Cream Teas I Have Known

I've managed to find places serving scones with jam and clotted cream all over the place but the top picks are (and obviously too):

1. The Randolph, Oxford.

2. The Landmark Hotel, Marylebone London.

3. Harrods, Knightsbridge London.


I have decided to resurrect the tradition of 'high tea' back in New Zealand and plan to seek out hotels and cafes in Auckland that serve a good cream tea!

Jody's new mantra:

Cream teas are a vegetable. Cream teas are a vegetable...

Internet Cafes I Have Known

Here they are, complete with ratings!

Internet Cafe, Stokes Croft Bristol

Friendly guy and good lighting. Just a ten minute walk from the hotel and as it turns out, only a few metres from one of my old workplaces in Bristol! Good value at £1 an hour.


Backpackers Cafe, Glastonbury

Nasty seating and it times you (and charges you) by the minute! One small issue: there are delays of several seconds at the end of each sentence, adding on time to my bill! High cost at £2.50 per half hour and no USB or PS/2 ports.


Falafel Cafe, Glastonbury

Didn't get far with this. The ancient PC was running Linux and I crashed it as soon as I connected my USB drive (USB ports at the back of the CPU - hard to reach).


Cafe Galatea, Glastonbury

Cafe Galatea and I have a long and bloody history. The first day I was ever in Glastonbury in '95, just before I went up the Tor for the first time, I had some dinner here. It was a huge portion which I didn't finish and the owner got really upset with me and kept interogating me as to why I didn't finish the meal. Fast forward to '06 and I try to use their PC and get the same negative and dour vibe I used to get. Some things never change!


Anna and Simon's PC, Hillside Glastonbury

Anna kindly let me use her PC and let me burn my photos to CD. Charming hosts and no charges! :)


Internet Cafe, Baker Street London

I'm typing this at this cafe right now. Cheap service but home to the rudest human beings on the planet. I've only had grunts so far but hey - it's the PC I need!

Talking Toilets I Have Known

Yes, I have another one to report to you!

This one is on Regent Street at the Oxford Circus end. It costs 50p to get in and this one not only warns you of dire consequences should you overstay your welcome but it also has a digital clock timer on the wall, counting down as you um...er... do your thing!

As a seasoned user of speaking toilets, I knew what was expected of me so I didn't waste any time (who really wants to hang around in a public toilet for too long anyway?). I pressed the button to unlock the door and you guessed it, a woman's voice boomed at full volume as I stepped onto the street: 'Please leave the facility immediately!'.

I was just grateful that this was a Sunday morning and not rush hour on a Friday night!

Opera, Ballet and More Cream Teas (I'm Not Addicted)

Friday 27 - Sunday 29 October

This weekend has produced some memories I'll treasure.

Friday night, Caroline and I went to dinner then to La Boheme at the Royal Opera House in Covent Garden. I'd never been there so it was great to finally see it. The opera was exquisite and the venue is amazing. At the interval, we had icecream (which I also had at Spamalot) and I think that's a very civilised thing to serve at this type of function. Unfortunately for Caroline, hers reacted badly with her and she was unwell throughout the night when she got home...

Saturday we met up and went to an old haunt of ours: the Victoria & Albert Museum (V & A). Before Caroline arrived, I spent some time at the nearby Science Museum which was awesome. I just had time to check out the lower floors but it was great to see things like working examples of a Watt steam engine and 'artifacts' (an Apple II PC from 1976, an early video recorder from 1979 bigger than a TV etc) from the 20th century.

The V & A is an amazing place which houses an incredible collection of things. We loved the stained glass windows, the glass and the fashion displays. There was a 60s fashion exhibition on which again made me think of my Mum who lived in London 1961 - 1965 and who wore Mary Quant outfits!

We had lunch (then afternoon tea) at the V & A cafe then took off for the apartment to change and freshen up. We then went off to dinner in the West End then back to the Royal Opera House for opening night of the Royal Ballet's The Sleeping Beauty! Now I loved this. Such beauty and grace and the costumes were gorgeous. Caroline didn't partake of the icecream this time but I did! Thanks to all the walking I've done for the past month, my weight is about the same as it was when I left New Zealand, but my poor tootsies and ankles resemble those of the Elephant Woman (Paul doesn't know it yet, but he will be my slave for a couple of weeks when I return and part of his duties will be foot massages).

Caroline had to dash to catch the late train home but I wandered around Covent Garden for a while, just taking in the sights and sounds. A warning though: it's tough negotiating cobblestoned streets in your high heels!

Sunday, Caroline and I met up again and headed off to the Tate Modern gallery via the Millennium Bridge. Now these appeared since I left in 1996 so I was keen to see them. The Tate Modern is an amazing space but I'll admit I'm more of a classic art fan than a modern art fan. A lot of the works were macabre and some were downlight twisted but I tried to keep an open mind.

One painting had just been displayed the week of our visit and was getting a lot of attention and attracting controversy. It's a portrait of Queen Elizabeth but this is one she never posed for. It's almost like a cartoon or carichature of an old woman (like the 'pepperpots' Monty Python used to portray). Anyway, she's got her teeth out and her bottom lip is placed over her top one and she's all in lolly pink! I just cracked up seeing it. She's got such old lady attitude, like she's saying 'Get stuffed the lot of you!'. Just fab! Unfortuately there was no postcard with the print because I thought it would be a great thing to have pinned up in my cubicle at work (next to my snow dome of Cologne Cathedral Paul got me and the radio shaped like a lemon). Those who know me know I'm not insane...

Then we walked along the South Bank to Waterloo Station and went - yep, you guessed it - to have a CREAM TEA! Heh heh heh heh....

But this was not just any old cream tea my friends. This was at the Landmark Hotel in Marylebone (around the corner from my apartment). It's real posh with shiny things and shiny people everywhere and a bloke in a top hat opens the door for you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Wow! Ya-boo! Boy!

