I’m on the Euro Star train heading from London, England to Paris, France. I’ve been in England for a total of 12 days. So far, my trip has been really enjoyable for the most part, but I would be lying if I said there haven’t been any complications. The beginning of my trip I started out side by side with my very lovely friend Zoe. We stayed in a small town called Whimborne, about 2 hours from London. We were welcomed there by Zoe’s family who treated us very well. Being in a smaller city, gave us a chance to see England’s beautiful country side. It’s true that England has a lot of damp, cloudy days, but because of all the rain, everything grows into colorful and lush surroundings. We went to a house, or rather a mansion, built in the 1500’s. Seeing a house over 500 years old is really neat, I felt as if I was in a Jane Austen film. I may have even yelled out “Mr. Darcy” at one stage. The house being one thing, but then it gets even better when you find yourself looking at a massive backyard with gorgeous landscapes, flowers, plants, trees and architecture. There’s so much interesting history in England.
Our day trips around Whimborne were great, but to turn it up at night we went out in Bournemouth, which is a coastal town nearby. We had heaps of fun going out there. On the Friday night we went out to 5 different venues, all really cool places. By the time we got home the birds were singing. I noticed some things going out in Bournemouth… There isn’t cover, a lot of girls dress revealing, the dj’s play top forty from 10 years ago, and lastly, people think your cooler with an accent. I am now the foreigner. It’s pretty funny how entertaining it can be just recognizing what we Canadians say differently to the British. A few words that come to mind that we got a good crack about were basil, tomato, and best of all aluminum.

 

After a week in Whimbourne, it was time for Zoe and me to make our way to London. We headed there last Wed night and checked into the Astor Victoria hostel. London was crammed. We wanted to see as much as we could in the time that we had so Zoe and I were on a mission. Our days were filled with seeing tourists attractions and checking out cool areas in London. At night we were out in different party areas including Camden, Angel and Soho. Similar to most large cities, London is crowded and expensive, especially with the summer Olympics coming up. But it’s also very exciting and alive. There are young people out and about everywhere in the streets looking to have drinks at a pub after work or just a good spot to eat. I really liked that part of their culture. Also, there is free wifi in most pubs and coffee shops, which is cool.

 

Everything was going well, until my last few days in London when things started to turn for the worst, well got a bit more complicated. First off, my camera shutter bent slightly and it wouldn’t open when I turned it on, so I had to buy another camera. Second, my wallet (including ID, bank card, credit cards and a $150 pounds) got pick-pocketed out of my purse. It was within a half hour of using it in an H & M retail store. Third, my once mildly swollen ankle has grown to be double the size of my other foot (I’ll have to check that one out). Fourth, I washed my clothes at my friends before heading out to Paris tonight and what she thought was the dryer, was actually washing my clothes twice. So I came home to find all my clothes soaking wet, which I then had to quickly stuff in plastic bags so I could get to the Train station on time to meet the 5 girls I am meant to be travelling with for the next two weeks. But, I didn’t give myself enough time and since the stars seem to be aligning with making things difficult for me, my travel on the tube took ages, and I was late. Euro star had already closed check in. So I got on the next train. I’m now an hour behind my friends and I have no idea how I will meet them. So, it’s safe to say, I have a bit of an adventure ahead of me. Live and learn right. On the plus side, it gave me a chance to write a blog. I am quite excited for Paris and have a feeling my luck is going to turn around. You know what they say, “it’s all downhill from here…” Let’s hope ;).