20p to pee ...

Have been relaxing into the London share-house lifestyle at Nikki's. At the moment there are 9 of us (I think) in a 4 bedroom house, but after my hosteling experiences, it seems like a luxury hotel! I think the other housemates must be used to having people stay too, as I've met a few people in the kitchen whilst making coffee in my pyjamas and they don't seem perturbed. Nikki's loving having a girl in the house too, as the other 7 housemates are all guys ... (don't worry, I'm leaving the toilet seat up!)
Nikki and Tom have been working a lot, so I've been amusing myself still during the weekdays and they take turns showing me things when they have time. My favourite things so far have been the amazing markets here! On Saturday Tom took me to the famous Camden markets and on Sunday Nikki took me to Brick Lane and Spitlfield (sorry bout the spelling!) markets. They're vast! And so many things to look at and choose from! Both secondhand and new; bags, shoes, clothes, jewellery, books, crafts, amazing food (obviously just new, no secondhand food ...) there's always something to look at ... I'm a little concerned about the weight of my bags ... but as long as I can get them to Heathrow and check em in, I'll be ok.
We also had a bbq at one of their friends house one night, a lovely couple with Irish and Scottish backgrounds which made for some beautiful singing and old songs. I let my side down tho, but not knowing all the words of 'Waltzing Matilda' when requested tho!
Yesterday I took an 'Explorer Day Tour' to Salisbury and Stonehenge. Salisbury is a small town about an hour and a half outside of London, and is home to the Salisbury Cathedral which has the largest spire in England, at 123m. The cathedral was huge and had many great stories etc. I'm enjoying doing a few tours, as the guides have all been fabulous! So enthusiastic and animated, it makes it easier for me to remember and become interested in their stories, as history hasn't always been my forte.
The weather was pretty bad tho (for July that is) it was very cold and rainy and this only got worse when we reached Stonehenge. We took a bus from Salisbury to the site, via a really nice country back roads way that took us past the Weekend-Manorhouse-Home of Sting! This is where Madonna actually met Guy Ritchie and they ended up having their honeymoon there after paparazzi found out about their other planned destination (I told you the guide was good!)
Seeing Stonehenge was amazing. You can only get within about 20 metres of it, but its enough for a good look and some photos.
Today I'm doing another walking tour, but this time around London. Its the 'Magical Mystery Beatles Tour' and I'm really excited! And tomorrow I'm taking another day tour, this time to the Cotswolds and Oxford. Should be good! Will also have the same guide as for the Stonehenge tour.

I think I've mentioned it, but I am having a lot of trouble (as in no luck) logging onto my mostlysunny email account and don't know what's wrong with it. So I haven't checked it since Sunday 26 June. I have just set up a temporary account, if you HAVE to email me about something, send it to enistico@yahoo.com.au but only if its important. I will be back home in a few days anyway ...

I love a sunburnt country ...

My Country

The love of field and coppice,
Of green and shaded lanes,
Of ordered woods and gardens
Is running in your veins;
Strong love of grey-blue distance,
Brown streams and soft, dim skies -
I know but cannot share it,
My love is otherwise.

Core of my heart, my country!
Her pitiless blue sky,
When sick at heart, around us,
We see the cattle die -
But then the grey clouds gather,
And we can bless again
The drumming of an army.
The steady, soaking rain.

I love a sunburnt country,
A land of sweeping plains,
Of ragged mountain ranges,
Of droughts and flooding rains.
I love her far horizons,
I love her jewel-sea,
Her beauty and her terror -
The wide brown land for me!

Core of my heart, my country!
Land of Rainbow Gold,
For flood and fire and famine,
She pays us back threefold;
Over thirsty paddocks,
Watch, after many days,
The filmy veil of greeness
That thickens as we gaze.

The stark white ring-barked forests,
All tragic to the moon,
The saphire misted mountains,
The hot gold hush of noon.
Green tangle of the bushes,
Where lithe lianas coil,
And orchids deck the tree tops
And ferns the warm dark soil.

An opal-hearted country,
A wilful, lavish land -
All you who have not loved her,
You will not understand -
Though earth holds many splendours,
Wherever I may die,
I know to what brown country
My homing thoughts will fly.

Dorothea MacKellar (1885-1967)