The Journey: Pt 2

Hello again.



So, after being met by Megan at Heathrow, we caught the Heathrow Connect to Paddington Station. It was rather surreal to be on the train, which was above-ground, because it illuminated the fact that we were actually in a foreign country now. Spending 25 hours on a plane doesn't necessarily make you feel that you've actually gone anywhere, but travelling through the suburbs of London brought home the reality of the change that we've made to our lives. Catching a black London cab from Paddington to Megan and Brett's home made the experience even more exciting. Unfortunately, though not surprisingly - it was about 4.30 by the time we got in the cab - the traffic was pretty heavy, although we travelled past some landmarks, like 22b Baker Street...and I'm sure there were others too.



Anyway, it was a relief to make our way up to Megan and Brett's sixth-floor loft, which has a sloping ceiling and a view across to the financial district, including the Gherkin. A shower never feels better than one had after a long plane journey. I had to down three cups of coffee in about fifteen minutes (not an exaggeration!) to stay awake, while G had a cup of tea. To pass the time before we were due to meet Michelle at a nearby restaurant, Megan introduced us to some wonderful British TV, including the afore-mentioned "Golden Balls" and a Japanese obstacle course show, much like the stupid "Wipeout" that was on Australian television.



It was lovely to see Michelle again, and G & I were given a belated wedding present from the three of them - tickets to a West End show, overnight accommodation in a hotel, and breakfast the next morning, to be taken at a time of our choosing! We're looking forward to the experience.



The jetlag had the effect of making everything anyone said seem really hilarious, which probably just made me seem drunk. The dinner was great, although neither of us were that hungry, and the high cost of eating out in London became clear when the bill arrived. Luckily, the wait staff had failed to factor in the half-price deal that the restaurant had on that night, so it wasn't quite as expensive as it first appeared (but still expensive). Plus, we received free drinks because our meals were late, so all up it was a good dinner.



We were so glad to get to bed and slept immediately, but woke up around 4-ish. We both read for a while, then G went back to sleep while I finished my book. G woke up again around 7am, and we ate breakfast (vegemite on toast - like we never left!) with Brett when he got up. We left the flat at about 8.30, and Brett escorted us to Old Street tube station and made sure we got on the right train. It was only two stops to Kings Cross station, but struggling through the crowds as we made our way to the long-distance trains was not fun. Picking up our tickets was so easy, and because we'd booked on the internet (yay internet!) we were able to skip the long queue of people purchasing their tickets there and then. We had quite a thrill when we looked at the departures board and saw we were on The Flying Scotsman up to Edinburgh. The train was relatively empty (though we still had an encounter with a Mr Grumpy, who ruined the start of the journey), and we both had window seats across a table from each other.



The trip up to Edinburgh was just lovely, and I'd recommend this to anyone travelling between London and Edinburgh. We passed so many iconic British scenes, including canals with barges, white sheep with black feet and faces, actual scarecrows in fields, swans, typical English houses, and rolling green fields. It was just wonderful to see. The train stopped at a number of stations, including Peterborough, York, Newcastle (with the train crossing the Tyne on a spectacularly high bridge), and Darlington. At one point, about an hour before we arrived in Edinburgh, I looked to the right and saw the sea! That was unexpected, and such stunning scenery.



Arriving in Edinburgh, it was cold, but not as cold as we had expected. We caught a cab to our accommodation (we were never going to make the bus, as our landlady had suggested), and had a chat to the cabbie. He was very friendly, but essentially said we were idiots who hadn't thought through our plan to move overseas. So that was a bit of a downer. Our rooms, though, are quite good and our hosts very nice. We have a bedroom with ensuite and a kitchen, and unfortunately they decided last year to try to sell the house and so blocked off the door that was between the two. This means that we have to go out into the communal corridor to get from one room to the other and unlocking the doors, which is a bit of a pain, but nevermind.



We unpacked our suitcases and then went for a wander down the main street of Portabello. The beach at Portabello is a real beach, with actual sand instead of pebbles, but it's still hard to imagine wanting to take a dip in the waters. We bought ingredients from a convenience store (called Kost Konscious, clearly competing with Cost Cutters) for a pasta meal, and some Irn Bru, which is actually pronounced "Iron Bru". After a quick dinner, we went to bed quite early again.



Unfortunately, this meant that G woke up at around 3.30, and me an hour later. We got up at about 5-ish and watched tv, which was wall-to-wall coverage of Obama's victory. Stirring stuff.



Yesterday was spent exploring Princes Street to find a suit for G to wear at his job interviews today. It was starting to drizzle, too, and the rain felt like ice. (We're definitely getting warmer jackets, but will probably get them from a charity shop until we decide (and can afford) to get nicer ones.) G finally found a good suit, and had the trousers taken up. I bought a hat, which made such a difference, and also an umbrella. The highlight of the day, however, was definitely going into McDonald's to see if they had Irn Bru on tap, and they do!



We went back home, after getting some groceries from Morrisons, and then had a nap. We were woken by the sound of intermittent explosions, and remembered that it was Guy Fawkes day! Hurrying outside (it was cold!), we tried to follow the traces of fireworks in the sky, but didn't seem to be getting any closer to them. We ended up heading to the beach, and sure enough, there were a number of bonfires dotted along the shore. People were setting of fireworks, which seemed quite dangerous, and we saw at least one firework backfire. It was pretty special, seeing people celebrating Bonfire Night, and we tried to take photos and video the events.

Anyhow, better go as this is a long post. More tomorrow!

Much love