Happy Travels

The last week on E has been just perfect weather – first time in all of the 5 weeks spent there that we have had two good (ie low wind or no rain) days in a row. Monday to Friday was clear, very little wind but instead it got very, very cold, more than crisp. They don\’t often get a frost and we didn\’t and there wasn\’t snow on Ben More or the Burg on Mull but gee, it was cold. The benefit was that the slight wind didn\’t bother me in the garden and on Friday I was in a garden protected by a hedge and those stone fences and I was able to work without beanie and heavy jacket.

This week was a special programme because of the solstice/equinox week, think solstice which was at 6.08am on Friday morning. So planned things to do were eg one night they built a spiral in the community house and based on, but much smaller than, the one at Findhorn lit with candles and tree lights, and made out of pine fronds which they got out of the forest on E. One night they erected the Christmas tree, also a pine out of the forest – it was beautifully done and I hung one bauble, it didn\’t interest me too much, ho hum…but it is a community and one is invited to participate in any community project offered. And it is company. What else went on to do with solstice? Cutting the tree was also something done as a group – I must do more walking in the forest it has such a lovely feel in there.

So with spirals, treeing, feasting etc I left E on Friday for Edinburgh. It is really so close even though it took about 4 + hours on the train , the trip was slow and it was via Glasgow and when I saw Edinburgh, I loved it – but that is just about the same reaction to most places, not Glasgow. That well-shown Castle is above everything. I know it from the Tattoo and from the guided walking tour of the castle the same day, I found out that the programme we see for an hour or so is actually an edited version of 3 weeks of events at the castle during their Fringe festival in August. We miss a lot but the editing works well. The Tattoo is actually held in the car park in front of the castle. The castle was interesting lots of history that I forget but one photo I took is of the Dog Cemetery where dogs of the officers or mascots of the troops get buried and honoured by ending up in a lovely garden high above and overlooking the city. What else about the castle, there was a wedding held there, and apparently there are a couple of chapels used quite frequently for this purpose, the larger costing thousand pounds plus for hire before food etc. A group of guests were in their kilts etc and amazing the women were wearing the skimpiest of dresses, like for summer wear, and it would have to have been zero degrees. It was VERY cold there, the breeze the chill factor. Didn\’t see the bride! The St Margaret\’s chapel is the oldest building in all of the UK still standing and used for it\’s original purpose – it looked bulky and big but inside was very small and I wonder if 30 people could have fitted in there.

So much to tell about Edinburgh. So will go to the hostel, quite newly set up but the management is not too tidy and so consequently the very friendly and smallish hostel and convenient to all transport etc could have done with a clean, sweep, vacuum, or even just putting the dishes away and tidying the kitchen – this latter job is for the guests after they have used the facilities. And I think some guests/travellers can\’t read. Oh, and Saturday afternoon I visited the German markets that set up a week or so ago for a short while and ate some german pastries – lots food and goods to buy. Sunday I went on a 3-hour walking tour run by a compan y that charges nothing but the donation the walkers may or may not give at the end. There were about 55 or so people on the walk leaving \’The Royal Mile\’ or High Street in the old town at 11am. There were fortunately 2 guides – imagine one was an Australian from Alice Springs, and the other Neil, a scottish guy who was extremely good at story telling and showing us around. And he had that lovely scottish accent I am craving – so many poms here in Scotland. And the Scottish know it. Around Erraid on Mull, the real Scots call themselves \’natives\’ to differentiate because the English people who have settled there call themselves \’locals\’. Some of the interesting bits of the walk were – and not necessarily in importance or order but just as I remember, hearing about JKRowling who lives in Edinburgh and how she was v poor with a 4yr when she arrived. She used to sit in the Elephant Cafe and looking out saw George Herriot\’s School (quite a costly school now), where the idea of bringing that building that is Hogwarts School into her book arrived. I mentioned previously that Glenfinnan viaduct between Fort William and Mallaig is the area that Hogwarts Express used, and the train is the old one used for summer passengers over this viaduct and is HE. There was a man standing outside St Giles Church in the Royal Mile with his flowing gown, a service going on inside, he to keep out the tourists then – he is called something like High Protector Lord of the Congregation – just loved the name. Charles Dickens on his visit to the city once, walked around one of the cemeteries (now that one I didn\’t take note of – there are a few old sites in the city) and saw the headstone of Evenezer Scroggie and thought it read a \’mean man\’. A few years later he wrote \’A Christmas Carol\’ using the names and making Ebenezer the scrooge. However, the headstone actually read a \’meal man\’ as he provided grain. The Royal Mile is so called because it is one mile between Edinburgh Castle and Holyrood, where the Queen lives in Edinburgh. There are lots of \’alleys\’ with various name altogether 300 in the old city, narrow laneways that go between streets all of about 4 ft to say 10 ft wide and of course, I can\’t remember many or any of the names…

