Summer Spanish Fiesta

My first expedition in the epic two months of my summer holidays. It definitely set the benchmark high!

First stop, Madrid. I arrived in Plaza de Espana, right in the center of the city, at about 11am, dumped my pack, and set off to explore. I had a look around the markets in the Plaza before strolling up La Rosaleda to Teleferico - the cable car. I jumped on to see the amazing panoramas over Casa de Campo - Madrid's central park which is 7 times larger than NYC's Central Park!, and the city skyine. I walked back through the park to Cathedral de Nuestra Senora de la Almudena, Ruins of Santa Maria de la Almundena, Iglesia de Sacramenti, Basilica de San Miguel, Plaza Mayor and Plaza de la Puerta del Sol. Basically covering the main sights of the capital. Next I met up with Robbie and Ben who had arrived the day before. We had a little siesta in Plaza Oriental before doing some more sights, Palace Rial, the Opera House and Plaza Villa before setting for a feed at Casa Mingo. The most AMAZING apple cider that has ever blessed my tastebuds. Accompanied by some divine chorizo and chicken and followed by gelato made for a pretty satisfying night. The next morning we caught the train from Madrid north to Pamplona.Some damn good cider

We arrived safe and sound, headed to the hostel and met Greg, our tour leader and probably one of the coolest people on the Topdeck circuit. We got decked out in our festival gear - white with a red neck scarf to symbolise San Fermin, a missionary who was decapitated, before meeting the rest of the crew and hitting the town. The fiesta had begun. Stages, side shows, parades, talking, dancing and lots and lots of sangria. Only €2.50 for 1.5L of the "World's greatest Sangria". Haha. Then the fireworks. Oh the fireworks. So close, and loud and wow. We stumbled back at 2am with big smiles on our faces and we knew it was the start of something good.

5.45am. Too early. Nevertheless, we were all on the bus to Plaza del Toro to stake out our spots to watch the running and steer fights. Front row. It was worth it. After 2 hours waiting, smattered with mexican waves and catchy Spanish chants, the rocket went off. The run had begun. After about 2 minutes the crowd arrived in the arena, which we followed on the big screens and we were treated to some serious carnage. After all the animals had been exhausted, we went to get some breakfast and have a little nap. I went back in to the Old Town in the afternoon and took in the festival atmosphere before meeting up with the Topdeckers. We wandered around before settling at Greg's favourite bar - Bar Gaucho to dance the night away to the street bands. After that we went to see the fireworks again before ending another jam packed day.Just riding the bull

5.45am. Again. We went in and got some prime seats again and I waited anxiously hoping that Ben would come out the other end safely. After the run, I was scanning the arena, and saw his face, no longer a boy, but a man. Haha. The steers were released, and it was even more epic than the day before. One even decided to jump the safety fence into the crowd! We headed back for breakfast and I had a nap before heading back in again. I stumbled upon a way cool band - La Rana Mariana and I bought their CD. The group then met up for a sit down dinner to say goodbye before we went in to the Old Town for the closing ceremony, saw the final fireworks display and then danced the night away.

2pm. Wait what?! Once I recovered from the shock of such a massive sleep in, Ben and I just spent the afternoon strolling around, having gelato and a picnic in the park. The guy at the hostel reception also told us that we had been on TV the night before, check it out! <http:></http:>

Another early morning to catch the train to Barcelona. We shacked up at Creative Alternative Youth Hostel and set off to introduce ourselves to the city. We walked down La Ramba, the main drag and got some AWESOME felafel and eventually ended up at the beach. Yay. We then went to the Citudel park and the Arc du Triomf before going back to the hostel. That night, Al, the hostel guy, took out a bunch of backpackers to the Raval Music Festival for a fun night of music.

Next day I headed off by myself while Ben had a little sleep in to see the Gaudi architecture Barcelona is so famous for. I saw Casa Batilo, Passeig de Gràcia and Sagrada Familia, where I met Francisco who gave me a little personal tour of the cathedral and gardens! I made my way back via Placa Rial and the Barcelona Cathedral to meet up with Ben. We headed up to Montjuic, where we wandered around, then went to the Magic Fountain. Wow. We met up with Hampus, out Swedish friend, then went to the Big Bang jazz jam session for an awesome night out. I even got to get up on stage! Woo!

Ben and I made the journey up the top of Barcelona the next day - Gaudi's Guell Park. It was pretty amazing. We perched ourselves on the edge of the path and slurped on some watermelon while taking in the views. Then we got our tourist on and saw some buskers, art and Gaudi's house. Gaudi's houseIn the afternoon we migrated hostel then went back into town to see a Flamenco show which was pretty damn amazing. We finished the day off at La Fonda with some awesome paella and Sangria (which was significantly better than San Fermin's 'worlds greatest sangria', surprisingly : P).

