazing!


And finished off Sunday night with a look at the Christmas lights on Regent and Oxford Streets.

A Week or Two in the Life

Sorry I haven't been on here for a couple of weeks, but I haven't really had anything interesting to blog about.

The kids have been off school for half-term and I have been working lots. The weather has turned colder, wetter and it's now darker thanks to the end of British Summer Time. We have been rugged up in wellies and rain jackets and hitting the playgrounds and feeding the ducks.

As for exploring London, there hasn't been much of that happening, I'm afraid. I did get into the city one day, but that was with two kids under five in tow, so not my idea of ideal sightseeing circumstances.

I am also on day 6 of a 10 day detox, which means I haven't had anything to eat since last Monday. After feeling shocking for the first three days, I am now feeling really good. I never thought I would make it this far and I am determined to see it through to the end. The good news is that my cold has completely gone. There were a few nights that I had dreams of Quarter Pounders and roast chicken, but other than that, I'm hanging in there.

In other news, my friend Hannah arrives tomorrow and I am driving to Heathrow to pick her up. Yes, driving to Heathrow. I am slightly terrified, but I'm hoping that I'll get there OK, without getting too lost! While she is here, I haven't made too many plans, but we'll get out and do lots of things that I haven't done yet, like The London Eye, an open-top bus tour (weather permitting), a live recording of BBC TV's My Family and just see more of this great city. There is also the trip to Paris to look forward to.

Last night was Halloween and due to being on this detox thing I had no candy in the house, so I spent the evening inside, babysitting, with all the lights turned off to avoid all the little spooks and their trick-or-treating. On my way downstairs, in the dark of course, I managed to miss the last step and fell on my arm which is now really sore and developing a very large bruise. I guess it does serve me right! Today I spent pumping up a double air mattress with a foot pump that kept sticking, only to discover it has a slow leak so, sorry Hannah, it will have to be the single. At least I got a good leg and bum workout!

So watch this space! I'll be back out exploring next week and have some new pictures to post.

Sunday Snapshot - Paris

This weekend I booked a trip to Paris for November when my friend Hannah is over from Australia.

I have never really had any great desire to go to Paris, but now that I have booked my trip, I really can't wait! We'll be heading off on the Eurostar on a Friday, very, very early in the morning, staying right near the Eiffel Tower and coming back to London on Sunday night.

I have even bought some French language cd's and have been trying to learn some basic words that I am sure I'll forget as soon as I get there!

So this Sunday Snapshot is of somewhere I haven't been yet, but since I have had the flu and haven't been out much this weekend, it's the best I can do!

The Salon

The last time I lived in the UK, I did not have the best experience with hairdressers. Although, it has to be said, I had the best hairdresser I have ever had in the small town of Crieff, as soon as I moved to Manchester, the good hairdressers seemed to vanish.

There is a lot to be said for the recommendations of friends, and not knowing anyone in Manchester, I was left to blindly stumble on.

The first hairdresser I went to was one where you did not need to make an appointment, you just showed up and had to wait your turn. After two and a half hours, I got my turn and could not seem to make the hairdresser understand how I wanted it cut and left less than impressed. The second time, I went to a very well known salon chain, paid the premium price to a top stylist, and after the lovely head massage, the cup of tea, I was told that I could not have my hair cut how I wanted because it was not in their book of hairstyles! Yes, they had a book and were only "allowed" to cut the styles in the book. This was one of the very few times I have lost it in public, and I left with a style I didn't want and fumed all the way home on the bus.

After that, I grew my hair long and waited until I got home to Australia to have it cut.

This time, knowing I would be in the UK for longer, I kept my hair long and then, just a few months before leaving, I got it all cut off. I knew this was a risk due to my previous experience at hairdressers in this country.

I was not convinced that my experiences would improve when, just after I arrived, my boss recommended I go to the local Headmasters Training Academy to get my haircut by students training to be stylists. Students...I don't think so!

But I have since had my hair cut three times there and each time, although taking up to two hours for a cut, has been amazing. Yesterday, I went for a haircut and decided to get a fringe cut. I haven't had a fringe for at least 20 years, and that was the big lacquered one that all my friends had in year 12! I am very pleased with it and they did a fantastic job.

And it's really good value. Might be worth a look if your searching for a decent hairdresser.

