Blogs from Southampton, Hampshire, England, United Kingdom, Europe - page 9

I think I have started using the term "home" in an increasingly flexible sense lately. Is England really home for me? Or is Crete...or is Fiji, as by December I had been living there almost a year. Well, I think I can have many homes, as many as I like in fact, as long as there is a reason to call somewhere home, and it feels like home, then home it is. In this instance I was coming home to England to see my parents, my brother and a whole load of friends. I wasn't coming back to England for the weather, that's for sure. In fact, even before my arrival at Heathrow I was bracing myself for what I knew was going to be a bit of a rough start. My body was going to ... read more

Ferry Cancelled We've said goodbye to everyone but have received a message from P&O Ferries letting us know that they are not risking their ferry across the Bay of Biscay to Bilbao on Sunday. The next available is leaving on Saturday 15 December. So we have now booked for Wednesday from Plymouth to Santander which takes only 24 hours instead of 32 from Portsmouth. And soon we shall be letting you know how we are getting along. All the best from Southampton. Michael and Lesley... read more

Chatting with the superintendent at the Brighton Coach Station, I was assured of a place on the morning coach along to Southampton - however my friend noticed that my hard won buss pass was invalid, due to the London issuer having written an expiry date which preceeded the start date. He recommended I ask the kind folk at the Southampton National Express Office to sort it out. And just when I thought I was well on my holiday! The bus came in, and we had a very pretty, sunny drive along the coast, via the small sea-side town of Worthing, past lofty Arundel Castle, and through the tiny University town of Chichester, where the beautiful old stone buildings clash with the bricks of the modern and industrial areas in an unfortunate way. Continuing to Plymouth, and ... read more

DnK Travel PlansWell it is worth having some semblence of where we're headed and where we're starting from. Here's the travel itinerary (click map on the left), .... well.... the bits we have dates fixed for anyways ie flights. The rest will be a journey of discovery, mainly trying to push Kate to go places and do things that she may not be predisposed to ! Travel dates Aug 15th London to Mexico City BA243 14:05 T4 Sept 13th Mexico City to Lima LR631 07:50 Oct 31st Santiago to Auckland QF322 23:05 Nov 24th Christchurch to Bangkok QF46 15:35 Jan 02nd Bangkok to London QF1 00:35 ... read more

After a three hour train ride from Exeter with a killer hangover, trying very hard not to fall asleep so I wouldn't miss my changeover, I arrived in Southampton to find it was really hot there too. It's the first time I wished it was cold in England. Paul picked me up and took me strait to Beaulieu for National Mini Cooper Day. 2000 mini's in Beaulieu Palace gardens. I have never seen so many little cars, and so many little car owners excited to tell you every little detail about their little cars :) It was lots of fun, although my loyalty still lies with beetles :) They break down less :) We saw mini ambulances, mini police cars, mini ice-cream cars and a mini caravan :) ... read more