My last day in Spain was spent at the hostel laying around the pool working on my non existent tan, reading and recovering from an epic week and a half in a country which doesn't sleep. It has definitely been the best start imaginable to my Summer holidays!

Thirty days has September, April, June...

The month began in a most sublime way, on the shores of the Mediterranean in Italy. Once I hit London's shores again, I spent a few days getting into the swing of school again, with a smattering of touristic adventures. 

Wednesday night, on a tummy full of delicious Chinese, we went to the Queens theatre for Les Miserables. Wow. Wow. Wow. The singing, the acting, the music, the sets... It was just divine. Mum came out crying because it was just so magical. The rest of the week was quiet, saving up my energy for the weekend. Friday night Mum, Tessa and I had a little birthday celebration in the flat. Mum cooked some lip smacking San Choy Bao which we finished off with a big slab of mud cake.

Saturday morning I spent psyching myself up for a happy happy birthday of nudity, bike rides and parties. At 12 o'clock I set off on my bike to Hyde Park for the World Naked Bike Ride. After watching the Queens Birthday march and fly by, I introduced myself to Molly, Luke and Zoe, and we had a little picnic on the grass. The hour of 3 o'clock drew nearer when we received the call to the Secret Garden. We soon stripped off and got our Picasso on, painting ourselves and each other. Once we were all done, we set off again to the rendezvous point, along with over 1000 other naked bicycle enthusiasts. Then we were off. The route was about 6miles all up, going through Piccadilly, Westminster, Waterloo, St. Paul's... We definitely made a statement. That evening, I made my way back home and got all spruced up for a night on the town. Robbie came and picked me up and we went to a cute Italian restaurant in St. Johns Wood, the cannelloni was scrumptious. Next stop, the Purple Turtle, Camden. Robbie and I met up with Tessa and had a wild night, dancing the night away to 90s hits, and downing too many Jägermeister shots until 3am. Sunday was spent recuperating, surfing the net, lurking, making decisions about my future... I know I did something else, but I can't remember at the moment. My first shots. Jagermeister.

Monday started another working week dotted with rehearsals, concerts and trips before the weekend. Saturday was spent moseying around the Royal Academy. I listened to some amazing brass music, then had a look around the museum. Next stop was the Wellcome Collection. Sunday, Jungle Book. It was the day for setting up and technical rehearsals... So much Jungle Book.

Another week of rehearsals and concerts, which was finished by tea with Helen and mum in a cute cafe near home.

On Saturday I introduced mum to the wonders of Portobello Rd Market. We immersed ourself in possibly my favourite part of London for a few hours, had some Ghanian and Spanish for lunch before going on a bit of a spending spree. I came away the proud owner of many many scarves, a pair of pants and a 1940a vintage Liberty cape - it is DIVINE. After that we headed to Oxford St. to do some shoe shopping before walking to the Adelphi on the Strand. We got some Japanese for dinner before going to see Love Never Dies. It was pretty impressive, the end was a bit of a let down though. The hagen-daas at interval made up for that though : ) Sunday Mum, Susan (a friend from the hostel) and I made the most of the good weather and went for a walk through Primrose Hill and Regents park. The Queen Mary rose garden was really something! All those roses in the summer were stunning. We parted at 12 as I headed off to Chiswick to go to my free Mandarin trial class. My brain basically melted, but at least I know now that it is achievable if the need arises to learn Mandarin : ) I met up with mum again in the afternoon before heading over to Southwark for Compline in the evening. We sang some awesome music (i'll edit this and let you know when I find the composers) Then just a early night in.

The last week of June arrived unexpectedly, where has the month gone? But I made sure it went out with a bang. Monday was spent lounging around Hampstead Heath on the year 8 Bushskills excursion. What ana amazing day. We learnt all about making fire, making spears, making shelters, foraging and orienteering, topped off by an ice-cream in the summer sun. Mum and I went out for a goodbye dinner on Monday night, to Dans Le Noir? Pretty much the most amazing dining experience I have ever had. The restaurant is staffed by blind people, and you eat in pitch black darkness, as in you can't even see your hand when you hold it in front of your face. But that is only half the fun, you don'y actually know what you are eating, so you have to guess! Just wow.

Tuesday morning I was up early to say goodbye to mum before another day at work finished off with a Merbecke rehearsal. Wednesday evening was a Teatime concert. Close Harmony sang Siyahamb' and Zamina and were definitely the stars of the show : ) After that me, Tessa and Maddy were treated to Curry on Brick Lane with the Kays. It was sooo delicious and it was really nice meeting Helen's daughter Hannah, she was great : ) Thursday, the last day of the month was nothing special, except for the fact that all the teaching staff were on strike, so I played rounders (weird English version of softball) all day at the ground with the girls and packed for my Duke of Ed expedition which leaves tomorrow!

