Coming home and ducks

In twenty-one and a half hours I’ll be on a plane which is something to look forward to and to dread a little. But I’m not really dreading it. I like watching movies only to be interrupted by a passenger announcement (they pause your movies) first in Japanese, then English. Radies and Genterman…

I’ve had a brilliant, well wicked time here made better by the best Contikiers, Allan, Linda, Ashleigh and Jamie and not least of all my awesome hosts Tommy and Mal. I’ve been made to feel absolutely welcome and at home here in the motherland (ha) but I’ll admit a fondness for sun and hot weather, both of which I have to look forward to! That and summer storms.

What would a post be without pictures or a video though? I’ve just uploaded some more pictures and videos to the computer to make sure they make it home via USB stick and I happened upon this, in my opinion, hilarious video. I apologise in advance to probably everybody who doesn’t find this to be that funny! It’s Jamie, Ashleigh and I arguing about what a duck is and isn’t in Hyde Park.

Thanks to everyone who’s made this trip fantastic for me at home or abroad. It’s been ages! Look forward to seeing you all – not least of all you, Pete and Chell if you’re still reading

All my love,

Na

7 days

In one week I’ll be at Heathrow waiting for a plane to take me to Japan, then home.

I just had a look through my beach photos and I’m inclined to upload them all, for each of them remind me of how I like being by the water. Tommy, Mal, Jamie and I braved the cold and went to the south coast the other day. Mudeford, Christchurch had boats and beach huts that people pay lots for but aren’t allowed to sleep in according to Mal. It also had a lot of crab nets and a lot of cold wind. We didn’t stay long. We went to Highcliffe – I think it was called – which was a high cliff, where the sun decided to attempt an appearance. It was short lived but fairly picturesque through the otherwise grey sky. We walked down to the beach at the next destination and at the destination after that we had some afternoon tea in the form of lunch. This last beach was nearest the Isle of Wight which could be seen through the fog.

I could spend hours at the beach or cliff just sitting and looking at the water were it not quite so cold!

I went to Oxford yesterday (Friday) for the day and am glad I went. There was snow on the ground in places and overcast but not rainy, thankfully. Luckily, my bus arrived early and I was on time for a walking tour which included Exeter College which is one of the thirty-eight colleges which comprise the University of Oxford. The city and colleges were something to behold and I was slightly overwhelmed to think that great authors and thinkers had walked these streets and experienced, if not a bit more extravagantly, Oxford life as I also did. I went to the Botanic gardens which were covered in snow and traversed them for a time. Then, I went to Christ Church college before finding a Cafe to while away the last of my time before coaching back home.

Jamie’s friend Ashleigh’s just arrived and we’re possibly going to Stonehenge tomorrow. We’re all going to London (definitely) on Tuesday to see Billy Elliot the musical, staying the night, and seeing The Lion King at another theatre on Wednesday. Lots of coach travel means lots of listening to music. I’m very used to being on a coach though. I wish I knew or could be told (to save working it out) the number of hours I was on the coach going around Europe!

If I haven’t been doing these things, or am not doing these future things, it’s likely that I have been or will be watching English soaps (which have ridiculous plot lines), reading Great Expectations, eating toast or drinking tea/coffee. I’ve had and am still having a great time and haven’t been sick since before christmas! I very much look forward to coming home which I’ve worked out will not actually be on the 24th but the 25th (Monday) instead at 7.15am Brisbane time. Apparently I’m not very good at reading tickets.

Now to upload some pictures…

Love Na.

An English Christmas

Some of the photos of the awesome Christmas I had, made awesome by Mal and Tommy in the morning and then Allan and Linda in the afternoon with all the awesome presents that I did not expect to receive and the delicious food and drinks we shared!

Santa Homer by the fireplace.

My presents and stocking from Mal and Tommy.

Champagne breakfast.

The fireplace at Jamie’s Dad’s in Breamore.

Jamie making the fire more fiery.

Jamie always takes this chair at his Dad’s.

Christmas tree at Jamie’s Dad’s.

About to eat some Xmas dinner wearing a silly hat, and the shirt Allan and Linda gave to me.

And last but not least…

Spider Pig!

Technically the last one isn’t a christmas picture but it looks festive being red. I watched the Simpsons movie the other day and then happened to make myself some coffee in the Spider Pig mug and then put it on the Spider Pig coaster. It warranted a photo! And no it didn’t snow on christmas but it did on the 23rd of December I think so that’s close enough for me.

Hope your christmases were as merry as mine!

Lots of love,

Na.

***Edit***

I forgot to include this video which I took when I was trying to make it to a theatre in London. Rollerblading Santas?! First ever YouTube upload too

Pictures make for popular posts

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=7531&id=100000459041740&l=b932f4f4a2

I’ve uploaded 67 photos of me and other people I’ve met since being here. This link should work for people who aren’t on facebook as well.

WordPress lets you check how many visitors you get and what posts are most popular by day, week and month. So here’s another ‘picture post’ seeing as how they’re easy to write and people like to see just how badly I look when I don’t shave as often as I should!

I’ve not got much to tell otherwise. I’m still enjoying my time in the village and had fish and chips last night which were great even though they were battered (the english way). Looking forward to more sunny days hopefully where we’ll get out to Stonehenge. Might see the coast too hopefully. Forgot my boardies though.

Lots of love,
Na.

An hour in France

Bonjour,

I’m writing from France in the hour of free time I have before we do a bus tour of the city by night starting at 8pm. My room is very green and stylish and I have another double bed all to myself. We saw the Eiffel tower from a distance as we drove into the city. We’re staying near the outskirts so I’m thinking of buying an all day pass on the metro so that I can see all that I possibly can in the one day that I have.

