The city beckons - part one



London. Noise. People. Cars. Buses. Everywhere! The busy-ness of this pulsating city attacks your senses on every level. But it is exciting.



Max with the Tower Bridge and the River Thames



I pinch Max on the arm. Oww, what's that for, he asks. Can you believe it, I say, we're in London!

And we have only two full days to see as much as we can.



We are lucky to secure an apartment in Bermondsey close to Tower Bridge (at a hugely discounted rate through bookings.com). It faces a busy street but we are close to major attractions and the Thames Clipper river taxis.



St John's Chapel in the White Tower, 
Tower of London

May Sat 21 we visit the Tower of London - it's just a 10 minute walk across the bridge. Our two hour visit starts with a tour led by a Yeoman Warder (Beefeater). He is not only interesting but lively and fun. We get to see the Crown Jewels, which have been housed at the tower since the 17th century. The heavily jeweled state crowns and ornate sceptres are impressive. We also have a close encounter with one of the Tower's ravens. Six ravens are kept at the tower as legend says that the day the ravens leave the Kingdom and Tower will fall. Although mostly wild, these large birds have their wings clipped to make them stay and are attended to by Ravenmasters.



Buckingham Palace



We catch the Clipper to the Embankment pier, where we walk to the Parliament buildings and see Big Ben. The queue to Westminister Abbey is long and we decide instead to find our way to Buckingham Palace. We are among hundreds who file past the gates and then linger to take photos from all angles. The flag is flying but the Queen is too busy to have afternoon tea with us.



Deckchairs in the park with
Big Ben looking on...

We walk back along the Mall where many processions have gone before us. We see lots of deck chairs in the park beside us, placed in twos and threes, tempting us to rest our tired legs. When suddenly the 'deck chair warden' comes our way, we decide that at L1.50 per hour each, we are not so tired after all and high tail it out of there.



We have to queue for a boat and wait at least half an hour for it to arrive. The warm weather has brought everyone out and they're all waiting for a boat! Once aboard the Clipper, we decide to sit back and enjoy our cruise down the river and stay on as far as it will go and back again to the Tower pier. We are 'quite at our leisure' sipping on brandy and coke in little plastic cups and nibbling on salty chips.

We finally cross the Tower Bridge back to our apartment where, after a light meal, I prompty fall asleep on the couch. It's been quite a day!







Reflections on our first week...

Our first full week in Britain is an amazing experience due to the welcoming spirit of our friend Steve as he takes us into his home, shares a slice of his life with us and also an amazing amount of local knowledge and history.

We meet locals - talk about the weather, NZ, laugh and joke with them - they are all very friendly and helpful especially when we need directions or help with our money.

We watch an episode of Father Ted each night just for the fun of it. And the British news each morning and see the Queen featured most days.

Max gets to visit Steve's school and give a 20 (really 40) minute talk about the earthquakes in Christchurch to a geography class.

A typical example of a Cream Tea

We eat fish and chips and apple crumble at a little country pub, the Marquess of Cornwallis, where strangers are greeted with a curious stare by locals but given friendly service from the barmaid.





We drive over 'rumble strips' (bumpy strips that cause vibrations in the ground when driven over) on the main road to alert the wild deer so as to avoid any casualties. I even see a little Muntjac (small deer) carefully crossing the road. He is safe for another day.

We drive along roads that go through dark tunnels of wooded forests where you could just imagine Robin Hood leaping out from behind a tree with his band of merry men in tow.

We see so many squirrels that we now know why the locals don't excited - these cute little vermin are pests and known as 'rats with fluffly tails'. I still try to photograph them but they are camera shy. They move with alarming speed. Quick, behind a tree and up they go.

Walking through the English countryside

We see little signposts on the edge of narrow lanes in the middle of nowhere that say 'public footpath' and point to a vague track that leads deep into the fields. We take a walk though crop fields with not a wire fence in sight. We enjoy the magic of the setting sun as it casts a bright gold glow over a gently rolling Suffolk landscape of acres and acres of barley and wheat crops. Not a woolley sheep in sight.



Ickworth House showing one wing and the Rotunda



We visit Ickworth House Park and Gardens, an amazing building which consists of two wings (one now a hotel) and joined in the centre by a Rotunda (built in 1795 and finished in 1829). We wander around the grounds, spellbound by the visual size of the 'house'. There is a vineyard and 70 acres of garden and woodland walks. Finally, we see sheep. And lambs. The baa-ing is such a familiar sound and reminds us of home.

