Coventry

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Well, other than a flight delay, aeroplane re-routing, bad cold, lost luggage and 35 degree temperature when I'm dressed for -5, my trip from Vancouver to Birmingham went off without a hitch.

But here I am at my Aunty's house in Coventry, luggage found and trying to get over the jet lag. My aunty has also kindly taken me around to see some of the Midlands while I'm here - a quick trip around the old and new parts of Coventry, Warwick Castle (supposeldy one of the best in England - it's okay, but a bit kitsch for my liking) and a drive through the Cotswolds which really is just as quaint and twee as the photos make out.

Went into London on Thursday to sort out bank accounts and fun stuff like that. The bus dropped me off at Victoria Coach Station and I, in my wisdom, decided to walk the entire way from there to Tottenham Court Road where my meeting was to be held. Beguilingly close on the map, but a good two hour walk in HOT London weather. (Hot London weather? Sounds like an oxymoron, hey?) Still, the route took me past many of the big icons - Big Ben and The Houses of Parliament, Buckingham Palace and the changing of the guards, Trafalgar Square MINUS the pigeons (what's up with that?), Downing St where the prime minister lives and the home of the horse guards where the men in funny hats and red coats stand unmoving for the hordes of tourists to take photographs of them (what else could they possibly be there for, really?)

Not sure that I liked London that much, which is a bit of a surprise given that I've loved it every other time I've been. Heat aside, the noise and traffic and pollution was really evident this time, and the big red tourist buses get kind-of annoying after a while, even when you're a tourist yourself. Half of Australia's youth may be living up in Earl's Court, but I might give somewhere else a try. I hear Edinburgh is nice.

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