Since i've been in London!

Hello again,

Currently i'm sitting in the Hostel in Ennis, Ireland listening to my tour mates play drinking games. Sounds like fun, but i couldn't possibly fit another sip in! We just cooked ourselves up a storm in the kitchen including Sarah, the pastry chef whipping up a rich chocolate brownie with choc ganache for dessert, hence why i'm not feeliong the urge to drink!

Since the Contiki tour ended a week and a bit ago, i spent a few days just being quite and sober...

Holly, Kim and I left the London Royal National hotel in the afternoon of Saturday the 6th, and began the long trek with our bags to our hostel in New Cross Gate. Now this would have been easier IF the tube line to New Cross Gate was working, but apparently it is out of service for the next 3 years! So we dragged our bags up and down round and round and eventually found our bus stop and got to our hostel. A quick dinner of soup from a can and it was bed time at 7pm on a saturday!

The following morning we slept in as you can imagine, then went for a walk around the suburb that is New Cross gate. We did some shopping for food and retreated back to the hostel for another early night. I know it sounds Wussy, but we all needed the extra hours!

In the morning, Holly and I got up and headed into London City for some more sight seeing. I caught up with Megan O'kaine, who i knew from Girl Guides and Gangshow at home and it was great to see her and catch up. We had lunch by the Thames and then walked thru Hyde Park.

Eventually I headed off to meet Holly at the Tower of London so we could go for our cruise up the Thames and then we headed home to the hostel for a nice home cooked meal, thanks to Kim!

The following day we got up early again and headed back to town to catch the hop on, hop off bus for some more views around town. I went to Westminster Abbey, which was amazing. It was truly magical - so different to what i was expecting and i really enjoyed it. So much so, i was there for more that 2 hours and could have spent more time.

Jan-Marie would be please to know that I lit a candle for her in the middle of the Abbey - and took a photo of it, just so i can bring it home with me. It just seemed like the thing to do.

After the Abbey, I went back to Tower Bridge and climbed it. Lots of stairs but fantastic views and just an awesome bridge. I was pleased to see that up the tops of the bridge as you walk across it, it has a display of all the worlds most amazing bridges and I have seen several of them now! Pont du Gard, The one in Venice that currently slips my mind (but i have the picture of it on my coin purse), Sydney Harbour and the Old wooden bridge in Lucerne. How cool is that!

I then got back on the bus and went for a tour around the bus circle, saw Harrods and Baden-Powell house, but i didn't have time to get off and check it out.
Back at the Hostel, it was another quite night of trying to organise photos on the computer and the next few weeks of activities and tours.

A quiet day the following day as it was pouring, then in the afternoon I risked the tube strike messing me around and headed across the city to Cherann's house to lkeave my extra Kilo's somewhere safe. Fortunately the Tubes i needed were working and all was good!
Back at the hostel, i tidied up for the activities of the next day and even though we were feeling right at home in our dripping room, went to bed looking forward to heading off to Dublin the following day.

We caught the train to Gatwick Airport at lunch the next day and caught up with our A team Tour mate Travis and after playing cards on the terminal floor, having our shoes x-rayed and me actually getting to experience my first "hands-on" frisk search (unfortunately it was a woman), we got onto our Aerlingus flight to Dublin and headed off.

Once we were set up in our 16 bed hostel room, we headed across the road and had Guiness Pie for dinner, which was delicious! After that, we tried to meet some locals at the pub, where we were introduced to Rokordalig Pear Cider from Sweden. Wow, that stuff tastes as good as anything i've had before! I'll be looking for that at home, for sure!

The following day, Racheal from the A team arrived and we all caught the Dublin version of the hop on, hop off bus and toured around the city. The Irish are bloody funny people! We had great tour guides and they are always taking the piss out of themselves. We jumped off at the Guiness Brewery and toured thru there, drank (yuck!) Guiness and I learnt to pour the perfect pint too! Even have the certificate to prove it!

Jumped back on the bus, then got off wherever we could harrass something - such as the Oscar Wilde Statue in Merrion Square Gardens and take some inappropriate photos.
Back at the hostel, we culled more stuff from our bags and had an early night - ready to be fresh as shamrocks for the start of our 7 day tour of Ireland!

I'll stop there for now, and blog the tour at some other stage. I think i should be able to fit in a couple of days touring Scotland too, so that is exciting! Kepp in touch and thanks for the little updates and comments, I look forward to them!

xoxo Sheridan xoxo