All in all, a pretty eventful month, but the big countdown to summer is on now! Woo!

Just some Pina Coladas before dinner...

A week in the Mediterranean

We arrived in Valetta, Malta, at 11:30pm on Friday night. After a manic taxi ride across the 12mile x 17mile island, we arrived at the Bayview Hotel.

Day 1: Saturday morning started with a bus ride, full of crazy Spaniards, into the city. We had a walk around the mesmerising streets and alleys before stopping for gelato, our first of many, which we devoured by the msin square watching a water fountain show. We then stopped in St. Johns Co-Cathedral, built by the Knights of St. John in the 1560s. The whole floor is made up of tomb stones of coloured inlaid marble. Simply AMAZING. Then we went to the Upper Barrakka Gardens to watch the Saluting Battery, a deafening blast from a restored canon at 12pm. Next stop was the War Memorial where we saw the plaque for Clifton Lawrence Hughes, my Great Grandfather, who went missing in action over the Mediterranean in 1944. We then walked around the north side of the peninsula, past the forts, bastions and curtains, up to Fort St. Elmo before going to get some lunch at 'Malta's best pizza shop'. Yum. After that we went on a tour in the house of a Maltese noble family. I learnt a lot about maltese history and culture. We also got to see the WW2 bomb shelters 100ft underground! Then we caught the ferry home for a well deserved rest.

Day 2: After some miscommunication, we arrived at the dock for Hera Cruises, where a giant, luxury yacht awaited us. We sailed around the east and north sides of the Island to the Blue Lagoon. When we arrived, we hopped off and explored the little outcrop and found a little swimming hole where we took a dip before heading back to the yacht for a delish buffet lunch. After that we lazed around and read, I jumped off the boat a few times and went for one last swim before we headed home. That night, the sunburnt red tomato that I was, found a little restaurant where we had the most amazing meal, Rabbit (the national dish) and octopus pasta followed by a pear and ricotta cheesecake. Wow.

Day 3: The next morning was eventful for all the wrong reasons. We were waiting out front for the 6:15am taxi we had booked, and waiting, and waiting. I went inside and they said that he was running late, but we didn't have anytime to spare, so they got one of the kitchen staff up out of bed to drive us in his own car, baby seat and all. We got on to the ferry with not a moment to spare, and sailed off in the direction of Sicily. We docked at the small fishing town of Pozzallo and then caught the train to Siracusa. When we arrived at Siracusa, we realised that we didn't know how to get to our B&B and the lone taxi was without a driver. A really nice Italian man, with a giant belly, who spoke a little English, tried to find the cab driver for us, asking around in the pubs and things, but to no avail. He offered to drive us there himself, but we managed to get in contact with Sabrina, the B&B owner who came to pick us up. She drove us to Giugiulena, where she showed us our room and gave us a little orientation to Siracusa. Our room was on the bottom floor, the Mediterranean was right outside our door, simply beautiful. We spent the afternoon looking at the Catacombs, there are over 10 000 tombs, and it was where the first Christian community met outside of Israel in 39AD. Then we walked around and through the archaeological site before making our way back home. For dinner we went to a gorgeous restaurant up the hill where we had a divine pizza (Quattro Stagioni) and Pasta (Tonno al Gnocci)

Day 4: I started my day with a swim in the sea. Bliss. After breakfast we went over to the island of Ortiga for our Segway tour! Valario took us through all the winding lanes, to the Piazza Archimede, Fonte Aretusa, Duomo, Apollo's Temple and the Maniace. It was definitely an experience to remember. We spent the afternoon ransacking my mum's suitcase and making expensive international phone calls to try and find her lost credit card and drivers licence. We had a late dinner at a spaghetti restaurant on Ortiga.

Day 5: Our time in Siracusa was up. In the morning we caught the train to Messina and made a mad dash from the station to the ferry. On the ferry we met Daniela, a lovely Italian lady who told us all about the Eolian Islands. Other then that, the ride was frickin boring. When we arrived, we made our way to our accommodation at Baia Portinenti. After we checked in, we went down the main street for some takeaway. I had some Fagottini and Aracini, Yum yum yum. We had a bit of an explore before stopping for dinner at a pizzaria, followed by gelati. I had two WEIRD flavours: Lipari - which had hazelnuts and glace cherries; and Zaguba - Orange, caramel and bits. Weird, but good.

Day 6: We had a leisurely morning wandering around and eating granitas. We bought a picnic lunch for the supermarket: salamis, rolls, cheese, baked ricotta, salad...Mmm. We met the boat at Marina Corta to begin our voyage to Stromboli. First stop was at Panarea. We sailed through the bluest bay before stopping at the town where we had our picnic on the rocks. After some relaxing and reading, we took a wander around the island. Panarea is very exclusive, but very beautiful.

