One way to the UK?

Well it’s been a few days since writing!

On Wednesday we departed London for Jersey in the Channel Islands. Our BA flight left from Gatwick airport, and after catching the bus from the YHA Hostel to Rotherhithe (said kinda like rotterhIte not rotherheethe!) tube station, then the tube to Victoria station, then the Gatwick Express from Victoria station to Gatwick airport….. the journey just to get to Gatwick ended up being longer than the flight to Jersey itself!

Mara’s Granny and Pops have shown us both great hospitality! We are based in St Helier, which to the south of the Island, and you can just see the French coast from the shores (or their lounge room window). We’re actually staying at Mark and Karen’s house (Mara’s uncle and aunt) which is right near the Jersey Cemetery which is a little odd considering you can see the head-stones when you look out the kitchen/hall windows!!! Granny and Pops have driven us to everywhere on the Island, and I even got sunburnt on our first day out when we had lobster with salad for lunch followed by strawberries and cream at Greve de Lecq to the North. Also visited Grosnez Castle on Piemont Bay, St Ouen’s Bay, went along the 5 Mile Road (and stopped for ice-cream), St Brelade’s Bay and St Aubin’s Bay. To see the Island and the paths etc you can check out www.mybus.je to get an understanding of the small size of the place, but also of all the sights we have seen already if you so wish!Friday was spent ‘in town’… the main place is not really a city, and yet it’s bigger than Alice Spring’s CBD and low-and-behold better shops too so it’s not really a town either. We walked here there and everywhere and found some really nice bakeries in the Market Square where they sell chocolate-filled donuts (similar to jam filled ones…) and tartlets covered with fresh strawberries etc, etc! So yes, I will need to get into the gym routine in London! Oh also – some of you know how I do not eat potato because I really just don’t like them… well that was until I discovered the Jersey Royals! I think it’s the only place in the world I’ll willingly buy and eat potatoes! Don’t know how to describe them, but better than any spud I’ve ever eaten.

Saturday was spent at the Jersey Foire (Fair), which was actually pretty good! There wasn’t entirely a whole lot there, but enough to see and taste to keep us occupied! Things included ‘Jersey Own’ products where we tasted a drink very similar to Bailey’s but made with Jersey Cream… don’t worry we made sure it was after midday when we were drinking it! The French come over (from France…) with various produce, and we bought some brie cheese & stinky blue cheese from one stand, strawberries, baby radishes & gigantic shell peas from another, lemon olives & marinated baby mushrooms from another, and after trying every sausage-type on another stand we bought a pork salami type thing. You have to imagine, especially for those from Alice Springs… all the little tasty morsels of things you can only buy in jars at home, or vegies that are nearly dead, over here are SO FRESH and vibrant and so very tasty! We’ve been told actually that produce in London is pretty crap – hence stocking up on our good foods whilst in Jersey! I think with the price of meat over here we’re going to eat vegetarian for a while in London too… Sarah said even English people don’t eat steak as it’s too expensive! ME with no scotch fillet for a while – unbelievable, hey Tys! At the fair we also had lovely ice-cream smooth from ‘Naughty Monkey’, it’s like Cold Rock Ice creamery in that you choose which chocolate bar you want munched into your smoothie!
[read on]

“I had the time of my life…” you all know the classic movie yeah? Mara and I went and saw the live on-stage musical of Dirty Dancing two nights ago!!! It was brilliant! The voices were amazing, especially the Aussie barritone that sang all the familiar songs, and even the lead (johnny) was played by an Aussie so we do produce some talent! The show was fantastic! It really involved the audience and the electronics for the backgrounds and some ‘in water’ scenes was so fantastic and real to life! I think Mara wrote a lot more in detail so check out her blog if you want more on the show!

We did more touristy things the other day, like bought an umbrella and scarfe in the city because it was bucketing down rain! Went on the British Airway’s London Eye yesterday…. I don’t think it was really worth the £14.50 but yeeah… got some pretty good sights over the whole city — nothing as high as the views we got from Mt Gillen Wizza!

Last night Mara and I repacked our bags, went to drop our suitcases off at Mile End…. got a taxi there cuz there’s no way in hell we were carting those big cases up and then down, and then up the underground tube staircases!!! So yeah, Dwain was kind enough to carry the bags upstairs and hopefully when we get back on 1 June they’ll still be in the house and haven’t been sold off on e-bay! Especially as all my shoes bar 2 pairs are in that case!!! So once the bags had been ditched, we got the tube to Covent Garden and met up with Sarah, a chick we met in New Zealand in 2006. Had dinner and a bottle of wine and it was so great to meet Sarah again! Felt like it had been less than 18 months since we all first met anyway! haha not like I’d say anything bad on here, I know you’re reading this Sarah! But really, thanks for taking us out to a new part of town we hadn’t seen at all! It was really nice, and I’m so looking forward to Darby Day on 2 June!!! It’ll be fantastic and I’m sure this great weather will keep up! Yes people, today is hot – even when standing in the shade which is a nice change towards summer!

We’re on our way to Jersey now – just need to register our “oyster” cards so best finish up and then head on the tube to the airport!

PS. will post pictures once we get to a better computer that we can download picture shrinker onto ;o)

 

Mainly for Mimi and others who were involved in Round Square at school.... On checking into the YHA Hostel near Rotherhithe it was about time to watch the FA Cup so we stayed at the bar here and the other Aussie ... [Continue reading this entry]

Hello all, Well finally we have arrived in London! (been here few days now...) The flight from Melb-Bankgkok was pretty good and sleeping nearly all of the 9 hours helped the time to pass! Bangkok airport seemed SO sterile and all concrete ... [Continue reading this entry]

Well Departure day has finally come, and right now I'm posting this from the Melbourne International Airport - nothing too flash and this netcafe is right next to the toilets that stink like ammonia! Anyway!!!  We were EARLY to the airport ... [Continue reading this entry]

Apart from my friends and my dog, I am also sad to be leaving behind my family and my voluntary work place the RSPCA and all it's homeless dogs and cats. The family will be fine without me, as I'm usually ... [Continue reading this entry]

I swear I've had more coffees, lunch outings and dinners in the last week that in the last six months! It was great to see most people prior to me leaving though so I really didn't mind! As the title suggests, ... [Continue reading this entry]

Well, I can only write a short entry here as I'm borrowing internet time from my mom's workplace to do this! I had a good last Thursday and Friday but was a little lost with no job to go to believe ... [Continue reading this entry]

Well it is with some apprehension that I write this post! It's my last day of working for Alice Springs Hospital in Australia and it's a little bit sad! I've handed in my keys and my ID tags and now ... [Continue reading this entry]