Sunday Snapshot - The Aston Martin

Did you know...
That the Aston Martin is built entirely by hand? That five cows hides are used for each car interior? That these cows are sourced from Scandinavia, where they are kept in electric-fenced yards to avoid barbed-wire damage to the hide? That each car interior is stitched by one person to maintain the integrity of the stitching?

I had no idea of any of these things until this Sunday when I got the chance to have a ride in an Aston Martin Vantage, worth over 100,000 pounds. To say it is a very nice ride is an understatement, especially when you're travelling at 120 mph (yes, that's MILES per hour!) down the motorway. Definitely a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

What I know about cars can be counted on a hand with no fingers, but when it comes to the Aston Martin, I don't know, there's just something about it.

I think Handsome Rob is to blame...!

Seasons

This week so far has been pretty wet and miserable...for some.

I happen to love this weather! It is so nice to have actual seasons again. I was walking to Kingston the other day and was looking at the leaves that had fallen on the ground and it hit me. I am actually going to have an autumn and a winter this year. After living in Queensland, as much as it is a beautiful place, I have really missed the seasons. I don't mention spring, because, thanks to hayfever, it's not my favourite season, and summer, well, Queensland was just one long summer!

On Monday, I went shopping and it was bucketing down with rain and I finally bought a jacket, a new umbrella and wellies. Not just any old wellies, but bright blue ones!

I am now ready for all seasons, so bring it on!

Sunday Snapshot

Trafalgar Square on a sunny day

Manchester

This weekend, I went back to Manchester.

Although, whatever possessed me to book a ticket departing Euston Station at 7pm on a Friday night, I'll never know. One slow, hot, overcrowded bus ride, one manic change of trains at Victoria (where, despite the crowds, I still managed to give three people directions, including two ladies who spoke very little English. Does this make me a local yet?), I squeezed myself and what I had thought was a tiny suitcase, out of the tube at Euston, and onto my Virgin train to Manchester.

It was an oasis.

I had only booked my tickets last week, so naturally the only tickets available were First Class ones and I am so glad they were. I had a window seat to myself and there were complimentary drinks and snacks...who would have thought? I don't know if I'll ever be able to travel in standard class again!

Just over two hours later, I arrived in Manchester and, not totally sure I was going the right way, I followed the crowds and ended up in familiar parts of the city and made my way to my hotel, which just happened to be the hotel I worked in when I first arrived in Manchester 5 years ago. Luckily, the "Dragon Lady" (aka, my old boss) no longer worked there!


On Saturday, I walked from the city to my old stomping ground, the lovely Hulme. Most things were exactly the same as I remember them. There were a few new apartment blocks and the shortcut I used each day to the bus stop was overgrown, and could almost pass for a nice park. It was green, anyway! The ASDA we used to shop at has been extended and now is huge. There is also and Argos catalogue store and a Pound Stretcher next door, which are new, and would have been very handy to have nearby when I lived there. The Caribbean food stand had been replaced with a larger building, but you could still get your Goat Curry, which is good to know!


The old house was still there and looked even more dreary than when we had lived there. I would love to have seen the inside, to see if they had fixed the leaky shower, painted the walls and repaired all the cracks. Aaah, home sweet home!


It felt like I had only been away for 5 days instead of 5 years.





After strolling down memory lane(s), I jumped on the bus and headed out to The Trafford Centre, once my favourite place to shop. I used to think this shopping centre was big, but that was before I had been to Dubai! I caught up with my friend Lisa,a fellow Aussie who has lived in the UK for almost 10 years, and still has some of her Aussie accent left and then met up with Pam, who I used to work with (at my favourite office job ever...after I left the job from hell at the Novotel!), for afternoon tea in Chorlton, a lovely village south of Manchester city.

After walking all day, it was back to the hotel for me for a nice, long bath and room service for dinner. This is the life!

Sunday morning, I decided to sleep in, since checkout wasn't until 12 noon, and treat myself to a buffet breakfast, before heading out to see the city centre. I walked up to Piccadilly Gardens. Still the same. Wandered down Market Street. Same. Then I went into the Arndale Centre and this was all new. Five years ago, it was about half its current size, after being rebuilt following an IRA bomb in 1996. The centre is now finished and is a great place to shop...which is what I did, although not too much because I'm still not a fan of shopping. But I was hot and had only brought a thick jacket, underestimating the mild weather in Manchester.