It is only through Steve that we discover these little treasures and we leave feeling as though we got so much more from our visit than we could ever have expected.

Goodbye, Suffolk. London. Here we come!

Double-decking it to Bury St Edmund and Cambridge...

In amongst the abby ruins with the
St Edmundsbury Cathedral in the background

Tues 17 is our first experience of bus transport in England. We catch a rickerty doubledecker bus to Bury St Edmund (the locals warn that the 'Bury bus is one of the worst buses to catch as it often breaks down). Our fingers and knees are crossed as we take this perilous journey. The driver surely must have got his licence out of a Kornie packet. He drives down tiny narrow lanes, edged with hedgerows and fields of bright yellow rapeseed, at great speed. Other vehicles have to back up to allow us to pass. We take detours into the cutest little villages on our way and after 40 minutes arrive exhausted.

Pleased to get off the bus at 'Bury, we are straight into our sightseeing and walk to the Abbey of St Edmund where we have lunch in the gardens (with pigeons, ducks and a squirrel in attendance) and then wander around the massive ancient abbey ruins. We visit the St Edmundsbury Cathedral and St Mary's Church where Mary Tudor, Queen of France is buried. We wander the streets where I buy two little handy books on wild animals and birds of Britain and Europe. Max finds a bikeshop. We are each in our shopping bliss!

The Nutshell - smallest pub in Britain

The town is delightful but we find the newer shopping area not so appealing nor as interesting. Back in the quaint streets of town, we discover the smallest pub in Britain. We squeeze ourselves in and have a drink (one for you, Neil). The pub is full. Just seven of us, counting the barman, in total. It's fun and the locals are very friendly.

Weds 18 sees us catching a much nicer bus to Cambridge. We are both enchanted immediately as we wander aimlessly along narrow cobblestone streets with towering churches and university buildings casting their intellectual eyes over us. The town centre (once a historic market place) is bustling with tourists and students - it's exam time. Cycling rules here and we are amazed at the number of bikes propped casually against the walls along narrow footpaths. Old bikes and new - all types are here. People whizz past (on bikes) at great speed and we keep on our toes to avoid being mowed down as we pause to take photos.

A 'punt hawker' catches our eye and tries to sell us into a punt ride along the river Cam - for a discounted rate of 20 pound we accept. Our punt ride along the 'Backs' (the river backs onto the universities and churches) is both relaxing and entertaining as our young guide gives us the history of the universities, churches, buildings, bridges, and people, laced with his own humerous style.

We finish a lovely day with a Cream Tea at Aunties and watch the territorial 'punt hawkers' squabble amongst themselves as they compete for customers.

Cambridge was recently voted the 4th top UK tourist destination and we would have to agree. We loved it!

After nearly a week since our arrival in the UK, we finally start to sleep longer - the birds, however, still rise with the sun somewhere around 4am in the morning... it's usually a long day for us little Kiwis.
　
　

In the pink and dreaming of chocolates...

Our introduction to Suffolk is a visit to Steve's school, where he started his teaching career, Culford Independent School. The magnificent building started life in the late 1700s as the residence of Lord Codogan. We get to walk the grounds and experience a leisurely stroll over a stone and iron bridge, one of the very first built. The arched bridge spans what appears to be a meandering stream complete with geese and swans but is, in fact, part of a small lake. It feels like we are walking in the footsteps of Elizabeth Bennet and Mr Darcy.

Haverhill, pronounced 'Hay-ver-hill', is an industrial market town and our home for the next few days. From here we venture into the countryside and with Steve's help explore Suffolk's treasures.

Sunday 15 we visit two lovely little villages of interest, Clare and Lavenham. At Clare, we walk around the historic motte (where the Clare Castle and village once stood) originally built by the invading Normans. It is, however, the medieval village of Lavenham that really captures my heart. The village made its wealth through the manufacture and export of woollen cloth. Early built houses are unbelieveably crooked and twisted. It is believed that they were built from green wood and thus warped over time (the poem Crooked House was possibly inspired here). We visit little art galleries, antique and gift shops and enjoy a 'cream tea' in a tea shop in part of the Merchants Guild. We also visit the church of St Peter and St Paul built in the 15th century. Steve is the perfect guide and fills us in on the history.