I behaved like a lady. Promise.

Our tea was served on a three-tiered plate with little sammies (yes, there were cucumber ones) and little cakey delights and of course scones, jam and clotted cream. We stretched this out for over an hour and in such sumptuous surroundings, thought ourselves totally spoiled and utterly fabulous.

No need for dinner this evening!

Spam, Spam. Spam, Spam...

Monday 23 October

I spent the day in or around Covent Garden today just looking at the markets, doing a bit of shopping and taking in the atmosphere.

I got back to the apartment, had a shower and changed then headed out for an early dinner before heading up to the West End to see Monty Python's Spamalot - the musical! This was my first West End show. They've never really interested me but Spamalot is a perfect fusion of Python and the holy grail legends!

Now, I've been a Monty Python fan since my early teens and I was so happy that a show of theirs was on during my time in London. And I got to see Tim Curry (mmmmm..... Tim....).

Ahem. Anyway, the show was fab! All singing and dancing and amazing Pythonesque animations. The characters were copied from the film and the show must have lured out all the Python fans from hiding (like me) as we all cheered at the start of famous scenes from the film like the French taunters, the Black Knight and the killer bunny (a cheap and nasty hand puppet with fangs and you saw the guy with his hand up the puppet because the scenery falls down!). It was just fantastic. I was buzzing after the show so had a coffee and txt'ed a bunch of people saying how I was in the West End... 'just having a coffee after the show don't you know..'.



Tuesday 24 October

Today I went to the Museum of London and the National Portrait Gallery. This took the whole day as there was so much to see.

The Museum of London was awesome. You walk in and start at prehistoric London then walk around through Roman occupation, Saxon invasion, Norman conquests and all the various stages in England's history and how this affected London. It is a hands-on museum like Te Papa and you get to touch flintstones and things. I recommend it to others as it's not listed as a highlight in some guidebooks (I found out about it by chance).

Then off to the National Portrait Gallery which was great. Very well set out and spacious. There was an exhibition of Beatles photos including original record sleeve photos like Abbey Road! Caroline and I went to dinner in the West End that night.


Wednesday 25 and Thursday 26 October

These days I took it easier. I wandered through Carnaby Street, thinking of my Mum who lived in London 1961 to 1965 and was very chic (why didn't you keep those Mary Quant clothes, Mummy?!). I browsed through a vintage clothing store and wondered if anything in there belonged to Mum!

I bought presents for various people in Carnaby Street as it's crammed full of funky and quirky stores. I also spent some time in Fortnum & Mason which is a sumptuous department store but with a lower profile than Harvey Nichols and Harrods so was far less crowded. I got permission to take some photos of the lovely ornate architecture and their Christmas shop.

I went to dinner with Caroline and her niece Sian who I last saw when she was fourteen (she's now all grown up at 24). We had a great time and Sian is lovely.

Friday I'll be experiencing Portobello Road then in the evening, Caroline are seeing La Boheme at Covent Garden!

Friends Old and New

Thursday 19 October

Today I went to the British Medical Association (BMA) where I worked for all of my time in London in the nineties. It was just lovely to see some of the people I'd worked with and I really enjoyed being there.

Caroline had taken the afternoon off as we were to have lunch in the City with Clive who is a consultant architect to the BMA Estates department. Clive, Caroline, myself, Jo and John (Jo and John couldn't make it sadly) used to have lunch together frequently. It was lovely to see Clive again and we fell into the old banter easily!

Caroline and I went and had a coffee to round off the afternoon.


Friday 20 October

I'd planned to go to Portobello Road but it was pouring when I got to Notting Hill Gate so I turned around and went back to the apartment and changed (it was fine when I went out!). The single redeeming feature of the tube is that you are more or less greeted by a train within a minute or two of stepping onto the platform. Sure beats waiting thirty minutes or more for a train in Auckland!

I ended up covering a lot of ground on a day that turned out to be very warm and sunny. First, back to the National Gallery to finish my rounds. Then to St Martin-in-the-Fields (gorgeous) and to the Crypt cafe for a lunch of roasted veges and gravy for £2! Thanks to Caroline for the tip about this place as it's very expensive to eat in London. If you convert the currency to NZ$ it breaks your heart...

Then I walked down Whitehall and went into Westminster Abbey. It was jam-packed with people unfortunately but it was amazing to see the tombs of people like Elizabeth I and Mary Queen of Scots.

I walked around Whitehall a bit longer then when I got back to the apartment I noticed the capillaries in my ankles had burst and I sported bright red marks on both legs! So I am becoming increasingly decrepit I'm afraid. Think of me when I buy my first pair of support hose thirty years earlier than I'd planned to...

I also need to go to an Osteopath as my back is not good. The fall must have done more damage that I thought and it's affecting me in all sorts of imaginative ways.


Saturday 21 October

Caroline and I met at Victoria station to catch the 'Oxford Tube' bus service to Oxford for the day! £14 return which is really good value and we sat on the top of the double-decker. No arguing about that: couple of kids that we are, we scrambled up those stairs and sussed out the seats with the most window for a good view. Just over a hour later, we were in Oxford.

We were hoping to catch a tour of the city centre and luckily, about 45 minutes after we arrived the Inspector Morse Tour was due to start. Neither Caroline or I are Morse fanatics but we know the series and we thought it would be a great way to see some of the sights and be entertained at the same time by a proper guilded guide with a badge and everything. My friend Paul Grey will be so envious as he's a big Morse fan.

So we had a yummy ciabatta sandwich at a local Italian restaurant then we got back to the Oxford Information Centre to meet the tour party. We got a very enthusiastic slightly eccentric (in that lovely English way) lady complete with perm, big glasses, long macintosh coat and brolly - and the proper badge and everything.