After my small amount of retail therapy, I decided to explore a part of Manchester that, for whatever reason, I had never been to when I lived here. It was Castlefields, an area of Manchester situated on the canals, and apparently dates back to Roman times. It was gritty and urban, just like Manchester on the whole and I loved it. It is really beautiful, in its own way.





It felt good to be back in Manchester and I am pleased to say that I did all my exploring without a map and was even asked for directions, which I could give with confidence. I realised that Manchester will always feel like home to me...one of my homes, anyway!

Exploring done and most old haunts re-visited, it was time to go back to the hotel, have a quick drink and head off to the train station. First Class on the way home again...lovely!

That was until I arrived in London to a closed Victoria Line due to engineering works, escalators that weren't working, so many stairs with a heavy suitcase, three trains just to get me to the end of the line and a 30 minute wait for the bus home.

Good to be home!

Sunday Snapshot

I went to see Wicked on Saturday and it was amazing!

I found out at the late Friday that I had Saturday off so I got online that night and booked tickets for the next day. And I got awesome seats. Four rows from the front and right in the middle.

If you're in London and haven't seen it yet, what are you waiting for? It was absolutely brilliant!

Sunday Snapshot (and a little bit more!)

Today, I went to Covent Garden. Loved it!

I love stumbling across random things and instead of a photo this week, here is a video of some street performers at Covent Garden today. I arrived a bit late into their set so I have no idea who they are, but they were amazing!



This week has been an interesting one. On Monday, I checked my bank balance in my Australian account to check if my sister had paid the money in for my fridge that was sold a few weeks back and I found an amount of money that I was not expecting. In other words, it was a LOT more than I was expecting! I called my bank in Australia and asked them what the amount was for.

It turns out that it was my tax return. Apparently, I had paid too much tax and received a lump sum payment as a result. The ATO was now my new best friend. As great as this was, this left me with the question of the best way to transfer this money to my UK account.

After searching the web, I went with Tranzfers, a company recommended by WorkGateways.com, an essential site for any person wishing to move to the UK. They gave me a great exchange rate and my first transfer was free, compared to the almost $100 my bank was going to charge me. I highly recommend them.

So this week has been a good one, and next week will be even better once I have the money in my account (delayed, thanks to another Royal Mail strike!).

Now, about that shopping list...

Sunday Snapshots

Bridges I've crossed...


St Paul's Cathedral from the Millenium Footbridge


York Bridge at Regent's Park


View from London Bridge


London Eye from The Jubilee Footbridge


Westminster from Westminster Bridge


Tower Bridge

Be Cool to Your School

School is back today and with it came drama and tears over breakfast cereal, threats to send me back to the airport (because according to Little Boy 3, that is where I come from!), one crazy traffic jam and a mad sprint to the school gate as a result.

Let the good times begin.

I, for one, am glad that school is back. My routine is back with it, I am working more hours and will be earning more money. The last two days of summer holidays have been exhausting. On Tuesday, I took the kids out on the bus, then on the tube into London and a boat ride to Greenwich for a picnic in the Park. It was a great day out, everyone was well behaved (including me!) and after the trip back home, we were all worn out. Wednesday was a wet day and I had planned to spend the day at home so we could all have some down time before school started.

Imagine my horror when their dad mentioned that we could go the London Transport Museum...in the city...on a wet day...with two kids under five! After trying to convince them that a whole day inside playing "Farmyards" would be much more fun, we all got our rain jackets on and headed once again into London. The weather could not make up its mind what it wanted to do, so it was rainy, windy, cold, warm, sunny and the jackets were on and off more times than I could count.

Our first stop was to visit their dad in his office and pretty much as soon as I arrived, I wanted to leave. I hadn't been in an office since I left Australia and I realised that I didn't miss it at all. In fact, I was sure that if I stayed there too long, they would make me start answering the phones! It was enough to make me want to run screaming from the place!

Anyway, we did leave without answering a single phone call, and headed to Covent Garden and the London Transport Museum. I was expecting to be bored, but it was actually great fun. The kids played in the play area mostly and I had a look at all the old buses and trains. Also, I never realised what was in Covent Garden itself and is definitely a place to come back and explore...without kids!

