a stroll through the english countryside

Connie and I at the roman baths
connie, bobbette and I at Stonehenge

so i finally have taken a trip out of london, out into the wonders beyond this big city, and with a couple of wonderful strangers at that. It began on Saturday when i ventured down the pristine Thames on a boat to Greenwich under the precious sunlight that was shining that day, and on my return i met this great canadian lady, Connie, who invited me to join the tour she was doing the following day to Windsor castle, Stonehenge and Bath, and i thought well, why the bloody hell not and so i did. unfortunately it meant getting up at the crack of dawn to be met by the tour pick up bus at euston at 7.20am, even though we didn't leave victoria until 8.30 but i guess rising early just adds to the excitement and makes me feel like ive achieved more!

so once boarded i finally meet up with Connie again, who was sitting next to Bobbette, a lawyer and law lecturer from Brisbane, and we became three random but good friends. we laughed at our crazy, slightly insane and very nutty tour guide who rambled on about useless topics and inappropriately belittled our fellow foreign passengers unconsciously....she was a strange one, Priscilla, batty, with a glass eye and a need to keep telling us to stop talking like we were 5 year olds just so she could put us all to sleep with her nonsense. I think she only became a tour guide so she had people to talk too....or at least talk at....

anyway Windsor castle was Windsor Castle, Stonehenge was very powerful despite the crowds it was an amazing place, and Bath was fabulous....such a spectacular city with all the roman architecture and superior baths. we just didn't have enough time there though, because Priscilla had us running scared she would take off without is if we were 1 second late!!

it was a long 13 hour day and i was knackered by the end of it but i still managed to go to dinner and the theatre with Connie on monday evening, i have no idea how i stayed awake but i did. We saw the play 'woman in black' which again only ok, but good special effects.

Last night I saw Volver, which i really loved and tomorrow im off to see 'the history boys' before having a birthday lunch with a cross section of newly formed friends - a welsh boy, an perth comedian, an aussie accountant, 2 girls from work, the smith boys - (family firends) and my house mates. Then Im going to a comedy night with the girls i met last weekend at the Slug and Lettuce. Then I will be 24 and will farewell age 23 with both sadness and pleasure for it ended as great year, full of challenges and triumphs and which had led me on a path toward a very exciting future. Thanx age 23 for hanging in there and sticking by me :)

and now I am going to bed...