We went along at quite a pace but it was a good tour and we saw many wonderful things. Our guide was authorised to take us into various Colleges including Exeter (gorgeous, dark, gothic stained glass I wasn't allowed to photograph) and Merton where a choir and small orchestra were rehearsing. The music filled the place and it was warm inside and I think we all wanted to stay longer but the lady was motioning us with the brolly...

The guide had a habit of stopping us outside and talking about some murder victim in some episode of Morse which was fine until the weather turned cold very quickly and it rained. My sandal-clad tootsies (the only comfy shoes I could wear that day due to my poor ankles) were wet but the rain was soothing and cooling. At one point it started to sleet. I turned to the now hooded Caroline to tell her and she said I was clearly barking mad (well, she didn't actually say that but later she confessed she didn't believe me!). It was sleet but it cleared and soon the sun came out again.

When the tour was over, Caroline and I went and had coffee and thawed out (Thaw - get it? John Thaw... Morse...? I crack myself up!) and then it was time to meet up with Clive's PA Terri and her friend Sally at the the Randolph Hotel for you guessed it: a cream tea!

Now this was no ordinary cream tea my friends. This was the best one yet. Terri had booked us a table for 5.00pm and we all sat down in the sumptuous tea room and the pots of tea arrived followed by two layered silver plates of scones and little pastries and cakes as well as jam and clotted cream. Terri and Sally are both fantastic and we all got on a treat and felt like ladies sitting there as the sun set outside, sipping our tea and discussing the merits of clotted cream.

What a lovely way to spend an hour and a half!

Then it was time to head off to the Jacqueline du Pre Music Building for the Mozart sonatas recital by pianist Melvyn Tan which was starting at 8.00pm. We walked through the city at night and it is just stunning all lit up.

The concert was magnificent. Superb. Melvyn Tan was amazing and the music beautiful. Sometimes I closed my eyes but mostly I was watching the incredible expressions on his face as he played and I thought about how good my life is: that I am so lucky to be in such lovely company in Oxford listening to this beautiful man playing. Plus I have Paul, Stan the ginger moggy, friends and family, great clients and colleagues and work I adore waiting for me in New Zealand.

Caroline and I said our goodbyes to Sally and Terri (I'll miss them! Isn't it great how you can form friendships with some people in a matter of hours? They've promised to think of me the next time they take tea at the Randolph) then made our way back to London on the Oxford Tube. I was in bed just before midnight and I had a wonderful day and memories I'll treasure.

Coffee, Spam and Cream Tea at Harrods

Monday 16 October

Caroline and I met for dinner tonight and it's been ten years since we last saw one another. She is totally ageless and I must ask her secret to looking so young. Ten years melted away over a yummy dinner and we chatted like we'd never been apart and planned our time together.


Wednesday 18 October

People who know me know I like a good coffee. I was worried I wouldn't find anywhere good in London as it was hardly cafe culture ten years ago. Well I've had no problems and have a great little local cafe (Caffe Saporito) where I get my morning latte before heading off on my daily adventures. It's about two minutes' walk from the apartment.

Today I headed for the National Gallery as it was always a favourite when I lived in London. Unfortunately I chose the wrong day as there was a warder strike so only part of the gallery was open. I did see, and fall in love with, a painting by George Stubbs called Whistlejacket which was acquired in 1997 so this was the first time I'd seen it. Look it up on the net as it's magnificent - a life-sized painting of a race horse.

There wasn't much more I could see so I decided to come back another day and instead visit some London institutions: Harvey Nichols and Harrods!

I wandered through the designer floors of Harvey Nicks, feeling only slightly shabby. I then went up to the Food Hall and bought some treats (for Paul of course).

Down the road in Knightsbridge is Harrods and of course I wandered around with the throngs of tourists in awe of the magnitude of the place. If there was ever a place dedicated to the gods of decadence and desire, this is it. I spent the grand sum of £3.75 on some Christmas bikkies (for Paul of course). I did spend a bit of time looking at the stained glass ceilings and the lovely architecture.

There's a ticket office at Harrods so I ended up booking my ticket to Spamalot there. This is a new musical which rips off the film Monty Python and the Holy Grail and is penned by Eric Idle, one of the Python team, and I'm going on Monday night. I told my friend Heather before I left that I'd be seeing it and that Tim Curry was playing King Arthur and she was very envious! Tim... mmmmm.... I know Mum will also be impressed as we both love watching him in The Rocky Horror Picture Show!

After booking my ticket I had a cream tea (number seven or eight since I arrived in England... I lose count). It was expensive but pleasant.

London Changes

Essentially, the place is exactly as I left it back in '96 but there are some social changes which I will try to explain...


Communication

In 1996, cellphones were an emerging popular technology. Like in NZ at the time, they were brick-like and even more expensive to own than nowadays. If you had one, you were special. Well, like in NZ they are everywhere and many ears are pressed to them on the streets (and txting while walking is also common, dammit). It's something that was missing from the landscape ten years ago. No reception in the tube though.


Clothes

Most major women's clothing chains cut their pants and jeans long. Ten years ago there were only a few doing this. Trinny and Susannah's much-suggested retailer Zara is great. I've had a look already and bought a few things. One pair of pants I bought I'll have to have taken up. The clothes are smart and funky and very affordable (everything is expensive here).

The other thing I notice is that I don't feel like a country hick here. My first adventure on Oxford Street in 1994 a couple of weeks after arriving saw me hide in a shop as I was so embarrassed about my clothes. It was the nineties but back then, NZ fashion was still very much in the eighties. Now I feel I blend in well apart from my anti-social behaviour and facial ticks.

Mind the Gap

The voice announcing 'Mind the gap' in the tube is now female and she doesn't say it like that anymore. It's less concise: 'Please mind the gap as you...' etc.