We hopped back on the boat and headed on to Stromboli. We sailed around the Strombolicchio before heading to the village. We went for a swim at the black sand beaches. It was so so so nice and calm. Absolutely amazing. The water was so warm too. Once we had dried off, sunbaking and reading, we found a beautiful restaurant up the hill to have dinner - aubergine pasta and squid spaghetti. So good. We hoped back on the boat and watched the sunset before hanging for some Stromboli eruption action. Unfortunately we only got to see 3, but still I saw a volcano erupt, which is pretty cool I think.

Day 7: Mum was not feeling well this morning, so I headed off solo. First I bought our ferry tickets and then had a wander around in the blistering sun. I strolled down orange tree lined streets and under fruiting fig trees before heading back to the B&B. Mum and I went out to find some lunch, ending up at the takeaway joint again with some divine 1.50 pizza slices. Then we went up to Lipari Castle, a site which has been occupied since neolithic times, through the greeks, romans, normans and spaniards. That night we had stuffed squid for dinner, a Eolian specialty.

Day 8: We were up at the crack of dawn to get ready for the 6:45 ferry to Reggio Calabria. After a relatively uneventful ferry ride, we had a far more interesting trip to the airport. We couldn't find anyone between the port and the bus station who spoke english, so after some enthusiastic charades and mum's fragmented Italian, we got the message across that we needed to go to the airport. The bus driver said, what we thought, was yes. We drove all through Reggio Calabria. After about 30 minutes, we were back where we started! The bus driver reassured us (we thought) that he was on his way, and after he took his 15 minute break, reading the paper, we set off again. In another 20 minutes or so, he pulled up at the airport. Yipee! And he didn't even charge us. What a champion. Then began the wait of all waits, for our plane to Venice. I perused the single shop in the airport before boredom overcame me. We got to Venice, finally, I whipped out the map, and we set off to our next accommodation. We found the Laguna, and a nice message left from the owners. After we settled in to our room, we set off again to find a concert to go to that night. We stumbled upon Vivaldi's 4 seasons. Jackpot. We got some dinner at a little cafe, the cheapest we could find in the ridiculously overpriced Venician market before heading off the the most mind blowingly amazing concert I have seen in a while. The ensemble, music, presentation, venue, everything, was perfection. On the way back, we got some gelati which we ate on the Rialto bridge, before hitting the hay.

Day 9: We started our last day at Mass, in San Cassiano. The nuns, dressed in white, lead the singing. There were even nuns on guitars! The church was beautiful as well. So ornate. The language of the readings and sermon was mesmerising too. After that, we marked our last day in this amazing country with a big shopping spree. Zigzagging through the streets finding the best bargins, the perfect necklace, the right coloured bag, presents, jewellery... After 6 hours straight, we were exhausted! We had some lunch sitting on the grand canal, watching the boats float by. Then I caught the ferry over the St. Georgio Maggiore, a setting from Vikram Seth's book, An Equal Music, and I saw some inspiring art and photography displays over there too, while mum took a well deserved coffee break. We met up again and did the final shopping rounds before going back to the hotel to get our bags and head home.

I could recount the... eventful trip back home... with almost every airport error obstructing our journey.. but I would rather not.

All in all, an AMAZING week. I cannot WAIT to go back there in August! Yippeeeeeeee.

No other month ends on the same day of the week as May

Ok. First day of the month was a beautiful spring Sunday. I began by riding east, to Colombia Road Markets<http:></http:>. I was caught up in the hustle and bustle of the flower stalls, my senses assaulted by the scents and sights. I involved myself with the Unlikeness project <www.unlikeness.org>, deciding I liked the image and taking it with me. After lunch in a cute Italian cafe, I went on to Brick Lane Markets<http:></http:>, the home of Indie, in London's indie center, Shoreditch. It was seeew indie. Monday was a bank holiday (thank you Will and Kate) which I spent relaxing after the Royal Wedding excitement. In the evening, I treated myself to a showing of Hamlet at the Globe, standing in the yard. It truly was world class. </www.unlikeness.org>

The next weekend was in Finland, which I have already indulged you with.

I was lucky enough on the 11th to accompany year 8 on an excursion to Kew Gardens. It is an awesome place. I saw trees which were centuries old, a vine planted in 1716, a Wollemi pine, some breathtaking avenues of acacias... All in a days work really.

That weekend started with a lovely, long yoga class, working out the week. Saturday night was spent babysitting. Making some extra dosh. Sunday began with a breezy bike ride across Hyde Park to the Royal College of Music where they were playing all of Bach's Violin Sonatas and Cello Suites, and Pagannini's Caprices all day, for free! It absolutely blew my mind. 

