Follow the yellow brick road-

Wow there's been a lot going on. Time to try sorting it all out in my head and get it organized enough to write some of it down, rather like a spring cleaning where you alphabetize your cds and books and hoover up the many crumbs from eating your meals in the living room 5 minutes before running out the door.

I survived my Master's project, it could even been construed as having been a success! WOW. Thank heavens. I had the most fun drinking that night ever! There was dancing in the ballroom sense and then in the cheek to cheek sense (Ella, the Eary Years has a new special place in my heart now) and there was failed popcorn cooking and private confessions and lots and lots of drinking until about 5am. Naturally, I then popped out of bed at 10am starving and calling everyone up for our traditional hangover brunch at our local greasy spoon! So much fun.

Following the evil hangover of Sunday and the bad idea to go to the classical Funfair (the festival that health and safety forgot! hah) and then walking all over the local parks and filling out queasy bellies with yummy Italian food and in general doing a lot of 'why did we do that....right cause it was FUN! Then there was the major hustle and bustle of showing my family all the best parts of London and surrounding areas.
First we went to Dover Castle- situated right of the famous White Cliffs of Dover and dating from the 1st century, of which all that remains is the roman lighthouse- but still WOW! It was very very beautiful and not too touristy and there were very few people- which always appeals to me. It was however on the top of a giant cliffs and we walked all the way up to the top from the valley below carrying the contents of a delicious picnic- we had some tired feet I tell ya! We finished off our Monday by heading back to London and straight to the pub where we played a truly miserable pub quiz hahah but had some good socializing and laughs anyway.
The next day in London was one of the most beautiful and hottest so far this year here. So we very slowly dragged our asses out of bed and the hour journey to the far west side of London to go to Kew Gardens, the Royal Botanic Gardens. Predictably it was lovely and very interesting (although I wish we could have gone in the Spring when all the trees would be in bloom!) We did go up into the Canopy Walk which I highly recommend. At this point it was very tired out and we made our way back into the city to have a quick dinner and then went to see the musical Wicked, which was long but wonderful.
Wednesday we indulged our very tired bodies a bit and slept in, then went down the hill for traditional British Fry Up at Cafe Lemon and on into the city where I took them to the John Soane museum. He was a famous british architect (who was architect to the Bank of England for 40 years) and his house is probably the trippy-est thing you've ever walked into! he designed it around natural light so there are no lamps or lights anywhere (obviously during the day only) but to accomplish this since it is a house of 4 floors- there are light wells everywhere and holes in the floor to let in the light. Very strange but very very cool. Besides this his house was essentially a dumping ground for the British Museum (just around the corner) and has things like the Sarcophagus of SETI I from 1370 BC (!) and the Rake's Progress in his sitting room. We wrapped up the museum-ing with a quick trip to the British Museum (mostly because of exhaustion and time constraints was it quick) and had a quick look at the Rosetti Stone and a few other choice artifacts. Then homeward bound to meet all the friends for a delicious curry and a natter. We followed up the curry with more drinking at what will be my new home in a month, as I am moving in with some friends: John, Hayley and Dave but still in the same area.

It was a lovely trip and I am terribly sorry to see everyone go! pout pout. but now its time for me to concentrate on all of that finding a job and writing my paper stuff. At least my life has simplified a little, if not become less stressed.