Colours of the cottages dotted across the countryside are a visual treat - washed in 'Suffolk Pink' (traditional), bright blue, deep gold or white. We are intrigued by the thatched roofs which give these cottages the quaint 'chocolate box' effect.

Hares boxing a-top a cottage ridgeline

Inticate patterns across the ridgeline are not only decorative and a signature of the thatcher but also an anchor to keep the thatch in place. Little thatch animals run and prance across the ridges - hares, foxes and pheasants. In the old days, small animals used to shelter in the thatch roofs but when it rained it became slippery and the animals would fall off - hence the saying 'it's raining cats and dogs'!

Every little village produces these cottages but we never tire of them - each has it's own character and personality. 

As I sit in the late evening to write, little Pipistrelle bats flit around the garden reminding me of those little toy aeroplanes we used to have, you know, the ones we anchored to the ceiling and they flew round and round in circles...

　

　

　

　

　

　
　
　
　
　
　
　
　
　
　

Suffolk beckons...

The slight change of plans for the first week gives us an opportunity to go to Suffolk and spend time with our friend, Steve, in Haverhill.

Getting there is an experience and a shaky introduction to the railway system. We are within walking distance to the train station (thankfully, Sophie, loans us a smaller hiking backpack to condense our gear for a week) and catch a train to Bakerloo and then the underground tube to Oxford Circus, then another to Liverpool Station, where we catch an above-ground train to Ipswich, and then another to Bury St Edmond where we finally meet Steve - some four hours later.

Arriving by train into London, we are greeted by hundreds of brick dwellings and rows upon rows of chimneys (it reminds me of Coro St). The underground is now a hazy memory - everything happened so fast (so much so we felt like we were competing in the amazing race) - there was no time to stop and ponder. Quick, this way to catch this tube, hurry along this corridor, down this elevator - and keep to the right (so the 'speed bunnies' can run past you down the moving steps). We are relieved to get on each tube, although Max nearly doesn't make it onto one and is caught in the doors as he makes a leap to follow me. All aboard -no time to dilly-dally!

There's a certain romantiscm in the idea of traveling by train across the English countryside. The reality is that the train travels really fast and you get only a mere glimpse of other's lives. As we glide past green fields and villages, some big and some small, there is a small feeling of belonging, a knowing that our ancestors came from here, a feeling of being a part, however small, of the rich tapestry of history that is everywhere you look. It's somewhat comforting when we are so far from family and home.

And we are so lucky to have our friends here - our old friends and now some new friends - to welcome us into their homes.

I know that I said I would only write weekly and I would try not to bore you, but there is much to write about. (I am in writer's and photographer's heaven) So don't be surprised if at times the emails come thick and fast (I won't be offended if you delete any), depending on what we are doing. Each day is a new adventure and discovery, and there is much to share...  If your email comes with captions but no pics, just head to http://www.kiwis2go.com/ to see it all.

Suffolk pleasures and discoveries coming soon!

We are here!

　
It's hard to believe we are finally on English soil. We pinch ourselves and elbow each other. Our smiles are a mile wide.

We survive our 28 hour flight and only now begin to understand the meaning of jetlag. We fly for hours in darkness between Sydney and Dubai. Max takes a sleeping tablet and has a reasonable sleep while I, on the other hand, have intermittent sleep of somewhere between two and three hours for the whole journey. Strangely enough, jetlag hits Max the hardest. Emirates keep us well fed and amused with their extensive entertainment system. Going through security in NZ leaves me the most flustered when I look down to find I've misplaced my passport and tickets and I haven't even left the country yet! It's a hurry up and wait system - hurry to get in the queue - wait until it's your turn - hurry to get your gear onto the trays and through the machine - the passport and tickets are found, to my relief. Sydney, Bangkok, Dubai and Heathrow customs are all a breeze and, like pros, we take them all in our stride.

We arrive at our homesit in Virginia Waters early afternoon and meet our hosts, Sophie and Chris. The homesit plans are delayed for a week but we are still generously welcomed into their home for a couple of days.