So what else about Edinburgh? Did I say that after I left Erraid and arrived by ferry into Oban, there was a cm of ice on the vehicles parked along the street! Boy, was the temp cold. I was told that Friday didn\’t get up above -2 degrees. When I took the train on Saturday morning, the scenery was incredibly beautiful and picturesque. There was almost no daylight until about 9.30am and the frost on the ground looked like snow. Most of the shallow streams had iced over, the bare trees glistened with a beautiful greyish white covering of frost, some even tinged with pink – a most glorious site. Me thought I was lucky being in the train even though we all had to keep our big overcoats on for the 3 1/2 hours to Glasgow – some heating. My photos didn\’t do justice to the scene – well Scotland is the most beautiful place – maybe I didn\’t say that before? Edinburgh has been cold, not so windy as Erraid, but v v cold and I am going to buy another hat that has covers for the ears.

Be back again for more tales. Am off to bed and on the morrow training to my new place at Lockerbie!!!

This has to be the prettiest place I have seen – after Sydney Harbour of course – and even the cold, wet, winds, chill and temperature doesn\’t damage my love for this place. I set off for a wwoofing job from Glasgow, via Fort William and then Oban where a huge ferry takes me over to the Isle of Mull past Lismore Island and Lismore lighthouse, a bus trip of about 50 minutes on a single lane road to Fionnphort and then a short van ride in the Erraid van to a small boat. This motors about 3 or 4 minutes across the water to the Isle of Erraid. When it is rough or after dark (and that can be at 4pm) one has to either walk on the sands when the tide is low around the bay or if the tide is high, drive around to a crofter/farm (called Knockvologan and owned by John and Linda Cameron-don\’t you love these scottish names) and leave the van there and walk across Mull and the sands – the Narrows – that link the isles and then continue across bogs to the community. At very high tide it is only accessible by wading through at chest height and most people just wait for the tide to go down at least until one can wade through! After arriving at the Isle of Erraid on 10 November for an allowed stay of 2 weeks I was given cottage #7, shared with a Brisbane woman and a Lancaster man. The cottage – so comfy is one of about 4 main buildings built to house the engineers who built the lighthouses in this area of Scotland. And there are many. Stevensons, the father and uncle of Robert Louis, were the ones contracted by the relevant authority to design and build them. Dad Stevenson wanted RL to be an engineer and he trained as one, but wrote instead. \’Kidnapped\’ was written, maybe on Erraid differing stories there, but the Isle is well mentioned in the book. It is a very uncharitable chapter, he gets shipwrecked into Balfour Bay and lives on raw crustaceans until he is told that he can actually cross onto Mull easily at low tide – this after his 4 miserable days. Balfour Bay – looks like the Caribbean when the sun is shining – a beautiful place, however all of Erraid and this part of the western Scotland coast, is.