Terrorism

Still threatens, but now it's not the IRA we all fear on every bus and tube...

Southport and Liverpewl - Tarrah love!

Friday 13 - Monday 16 October

I met John and spent Saturday with him. Then I spent Sunday alone in Liverpool which is about 30 minutes by train from Southport. It was nice but I hardly had time to get a good look around.

I'm posting this from my local internet cafe in London so I am back here. Meeting Caroline for dinner tonight. Tomorrow I can finally start to explore London.

Glastonbury to London

Thursday 12 October

Today I spent the morning in Glastonbury town centre and went into a shop called Venus. There I met Lisa and George who were very mystical and friendly - great to talk to. I told them of my return here and the adventures I've had this time around.

I went out onto the High Street and a man from one of the bookshops recognised me and gave me a warm and friendly smile. Great to have some friendliness here on my last day to counter the negative vibes from shopkeepers over the past week!

I had lunch at a cafe staffed by intellectually handicapped people and got awesome service.

Then it was time to leave and Anna kindly drove me to Castle Cary, the nearest town with a railway station. It was lovely to spend some more time with her before leaving Somerset.

Before we left, I had a great laugh with Anna and her friend about the talking toilet in St John's carpark in Glastonbury. I know toilets are becoming a feature of this blog but I feel I should share this. I told them that when I visited these toilets, just as you sit down a polite lady comes over the loudspeaker and booms 'This facility is monitored by a security system and you may only remain in the facility for a limited time. You will be told when to leave'. Then you get some stirring classical music to assist you.

Now, I didn't stay long enough to see what would happen if I ignored the warnings. I wondered if the polite lady would slowly raise her voice, get agitated then eventually start making threats. Anna, her friend and I mused about what would happen if all the warnings were ignored. Would the seat be ejected through the roof? Would a trap door open? Worse - would the toilet door open for all to see? Anna's friend thought that your photo would get taken but we then all wondered, where would it be published? Anna was going to ask her elder son Frankie to wait around in the gents and find out! If she lets me know what happened, I'll post it on the blog as a special posting!

The train trip to London from Castle Cary was stressful. My bag was heavy, my back hurt and there was nowhere to put my bag when I boarded the train. One of the staff eventually let me store it by the door. I was on edge the whole time and of course, I had to get up and move the luggage at every stop! When I got to Paddington, luckily a porter saw me waddling along and lagging behind everyone. He ported my luggage to the taxi rank and I tipped him generously. The only gentleman I met all day. I know it's his job but I really appreciated his help and so did my back and bum!

I got to the apartment in Marylebone quickly and there met Jean my host for the next two weeks and her dog Charlie. Jean's nice (a tad eccentric as is Charlie) but friendly. I settled in quickly then went to search for some food as it was about 6pm by this stage. I bought a sandwich and I've also managed to find a cordial here that is not artificially sweetened which I mix with bottled water to try to replicate Mi Zone.

I got an early night as I had another train journey the next day - this time to Southport to meet John.

Thrills and Spills

Wednesday 11 October

My last full day and night in Glastonbury. I decided to stay an extra night as I was rushing around and the flat became free so Anna let me know it was available. I'm glad I stayed the extra night because two significant things happened.

My last visit up the Tor and it was windy, wild and cold as it should be. I said my goodbyes and chatted to a local guy for a while before heading down. On my way back to the flat I slipped on some wet leaves and fell hard on my back. It's always such a primal feeling, losing your footing like that and I have a fairly long way to fall.

I picked myself up as soon as a could and limped home, crying my heart out. It was such a shock and I felt so much pain. I got back, had some soup for dinner but almost threw it up as I felt so weird. I calmed myself down and slunk around to the main house to see Anna and Simon.

They both had interpretations of the fall. I said I would spend some time thinking about why it happened and why at that moment. I spent the next few hours in their wonderful company, drinking wine and having a great time. During the evening, one of their sons Timmy phoned from boarding school boasting his excellent report which was far better than his big brother Frankie's!

I headed off to bed about 10pm but then came back to the main house to ask something and Simon had started to practice his guitar playing. Anna suggested he and I have a jam so Simon and I sang and he played. We managed to belt out Hotel California, Angie and Norwegian Wood before lyric and chord limitations overtook us. It was great and our voices worked well together.

My back and bum were still sore but I was feeling so much better for having spent time with them. So, armed with Anna's lavendar oil to rub into the affected areas, I went to bed very happy despite the pain!

More Glastonbury Wanderings and Wonderings

Sunday 8 October

Remember I said that John had given me the name of a friend of his to contact while I was in Glastonbury? Well, I did call Sig and got invited up to his place for a cuppa.

Sig and his wife Karin own SunnyBank B&B and healing centre which provides healing and inspirational services to pilgrims. Sig and Karin were very welcoming and soon we were chatting over tea and some fab Dutch biscuits. Edna the moggy came and sat on my lap for a while (wonderful to have a mog on my lap in Glastonbury!). She had the prettiest wee face and the softest fur and looked totally content with life. Karin told me Edna had caught a massive rat the night before so she wasn't up to much but sleeping today.

Sig told me of some adventures he and John had in Wales and some of the things he's into now. We talked about the earth zodiac around Glastonbury, the King Arthur connection and how these things mean different things to different people.

Karin and Sig have been together 11 years and met over the waters at Chalice Well! They ended up getting married there. How lovely!

After a pleasant chat it was time to go and I got sent off with hugs and blessings.

Back down in the town centre again I booked in to see a Clairvoyant (Martine). It was totally meant to be as I just felt I should see her. She was remarkably accurate and told me I would see some changes in my professional life and possibly take on a new client. She guessed my occupation ('a scientific or technical person and you write or speak technical information.'). Hey now, do I actually look like a Technical Writer? Is that something I should be worried about?

