The Best of British

Flying into Heathrow airport early on a sunday morning is the catalyst for more travel adventures in this wonderful part of the world. London is a buzzing metropolis ... a money making machine, a giant in fact that can swallow up another Aussie backpacker without even a second thought. This is where it's at baby, here in the heart and soul of Europe. London is a financial juggernaut, although currently suffering a rather serious bout of indigestion along with the rest of the world as the credit crunch continues to bite. But enough of global financial concerns for the moment, let's get down to the nitty gritty and some new travel adventures from your intrepid travel correspondent, as I get into the swing of this travel caper once again...

This trip has been a jolly good show from the start, despite an epic long haul flight that included three stopovers. That's enough to test the mettle of the most intrepid traveller, and my forced stopover in Brisie for three hours had me sulking like a schoolboy after I'd cleared customs and taken a seat at the gate. Then, somewhat incredibly, Pammy walked straight past me on her way to catch a flight back to LA. I could hardly believe my eyes as I gawked at her, but was impressed with the lack of fuss as the woman with the most famous female form in the world breezed past without sunglasses or an entourage, while sporting a summery dress and killer heels. In fact there were only a few Qantas staff escorting her to the gate. Maybe the voting public had just evicted her from the big brother house, but she didn't look too distraught and the mail is there was half a million dollars in it for her troubles. So I had a chuckle about our shared experience with my two plane mates as we settled into the first leg to Brunei, and later sat next to an Aussie girl for the rest of the flight. The flight and excessive stopovers sure were tiring, but the company was great!

My Aussie mate had some time to kill before checking into her hostel, and so did I before heading down to Surrey to stay with friends for the night. So we decided to clear customs together, and get out and about to see the sights of London. I've been to the city two decades ago but it was great to check out Trafalgar Square, Big Ben and Westminster Abbey, and Buckingham Palace for the second time. There was also a new addition for me, the London Eye on the River Thames. We had a great morning together, but both of us were rapidly fading as the day wore on. I bid her farewell, and still had some time to kill before planning to meet my friends at 6:00pm, but by 4:00pm the game was up as fatigue had won out, so I returned to the hostel where my travel friend had checked in to get a bed for the night, as I was totally goneski!

Next morning all bright eyed and bushy tailed I jumped on the train down to Surrey, and arrived at my friend's place in time for lunch. It was great to see her again after eleven years, and we reminisced about her time temping at my office all those years ago in Sydney, and how despite our best efforts we had never managed to catch up since then, despite being within one day of each other when I was in Quito in 2005, but en route she had her passport nicked so the jig was up! I met her bloke that evening when he came home from work, and my friends proved to be brilliant and generous hosts. We walked along the North Downs to a country pub for a cracking meal over a pint, and the next day I rode into town with my friend as she commuted to work, then split up to meet a few Aussie friends who have been living in London for several years. They are coming home for good next week, and we had a great chat, a meal and of course the obligatory pint ... or two!

I then met my friend after work to catch the train down to Brighton where we strolled along the famous beach, and had to partake in the legendary British fish and chips for dinner. I loved it down there by the beach, and the lanes off the main strip are packed with great old houses and shops, it was very cool indeed. I parted company with my super generous English friends on the third morning to catch the train to Salisbury, a beautiful English town steeped in tradition and home to the famous Salisbury cathedral with the highest spire ever built in medieval times. Oh, and as an added bonus, it is only a short trip out to Stonehenge, which is one of the most famous tourist attractions in the world. The builders of these mysterious and massive stone monuments sure had some nous about them, as the summer and winter solstice are perfectly captured as the sun shines through the structure onto the head stone in the centre. It is a truly marvellous feat and a very mystical travel destination. I loved my visit, including the good weather I experienced on the day.

Next stop on the great English adventure is Dawlish in the West Country. This little town in Devon is a little over two hours south on the train from Salisbury, and my sms to a slightly flummoxed travel friend gave only two hours notice of my arrival (as she has been having email problems). But that is not enough to rattle the British for long, and she has regrouped brilliantly to show me more of the legendary British hospitality. People have been so kind to me on the trip so far, it is very humbling and a little bit overwhelming. The West Country is the warmest part of England, and the towns down here are absolutely gorgeous. I popped into Exeter on the train on a day trip while my friend was at work, and tonight her family are bunging on a barbie for their unexpected Australian guest.

My first week in England has been an absolutely awesome experience. Aside from the splendour, pomp and ceremony that is such a feature of London; the other towns and cities I have visited have been equally gorgeous. The British are courteous, friendly and very efficient hosts to travellers, and they help make travelling in this country a real joy. The hospitality shown by my kind and gracious hosts I shall not forget, and I sincerely hope I can repay their kindness when they visit Australia in the future. Travelling in such a great country leads me to declaim,...................... basically all of you should be here now!

"If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
Or walk with kings - nor lose the common touch,
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you;
If all men count with you, but none too much." If by Rudyard Kipling

Top 3 Hotels/Restaurants
Homestay in Surrey, England
Homestay in Dawlish, England
Square restaurant - Salisbury, England

Top 3 Sights/Activities
Brighton Pier - Brighton, England
Stonehenge monument - Near Salisbury, England
Strolling in Bath, England

As I continue my travels, until next time it's signing off for now.

Tom

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