The cottages were built of stone quarried on the island, same stone transported all of 16 and 25 miles offshore to the building sites where it was cut and numbered before being sent out by barge for installation. Skerryvore LH is 25 miles away and only seen from Erraid at certain times, generally on a clean night and at times when the sun glints off it on sun up. The other unpronouncable lighthouse one can see on a clear day. I will find the name and edit this page but will publish until then. The cottages are fully self-contained with about 3 bedrooms, fireplaces now replaced by woodburning stoves, bathroom, kitchen, backyard toilet! and a living room where the stove is. There is also a clothes line which is on pulleys and rises to about ceiling height where one hangs washing and clothes to dry. These 9 cottages, or 4 buildings, face \’the street\’ and about 5ft stone fences and within the stone fences are the gardens. The fence keeps out a bit of breeze, gives somewhere for the few sheep that belong to the community to feed, and as the space is divided up into about 6 or 7 gardens, there is a social area too. It is beautiful. And then there are the other old stone buildings that used to house an island school, community area, byre (cattle shed), and boat shed. There is the boat landing too where the boat generally comes to and goes from. The day I arrived there were about 3 seals swimming about, a grey/blue colour, only seen at a distance since then.

More to come –

Monday 2 December ::

I am in lovely Scotland still on Erraid and here until Friday 21 December when I will go by 24 Dec to an animal sanctuary at a farm at Lockerbie in Dumfriesshire – I remember the name Lockerbie very well. That’s down close to the border of England.

Tuesday 2 December ::

The day I arrived back here was a great day. I came via ferry, bus from Craignure to Fionnphort, and from where another ferry goes to Iona, another isle. However I was to be collected by the small bus from the Findhorn Foundation [at Findhorn, top of Scotland] which has a regular weekly to and fro exercise – at Fionnphort – some of their guests come and visit here, or Iona, for a week and then return. There are also some part of their courses conducted out of Findhorn here. Findhorn and Erraid are two totally different settlements – Findhorn was set up as a 3 point development ideal – spiritual, environmental and personal – and on Erraid they continue with the original concept – also anyone is welcome to visit and explore environmental and own development. And appreciate the place – most go away and return, there is a good feel which may have partly to do with the residents me thinks. But it has a great spiritual energy.

The day was wet, wild, high tides, windy and did I say wet? The ferry to take some of the FH people to Iona, and back, couldn’t land and sailed for refuge into a bay on the lee side of Mull waiting for the tide to go down about 3 hours later which seemed to allow it to load and deliver. For me, I waited in the pub or the ferry shop with the other guests of FH who were coming to Erraid for a week, for the people from Erraid to arrive. We were driven to a farm on Mull a few miles from the ferry, put on wellies (wellington boots) and waterproof trousers and of course heavy jackets, and then walked an half an hour down hills, across bogs, over the narrows (the sand strait between Mull and Erraid) and the 3 inches of water still there, more bog and into the community settlement. It was fortunately not raining at the time – but the entrance to the island was a bit of a challenge to some people. And one which we would not usually be exposed to – it is a delight walking through sheep and these bogs – without care one can sink up to one’s knees…

I had been here before as you know and I was offered to return from 1 to 21 december which I most willingly accepted. It is still a WWOOFing position which means that my primary task is the gardens. There was another group from FH here the week I was away, about 22 of them, this group about 11, and the former group dug a lot of gardens to prepare for winter. When it is either too wet or cold to garden then I am offered other jobs to do and participate in eg candle making, kitchen, cleaning out ‘mothers’ pride’ a stone building in which the early women used to do the washing and to which the men were not welcomed where now is stored gardening equipment and where Erraid soap is made to sell.

Erraid is about 1 mile square. In the UK miles are still used – easily understood. Erraid was settled as a source of stone for both the engineers’ houses here and the lighthouses which were being built by the Stevenson brothers back in 1800s. I love the place because of the rocks, the grasses growing all over them so snugly and short it is like being covered by a brilliant green carpet. Sheep belonging to a crofter on the island graze in amongst the tufts of grasses, bog and heather. These sheep are not organically farmed as are the 5 or 6 sheep belonging to Erraid, their coats are long and when they are drenched or in any way dosed up, are marked with different coloured paints. But full yellow mustard sheep are rams. The colour washes out before the next year’s shear.

