Ay-up, awright! (Greetings from the Midlands-UK)

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Japan - UK
Ariana and Lachlan We have finally arrived in England!!! After delayed flights in Japan, passing through innumerable passport checkpoints in Munich, a transfer to a different flight and a trip on the London Underground we found ourselves in a black cab in Paddington, London with a confused taxi driver telling us in an incomprehensible cockney accent “I don’t know where the Westpoint Hotel is”.

It has to be said- we LOVE London!! An all day unlimited ticket meant we could ride the tube all over the city without difficulty or great expense. We found ourselves at Buckingham Palace just in time for the renowned ‘changing of the guard’, then on to the Houses of Parliament and Westminster Abby, before a quick tube ride to the Tower of London and the Tower Bridge where we enjoyed the ultimate UK dish- fish and chips! We then spent the afternoon wandering around the trendy Nottinghill shops and market before crashing from jetlag.

Luckily we had pre-purchased our tickets from London to Derby online and enjoyed an easy train ride up the middle of the country through some of the most gorgeous countryside we have ever seen to our new home, Derby. Using our temporary apartment as a base we have enjoyed exploring the city centre and its quaint shops lining the cobbled streets. The East Midlands folk seem really lovely- if only we could understand what some of them are saying- ha!

On Easter Sunday one of Lachlan’s colleagues drove us into the country (just 10mins drive from Derby city centre) where we were blown away by the rolling green hills marked our by hedges dating back hundreds of years dotted with white sheep and old English cottages. The picturesque drive brought us up to Kirk Ireton, a village under National Trust where we enjoyed local beers and English cheese on grain rolls from a pub dating back to 1683!!!!

Now it’s time for us to do some serious apartment hunting. We’re searching throughout the Derby city centre and in nearby Nottingham (yes- the home of Robin Hood). Fingers crossed we can find somewhere soon-eek!!

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Comments

[Jacinta]

So jealous!
Hi guys, i'm absolutely loving reading about your travels, even though it's making me incredibly jealous!! Make sure you keep the blogs coming - we can all live vicariously through you!! Our little family is well and Elle is getting bigger every day (58.5cm long can you believe it??!!). Much love to you both and i hope you find a place soon! jacinta, Matt and Elle