A highlight of the next week was the Visiting Music Teacher's(VMTs) of SHHS concert. I was helping organise and run the concert which took place at the beautiful St. John's, Downshire Hill, featuring the private music tutors who played some amazing music, from Schubert Piano Trios (MY FAVOURITE) to Rod's own Jazz guitar works. All up, we raised over £1200 for Cancer Research! Not a bad effort. On the Friday night, once dark had set in, Tessa and I made our way up to the Hampstead Observatory. They were open especially on this weekend to see Saturn. It was amazing! The rings were so clear. I almost thought they had got a sticky glow in the dark Saturn and just stuck it on the end of the tube or something! It definitely made me feel insignificant.

Saturday morning, Mum arrived in London! I made the journey to Heathrow to meet her. When we got back to my neck of the woods, I gave her a little tour around Swiss Cottage and Hampstead. After that, some Chinese chow and then bed. On Sunday I introduced mum to the wonders of Camden Market. We spent the morning perusing the stalls and then enjoyed a DELISH market lunch (Indian and Mexican) before continuing on to Oxford St for some more shopping. That evening was Compline, so mum was treated to a little Merbecke glory : )

On the Wednesday, mum and I went on a tour to Windsor Castle, Bath and Stonehenge. Windsor Castle was amazing. The history contained within those walls is incredible. We saw the tombs of King Henry VIII, and the Queen Mother amongst others. We also saw the state apartments, which definitely live up to their reputation. Next stop was Stonehenge. I am not sure if it was bigger or smaller than I imagined. Mum and I came to the conclusion that it was bigger than we thought it was going to be (as in the size of the rocks) but they were closer together than we expected (so it was smaller in area). Our last destination was Bath. We first saw the Roman baths and museum before heading off to explore a little bit, ending up and wagamama for some noodley goodness. Then it was the bus home to London!

Half term break started on that Friday, which was our cue to head off to Malta! But that tale is for another time.

Basically I have been here for 5 months now. Holy Guacamole! But it is simply fantastic. I miss you all dearly, so please drop me a line when you get the chance!

Fun Finnish Facts

FFF #1: Finland is called Suomi in Finnish

I finally arrived (after a debacle I would rather not explain) in Helsinki at 5:30pm on Saturday, stepped out of customs, welcomed by Mika's smiling face. Yay. First we went on a driving tour of the capital - only 500 000 people. We passed the bustling square, Hakaniementon; the architecturally superior train station; the Finlandia building; the opera house; and Parliament house as we navigated the one way streets of the city. After that we began on our way to Mika's home town of Ahtari, a 4 hour drive north of Helsinki.

FFF #7: Finnish is said to be the second most difficult language in the world. E.g Each word has 14 unique suffixes which alter its meaning.

We watched the sunset over the sunset over the Ouluvesi Lake before heading to Mika's, via the main street of Ahtari, which was absolutely deserted because everyone was watching the Sweden vs Finland ice hockey match. We were welcomed home by a yummy Finnish dinner with the family, I tried karjalanpiirakka (a kind of rice porridge in pastry smothered with egg and butter) which definitely gets the thumbs up. I was also introduced to the bird and cat and Remu and Laku the dogs.

FFF #10: You must have your headlights on all the time, daytime, night time, summer, winter...

After dinner Raija and I hit the sauna, at about 80*C , then jumped in to Ahtari Lake, at about 2*C, then back into the sauna, and then the lake. It was awesome. It makes you feel so so so good and gives you the BEST nights sleep.

FFF #3: When going in the lake after the sauna you must go in 20m, otherwise you have to stay in the water longer to ensure that your body cools down enough.

Sunday began nice and slowly with a walk with the dogs in the forest surrounding Mika's house and around the lake. Then I had a coffee before getting impatient and waking up Mika. First stop was the family restaurant - Lounasportaat. After a feed, we went to Ahtari zoo to see the snow leopards, bears, wolves, moose and a whole other array of Finnish animals.

FFF #9: There is compulsary 1 year military service in Finland which everyone hates. Regardless, if Russia invaded, they would take over in two days.

Then we went to the Mesikammen, the underground hotel before we went to hang out with Mika's floor-ball playing friends at his school. The afternoon was just just spent chilling with the Finnish boys who came back to Mika's for a sauna session. That night we had another family dinner before watching some Finnish TV and heading to bed. 

FFF #2: You cannot buy packaged cake mixes in Finland.

On Monday we left early to go to Hollola, Lahti to get our business-man on. After selling a big haul of jumpers, jackets and pants, we set off to Tampere, touring the gas stations of Finland. We arrived in Tampere and went to the observation tower to see some beautiful views. Then Mika dropped me off at the airport for my flight home via Stockholm. 

