I'm on my way

From misery to happiness todaaaaay, uh huh, uh huh, uh huh...

Actually, this has been a really good trip, although I am in bouncy halfway home mode at Singapore Airport. Have had limited internet access this past several days, so the short version is we went to Manchester to visit Repton's Gran, aunt and uncle, who all turnd out to be both lovely, and really interesting. (1) We also lit out for a day to Windermere, one of the town's in the Lake District, because I felt like it (had to talk Repton into it, and really glad I did.)

Repton is currently collapsed in a heap at the gate looking interestingly pale, either from air sickness or a stomach bug, and I'm about to go back and deliver some anti-nausea meds [fingers crossed]. (2) I did some wigging out on the day of our flights (in the evening so we did some wandering around shoe shopping first, and Central London on a Saturday afternoon is an intimidating experience, not to mention the airport) but am now feeling perfectly fine if a little spacey, which I guess is the difference for me between a bit tired and wading through noisy noisome crowds, and a lot tired but quiet and calm. Each to their own I guess.

Anyway, off to the gate! See y'all soon.

(1) I'm still in Public Transport Envy mode, mind. When we got train tickets they said "Just take any train, they leave every twenty minutes. It'll take a couple of hours or so." To Manchester.
(2) Interestingly, I get a little bit sick often, but hardly ever very badly. Repton is healthy as a horse until he's sick as a dog, and unfortunately right now it's the latter. Hopefully he'll be feeling somewhat better by the time I get back.

London's Burning...

Actually, London's pretty neat, although this feels like the epitome of the flying visit - we've been doing a certain amount of wandering around looking at famous things from the outside, then going into a few Really Neat places and enjoying them in more depth. The highlight today was visiting the British Museum with a friend from Auckland whom I hadn't seen in a couple of years in spite of, you know, living on the same island and all. We're in the Friends and Family Zone with a vengeance - there was a family reunion for my dad's side of the family on Sunday, and John is seething with relatives (all nice.) Tomorrow we go to Manchester for a few days (and more relatives.) Hope to get to visit the Lake District on a day trip, as well, perhaps. (Short post, internet on a timer.)

Arrived in London

We've made it to London, and are staying for the next couple of days with my cousin Jot, who is as warm and kindly as I remember, and in very short order we were gossiping about family as if we hadn't seen each other for a couple of months, instead of the seven years it's actually been.

We're in Islington right now. I'm being a total geek, and every time I see a place name on the tube map I keep thinking of one of the characters or horrors in Neverwhere. Eh well.

It's also a good 10 degrees cooler than on the continent, which means that I can wear long trousers again and go for a walk at a reasonable speed without risking an asthma attack, both of which I've missed. (It's very frustrating when you want to go out and have an uncomplicated good time finding out about the new exciting place, except it's physically exhausting just getting from A to B, and that's before you've even started looking at stuff.) Anyway, I suddenly have bounce, vigour and vim, and feel like I've ended the 'being cultural' part of my holiday and can move onto the 'relaxing and seeing what happens part'. Today, we're off to a family reunion with a bunch of Sells (relatives through my greatgrandmother on my father's side.) We shall be the Distant Cousins From The Southern Hemisphere. Will let people know how it goes.