Erraid grows lots of vegies and now and then slaughters a calf or sheep for its freezers. The food is mostly vegetarian but caters to all diets. Food is a feast every meal. Breakfast we get in our own cottage which has a fully-equipped kitchen. So breakfast at home but lunch is prepared for us most days of the week, and usually a soup, v v deliciousand dinner provided every night. Wednesday is always a free day, as is Sunday, Friday morning is homecare morning and Saturday morning is community care morning where we clean the community rooms, dining/sanctuary/tv etc room and general areas. All participate at this.

Wishes to all for this season. Be back with more for you.

This has to be the prettiest place I have seen – after Sydney Harbour of course – and even the cold, wet, winds, chill and temperature doesn\’t damage my love for this place. I set off for a wwoofing job from Glasgow, via Fort William and then Oban where a huge ferry takes me over to the Isle of Mull, a bus trip of about 50 minutes on a single lane road to Fionphort  and then a short van ride in the Erraid van to a small boat. This motors about 3 or 4 minutes accross the water to the Isle of Erraid. When it is rough or after dark (and that can be at 4pm) one has to either walk on the sands when the tide is low around the bay or if the tide is high, drive around to a crofter/farm (called Knockvologan and owned by John and Linda Cameron-don\’t you love these scottish names) and leave the van there and walk across Mull and the sands – the Narrows – that link the isles and then continue across bogs to the community. At very high tide it is only accessible in rough weather by wading through at chest height and most just wait for the tides to go down! After arriving at the Isle of Erraid on 10 November for an allowed stay of 2 weeks I was given cottage #7, shared with a Brisbane woman and a Lancaster man. The cottage – so comfy is one of about 4 main buildings built to house the engineers who built the lighthouses in this area of Scotland. And there are many. Stevensons, the father and uncle of Robert Louis, were the ones contracted by the relevant authority to design and build them. Dad Stevenson wanted RL to be an engineer and he trained as one, but wrote instead. \’Kidnapped\’ was written, maybe on Erraid differing stories there, but the Isle is mentioned in the book. It is a very uncharitable chapter, he gets shipwrecked into Balfour Bay and lives on raw crustaceans until he is told that he can actually cross onto Mull easily at low tide – this after his 4 miserable days. Balfour Bay – looks like the caribbean when the sun is shining – a beautiful place, however all of Erraid and this part of the western Scotland coast, is.

The cottages were built of stone quarried on the island, same stone transported all of 16 and 25 miles offshore to the building sites. Skerryvore LH is 25 miles away and only seen from Erraid at certain times, and generally at night. The other unpronouncable lighthouse one can see on a clear day. I will find the name and edit this page but will publish until then. They are fully self-contained with about 3 bedrooms, fireplaces now replaced by woodburning stoves, bathroom, kitchen, backyard toilet! and a living room where the stove is. There is also a clothes line which is on pulleys and rises to about ceiling height where one hangs washing and clothes to dry. These 9 cottages, or 4 buildings, face \’the street\’ and about 5ft stone fences and within the stone fences are the gardens. The fence keeps out a bit of breeze, gives somewhere for the few sheep that belong to the community to feed, and as the space is divided up into about 6 or 7 gardens, there is a social area too. It is beautiful. And then there are the other old stone buildings that used to house an island school, community area, byre (cattle shed), and boat shed. There is the boat landing too where the boat generally comes to and goes from. The day I arrived there were about 3 seals swimming about, a grey/blue colour, only seen at a distance since then.

More to come –

Monday 2 December ::

I am in lovely Scotland still on Erraid and here until Friday 21 December when I will go by 24 Dec to an animal sanctuary at a farm at Lockerbie in Dumfriesshire – I remember the name Lockerbie very well. That’s sort of central Scotland.