FFF #4: You pull the toilet to flush.

All in all it was a pretty fun weekend : ) Thanks Mika.

Spring into Spring

April april april, where did you go? 

I marked the beginning of Spring with a visit to the Borough Markets. I made my way there via the John Soane museum, an amazing miscellany of artefacts collected from all over the world. <http:></http:> Next door, at St. Lincoln-Inns-Fields I listened to a saxophone quintet rehearsing before continuing on my way to the Markets<http:></http:>. The smells, sights and tastes were just overwhelming! Every kind of cheese, mean, jam, chutney, bread, cake, pastry, chocolate, fruit, vegetable... endless! Once my senses had recovered from this initial assault, I had some lunch next to Southwark Cathedral. Next I crossed back over the THames and had a look at the Guildhall's Clock Museum<http:>before Evensong at St. Pauls.<http:></http:> The boys voices took my breath away. It was mesmerising, especially underneath the Cathedral's beautiful domes, I was in another world. Sunday was pretty relaxing before dinner with the visiting Duncan McArthur and then Ronnie Scotts, which I must say, was very very cool.<http:></http:></http:>

Then began the final week of term. Monday was the day of the annual SHHS Spring concert. After an intensive day rehearsing and making last minute tweaks, we put on a fantastic show. Close Harmony was a massive success singing Fragile and Java Jive. The Headmistress even submitted a special request for us to sing at the final assembly! Wednesday was the BIAAG charity walk.<http:> The staff departed at 8:30am to walk from Hampstead to Westminster. My station was on Carlton Terrace, instructing the girls to their next checkpoint. The walk ended at Westminster, next to the Houses of Parliament. After a lunch in the sun, we scored a free tour of the Houses of Parliament from an old SHHS girl, which was awesome.<http:></http:> After listening to the proceedings for a while, I went to a pub on the Thames with the staff for a catch up in the sun. The perfect way to finish the day. Thursday's final assembly performance went swimmingly, and the day was relatively easy, just tying up ends before the break commenced.</http:>

Friday, first day of the holidays was celebrated with a ride along Regents Canal which took me to the English Homes Museum and then on to Spitalfields Market,<http:></http:> returning home via the blooming squares of the city.

Saturday began with the Chocolate Festival over on the Southbank.<http:></http:>After surveying the stalls, I watched some cooking demonstrations and ate lots and lots of free samples and cookies, before meeting up with Robbie. We rode up to Camden to catch some Jazz <http:></http:> before heading home. Sunday started with a walk through Regents Park, then down to Hyde Park via the Sherlock Holmes Museum<http:></http:> and Selfridges. We stopped at Speakers Corner<http:></http:> and argued with people professing Evangelism, Meninism and all sorts of doctrines before having lunch in the park. Next stop was the Science Museum<http:></http:> before heading home again. The next day was my plane to Amsterdam, which I have already told you all about...

Sunday, my first day back, was spent recovering from my trip and doing loads and loads of washing. Monday I met up with the lovely Laura Begbie and her travel companion in Covent Garden before she treated me to the Ballet in the Royal Opera House.<http:></http:> Wow. wow. wow. I don't know how I haven't seen a ballet before?! It was Cinderella, music by Prokofiev. Tuesday, the last day of the holidays, was spend riding around the city, seeing Liberty<http:></http:> and some other shops.

Thursday afternoon I collected all our gear and headed to Buckingham Palace.<http:></http:> I set up our campsite and waited for Tessa to arrive from rounders and the night of epic proportions began. We introduced ourselves to the campers around us, Americans, Englishmen, Canadians, Phillipinos... Then the media frenzy began./ FIrst was a Spanish news, then the BBC and NBC wandered past, then SUNRISE! I jumped around like a lunatic with my Aussie flag yelling hellos to mum and home. Then I bumped into some fellow Australians who accompanied me to Kochie and Mel's hub, where we continued our cheers : ) My throat was starting to get hoarse, so I headed back to our camp spot to lay on the concrete for a few hours.  Over the night more and more well wishers arrived, and it became harder and harder to hold our ground. As the sun rose, Emma Alberichi from the ABC come over and had an interview with me, for TV and for Radio. Woo! <http:> And then Monique from 7 News came over and had a chat too. The festivities began around 9am when the police, soldiers and guards began entering and exiting the Spur. Then the dignitaries began to leave for the Abbey, which included the Queen and then Kate MIddleton herself. At 11 the serviece began, which was broadcast over big loudspeakers. It was beautiful and so so so exciting to hear William and Kate utter the words "i will" to each other. The Rutter, sang by the choir was equally as emotive. Jsut wow. Then the wedding party returned to the palace in their carriages, surrounded by knights in shining armour on their noble steeds, before making their way up to the balcony for the much anticipated kiss. Talk about a buzz!!! The celebrations ended with the fly over and then the crowds began to exit, which was a spectacle in itself. The afternoon was spent with Laura over tea comparing photos from the morning before an early night.</http:>