Fergus, the African Grey parrot

It's a chance for us to catch up on some sleep, become orientated, and meet the animals we will care for in a week's time. Fergus, an African Grey parrot, is full of character and a 'little person' in her own right. She is truly adored and loved by Sophie. The human/bird bond between them is incredibly strong and a pleasure to watch. Fergus spends most of her time living free range indoors and regularly enjoys sharing meals with her owners. You can imagine my surprise (and mirth) to find Max and Fergus sharing toast one morning! We also meet three little hens. All the animals (and including most of the visitors to the garden) are well-loved and enjoy a charmed life.

Ruins in the garden are a visual treat

The house is three-storeyed, built in the early 1900s. The garden is spectacular - a combination of tall trees, lawns, shrubberies - many rhodies and azaleas in their final days of flowering (it's spring here), ponds, and structural vistas. Whimsical features and statues add visual interest and some fun to the garden and include a prowling crocodile and a stray calf.

We are within walking distance to Great Windsor Park. It was originally a large private deer hunting park (5000 acres/20km sq) for Windsor Castle and dates back to the mid-13th century, but is now open to the public. (Much more to tell you about this area and who lives in the garden when we are back in a week's time but I will tell you that we are great company and that Max is in car heaven - bmw, audi, maserati, ferrari, daimler, just to name a few)

To stay awake on our day of arrival, we take a stroll around the large lake, Virginia Water - approx. eight km. Boy, are we were pleased to finish with a drink at the Wheatsheaf, a typical English pub on the edge of the lake...

Feeling the fear and doing it anyway...

Tues 10 May NZ...

Well, it’s only a matter of hours, just one more sleep, before we fly the coop from NZ and wing our way to the UK. It’s both nerve-wracking and exciting. Neither of us has traveled this far from home before.

Emirates will take us from Christchurch to Sydney, then to Bangkok, on to Dubai and finally we’ll land at Heathrow. All going well, our homesit hosts, Sophie & Chris, will have sent a taxi to collect and deliver us to Virginia Waters in Surrey. It’ll be much cheaper than us hailing a London Cab at the terminal.

Our bags are bulging. Five months is a long time to plan for and we know we’ll need a good mix of warm and light clothes. We’re in between seasons for both countries and the temperatures in the UK are very similar to ours.

No-one ever told us we’d need a second mortgage just to prepare for the trip. We’ve trawled the travel and outdoor shops for sales and bargains and come up with a few good items…

We’ve got:

• A new travel bag each, with wheels and hidden back-pack straps, but with both our bags weighing in just over 20 kg each (our limit is 30kg each), we’ll need to build up some extra muscles to throw them around.
• Well-designed hiking shoes and sandals – ones with thick soles for walking over all those rough cobblestones.
• Special quick-dry clothes ― tops, trousers and knickers so finely constructed that you could almost wash and wear them straight from the washing machine.
• Individual drawstring cell bags to keep our clothes and gear in order within our big bag ― five months is a long time to live on the go and a messy bag just won’t do.
• Special padlocks that can be opened by airport security should they feel the need to ransack our luggage to raid our vegemite and vogels.
• Sleeping bags that roll up into nothing and silky liners to keep the bedbugs from feasting.
• And we’ve even got rubber door stoppers to keep the light-fingered out of our rooms while we snooze.

We’ve packed every conceivable battery and cord that we’ll need for charging mobiles, cameras, ipod, itouch, and laptop. To make sure we didn’t leave any behind, a good tip was to lay each gadget out on the bed and match its cord with it. So much for technology making life and travel easier!

We’ve also loaded our day packs with everything we think we’ll need on the plane:

• DVT socks to keep our varicose veins from bulging when we’re thousands of metres in the air
• travel sickness tablets to calm the nerves and, if they don’t work, something a little stronger to knock us right out
• squishy little travel pillows to dribble on
• spare knickers, toothbrush and stuff so we arrive fresh and perky
• novels, magazines, and wordfinds to keep us amused

We’ve tried to think of everything but now it’s time to let go and just enjoy the adventure that spreads out before us. We’ve religiously ticked off our to-do-lists, caught up with family and friends, and now the only thing left is to get on the plane. We’re blessed to have family and friends to share our adventure with. So if you haven’t already signed up with your email addy to get regular notification of our blog updates ― what are you waiting for? We’re off and we want to take you with us…