The day I arrived back here was a great day. I came via ferry, bus from Craignure to Fionphort, and from where another ferry goes to Iona, another isle. However I was to be collected by the small bus from the Findhorn Foundation [at Findhorn, top of Scotland] which has a regular weekly to and fro exercise – at fionphort – some of their guests come and visit here, or Iona, for a week and then return. There are also some part of their courses conducted at Findhorn here. Findhorn and Erraid are two totally different settlements – but both findhorn communities – Findhorn was set up as a 3 point development ideal – spiritual, environmental and personal and on Erraid they continue with the original concept – anyone can come and visit and explore environmental and own development. And appreciate the place – most go away and return, there is a good feel which may have partly to do with the residents me thinks.

The day was wet, wild, high tides, windy and did I say wet? The ferry to take some of the FH people to Iona, and bring some back, couldn’t land and sailed into refuge into a bay on the lee side of the place, or between the rocks of Mull waiting for the tide to go down about 3 hours later which seemed to allow it to load and deliver people both sides of the sea. For me, I waited with the other guests of FH who were coming to Erraid for a week, in the pub or the ferry shop, for the Erraid people to arrive. We were driven to a farm on Mull a few miles from the ferry, put on wellies (wellington boots) and waterproof trousers and of course heavy jackets, and then walked an half an hour down hills, across bogs all the time, over the narrows (the sand strait between Mull and Erraid) and the 3 inches of water still there, more bog and into the community settlement. It was fortunately not raining at the time – but the entrance to the island was a bit of a challenge to some people. And one which we would not usually be exposed to – it is a delight walking through sheep and these bogs – without care one can sink up to one’s knees…difficult pulling one’s leg out then.

I had been here before as you know and I was offered to return from 1 to 21 december which I most willingly accepted. It is still a WWOOFing position which means that my primary task is the gardens. There was another group from FH here the week I was away, about 22 of them, this group about 11, and the former group dug a lot of gardens to prepare for winter. When it is either too wet or cold to garden then I am offered other jobs to do and participate in eg candle making, helping in the kitchen, etc.

Erraid is about 1 mile square. In the UK miles are still used – can easily understand this method of measurement. Erraid was settled as a source of stone for both the engineers’ houses here and the lighthouses which were being built by the Stevenson brothers back in 1800s. I love the place because of the rocks, the grasses growing all over them so snugly and short it is like being covered by a brilliant green carpet. Sheep belonging to a crofter on the island graze in amongst the tufts of grasses, bog and heather. These sheep are not organically farmed as are the 5 or 6 sheep belonging to Erraid are, heir coats are long and when they are drenched or in any way dosed up, are marked with different coloured paints. But fully yellow, mustard, sheep are that colour to show they are rams. The colour washes out before the next year’s shear.

Erraid grows lots of vegies and now and then slaughters a calf or sheep for its freezers. The food is mostly vegetarian but they cater to all diets. Food is a feast every meal. Breakfast we get in our own cottage which is equipped as a fully furnished house and kitchen and bathroom. So breakfast we make and lunch is cooked most days of the week, and dinner provided every night.

 Today 2 December ::

I am in lovely Scotland still on Erraid and here until Friday 21 December when I will go by 24 Dec to an animal sanctuary at a farm at Lockerbie in Dumfriesshire – I remember the name Lockerbie very well. That’s sort of central Scotland.

 The day I arrived back here was a great day. I came via ferry, bus from Craignure to Fionphort, and from where another ferry goes to Iona, another isle. However I was to be collected by the small bus from the Findhorn Foundation [at Findhorn, top of Scotland] which has a regular weekly to and fro exercise – at Fionphort – some of their guests come and visit here, or Iona, for a week and then return. There are also some part of their courses conducted out of Findhorn here. Findhorn and Erraid are two totally different settlements – Findhorn was set up as a 3 point development ideal – spiritual, environmental and personal – and on Erraid they continue with the original concept – also anyone is welcome to visit and explore environmental and own development. And appreciate the place – most go away and return, there is a good feel which may have partly to do with the residents me thinks.