The spirit present seemed to Martine to be my maternal great-grandmother. This Victorian woman's message to me was to chill out more. Not exactly those words but to enjoy life and relax more as she could not.

I felt really good after my time with Martine. I went back to the flat and changed into my walking clothes and went up the Tor for the first time. It was amazing to be back up there again after ten years but oh my gods it took a while for me to drag my tired carcass up there! I'm not 24 anymore.

It was windy but not too cold up there. I got a bit of a weird vibe from the people at the summit as they were a bit boisterous and then it started to rain heavily so I ran down the hill. Not such a perfect re-introduction to my beloved Tor but it was what it was.

Back at the flat I was exhausted again and had a chat with Anna and Simon over some more tea which was great. They are just the loveliest people and I feel like I'm staying in their home, not just a B&B. They weren't feeling so good. They'd eaten lunch at an Inn in Somerton and had food poisoning, poor things!


Monday 9 October

I went to some old haunts today. Somerton first (Leo) and then to Ashcott which is part of a non-zodiac effigy but something else called the Polden Hound. Unfortunately for Ashcott it is located on the bum of the hound.

I went there one Winter's day in 1996 just to see two gargolyes I'd read about in the same book John contributed to that inspired my original trip to England. The gargoyles are on the outside of Ashcott All Saints Church. The maw is a wide mouth, held open by little creatures and represents the gateway to the underworld. The woodwose is the wild man of the woods. Both potent pagan symbols on a church that was essentially gutted in the Victorian era and made quite plain inside.

The first time I visited All Saints in 1996, the warden and minister let me go up the tower and I took a photo of myself up there. I wanted to take another one ten years on. There was no one there today so I had to content myself with a shot of myself in the church interior.

When I got back to Glastonbury I climbed the Tor again and dragged myself up there again but this time stayed for ages and it was peaceful and calm up there this time.


Tuesday 10 October

I had breakfast in the main house today which was lovely. A beautiful fresh bowl of fruit and muesli followed by toast with lots of tea. I sat there for ages looking out over the vale of Avalon.

I'd told Anna how exhausted I was as I'd been on the go since arriving ten days ago. She suggested I take it easy and I remembered great-granny's advice to me so I duly chilled out in Glastonbury all day.

First stop was Chalice Well which is designed for peace and serenity. The iron-rich waters flow and as I mentioned in an earlier post, they can be drunk and I did (though this time with no urgent consequences).

I stayed in the gardens for about an hour and a half, in the sunshine and peace. It was lovely.

One of the symbols you see everywhere in the Chalice Well gardens in the vesica piscis (two circles interlocked, forming an almond shape in the middle). This symbol generates geometrical measurements and proportions found in the human body, throughout the natural world and in some great works of architecture.

I had some lunch and coffee in town then meandered up the High Street to Meridians beauty therapy to have a facial and pedicure with Angie who was just lovely. The clay used on my face contained essential oils mixed to match my year of birth - 1971. I poured myself out of there after a couple of hours and picked up some dinner and went back to the flat.

Total decadence was the theme of the day (or spiritual rejuvenation if you like) and I waited for Leonie the massage therapist to arrive! A full-body massage later and I was feeling energized!

I also decided today to stay another day in Glastonbury so I'm up to London on Thursday not Wednesday now.

I'm not sure when I will next post to the Blog because after one night in London I am off up to Southport to spend time with John.

It's been amazing being back in the Somerset area over the last almost two weeks. I want to bring Paul here in the future and especially to stay at Hillside because Anna and Simon are the best hosts!

Glastonbury Sights

This has always been a strange town. It's still strange but the main difference is that it's far more commercial and tourist-focussed than in the mid-nineties.

I've yet to find a friendly smile behind a cafe counter here. The staff tend to be sullen, glum and rude which you don't expect in a place like this, where so many people seek spiritual experiences. Let's just say, I'm not feeling the love when I order my lattes.

Upper-middle class locals share the High Street with hippies, witches and other 'alternative' folk though I doubt if they attend the same dinner parties. Tweed and dreadlocks, brogues and bongs.

The High Street sells everything you need to cast that spell, place that hex, learn that myth or legend. Glastonbury must account for the highest consumption of incense, velvet cloaks and statues of the Goddess in the UK.

So, that's the commercial side. The healing arts on offer here are amazing and I have sampled them (see the 9 and 10 October entries for details...).

In cafes (ignoring the rude staff) you can pick up on interesting philosophical conversations about the various belief systems and spiritual paths followed here and that's wonderful. I'm enjoying being back here, even if I am seeing the place through very different eyes.

Glastonbury Sites

Sunday 8 October

Today I visit Glastonbury Abbey. I've been here before of course, but again it's all fresh and new as I am finding many things in Glastonbury are after ten years.

It's a warm but breezy day rather like one particular day I remember visiting the Abbey.

The Abbey was a great and prosperous one until King Henry VIII dissolved the monasteries in the 16th century. Then it fell into ruin. The last Abbot, the elderly Richard Whiting was dragged up the Tor, hanged and his body drawn and quartered; the various bits staked up in various Somerset towns (his head was on a post at the Abbey gates I think). Despite all of this, it is a serene place and I walked up to the small wildlife reserve to see if any badgers would make an appearance. There are warning signs around the place telling people to be careful and not fall into any badger 'scrapes' and 'snuffle holes'.

I see no badgers, but I take the opportunity to call a guy called Sig who my friend John recommended I contact whilst in Glastonbury. Sig's an American who runs a B&B and healing centre for pilgrims in Bove Town just off the High Street. We arranged to meet for a cuppa that afternoon.

I finished my Abbey visit with the Fish Pond, a possible resting place of the treasures the monks were able to smuggle out during the dissolution.

There is a pamphlet in the Abbey visitor centre called Don't Let Henry Win. This is the current Abbey carers' way of asking for financial support and I thought it very creative!