We caught two trains and a bus home and we were all dead on our feet after our day out. But at least the kids slept well...lucky them!

Here are some pics of the Transport Museum:

Sunday Snapshot

View of London skyline from Embankment

Some of My Favourites

Here are some of my favourite things and places in London so far:

Elderflower cordial - my boss makes her own and it is delicious. Nothing at all like it in Australia and it tastes great mixed with sparkling water. You can buy it in the shops which tastes nice too. The best brand I have tried is Belvoir Farms Elderflower Presse.



Harrods - I just love this store, even when crowded with people. My favourite part are the Food Halls. I hardly ever buy anything, but I just love to wander around and look at all the displays. They do sell great Norwegian sparkling water though...for a price! The toilets are fantastic too. They have perfumes you can spray on yourself so you smell like you belong there, even if you're dressed more for wandering around BHS (that's British Home Stores).



Marks and Spencer - what a great idea. Supermarket and department store in one! My latest discovery is the Blueberry and Pomegranate Sparkling Water (do you get the feeling I really like sparkling water?) and their white chocolate chip cookies.


Pimms - a scrummy summer drink, served with lemonade, orange, strawberry and mint. Very nice!



Walking in the city - I need to after all those M&S cookies! London is so easy to get around and you can miss so much by just riding the tube. It will take you longer, you'll have to dodge the crowds of people pretty much wherever you go, but it's pretty flat and if you slip on your Crocs (highly recommended!), grab your map and hit the streets, you will get to know this city so much better.



The Tube - as much as I advocate walking, riding the tube is fun as it's the perfect place to people-watch. You need to be a bit careful though, because this is England after all and few people will make eye contact on the tube. I like going down the escalators at the tube stations, so far under the city and then jumping on a low, narrow train, thundering along a tube only inches wider than the train itself and coming out in a whole new part of London all, hopefully, in the space of a few minutes. I guess I like it so much because I've never really thought about the fact that it is so far underground...

Finding Facebook Friends

Facebook, you've done it to me again.

Every now and then, I log onto facebook and do a random search for someone who has popped into my mind, which usually leads to another search, then another, and another...you know how it goes!

This morning I was up until 1am, searching for old school friends on my high school page. Not really the best idea since I have to work today, but I managed to find a couple of "friends". (Can we really call people that if we haven't seen them for 20 years and hardly knew them at all at school?).

And when did everyone get so old? It was hard to recognise some people, while others seemed to have not changed at all. The search is harder when you have to deal with married names too. So, everyone is old and married. How did that all happen?

In other news, I got my British licence in the post yesterday. It's all shiny and new and somehow, they have taken a fairly decent photo and managed to make it look like a mugshot! Do they do that deliberately?

This weekend is a Bank Holiday here, and I briefly considered going along to the Notting Hill Carnival, but while reading about it online, I discovered that some people do not use the porta-loos provided and I decided it was not the best place for me to spend the day in my Crocs! Think about it...!

Anyway, it's my cousins birthday so we'll now be having a BBQ on Monday instead. Nice!

Sunday Snapshot

Do you know the Muffin Man...?

The Hottest Day of the Year...so far!

OK. I've been here three months now, so I feel British enough to indulge in a truly British past time...discussing the weather.

Today is 30 degrees, and according to Capital FM, the hottest day of the year so far. Since I have been in London, there have been about 6 days that have been the hottest day so far. I am still Australian enough to realise that 30 degrees is not hot. It's just a nice, summer's day.

But it feels hot here. This country is very good at keeping us all warm in winter, but when it comes to keeping us cool in summer...well, not so great. A hot day in Australia sends people into the airconditioned shops to escape the heat. Here, it's often cooler outside. Today, I had to resort to some Aussie summer survival skills. I closed all the curtains early to keep the house cool, opened the windows for the breeze and made sure to drink plenty of water.

While I am talking of the weather, mention needs to be made of that truly scary British male. You know the one. The one who feels the need to wander around shirtless, pale and hairy-backed in the middle of the city at the first glimpse of the sun. Seriously, what is the deal with THAT?

OK, I understand that the sun is not out often here and you have to enjoy it while you can, but please men, put your shirts back on! If you're on the beach, by all means, take that shirt off. In the city, leave it on. Your skin, and most of the people who see you, will thank you for it!