 The day was wet, wild, high tides, windy and did I say wet? The ferry to take some of the FH people to Iona, and back, couldn’t land and sailed for refuge into a bay on the lee side of Mull waiting for the tide to go down about 3 hours later which seemed to allow it to load and deliver.  For me, I waited with the other guests of FH who were coming to Erraid for a week, in the pub or the ferry shop, for the Erraid people to arrive. We were driven to a farm on Mull a few miles from the ferry, put on wellies (wellington boots) and waterproof trousers and of course heavy jackets, and then walked an half an hour down hills, across bogs, over the narrows (the sand strait between Mull and Erraid) and the 3 inches of water still there, more bog and into the community settlement. It was fortunately not raining at the time – but the entrance to the island was a bit of a challenge to some people. And one which we would not usually be exposed to – it is a delight walking through sheep and these bogs – without care one can sink up to one’s knees…

I had been here before as you know and I was offered to return from 1 to 21 december which I most willingly accepted. It is still a WWOOFing position which means that my primary task is the gardens. There was another group from FH here the week I was away, about 22 of them, this group about 11, and the former group dug a lot of gardens to prepare for winter.  When it is either too wet or cold to garden then I am offered other jobs to do and participate in eg candle making, kitchen, cleaning out ‘mothers’ pride’ a stone building in which the early women used to do the washing and to which the men were not welcomed where now is stored gardening equipment and where soap is made.

Erraid is about 1 mile square. In the UK miles are still used – easily understood. Erraid was settled as a source of stone for both the engineers’ houses here and the lighthouses which were being built by the Stevenson brothers back in 1800s. I love the place because of the rocks, the grasses growing all over them so snugly and short it is like being covered by a brilliant green carpet. Sheep belonging to a crofter on the island graze in amongst the tufts of grasses, bog and heather. These sheep are not organically farmed as are the 5 or 6 sheep belonging to Erraid, their coats are long and when they are drenched or in any way dosed up, are marked with different coloured paints. But fully yellow mustard sheep are rams. The colour washes out before the next year’s shear. 

Erraid grows lots of vegies and now and then slaughters a calf or sheep for its freezers. The food is mostly vegetarian but they cater to all diets. Food is a feast every meal. Breakfast we get in our own cottage which has a fully equipped kitchen, and bathroom. So breakfast we make ourselves and lunch is cooked most days of the week, and dinner provided every night. 

The Island has an observatory above the settlement which looks out onto two lighthouses, one almost never seen but on a clear night, about 26miles away. This was built to communicate from here to the lighthouses. There is plenty of Island to walk around, lots of beaches, lots of hills, and some of the course people went in swimming today – now that has to be crazy – the water temp must be icy.

This is life for me now.

Today is Wednesday 31 October 2007

Finally received the WWOOFing list and have had such a time perusing, choosing and noting. Have only a general idea where these places are as they are listed as \’south west\’, \’scotland\’ \’wales\’ \’north east\’ etc…now to phone around.

Will get back to you shortly…

Today is Saturday 3 November and I have phoned around and found a 2 week stay on the Isle of Erraid, off the sw coast of Scotland. It is a findhorn Foundation place but it didn\’t say that in my book, and I go there from 10 to 24 November. I am very much looking forward to being in the tranquil environment. Now I want to find another farm but most in this part of the world don\’t have much work now. Got a 2 week stint at a blue bell farm in Wales, Carmarthenshire after Scotland, but won\’t go there if I can get a place in Scotland. The transport costs are fairly expensive for just a week or two.

The transport system in London. The bus drivers need a medal. They drive those 14\’6\” high red double deckers around, people rush out in front of them all the time, people just rush over all the roads at any time!, and the drivers have been nothing but pleasant all the time to me and I have never heard a horn. In Sydney the pedestrians would warrant abuse as would the passengers on the bus – we seem to be so much less tolerant.

Tuesday 30 October 2007

We are now 11 hours behind Sydney as they went back and Sydney went forward 1 hour at the weekend…

Walking Tour at St Paul\’s.