Yns Witrin (Glastonbury) and Bath (Bath)

Friday 6 October

I ended up catching the bus from Bristol to Glastonbury, not the train to Castle Cary and a cab to Glastonbury. This saved me about £40.00.

I arrived in the middle of a torrential down pour and when I got off the bus, tried to phone a local taxi firm to take me to Hillside where I am staying but the number didn't connect.

Luckily, Anna my wonderful host at Hillside told me to call her if I got stuck and I duly did!

Hillside is about fifteen minutes' walk from the High Street and just up the road from Melrose B&B where I used to stay on past visits. It consists of a main house and a small flat, attached to the house, and I am staying in the flat. The house is lovely and the flat is gorgeous. Anna and Simon wanted to make it as they would like it, if they were guests there. It's warm and cosy and the bed is comfy (and I don't hang off the end like I did at the Arches Hotel in Bristol). There is a lovely view over the 'Vale of Avalon' and the birds chirp and the squirrels frolick. Idyllic really.

By the time I'd settled in, the rain had stopped and so I walked into town. I had a wee cry as I was so overwhelmed at being here again (Glastonbury, you might have gathered is a very spiritual place for me).

I had a coffee and gathered my thoughts in the Blue Note Cafe and just spent the rest of the day wandering around and checking out what's changed in the last ten years. It certainly is more commercial here now with shops catering for Wiccans to Goddesses to Christians. Only some gave me a sense that the person behind the counter is genuine though I'm afraid...

Suddenly, a wave of exhaustion overtook me and I went back to the flat for a lie down. Unfortuately, I haven't bought any supplies so I walked all the way back into town and bought some dinner and breakfast provisions.

By the time I got back to the flat I was shattered. The last week has just caught up with me, tapped me on the shoulder and demanded my first-born too. I cooked some pasta and vegetables and settled on the sofa. I know I should be out and about but I am so tired.

I watch a great doco however. A couple of gardeners from Kew Gardens are touring Britain and featuring trees and tree experts along the way. This episode they were in Somerset (of course!) and followed a professional hedgerow layer as he competed in the annual competition on Prince Charles's land (HRH being one of the judges). The guys and Nigel (the hedgerow layer, not to be confused with Roger the Shrubber from Monty Python and the Holy Grail) take a hot air balloon ride over the Mendips in Somerset and talk about how in the 18th century the English landscape began to change because of the use of hawthorne hedges in defining pasture and land ownership. The hedgerow layers have a wee dog who runs in and out of the completed rows to check if they are stock-proof. If the dog can't get through then the layer knows the hedgerow is complete.

I burn a lavendar incense and drift off, trying to ignore how sore my feet are...

Saturday 7 October

Today it is time to see Wells Cathedral (with enough camera memory) and go back to Bath.

I caught the bus to Wells - a short trip from Glastonbury. On the way, we passed through a new housing development called Chalice Fields. I wonder if this is a reference to the Grail?

My first port of call in Wells are the public conveniences. When I used them the week before, I noticed a sign saying to be patient because of the 'ancient plumbing'. This time someone had scrawled underneath 'Isn't it time to replace it then?'. Very funny!

I visited the Cathedral and bought my photographic permit and duly took loads of photos! The nice ladies in the gift shop were discussing the upcoming visit to NZ that one is making next year so I made myself known to them as a Kiwi. They were very excited and asked me lots of questions. I had to break free from their clutches or miss the hourly bus to Bath!

The bus journey from Wells to Bath takes about one and a quarter hours but takes you through some gorgeous countryside. The bus drivers navigate very narrow country lanes and the bus practically scrapes the sides of the houses as it passes by. The speed limit is higher in the UK so it motors through villages with names like Binegar, Old Down and Chilcompton.

Ahhh...Bath. Beautiful Bath. I have fallen in love with you! I can't believe I lived in Bristol for six months and never explored Bath.

I head straight for the Roman Baths. Far from the serene and quiet place of contemplation I was expecting, it is crowded and boisterous. I take the audio guide telephone gadget and listen to someone sounding a lot like Zoe Wanamaker telling me all about the various parts of the place. The gadget is soon unused as I prefer to find things out on my own and not be 'processed' through the place.

After a while there, I go to the next place on my hitlist: Sally Lunn's Tea House! Here I have a 'world-famous' Sally Lunn cream tea. The bun itself is ultra-light and rather huge but I cope admirably with what will be the first of many cream teas here in England. I wash it all down with copious quantities of good tea.

I waddle over to the Museum of Costume which is housed in the Bath Assembly Rooms. The clothes on display range from 16th century to a copy of the green plunging dress worn by Jennifer Lopez in 2000. There was an exhibition of Nureyev's costumes worn by him for some of his most famous performances. There is also a selection of reproduction corsets women and girls can try on. I don't as I have no one with me to 'hook me up'. After my cream tea, I should have perhaps given it a go... Another exhibition featured is one about the pockets (purses) ladies used to carry with them. The embroidery on some of them is extraordinary.

Outside in the street again, crowds were gathering and following the ITV crew filming a new TV production of Persuasion. Very cool!

I get from Bath at about 6.00pm. It's over an hour by bus - first to Wells then to Glastonbury. I am exhausted so grab some dinner and head to the flat. I watch a series of specials on the BBC about Monty Python (another one of my great loves) and I feel very blessed that they are screening during my time in Glastonbury!

And what does Yns Witrin mean I hear you ask? Isle of glass - an old name for Glastonbury.

Bristol 3: Thursday

Today I went to Bath and it was great! What a beautiful city. I'll try to explain it in words but I think you need to go there to really appreciate it...

I was trying to decide this morning whether I should spend another day in Bristol or 'do' Bath. I was held up by a couple of things in the morning (an expensive lesson at the Post Office being one... mental note: do not post things back to NZ unless you are prepared to take out a mortgage).

