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Published: June 14th 2008
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On Millenium Bridge
London Eye in background - world's biggest bicycle wheel Well a much easier week than last ' cause I've slowed down!
Tuesday - visited Lambeth Garden Museum - a small delightful 17th century garden in a Cathedral setting - and walked the length of Hungerford to Lambeth Bridges observing the street theatre (some of it was excellent) on the south side past the London Eye, which I will 'do' later with Doreen and then to Westminster Cathedral (Catholic) for vespers sung by a single boy soprano (sublime) and was awed by the mosaic roof n walls currently being produced - if it ever gets finished it will rival St Pauls 'cause they WILL do the LOT!
Wednesday - wandered along Oxford St, in and out of shops and noted the fantastic variety of clothing fashions n shoes (Oh, to be able to wear 5" high stilletto heels again - sigh) not like home where there seems to be an abundance of replication of 'same same' everywhere you go - and then went and booked myself into the London Central YHA in Bolsover St for Friday - Sunday nights. Looking forward to that!! Went back to Endell St and packed most of my things.
Thursday - went to
Trooping of the Colour
Liz n Phil - Birthday parade the British museum to witness just how much 'stuff' the Brits have pilfered from other countries - whole temple facades from Egypt, copious quantities of antiquities from Greece - which they want returned and the Brits won't oblige - Mexican Maya turquoise ritual face masks, etc, etc.... a truely astounding collection. Then met Jaclyn (sister's son's ex-girlfriend who is living here) at Piccadilly Circus for drinks and she was simply wonderfully welcoming and gave me heaps of tips for maximising my stay - like the free TNT newspaper for repats n kiwis with 'the week that was back home' articles and loads of travel companies all vying for our little Aussie dollar with fantastic deals all over Europe etc - will be getting a copy as it is only available on Mondays - thanks for all your warmth and effort Jaclyn!
Friday - up at 6.30am, breakfasted, packed the rest and left by 7.30! Walked to the YHA by 8am, DRAGGING the bloody heavy suitcase - will have to get either downsized or buy a Kombi soon - and walked via a 1/2 hour meditation in 'Christ the King' cathedral - stonemasonry in the chapel etc was fantastic -
and up to Chancery Lane for a 9.30am interview with Protocol Education with an Aussie girl from Emu Plains!!!! We literally chatted for 2 1/2 hours - the business side took all of 20mins! Walked back up Oxford St looking for the Premark store Jaclyn told me about (like our Kmart back home - cheap n cheerful) to buy a cushion to sit on tomorrow (see Sat) and found £40 on the footpath!!!!! Got the pillow and returned to the YHA for a shower and found that the plumbing wasn't working and just avoided flooding the room - got it sorted with maintenance, as you'd expect in a girls dorm, 2kg of hair in the drain! Shouted myself a Goan Indian fish curry with vegies and rice, orange juice and a puri for dinner (on the strength of the £40 winfall) - delicious and FILLING, beats the hell out of tinned soup n toast. Returned to the packed lounge area at the Y to witness the Netherlands thrash Italy in the World Cup game on tele with the all the ooohhhs and aaahhhhs and cheering of the assembled crowd then went to my 4 bed dorm to find 2 great
Princess Anne
She looked superb on horse - 1 of only 3 women (Liz and Camilla) in the parade Aussie sisters - we chatted for 2 hours about our travels - then they went to make their dinner in the kitchen downstairs at 11.30pm! I put my earplugs in and went to bed and didn't hear a thing, includung the German girl who got in at 2am after farewell drinks at the local pub!
Saturday - the reason I extended my stay in London - up at 8am, shouted myself the £3.95 brekky at the Y (juice, cereals, fruit, croissant, tea) and off to The Mall with trusty pillow and backpack. Got a front row 'seat' on the fence for your Queen Liz's birthday bash parade - all the pomp and pagentry you'd expect - the colour, perfectly pressed uniforms, gold braid, 'spit n polish' shoes (all that stamping - must give them sore feet - I sympathised), big furry hats, helmets with plumes, fabulously groomed horses, brilliant marching bands (I pittied the blokes around the bass drum and the guys in front of the horns and hoped they had earplugs!), flags waving everywhere, cops with white gloves on everywhere surveying the crowds (6-8 deep BEHIND me thank heaven with me on my pillow on the ground!), cavalry,
UK naked bike ride day 2008
All those 'long wobbly dangly bits' Liz n Phil passed in their carriage 10m away (yes, got the photos but the technologhy to download???) and the 2 lovely old poms next to me (who had left home at 7am to get here) reckoned that they put Camilla in the carriage with Will n Harry 'cause that would reduce the booing' (and there was some), Anne all decked out in uniform with a brilliant Admirals type hat on a magnificent grey stallion looked 'the part', 41 gun salute and a fly past by the RAF squads, jumbos and the Red Arrows aerobatic squad- what a great ceremony!!!!!Thoroughly enjoyed myself and even enjoyed walking out with the other 50,000 people who went too. Walked over to The Embankment to sit in the free deck chair in the sun and eat a sandwich, scone and coffee while reading my book for 2 hours before going to Neal's yard for another osteopathic adjustment at 3.30pm for my back with the fabulous Wiebke Behrens (German) who agreed that I would probably be better off going to Germany to buy the Kombi as they have more of them and (by law) have better maintained ones and are CHEAPER - so Europe may come first! Wandered toward this internet cafe (because it is so cheap - £1 for 2hrs - £6 for 4hrs, it's £1 for 15mins at the Y!) and stumbled upon HUNDREDS of people participating in the 'World Naked Bike Ride 2008 UK' event - try to picture (yes I DO have pics - the technology again???) this - bare bums, boobs and other 'bits' all decorated with paint, glitter, feather boas, face masks, hot pink ugh boots etc..... and juxtapose that with the mornings event! I did wonder if the fully clothed police accompanying the noisy whistle blowing, music blaring rabble were on duty this morning and how they viewed the two things.
Have booked Monday - Wednesday nights at Salisbury YHA then ??? to Saturday when I'll meet up with Doreen who has booked an apartment for me in her 'digs' in Southampton - and REST. Oh, we will come back to London at some stage to enjoy the London Eye experience together, as she hasn't 'done that' yet.
Tomorrow I will book my train ticket to Salisbury and anguish over where to go on Thurs n Fri next and then go to the Tate Britain Museum for another bout of fantastic paintings and then to the British Library to view some calligraphic OLD manuscripts - hopefully to be inspired and not just overwhelmed!
Have LOVED getting your communiques and PLEASE keep 'em coming - amazing how important that seems to me now.
Loads of my Love to you all,
Debbie
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Debudha
Debra Humphries
Hi guys!!
Great to hear from you - does that mean that May has got my card already - if so, that's amazing as i posted it last saturday? and it's Monday now!!! Am exhausted - actually went back to my digs at 1.30pm and had a 30min kip! In suthampton now staying with Fran's sister Doreen and yesterday we toured The New Forrest in a car 'cause my legs/feet didn't want to walk - in fact i think my old herniated vertebrae are playing up as i have 'pain' down my left leg - hope it doesn't get any worse or I will have to rethink the whole trip. Tez said he went up and watched Angus play soccer(?) and it was a hoot. Good to hear he is out and about and making an effort. I will be updating the blog soon - still not competent with the technology for the photos yet but have got Doreen's grandson lined up for a lesson, so hopefully soon I will be downloading without fear or frustration. Lots of love to you all, hope you are all well amd happy Deb