It went for 3 hours was quite tiring and some times very cold. We began at St Paul\’s YHA which used to be the quarters for the St Paul\’s Choir for many years. The local or city council wanted to widen the road in front of the building and the choir objected saying that there wouldn\’t be enough room for them, although not sure how they meant it, and so they moved to another building. Their building was sold to the YHA not sure when for the princely sum of $1 or was it £1? Of course it cost a lot to repair and renovate the inside of the building and there is still one room, the chapel, that has been \’registered\’ or \’qualified\’ as a \’heritage\’ room and is not able to be renovated. I will look into that room when I stay at the hostel on 2,3 and 4 November.
We crossed the Millenium bridge, pedestrian, over the Thames, which when opened in 2000 and had a lot of people of it, it swayed and did funny things. So it was closed for 6 months while it was stabilised. Then along Southwark (pronounced Southek) which was where the workers lived, past the Tate Modern, The OXO Tower, the Royal National Theatre, Hayward Gallery, Jubilee Gardens and Waterloo Pier, and the \’London Eye\’ which takes about 30 minutes to do a turn; heard the history of railways and lines and bridges changing, being re-built, and changing hands over the years; heard about and saw the netting that is put across part of the Thames to collect any river rubbish; over the bridge, not sure which one, back to walk up past Buckingham Palace, be told which is the Australian, NZ and Canadian gates, past Clarence House and St James Palace, Philip and Camilla live in one of those; James Park and then Green Park to Piccadilly. Past The Ritz, the second most famous hotel in London, the Savoy being the first. [This latter hotel was the first to have en suites and electric lighting in London, and the Savoy Theatre in the centre of the building used to house G&S productions. Sullivan would be inside the theatre on a new production\’s first night, and Gilbert would pace up and down in the Park in front of the Savoy. Maybe it was the other way around, however there is now a monument to both of them, one in the building and the other in the park outside! which had nothing to do with the break up in their creative relationship.]

Then we gave up on the tour at Piccadilly Circus, now 9.50p as I was cold, bought a Hungry Jacks so I could eat on the underground on way back, only 5 stations, to King\’s Cross St Pancras. The 3 people on the walk were all from this hostel and we got back to the hostel quite easily and thankfully to a warm, comfortable place. It is a very good place to be in the YHA at St Pancras. Staff at reception, some good, some not so,it is v clean and boasts that, it is very central and easy access to underground, buses and national trains. Also the British Library is opposite as is the newly, soon-to-be-officially-opened St Pancras railway station. I put the links in here before. The trains want to compete with airlines from the continent, and market the time saved in immigration, waiting, on and off planes, security etc. to business people. For example less than 2 hours from Brussels to London. The St Pancras building is beautiful and being renovated into luxury apartments, and the station itself will be worth seeing. The Queen her little royal self will open – and by the way, had an opportunity to go see HM in her carriage with all the trimmings etc and the Saudi Arabia boss at 10a this morning outside Buck Palace but decided against it – may have meant lotsa people and anyhow had to organise getting the farmlist book to me. Note – this should come tomorrow……………….so i extended yet again another night at the hostel and leave here Thursday morn. Now I have to find a place for one night somewhere.

What else happens in London? I am very pleased I can walk so many places or then catch a bus or train if I want. Bus trip is .90p train £1.50.

There is a survey mark at the base of the King Charles 1 statue in Trafalgar Square, the Nelson Column place, and this is the base for ALL measurements from London to the World! So actually I was right in the middle of London. Also at Trafalgar Square just below the National Gallery (got to go there soon too) is the measuring marks used for years to measure inches, feet, yards, rods and perches – wonderful old stuff.

Will tell you more as I move around. I found some books in their common room, a great comfortable room at reception, ground floor, large windows so the street can look in and the guests can look out. So I finished Wendy Harmer\’s book, her 2nd one, and laughed all the way through. What a wit and an understanding of culture and people. Any male or female, Australian, would enjoy I am sure. And now I have picked another real life book to read b4 I leave of a woman from Taree who got sentenced to prison for 10 years before she was released. She had been set up by the corrupt courts and cops, and her husband, and spent 2 1/2 years clearing her name. Sounds pretty sordid eh?

Till next time.