Sunday Snapshot

Just had a quick flick through some of my pics and came up with this gem! This photo was taken at the only polo match I have ever been to in my life, on my first weekend here in London. I thought it was appropriate since this weekend marks three months since I arrived...wow!

Licence to Drive

Today I had to got to the DVLA in Wimbledon to change my Aussie licence for a British one.

I was prepared. I had dealt with British red tape before.

First up, I drove to Sainsbury's and their photo booth for my recent passport style photos, which I have to say are not too bad at all (shocker!) and then made my way by bus to Wimbledon, somewhere I hadn't been before. I had my D1 form all completed, my passport, my new photo, proof of UK address, my Aussie licence and the princely sum of 50 pounds. I was ready to wait as long as necessary and had no other plans for the rest of the day.

Getting off the bus near the station, I found the office just around the corner and located the licencing section on the 1st floor. I took my ticket, opened the door and prepared to take my seat and wait for my number to be called. I even had a book to read!

The waiting area was...empty! My number was next to be called and five minutes (yes, it's true!) later, I had surrendered my Aussie licence, had my passport and ID checked, paid the fee and was on my way out the door.

I was stunned, to say the least. I thought back to when I first arrived in Queensland from South Australia three years ago and I spent half a day at Queensland Transport trying to change my SA licence to a QLD one. I had expected this experience to be at least that much hassle. But no. It wasn't bad at all.

Then it hit me. I had just given up my Australian driver's licence for a British one. The licence I have had for almost half my life. What does that mean? Am I no longer Australian? I can't explain it, but I feel a bit sad without it. Like a tie to home has been cut off. I know that's crazy.

So this isn't just a holiday, then? I live in London now.

Oink?

I'm sick. Pretty sure it isn't swine flu, but I'm at home, curled up in bed with my laptop, breathing in enough eucalyptus oil to make a koala jealous and feeling like I could really use a new head.

This week is a pretty quiet one for me. On Sunday, I spent the day with my cousin and her kids in the city. After an awesome service at church, we headed to the V&A for lunch in their gorgeous cafeteria and spent some time watching the kids splash in the paddling pool in the garden. That day, I decided to wear some shoes other than my Crocs (just for a change) and paid the price...blisters! So, I'll bite the bullet and just wear the practical, comfortable shoes and be done with it.

Escaping the city, we headed to Westfield for a taste of home. No matter where I am, I feel at home in a shopping mall. Please don't get me wrong, I don't really like shopping much at all, but in a mall, things make sense. The shops may all be different, but the feel is still the same. When I first moved to Crieff in Scotland back in 2003, I remember walking into the mall in Stirling, after a few months of "High Street" shopping and feeling like I had come home.

Anyway, back to this week. The family are off to Devon again this weekend and I get the weekend off...all four glorious days from Thursday on. Originally, my plan was to get up to Manchester to visit my friends, but prefering to be selfish and keep this cold all to myself, the plan has been put on hold.

One thing I do have to do this week is change my Australian licence to a British licence for car insurance purposes. I'm not sure how I feel about it, since I will need to give up my Australian licence to get my UK one. Yes. They will take it away. Gone. Forever? Not sure, but it feels very final. At the end of the day, it's just a piece of paper (plastic?), right?

Well, that's how my week is shaping up. Sorry to disappoint you if were looking to read some glamorous tales of the expat life in London. Please stay tuned. I'm sure future posts will have something more exciting to report, other than head colds!

Now, where are my tissues...?

Sunday Snapshot (and a little bit more!)

The Sunken Garden at The Orangery in Kensington Gardens (Phew! That's a mouthful!)

Sorry there hasn't been anything since last Sunday's snapshot, but this week has been pretty same-old, except for the weather. It has rained every time the kids want to go out and been sunny every time they want to stay home. Not much to tell...playgrounds, playdates and endless farmyards!

I did get out to the cinema to see The Ugly Truth. It was good, but not great. Sorry to ruin it for you but it was very predictable and what was with Gerard Butler's American accent? Don't they realise that his accent is so much of his appeal?? Anyway, it was a nice afternoon spent out of the rain and out of the house for the back-to-back playdates that the kids mum had booked for them!