Saturday I met up with Laura again at Portobello Road, we had a good look around before I grabbed a divine filo pastry for lunch. Then the shopping got serious. I purchased a CD by the Robbie Boyd Band<http:></http:>, some lovely scarves, sunglasses and a beautiful vintage backpack. Yay. I rode home along the canal, passing through little venice, where some Saturday markets were on. All in all, a lovely day.

Sunday, the last day of the month began with some serious skyping sessions, catching up on all the royal gossip back home. Then I headed off across the city to Columbia Road Flower Market.<http:></http:> After perusing the blooms, and relishing the aroma's I bumped into a man collecting images for his Photography Project - Unlikeness <http:></http:> He took a photo, if I liked I got to keep it, which I did. That was exciting. Walking down the road, a girl on a bike comes up to me and asks 'Are you Alex?" Turns our it was Elenor, a girl who I used to sing with in Port Macquarie. Talk about a small world. After lunch in the cutest little Italian cafe, I continued on to Brick Lane Market<http:></http:>, pretty much the definition of Indie. I spent a few hours immersed in a world of vintage clothes, rayban sunglasses, homemade jewellery, vinyls, and exotic hair styles I made my way home for an early night.

Month 4 went very very smoothly, and the count down to summer holidays has already begun!

April Holidays - My first foray to the Continent

April Holidays. What an amazing trip! Here is a little run down of what I have been getting up to over the last two weeks...

I started at 3:30am to get ready to catch my bus to Luton to then fly to Amsterdam at 6. I arrived in the Motherland and met my friend Till at the station to begin a jam-packed day in the capital. We started by perusing the coffeehouses, settling in the world-famous  Bulldog <http://www.thebulldog.com/> to get some of the Amsterdam experience. Till then treated me to a Dutch snack shop specialty - Frickendel. A sausage smothered in special Dutch mayonnaise and curry sauce, served with a sprinkle of raw onion... Next was a Canal tour. We traversed Amsterdam Harbour - the Ij, roamed the Old City canals, admired 17th century bridges and architecture and generally got our tourist on.

We decided to be a bit cultural and see the St. Nicolaaskerk Cathedral before exploring the Red Light District. Ok. Imagine the most far-out, crazy, bizarre thing and you will be able to find it here. Condommeries, deluxe dildo shops, gay cinema's, costume shops, mask shops... We also saw a few brothels and some girls offering their services from their stools in the windows, all made up. It was definitely an eyeopening experience. 

Next stop was the Anne Frank House<http://www.annefrank.org/>, which was just heart wrenching. I saw the marks on the wall tracking the children's grow, Anne's posters and treasured possessions, and the actual diary which she wrote in. The exhibition finished with the sombre record of her and her families extermination, weeks before the end of WW2. After that we went looking for some chow, passing the Royal Palace, Nieuwekerk and the National Monument and ending up at a Thai place. Generally a good way to start my trip.

The next day, I explored more of Amsterdam, seeing the Bloemenmarkt, Vondelpark, the Van Gogh Museum <http://www.vangoghmuseum.nl/vgm/index.jsp?lang=nl> - home to his Self Portrait, the Sunflowers as well as some Daubigny and Monet. After that, I continued on through the city, passing the Rijksmuseum to the Albert Cuyp market, seeing some more Amsterdam specialties - poffertjes, gherkins, seafood (50kg fish), and genital chocolates (Only in amsterdam). I finished the day munching on corn on the cobs in Nieumarkt.<http://www.amsterdamescape.com/NieuwmarktAmsterdam.html>

Wednesday, I hopped on a bicycle and rode out of the city, to explore the Dutch country side. I rode along the dykes of the Ij all the way to Edam. I passed through a number of quaint dutch villages, meadows, fields, gardens... It was so picturesque! The ducklings, lambs, turtles, rabbits, squirrels... That night I caught the train to Utrecht to meet up with Corine and go back to the family's house in Zeist where I was treated to some Vla and Speckulaas, Yum.

The next day, after John had finished his meeting, he took me to the Keukenhof!<http://www.keukenhof.nl/> It was absolutely amazing. There was every kind of tulip, jonquil, bulb, orchid, hydrangea in every colour of the rainbow. Simply beautiful. I tried to ignore the fact that the average age of visitors was about 65. Haha. There was also a giant hedge maze and a windmill which I had fun looking around.