I finally got on the X39 to Bath around 10.30am. It's only half an hour there so it wasn't too late when I arrived.

It drizzled and rained all day but somehow, this seemed to fit the city well. The rain-washed cobblestone streets and the grey skies only added to its beauty in my opinion.

Again, I spent ages just wandering! I seem to be doing this a lot, then losing track of time like some demented tourist. But who cares? The city is exquisite and I was warm and cosy in my coat and scarf and didn't mind the rain at all.

I walked for ages but I managed to do one touristy thing: the Jane Austen Centre! This is a small museum dedicated to Jane and her life and work but it is very pleasant. It contains not only things from her time but also various 'artifacts' from the various movies and TV series' produced over the years! Strange seeing photos of Emma Thompson, Alan Rickman and Colin Firth amongst the tapestries and portraits from Jane's time. I was interested in how Jane, her sister and mother coped after her father's death. If the estate was entailed away from the female line then the women were often left with a very small sum of money with which to live out their days. The Austen women ended up renting rooms in a house when they couldn't afford to rent a house of their own.

I decided to have lunch in the tea rooms in the Jane Austen Centre which was really lovely. Menu items called 'Bingley's Biscuit' and 'Darcy's Tasty Toastie' were on offer - lots of fun.

Because of my wanderings I ran out of time to see the other things on my list! But I really enjoyed what I did see and do. Having said that, you guessed it: I'm going to come back, probably on Saturday.

Well, this is my last night in Bristol and my last time in this internet cafe. Tomorrow I catch a train to Castle Cary and a cab to Glastonbury. I'm in Glastonbury for four days then up to London and Southport to meet John. I have no idea if there is an internet cafe in Glastonbury so I have no idea when I'll next update this blog.

My time in Bristol has been an interesting one, and some feelings have come up that I wasn't expecting. But I am very glad to have come back here and lay a few ghosts to rest! Now onto that sacred place that is Glastonbury!

Bristol 2: Monday and Tuesday

Monday 2 October

Today I explored the arty and cultural. My first visit was to College Green and Bristol Cathedral.

I visited Bristol Cathedral when I lived in Bristol and remembered the serenity inside that place. I wasn't disappointed. It's a beautiful cathedral; very grand and has a warmth to it. The stained-glass windows are gorgeous and depict many saints as well as some 20th century scenes. I spent a good hour in there before heading out along College Green near the Cathedral, and up Park Street.

Park Street is Bristol's 'West End' shopping district. I browsed in some stores but (sorry Kevin) no purchases yet! At the top of Park Street is the city's Art Gallery and Museum. They are housed in the same building. On the way up the street, there was a very heavy shower and my feet got soaked (there's a trend here) but the sunshine soon returned.

The Museum and Art Gallery are very grand. Quite small compared to some but nice and compact and easy to find your way around. I'll try to describe the things that really stood out for me.

Above the main entrance and front desk area hangs one of three replicas of a Bristol Boxkite plane made for the 1963 film Those Magnificent Men in their Flying Machines. This looks so flimsy - like it's made of sticks and paper. Very cool and you can walk around the balcony and see it from all angles. The Roman glass collection was really impressive and very well-lit. They've also got an amazing collection of minerals, precious stones and fossils. I related to the fossils.

Shaking my brolly and adjusting my dentures, I wandered along to the Dragons of the East Collection. This contained all manner of things from ancient chinese porcelain to a t-shirt the Museum bought from Tammy Girl in 2000 with a dragon print.

In the Art Gallery section, two paintings spoke to me. The first was by Rolinda Sharples (1793-1838) The Cloak Room, Clifton Assembly Rooms (1818) - a gorgeous Regency scene with ladies and gentlemen of the era in their finest. The second painting was a moody, cold and sombre one by Ernest Crofts (1847-1911) The Funeral of King Charles I - St George's Chapel, Windsor, 1649 (1907). The way he captures the swirling snow outside, the warm glow of the chapel in contrast and the bleakness of the whole situation is amazing.

After the Museum and Art Gallery, I headed up to Clifton which is a really pretty suburb and quite posh too. I was trying to get to the Clifton Suspension Bridge but I got sidetracked and just wandered around admiring the Georgian promenades. I was hungry again so I found a cafe and had a latte and a slice of cake at Coffee #1 Cafe.

Finding a New Zealand-style cafe here is tricky. There are lots of snack bars, pie shops and coffee lounges but not many cafes as we know them. Addict that I am, I have found a regular haunt in the city centre (Juice Hub) which has friendly staff and good organic coffee).


Tuesday 3 October

Today I went to England's smallest city: Wells. This was also the first time I had been back on the 376 bus from Bristol into Somerset - a trip I used to make many times to get to Glastonbury and beyond. I never travelled into Somerset in warm or mild weather; it was always Autumnal or Wintery. It was warm on the bus and as Winter is coming late in England this year, the landscape was still leafy and green and not the bare trees and drizzle I had in my mind's eye.

I had passed through Wells many times but had never stopped. This time I was determined to visit the place.

When I got off the bus I started to wander. I spent ages just taking it all in. It was 11am and chilly but sunny. I hadn't realised how much time had gone by when I realised I needed to see Wells Cathedral and the Bishop's Palace and Gardens!

Before that, I stopped and had lunch in a little cafe called Pickwick. As I was waiting for my lunch I had a coffee and munched on a biscuit called 'Lotus'. I recalled that a colleague in London once called me a Lotus Eater. This was just before I was about to leave the UK at the end of my working holiday and I was so sad to be leaving. Apparently, a Lotus Eater pines for a place and is never truly at home anywhere else. I felt like that for several years after returning to NZ but I don't feel like that anymore. I am enjoying Somerset and Bristol but I don't feel like I've 'come home'. Very interesting feeling...