The tour finishes after tomorrow night as we head back to London the next day over the ferry again. After a drive like the long one we had from (beautiful) Lucerne to Paris today I’ll be quite happy to be on my own once more for two nights before Jamie arrives at heathrow terminal 3 (I’m so organised). There has been a lot to enjoy about the drives. Cindy has a great taste in music, particularly radiohead and sigur ros. Watching the german countryside roll by, the alps steadily loom closer and waking up to look out of the bus window after a nap to see snow falling and to be driving in a valley in the alps with trees covered in snow has been extremely enjoyable and at times, surreal.

I had no expectations of the people that I would meet and I suppose I thought that I could get along with anyone. I still believe that I can but a strange thing happens when you aren’t meeting people and you’re instead engaging with newly formed groups of friends whose common interests differ greatly from your own. It’s felt like high school in a way but I suppose for a lot of the people, regardless of their age, high school wasn’t a long time ago.

When not quietly going insane on buses though I have met some funny, different, sincere, sarcastic people from all over the world (which is a metaphor for Australia). Despite our shared nationality I’ve met people from very different backgrounds who’ve done loads of interesting things which has been great. There’s a few people still on the bus that I don’t know but that may just be because we meet each other on a level of introversion and that’s ok with me.

This photo is from the top of Mt. Pilatus in lucerne, Switzerland which was breathtaking and -7 degrees. I only got cold when snowball fighting without gloves. I wouldn’t recommend it. Lucerne itself was very beautiful and I went for a 2-3 hour walk around the streets ending up at this stunning carving of a lion into a cliff face which is a feature of the city (no iPhone pictures sorry! Google it!). I have taken loads of great photos on my camera and there’s a few of said walk by the lake and looking down from a hill across the snow covered roofs. It was good to feel like you were where people like you are simply living so differently from you and who would possibly not ever dreamt of visiting Australia. It was nice to get lost.

I’ll write more about places I haven’t written about when I can access a computer. In the meantime, thanks mum for letting me know via text about leahs return. I’m so relieved and happy for you guys that you can destress now. It’s bizarre to hear just how much happens when I’m away but I love hearing it.

Hope you’re all well,
Love na.

Wifi!

Best western hotels give free wifi in your own room. Amsterdam and now Florence. Very comfortable room too. Sadly a single bed .

Just a quick couple of pictures and a promise to hopefully get to posting more about what I’ve done.

Sistine Chapel.

I promise I’ll shave in Florence.

Collosseo.

Julian and I in Venice.

Sparkling white wine on a gondola at 2pm.

I’ll spell it wrong so let’s call it the Disney castle.

Cindy (tour manager) with St. Nicholas and one of six to eight black men that feature in Dutch Christmas stories.

Lots of love,
Na.

Photos from Prague but not of Prague

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Bus to Berlin

Yesterday was:
Cheese and clogs demonstration.
Anne franks house / museum.
Saw the smalllest house in the world.
Shopping in Amsterdam for a warm jacket, beanie and scarf.
Pancakes in the city.
Watching out for bikes and bike lanes.
Three course Dutch dinner.
Heineken.
Canal cruise with more heineken.

Driving through the netherlands at the moment enjoying some greenery and iPod fun. Met some interesting people so far and having lots of fun. Few musicians and lots of brisbanians. Already met people who know people I know. 6 degrees of separation more like 1 degree!

Taking lots of photos but not on my phone so I won’t be uploading much for lack of wifi and a computer to get my camera ones.

The white cliffs of dover were very impressive. Got some good photos from the deck of the ferry. I took lots of photos around London as well on my rainy day out. I’ve since bought an umbrella in all my wisdom. No rain since London though which is great!

Our tour manager is called cindy and she’s tiny and from France. Her Australian accent impression is hilarious in that she actually can do it. It’s bizarre to hear. She’s really funny and has been really informative / organised so far. She explained the history and importance of the Netherlands which is awesome because I’m very interested in filling in the gaps in my history and geography knowledge. Our driver’s rad too and is called Tyson from the Netherlands.

Looking forward to a guided walking tour of Berlin through all of the war things and for some of the night life. Don’t think I mentioned it yet but our last hotel was very nice and I got my own room which was so comfortable. Breakfasts were excellent too.

Happy birthday Pete!

Miss you all,
Na na.

Leaving!

Attempting a quick upload by wifi whilst sitting on the bus. Truth be told this is an email post so hopefully this works.

Not much to tell. Slept well, ready to go!

Love you all,
Nathan.

Flight to Narita

Here’s some things I wrote down after my flight. I’ve since worked out that descents are the worst part. First time round was crying baby, second flight had baby playing with electronic toy with faint repetitive melody that steadily drove me to distraction…and then some!

Instructions announcements all given in Japanese first. Every sentence ends in mas or kurosai. Watched some Ted talks on iPod and watched gi Joe and ice age 3. Huge selection of movies you can play on demand and play pause rewind etc. Might watch Harry potter 6 and terminator 1 / 2 next time. Experienced some restlessness but putting most down to tiredness / lack of sleep. All the same, not looking forward to 13 hr flight tomorrow. Small price to pay for getting to visit the land of eng. Will be landing in tokyo in about 30 and am terribly excited. Heck I’m excited to be on a Japanese plane full of Japanese people. Not feeling so tired that I won’t go and see what I can of Tokyo which is rad. Sat next to a Japanese businessman who kept very much to himself so no in flight friends yet. Maybe there’ll be a pom to sit next to on the way to London. Runny nose sucks. Thinking I might have to undergo some awesome swine flu screening upon arrival. Oh dear. Could go “wan chick curree” for dinner

Love you all,
Nathan.