On Friday, Corine and I took Yoran and Nadine to school, which is just down the road, and then we picked them up again before lunch, as they finish early on Fridays. Then we drove to Harderwyk to see Tante Adrie. After some afternoon tea, we went to the old fishing port where I downed a herring, garnished with raw onion (what else). After a stroll by the lake, we went to Boshuis Drie for dinner and then headed home.

Saturday started with football with Yoran and John and then Gymnastics with Corine and Nadine. After the morning activities were over, Corine and I went into Utrecht to have a look around. I saw the Domtoren Church, walked along the canals and had a look around the shops. 

That night I caught the overnight train from Utrecht to Zurich, a whopping 11 hours, luckily I slept for most of it! The only interruption was when the angry, fat, German man told me I was in the wrong compartment. Haha. I arrived in Zurich and wandered around unsuccessfully looking for a hostel, so I went to the Tourist Information Office who snagged me the last bed in the City Backpackers Hostel. Once I had dropped by stuff off, I headed off to explore. First thing I stumbled upon was the Zurich Marathon. The track was lined with entertainment, food and music in the traditional Swiss style, so I parked myself on the edge of the Zurichsee, with a chocolate fondue banana in hand and listened to the Alphorn. I then continued my walk around the city, passing Grossmunster, Fraumunster (Home to the famous Stained Glass windows), St. Peters (The largest clock face in Switzerland), The EHT, Zurich University and The Kunsthaus Museum amoungst other things. The architecture is just divine. I ended up at the National Swiss Museum where I was enlightened to the history and culture of this little nation. After lunch I walked around the Platzpromenade and frolicked in the daisies, walked to the Lindenhof for some beautiful city views, saw the Tonhall and then headed back to the hostel.

I started the next day with a walk to the city's west to see the Volkshaus before scaling the Grossmunster tower from some exceptional views. I then made my way south to the Zurich Horn park for lunch, where I dipped my feet in the Zurichsee. I then went to the Botanical Gardens and watched the frogs for a while, before heading back towards Niederdorfstrasse to browse the shops and teahouses. Then I collected my things, hopped on the train and went to Judith's. After dinner, Judith showed me around her part of Cham - the castle across the road, the park and the lake. It was so beautiful, like a postcard!

The next morning, I headed off to Thun, via Bern and met up with Debora. She showed me around her lovely town. We saw the Thuner Schloss Castle, Aare River, Thunersee, Schadau Schloss Park; had coffee at Muteplatz; and rode on Debora's scooter to her house in Gwatt where I was treated to a very yummy traditional Swiss dinner (i.e lots of bread, cheese and chocolate). We also did the traditional easter egg cracking. Debora won. Afterwards, I caught the train back to Bern and experienced some of the capitals nightlife before hitting the hay.

Wednesday morning was spent exploring Bern, seeing the National Swiss Bank, Parliament House, Castles, Churches and monuments, as well as Einsteins House before I caught the train to Interlaken, where I boarded the Jungfraujoch, a train which winds through and under the alps to the top of Europe. The scenery was just AMAZING. The mountains are divine. After the 3 hour trip, we arrived at the top, at an altitude of 4000m. I had a ridiculously overpriced lunch on the top of Europe before exploring the decks and snow, taking in the majestic views. I caught one of the last trains back down the Mountain to Interlaken, which was just picture perfect in the twilight, the river was a vibrant shade of blue. Just like a fairytale or something. Then I continued on to Zermatt, where I arrived late that night.

In the morning, I exited the front door to the Matterhorn. What a view. Wow. Then I went for a hike in the Alps towards Sunnegga where I saw squirrels and beavers. It was fantastic. Then I hopped back on the train to head to Zug via Andermatt and the Alpine passes. I arrived at Judith's again, freshened up, had dinner and then went to her neighbours for drinks, which was really nice.

The next day Judith dropped me at Mt. Pilatus, where I took the cable car to Frakmuntegg. At Frakmuntegg I went to the Seilpark, and traversed the tree tops in the rope park for a few hours, which was super fun. After being asked to lunch by a sexy Swiss boy, one of the workers at the rope park, I continued up to the summit, to see the views over central Switzerland. On the otherside I went down the mountain on the steepest railway in the world before heading back to Judith's via Luzern, which was buzzing in the Spring sun. That night Judith had a barbecue with her neighbours and golf friends, which was a lot of fun. I tried horse, which just tasted like beef and finished off with some delicious Swiss Mövenpick icecream, before partying the night away.

My last day in Switzerland was spent on the shores of the Zugsee, working on my tan, reading my book and swimming in the crystal clear (and ice cold) water. It was definitely 'refreshing'. After lunch, Judith took me to the airport and I came home!

Talk about an abso-frickin-lutely AMAZING holiday!