Journal Entry: Peace and Quiet and Family

So I’ve lost something else. I’m at Taine’s. We had a wonderful day. Scones, clotted cream and tea. And strawberry jam. Yum. So I was showing her all the things I’ve bought, and the keychain I bought at Montségur is missing. Maybe it fell out of the bag or something. It was small. Maybe I can find one like to for sale online later. It was in the bag with the illuminated manuscript post cards I bought, and I still have those. I don’t remember putting it anywhere else. I don’t know.

So after Taine picked me up at the train station, her friend was with her, who’s name is also Tonya, we went back to the house. Her friend had to leave soon after and so then Taine and I decided to go to Harwich. We went to the store first though, and she bought some groceries. Harwich is where the Mayflower set sail for the New World. The captain’s house is still standing there.

The Captain of the Mayflower's House - Harwich UK

Then we went back to her house and had tea. It’s nice having some privacy and some peace and quiet.

It’s quite late now and I have to get up early. Taine has invited me to go to church with her. It should be interesting. I’ve never been to an Anglican church before.

Journal Entry: Exiting London

I’m on the train to Manningtree. Lucky there’s no line work tomorrow today. I can’t keep anything straight. There’s supposed to be line work tomorrow, and I would have encountered it if I’d gone to Canterbury for a night. 

So today has started out badly. A continuation of yesterday I suppose. I lost my Oyster card. It had about £8 left on it, maybe £9. £10 at the most. I had it out last night, if you like irony just wait. I had it out to try to register it online, if it’s lost or stolen, they’ll replace it I suppose. Turns out it’s only for British addresses. So, maybe I left it by the computer at the hostel? I can’t find it at any rate. I asked the desk if anyone had turned one in and there was one there, but I found out when I got to the station it couldn’t be mine because it didn’t have anything on it. Even if someone had used it yesterday evening, and then turned it in, it wouldn’t have mattered because I had used it yesterday and had reached the maximum charge for one day. [redacted] Oh well. I suppose if that’s the most I lose on this trip, it’ll be okay. I lost my lock too. Again my fault. I think I left it hanging from the locker in Paris. Meh.

I slept for nearly twelve hours, and my head doesn’t feel any clearer. It’s no wonder I left it sitting there. I was exhausted last night. I didn’t even eat dinner, I was so tired.

Ah, the Countryside at Manningtree, a relief from London

 

Journal Entry: London Day Two - Taine to the Rescue

Taine finally answered her phone! I canceled the hostel in Canterbury. I’ll go there some other time. I’m just so tired, and I’ve seen way too much crap. I just don’t care anymore. Really, this trip has been too much too fast. But we wanted to see the stuff and now we have. The only thing I care about doing here is going to Avebury. I’m sorry I’m giving Taine such short notice. I told her I’d help her clean, but she wouldn’t hear of it. I seriously wouldn’t mind. I need my clothes washed. My socks stink so bad. I really could have stood just to spend all this time in the Pyrenees. Well, maybe Pompei too. It was awesome. I need a vacation from my vacation.

Journal Entry: London Day Two - Too Much London

So the day started out okay and went downhill from there. Let me get my gripes out first. This hostel is the worst that I’ve stayed in. Why? Is it the facilities or the cleanliness? No. It’s because there are fucking teenagers, and I mean young teenagers, like maybe 14 years old staying here. A large group of them. They’re loud. They’re obnoxious, and rude and did I mention loud? They hog the computers, they run up and down the halls and stairs. WTF!? This is supposed to be a backpacker’s hostel, not a daycare.

Knights in Effigy

So this morning I went to find the Templar church. It was difficult, through a gate off Fleet Street and down a road. The church was bombed in WWII so it’s not very cool, but the effigies of the Knights are. I think they’re about all that’s left of the previous building, and I think they’ve been heavily restored as they were damaged badly in the war.

I then went to take a boat trip. I thought it would be fun. I was wrong. It was awful. The boat is the Thames Express, supposed to be fast, but isn’t. They need some tips from the Venetians on how to operate a water bus service. It was not fun at all. First there was only a few seats out on the deck, not much room. So you have to sit inside. But the windows don’t open so you can’t see jack and taking pictures is pointless. And it’s expensive. £10 for a roundtrip ticket. And it seemed like everyone on the boat had an average of three children with them. Half toddlers. Half crying. Strollers everywhere.

So I thought Greenwich would be nice. Not so much. Crowded. Tourists everywhere. I couldn’t even find the prime meridian thing, but hell. There were so many people, that if it had been in front of me, I might not have seen it.

I started to eat in a pub, but the girl was short and rude to me so I left. I wasn’t in any mood to put up with it. But it worked out because I ate Tex Mex! Silly I know. It was pretty good. Not authentic of course (they didn’t use hot plates or have homemade tortillas), but it was still good and pretty cheap. I stuffed myself for £8 and am still so full I don’t feel hungry. I don’t feel like eating dinner.

Tex Mex in London

The Hostel looked cool, but wasn't

I tried calling Taine. Oh, yeah, so I endured the boat ride back to Embankment. It sucked. I came back to the hostel early. Taine isn’t answering her phone. I was thinking about skipping Canterbury. Maybe I’m just pissed off from being in this hostel and in London, it’s so crowded. I feel there are better places to be. Maybe the hostel in Canterbury will be better. How can they call this a backpacker’s hostel and allow children? The hostel is clean, the facilities are great, but I hate children. Especially loud and obnoxious ones. I would not stay here again. I mean, here I’ve had a crappy day, on a boat with screaming children, but instead of coming back to a hostel that is chilled out with a good vibe I get to listen to fourteen year olds scream and yell in Turkish and run around in circles, and up and down the stairs and hallways. Not fucking cool.

I knew the hostel in Canterbury will charge me for a night because it’s too late to cancel, but I almost don’t care, because I’m quite ready to just go to Taine’s.

Journal Entry: Chunnel Travel

We’re in the tunnel now. Lunch was delicious [and included]. So happy I paid the extra for first class. Wine from “Pays d’Oc”, lovely as usual.

Eurostar First Class Lunch