Hopefully, there is some more to report next week.

P.S Am I talking about the weather too much? Don't want to start getting all "British" on you! (No offence meant...honest!)

Sunday Snapshot

I guess we really should let the Brits win...sometimes!

Prepared for all Seasons

I am sitting here in my lovely, quiet house, enjoying the first day of my three day weekend, thanks to grandparents who live in Devon, and what a week this has been.

After my day out in London last Saturday, it was back into work for a long week of five days in a row (I know!!) starting on Sunday. The weather has been mostly rubbish this week, so I have spent most of my days playing hide and seek, pretending to be a puppy, a spaceman in a rocket ship bound for a planet where "sweeties" (Translation: lollies for all the Aussies!) fall from the sky, bandaging imaginary wounds in the "hospital" (also known as the living room) or playing what seemed like endless hours of farmyards.

Imagine my delight when, on Thursday morning, the sun was shining brightly and we were off to see a pantomime in the park. I was really looking forward to going to my first London "Panto", and so, started the day on a great note. When I arrive downstairs, the first thing Little Boy Three says is, "Becs, I don't want to go to the show! I'm fed up of shows!!". Fed up at the age of three? Hmm.

Saying a sad farewell to the Panto, I pulled out my usual back up card...the playground. You can't go wrong!

Or can you...?

Clearly the weather had other ideas and no sooner had I got the two kids into their wellies and macks (just in case...it is England, after all!), the heavens opened. Sigh! I got the kids out of their wellies and macks and what should happen? Yes, that's right. The sun came out. Back into wellies and macks we go, and then the rain started...again! Big sigh!

Five minutes later the rain stopped, but this time I waited, before getting them back into their gear and we made a mad dash for village, and almost made it home dry...but not quite! The afternoon turned out to be nice and sunny and quite warm, so it certainly pays to be prepared for all seasons here!

I am yet to get some proper wellies. As you may remember, I ordered some of Crocs wellie-type boots and they did arrive. I have hesitated mentioning them as, well, there is no other way to say it. They are huge!! The perfect shoe for those dark, dark winter nights, when the snow is so deep no one can see your shoes. Here is a picture of them and you'll see what I mean:


Huge, right! Is it just me, or do they remind you of Darth Vader?? I guess that's what you get for buying practical shoes online! There's a lesson in that for us all.

Today, I have stayed pretty much close to home to recover from the week. Tomorrow, I have some cleaning to do and I might head into Kingston to the cinema. Sunday, I'll be heading back into the city, this time to Kensington Palace and Gardens and to Notting Hill, I think. The weather should be nice, or so "they" say...not quite ready to trust them yet. Will be prepared for all seasons though...

Sunday Snapshot

Here's one for all the Harry Potter fans! The Empire Theatre in Leicester Square

I Heart London

I. Love. London.

There. I said it. I always knew I would like London, but today, well, I fell in love.

It wasn't just one thing, but a lot of little things. Like finding Leicester Square peaceful and quiet on a Saturday morning. Maybe it was queueing (that great British past time!) for matinee tickets for Hairspray (Wicked was sold out) or discovering that Charing Cross Road is the place to go for bookstores.

Perhaps it was killing a couple of hours on Oxford Road (which can be a dangerous and expensive thing to do!) or even the crazy lady on the tube ride home, holding a glow in the dark crucifix up to everone near her and muttering to herself about how she was going to save the world!

Yes, all these things, but truthfully, the one point I just knew that this city had stolen a piece of my heart was when I was on my feet with the rest of the audience in The Shaftesbury Theatre, clapping in time to You Can't Stop The Beat, crying and laughing at the same time, knowing that if I wanted to see a show, I could just go see one. No waiting for one to come to your town. They are all right here, waiting for me.

Yes. I love London.

Lazy Days and Practical Shoes

My hours have changed this week and I've been working mornings which has led to three lazy afternoons in a row. Which have been great, don't get me wrong, but I need to get back out and walk. I have actually missed it! Who would have thought?

I can't even blame the weather anymore because last week, I bought a rain jacket. My first purchase in preparation for the wet months ahead. My second purchase arrives tomorrow...wellies! But not just any old wellies. Oh, no! I discovered that Crocs make a boot similar to a wellie (welly?) and I have ordered a pair online. If they turn out to be as comfortable as my regular Crocs, then I'll be set all year round!

