Wow - I'm home!!! Have been now for a week. The journey from the airport to home was definitely a trip-out - so much space in Brisbane, lots of open sky and very few people around.
Lunch near Frome. Me, Margaret, Lesley, Bette.
The Roman Baths in the background of my head.
The Baths and the beautiful cathedral in the background.
Anyway, just a quick update on my last few days in London. I moved out to Leilani and Johnno's place on the east side and proceeded to fill their lounge room with all my stuff.
On Sunday I left early in the morning to get up to Stansted Airport where I had arranged a hire car as I was going to pick Margaret up and we were going to meet up with another great aunt of mine, Bette, and her daughter, Lesley (who I had never met). They live out near Bath. After some annoying London transport issues I finally arrived on a replacement bus to the airport (yes I had to pay the full train fare and received a much slower trip on the bus!). Got Margaret all loaded up and we were off!
It was a really fun couple of days seeing one family member that I haven't seen in years and meeting others I've never met! Margaret and I actually stayed at the same b&b that Bette used to own many years ago. Still standing and still keeping it's old-age charm. We then After time in a little village near Bath, I went to Bath and saw the baths :) An absolutely lovely town! Margaret and I then continued on down south towards Devon and ended up in a town called Ilminster with it's own cider-making establishment (apparently there is no brewing so can't call it a brewery).
Lunch near Frome. Me, Margaret, Lesley, Bette.
The Roman Baths in the background of my head.
The Baths and the beautiful cathedral in the background.
The New Inn, Ilminster. Sweet little place.
After a night at the Inn we continued our drive in a westerly direction. Unfortunately we were running out of time and we didn't make the coast. But we did get to Dartmoor National Park where I proceeded to go galavanting up over the countryside while Margaret patiently waited for me in the car. It was windswept plains of moors with a pretty cool view. The clouds went whipping by and brought rain in intermittent bursts. Anyway, I loved the fresh air and openness!
Dartmoor National Park - me sitting on the wall of some Bronze Age house.
A better photo of the stone hut construction.
It was getting late so we had to head back towards Abbots Langley and London. But not before visiting the gorgeous Avebury stones. These things are amazing as they cover a huge area of land and the little town of Avebury just exists within them. The motorway even goes in between fields of them. I never went to Stonehenge but some people say the Aveburys are nicer because they're not so touristed.
What an ambience!
Another view.
One of the white horses cut into the hillside. Apparently there is more than one!
After the adventure off into Devon with Margaret, I eventually got the hire car back to Stansted airport and headed back to Lei and Johnno's place. It was great to spend time with the two of them and they (& the rest of the Walthamstow house gang) really looked after me. We had a great weekend down at Eastbourne where we visited the beach (stones!!! although it was advertised as sand!) and ate fish and chips and hung out in the sun. We went for a walk over an area protected as National Park and Johnno's claims that the cliffs nearby are a suiciders dream location were in fact correct!!
On the Saturday night we went to a Belgian pub and got buckets of mussells - brilliant!!
Eastbourne
Johnno and I and the fated cliffs (& beautiful view)
View over the fated cliffs.
Ahh mussells and Belgian beer!
And following from now just a few more pics of some of the places I got to with Lei and Johnno before I left for Aust.
Lei and I also got to the London Zoo where the highlight was definitely the gorillas! This one seemed to love all the people (I think the everyone's faces show how special it was to be so close to these amazing creatures).
Johnno and the great big thistle at Kew Gardens.
Lei and Johnno showing their appreciation of Aussie gum trees.
After a night at the Inn we continued our drive in a westerly direction. Unfortunately we were running out of time and we didn't make the coast. But we did get to Dartmoor National Park where I proceeded to go galavanting up over the countryside while Margaret patiently waited for me in the car. It was windswept plains of moors with a pretty cool view. The clouds went whipping by and brought rain in intermittent bursts. Anyway, I loved the fresh air and openness!
Dartmoor National Park - me sitting on the wall of some Bronze Age house.
A better photo of the stone hut construction.
It was getting late so we had to head back towards Abbots Langley and London. But not before visiting the gorgeous Avebury stones. These things are amazing as they cover a huge area of land and the little town of Avebury just exists within them. The motorway even goes in between fields of them. I never went to Stonehenge but some people say the Aveburys are nicer because they're not so touristed.
What an ambience!
Another view.
One of the white horses cut into the hillside. Apparently there is more than one!
After the adventure off into Devon with Margaret, I eventually got the hire car back to Stansted airport and headed back to Lei and Johnno's place. It was great to spend time with the two of them and they (& the rest of the Walthamstow house gang) really looked after me. We had a great weekend down at Eastbourne where we visited the beach (stones!!! although it was advertised as sand!) and ate fish and chips and hung out in the sun. We went for a walk over an area protected as National Park and Johnno's claims that the cliffs nearby are a suiciders dream location were in fact correct!!
On the Saturday night we went to a Belgian pub and got buckets of mussells - brilliant!!
Eastbourne
Johnno and I and the fated cliffs (& beautiful view)
View over the fated cliffs.
Ahh mussells and Belgian beer!
And following from now just a few more pics of some of the places I got to with Lei and Johnno before I left for Aust.
Lei and I also got to the London Zoo where the highlight was definitely the gorillas! This one seemed to love all the people (I think the everyone's faces show how special it was to be so close to these amazing creatures).
Johnno and the great big thistle at Kew Gardens.
Lei and Johnno showing their appreciation of Aussie gum trees.
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