My ploughman's lunch arrives. It is gorgeous and the oddest combination of foods: corn, red onion, bread, butter, relish, cucumber, carrot, grapes, lettuce and tomatoes with three cheeses - Stilton, Brie and of course, Cheddar (Cheddar town is near Wells).

The Bishop's Palace is still the residence of the Bishop of Bath and Wells. It dates from 1206 when King John granted land for the residence. Further expansion went on in the 13th century including the chapel. A north wing was added in the 15th century.

I walked around the gardens first. The wind was blowing and it was getting cooler but it was so serene. You don't often find such a place and get that feeling so I drank in the atmosphere. The path leads through gardens and to St Andrew's Well which is fed by the springs from which Wells gets its name. It was the most lovely, tranquil and gentle place. I sat there for a while admiring the view of the palace and the gardens and thought about how much my Mum would love them.

I went around the side of the palace and on a foot bridge, looking across to the Mute Swans in the moat. These swans were trained in the 19th century to ring the bell near the gatehouse when they want to be fed! There's a basket of bread you can feed them with. The present pair of swans continue the tradition by teaching their young to ring the bell! I love that!

Inside the palace itself, I was taken by the views from the windows and the huge portraits of the past Bishops. The chapel contained an exhibition of stone sculpture - rather like Oamaru stone - and upstairs, an exhibition of etchings and paintings was on.

I'm actually going back to Wells because - would you believe it - my camera ran out of memory before I got to Wells Cathedral!

Bristol 1: Saturday and Sunday

Saturday 30 September

Some background about Bristol. I lived and worked here in the middle of my two years in the UK. I arrived 15 July 1995 and left 30 December 1995, finishing the final six months of my working visa back in London where I had spent the first twelve months.

I am staying in Cotham which is to the north of the city centre. My hotel (The Arches) is only a couple of kilometres from the centre. I'd never been to Cotham before (at least I don't remember it) but I like it. The Arches is run by Maggie and Tim - Australians - who provide me with Vegemite (though I did bring my own jar). They're lovely and my room is comfortable and warm.

I am in my PJs as soon as I settle in and in bed by 9pm watching the BBC.


Sunday 1 October

After a good night's sleep and a lovely vegetarian breakfast I head off. I can't see very well even with my glasses and my eyes just won't adjust. I have to wear them most of the day to prevent me talking to lamp posts.

I am standing at 9.00am at a bus stop waiting on the 75 into town. It is warm but bucketing down and my feet are getting wet. Welcome back to England Jody.

When I get into the city centre I recognise hardly anything. I have to remind myself that I only lived in Bristol for six months - eleven years ago - so I forgive myself for wondering where the hell I am. I do recognise a few things and the city is compact and well-signposted.

I head off to my old workplace. In 1995, Unilever had their international market development company based here and I was an accounts payable clerk. I loved my job and the people I worked with. The company ceased its Bristol operation around 1998 but Greyfriars (the building) is still there. It is totally weird being there again: strange and empty because it no longer means the same as it did to me eleven years ago.

Along I trot to the historic Christmas Steps and then down to the Harbourside. This was being developed into a trendy cafe spot in '95 and is now operational. But no cafes were open when I called past at around 10.30am. Not like back home where we expect them to be open at 7.00am!

It is still raining hard.

Millennium Square is also new and I wander around a while then find the Information Centre. Here the nice lady tells me that the Clevedon ferry service is not operating from now until next year. I had planned to spend a day ferrying from Clevedon (a coastal suburb of Bristol) back to the city. October is rest month for many attractions, theatre companies and bands I discover...

Off I go again and the rain still pours down.

I head into the city centre again and this time to the Old City. I wander up toward Corn Street and the St Nicholas Markets but end up down a narrow cobblestone lane and into a large loft-like gallery where a local artist is showing some dark and gloomy works. I love them and want to buy a few but they average £800 - £1200 so I admire them, chat with the artist then leave.

I end up in Corn Street in the slow food market and buy and gobble up an exquisite fresh-cream truffle which makes my eyes roll back in my head.

I meander around the city for an hour or two more, look in a few shops then tiredness overwhelms me and I get back on the 75 to Cotham. Marks & Spencers salads for dinner then beddy-byes.

Not Wurzel

It took me thirty hours to get from Auckland Airport to Bristol. I arrived early Saturday evening feeling surprisingly fit and alert despite travelling across a planet. Let me describe the journey.

Auckland to Melbourne - 4 hours. A doddle. Done it before; tough I am. Transit lounge climate-controlled to perfection. Body clock = twelve o'clock, midnight.

Melbourne to Dubai - thirteen hours. Now that's a flight! I'm downing my herbal jetlag prevention pills and I've got my blankey and the inflatable neck pillow Kathy loaned me. My neighbour (a Dubai-i-an/ite) tells me I definitely slept some of the way (I am too shy to ask how she knows this and she is too polite to tell me). A couple of hours at Dubai airport and I almost bought a prayer mat for Stan the cat. Very nice. Body clock = early morning and all is well.

Dubai to London - seven hours. I wish I could remember what the character Mathias says in The Life of Brian when the Romans visit ('my legs are grizzled, my eyes are old and bent...'). Economy class was designed for short people. Body clock = it's been a long day.

London to Bristol - two hours. I had planned to travel from Heathrow to Bristol by train but the nice lady at the Info Desk tells me it's faster to take a coach. So I push my trusty four-wheeled suitcase to the bus station (about ten minutes away) and buy a ticket. About half an hour later I'm on the National Express to Bristol. I nod off only several dozen times during the journey. Body clock = sumpteen-e'cleck...wah's my name again...? Roll out the barrel...

Moral: Overnight stopovers are not for the weak; they were invented for a reason.