OK, as I'm typing this, I realise that I have become a purchaser of practical, comfortable shoes. When did that happen? Am I old? I love shoes. Why am I now leaning towards the practical? It's quite scary!

I think I need to go shopping...

I've got the next 72 hours off and don't work again until Sunday, so tomorrow, Friday, I'm off to Richmond because I don't think I've given the place a proper look. Then on Saturday, I'll be heading to London to see if I can score some cheap tickets to Wicked. Been wanting to see it for ages!

Sunday Snapshot (and a little bit more!)

Thankfully, this is just a sign for a museum and not a real need for an air raid shelter in London these days!

This snapshot is late again. Sorry. I spent this Sunday at home, curled up with my laptop, watching episodes of 24. I had meant to just watch a few, but ended up watching all 12 episodes that my sister had kindly put on disc for me when I left home. Very, very kind considering she is the biggest Jack Bauer fan I know, and giving me the disc meant that she would have to wait to watch them each week when they were on TV. Thanks, Sis!

But, the episodes ended at at hour 20, leaving me four hours short of the ending. What was I to do? What was going to happen to Jack? I jumped on facebook and sent an urgent request to my favourite sister (even though I only have one!) for the last few episodes. Phew!

Please don't tell me what happens at the end!

The last week has been very busy here, but I managed to get out to see Harry Potter and The Half-Blood Prince on Saturday morning. Loved it. Loved it. LOVED IT!! I think it was the best one yet.

And to make up for missing my weekly exploring in London on Sunday, I am making the trip into the big smoke tomorrow. Not sure to where yet...

Seven Sheep, Two Markets and One Medieval Minstrel

Last weekend, I was lucky enough to have the whole weekend off and since I couldn't afford a trip to Paris or anything like that, I decided to just head into London for some more exploring.

Saturday, I headed to London Bridge to see the 800th anniversary celebrations of its completion. The bridge had been closed to traffic and, according to the info I found online, "freemen and liverymen were exercising their 'rights to drive sheep across the bridge tax free'". So right there, in the heart of London, on a grey and muggy day, sheep were driven across London Bridge, by men in medieval robes (and also a couple in Drizabones!). The things you discover!

Next stop was Borough Market. One word: overwhelming! I think the whole population of London was there. It was an amazing experience, but after about half an hour of trying to weave through the crowds, I had to get out. Unfortunately, when I realised this, I was nowhere near an exit! I did make it out and I have to say that I didn't buy anything, other than lunch which was the best sausage in bread I have ever tasted!

After escaping the markets, I walked along the river to Hays Galleria, which did not live up to what I had imagined it to be, and then across the Tower Bridge to the Tower of London. Now it needs to be said that I am not a fan of bridges. I don't know where this irrational fear has come from, but I'm sure my dad didn't help, when driving over the Westgate Bridge in Melbourne, would always say, "This is where x amount of men were killed when this section of the bridge collapsed when they were building it". I am pleased to say that since arriving in London, although still with this fear of bridges, I have crossed the Millenium Footbridge, London Bridge, Tower Bridge, Westminster Bridge and the Jubilee Footbridge. Well done, me!

Once safely on the other side of the river, it started to rain just as I arrived at the Tower of London. The line was too massive to get inside so I'll put that experience down as something to do when my friend arrives in November. Wandered around St Katherine's Docks too and it was nice to escape the crowds of people for a while.

After the Tower of London, I had a moment of insanity and headed to Harrods...on a Saturday...in the middle of a sale. Let's just say, this is one thing I will never do again!

That was enough for me and I caught the next train home!

Sunday, I had planned to stay home after my trip the day before, but when I woke up the sun was out and I just had to get out and make the most of it. In keeping with my market theme of the weekend, this time I ventured to Petticoat Lane Markets, which was not quite as crowded but still an effort to get through! This market was mostly clothes, shoes and bags and once again, I didn't buy anything - what's wrong with me?

The next stop was Regent's Park and I stopped for a while and listened to Jazz in the Park, before wandering down Baker Street, past the Sherlock Holmes Museum and then onto Oxford Street, where I still didn't buy anthing! Then off home.

Here are some photos from my weekend: