This is the story of how I got to England.

I chose to fly with Qatar mainly because they have one of the fastest routes to London. But I'd also read good things about their product. And after last year's splurge in business class, I couldn't talk myself out of doing it again.  

The flight departed Adelaide at 10:30 pm, so already it was a different experience. Working all day knowing you would fly overseas that night was exciting - lucky I had a fairly busy day ahead to distract me. However, when the time came to go home I found myself in a bit of limbo as there was no point getting to the airport too early. 

When I got there and through the automated and much faster customs, the plane was patiently waiting. 

In the prior months I'd flown interstate for work a few times and each time this flight was waiting, teasing me. Now it was my turn to get onboard.

It's an A350 and I'd never flown on one before. They are very slick, inside and out. There are no compartments above the middle seats in business class, giving it an open, airy feeling. I had selected a seat by the window.

The controls allowed me to morph the seat in almost any way imaginable.

Along with a set of un-glamorous but very comfy PJs, I received an amenities pack with face mist, moisturiser, lip balm, eye mask, ear plugs and socks. 

Soon after take off they offered us dinner. Although, with Qatar, they have a dine anytime service which means you can request anything off the menu at any time throughout the flight. It's a great idea, though sometimes it's nice just to be fed. 

I chose the snapper. 

I decided to force myself to stay awake for a few hours. I would be a 13 hour flight and I wanted to start adjusting to London time. I watched a couple of movies: Arrival and La La Land. Enjoyed both, but in very different ways. 

When bed time came I got into my (roomy XL sized) PJs and settled down. With eye mask and ear plugs I managed to get 3-4 hours of interrupted sleep which is a major achievement for me. The seat folded down was really comfortable and the cabin had a good temperature for sleeping. I was happy with that. 

A few hours out from Doha (in Qatar) I opened the blind as the sun started to rise. At first the sky and clouds were all soft pastel blues and white but closer to Doha the bright orange sun cut through the clouds. 

I only had a short stopover in Doha. Just enough time to freshen up in the lounge and take in some more water. While waiting to board my second flight (an A380) I noticed the hazy skyline of Doha in the distance. 

The second flight was shorter, only 6 hours.

It was a breakfast service and by this time I was ravenous.  

I chose the greek yoghurt followed by the scrambled edges. 

Even though it was a daytime flight, most of the cabin seemed to want to sleep. I resisted as part of my body clock reset strategy, though eventually I felt obliged to close my blind. Apart from some snow capped mountains over the middle east, there was thick cloud the rest of the way so I didn't really miss out. 

Both flights landed on time and a fast track pass from Qatar Airways saw me through customs in no time.  From there I took the Piccadilly line into London, then the high speed rail to Ashford.

The moment I got on the first train it almost felt as if I had never left. It was a comforting feeling of familiarity. Both train journeys took about 1.5 hours in total. 

I chose Ashford as my first destination because of its central location in Kent. It would make a good base. I wasn't quite sure how far it would be to the hotel and it was drizzling a little, so I decided on a taxi. The hotel is nice but nothing special.  

I had intended to head down to the restaurant for dinner but as it got closer to 6:00 I felt myself fading. I decided to head straight to bed instead and was out cold the moment my head hit the pillow. 

The flight from Adelaide to Doha was brilliant. Great service, great food and I slept a bit. Just waiting in the lounge before boarding my London flight. I'll write a proper post with all the details when I get to my hotel tonight.  

Well, technically the next stop is Doha. But THEN next stop London!

When the time came to book some of the longer train trips (in order to get advance fares) I realised that some of the journeys would need to change. Fortunately, most of the changes were for the better with less back tracking.

Here's the new map.

Today it's just over three weeks to departure!

It's time for a new adventure. This year I'm going back to England to explore more. I'll also make a short visit to North Wales. Here's the plan with each of the places I will use as a base as well as the regions I want to visit.

Tomorrow it will be exactly 100 days until I head off!

As always, I will be keeping a blog and taking lots and lots of photos. You'll be able to follow me here.

I made it home. And I even managed some sleep on the flight from Singapore - first time ever! Time to unpack, wash and settle back into home life. But undoubtedly a home life enriched and improved by some wonderful experiences. Through the people, events, achievements and encounters of this adventure I feel I've regained a little of the self confidence that had been waning before the trip. Thank you.

One of my first posts in this blog was about my search for heritage. In the end I didn't really explore heritage but the concept of belonging popped up time after time, in a number of different contexts. And for a while I thought I was going to come back with more questions than answers, but then a wise man told me earlier this week (paraphrased) that he thought the most important thing was to belong with/in/to yourself. I like that. That's something I can work on.

Until next time ... 

I'm in Singapore after the longest leg of my journey home. It got off to a smooth start and on time. Heathrow was busy. Check out the line up. 

There was only light cloud so I had a good view as we flew over south east England. 

Before crossing the coast.  

As before, the food was amazing. As if I don't have enough excess weight to lose! 

I watched a couple of movies (The Dressmaker and How to Be Single) before trying to get some sleep. This was the first time I tried out folding the seat down to a flat bed. It was really comfortable and I certainly rested for a few hours but I don't think I got any sleep. Just too much noise or movement. The last few hours of the flight were a little bumpy too which didn't help. 

They woke us a couple of hours before Singapore for breakfast. After more delicious food I was able to get out my proper camera and catch some of the sunrise.

And the lights of Singapore as we approached. 

I had time for one more movie so I watched The Danish Girl. Glad I finally got to see it.  

So I've got about 14 hours to wait around in Singapore before boarding the final flight home. Time to freshen up and maybe read the book I bought at Heathrow.  

I don't think I've ever felt this sad to catch a plane. Usually, by the end of a holiday I'm ready to come home. To return to the comfort and familiarity of home, the routine of work, the company of family and friends. This time I'm not ready. Not at all.

My flight leaves Heathrow at 11:25am. I decided to get to the airport as early as possible and then relax there. I'll be able to use the Singapore Airlines lounge. I woke at my usual 5:00 and had my coffee while reading the social media feeds. Because the hotel is so close to the Picadilly line it made sense just to catch the underground. I was on the train by 7:00. The last carriage was only half full.

Getting out at Terminal 2. 

The check in and security processes were quite quick. Walking to the gates and lounges however, seemed to take forever. But I'm here now. I had a good breakfast and now it's just a matter of waiting. 

Looking back, I made a list (of course): 

• 36 days (38 by the time I get home) 
• 7000+ photos
• 7 flight legs
• 7 intercity train journeys
• 11 hotels/apartments
• 0 delays
• 0 cancellations
• 0 booking stuff ups
• +10 kilos of books and other purchases
• +2-3 kilos of me (too many full English breakfasts, morning teas and pints)
• Countless memories

Au revoir England. See you again very soon, I hope. ❤️

Today was my last full day in England (insert sad face, mournful violins and distant sobbing sounds). The weather was overcast. I had originally planned to visit the Imperial War Museum as Duxford but my friend Jerome suggested I might enjoy Hampstead Heath so I headed there instead. I took the tube (2 lines) to Hampstead. From there it was just a short walk through some lovely streets. 

When I reached Hampstead Heath my first task was to find Parliament Hill. Jerome said you get great views of the city. He was right.  Epic!

From there I wandered around the Heath. It's essentially a large park but with a really natural feel and right on London's doorstep. 

After about an hour of walking I was feeling tired and decided to head back. By the tube station I noticed this telephone box cafe.  

And there was a really cute walk off the Main Street. 

Though, this was a little out of place. 

Shortly I'll start the task of packing my bags. I've bought quite a lot so there will be much reorganisation. Lucky I have a generous allowance on my flights.  

Its been an amazing holiday! I feel like I've been away for ages - months - and I've seen so much. I'm not ready to come home but I know I have to. If I could, I would move here without hesitation. But I know that's not possible. So I plan to keep coming back and exploring until I can get it out of my system. I've already started working on next year's trip! 

Last night I caught up with friends Emma and Sibs for dinner at a Peruvian restaurant in Shoreditch. It was great to see them and the food was fantastic. On my way to the restaurant I spotted this building and had to take a snap. I think the way they've played with perspective is brilliant! 

Last night wasn't late, but after Sunday night's effort it was still difficult getting myself activated this morning. I only had some very vague plans for the day so I headed towards the Thames. The walk took me through Chelsea and then along the Thames until the Houses of Parliament. I don't remember walking along that part of the Thames before.  

It was a perfectly clear morning and the browns and reds of bricks and tiles against the vivid blue sky looked stunning.

I passed this bike slowly being digested by the undergrowth.

The tide was exceptionally low on the Thames with many boats beached along the shores. 

The walk along the embankment took me a couple of hours but it was nice to stroll and take photos of things as they caught my eye.

I spent a little bit of time sitting in one of the parks along side the Thames. Luckily, I don't think I broke any of these rules. 

At one stage there were two very large and very loud black army helicopters hovering over part of the city. I haven't seen anything that beefy over the city before and it was a little unnerving

Eventually I made it to Covent Garden. I wanted to get a print I'd seen at the start of my trip and to visit the London Transport Museum. When I first arrived I went to the open day at the London Transport Museum depot not realising that there was actually a museum in the city. So today I checked it out. Understandably, it was teeming with school kids so navigating around was a little tricky. But worth it all the same. 

This is the inside of one of the older tube trains. Very different to these days. 

There's currently a design exhibition on and this model of Picadilly Circus station was fascinating. I really got a sense of how complex the network of tunnels is below the surface.  Quite mind blowing that it all works, actually.

By this time my energy was waning. I checked my map and discovered that a tube station nearby would take me directly to Earl's Court where the hotel is. It was a sign. Now I'm resting up before heading out to catch up with another friend. 

Tomorrow is my last day in England and I'm trying my hardest not to think about it.

The plan was to go to Horse Meat Disco last night and check out the new look and sound system, stay for a couple of hours, then head home. Things didn't go according to plan (details not required) and today has been a very slow day as a result. Not that I'm complaining. Wouldn't have changed any of it! 

When I did eventually get out and about I visited the Victoria & Albert Museum. When I went there at the start of my trip there were some books I was interested in but didn't want to weigh down my luggage too early. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to find the exact books but did buy another one.

There was also a new installation there as part of engineering month. Thanks for the tip off Andy, I wouldn't have looked for it otherwise. There's a robot/machine that is spinning this structure out of carbon fibre over the course of the month.

I took a few photos on the way to the museum and back but nothing worth posting here. Tonight I catch up with friends Emma and Sibs. We're going to a Peruvian restaurant. 

The weather settled down last night so I was up early to see what the lake would offer me this morning. She didn't disappoint. I could have spent hours taking photos as the light changed. 

But I had an appointment with a train to London. Before leaving, I took some photos of the light from the skylights in the hotel. 

The trip was a little convoluted due to maintenance work. I had a bus trip from Windermere to Oxenholme. Another from Oxenholme to Lancaster. Then finally the train to London. It was express for more than half the journey and very comfortable. The scenery was a mix of what I've seen so far. I took this photo on the bus.

The train was operated by Virgin. Nice to see Virgin still have a sense of humour over here. I think Virgin Australia have lost that, which is a shame because I feel it gave them a point of difference to the competition.

My final hotel is in Earls Court. Very handy location. The room is tiny, but very funky and cosy. Will do nicely for the end of my trip. 

This morning when I woke up it was wet, grey, blustery and cold ... perfect! The kind of day that I could finally sit inside and potter around without any guilt of not being out doing something. Having said that, I still found it really difficult to just sit and be in the moment. But by the end of the day I definitely began to feel a sense of calmness that I know I needed. Even when the weather improved and my itchy feet forced me outside, I managed to stroll instead of the usual gallop.

This morning I took the opportunity to take some pictures of this lovely hotel. Once I started, small details began popping up in front of me everywhere I looked. I only stopped because it began to get busy with people and I didn't want to become conspicuous or a nuisance. 

Tomorrow I take the final train trip back down to London for a few days before starting the trek home. 

The weather was looking a bit grey when I got up and it started to rain around 10:00. Luckily I only had one thing I really wanted to achieve today. Not that I couldn't do lots more, but I want to make sure I keep time to wind down - the last 4 1/2 weeks have been non-stop.

On the last leg of the train journey from York I noticed scenery that was a little different to what I had seen elsewhere. But the train was so packed that I couldn't get a good enough vantage point for photos. To fill in the missing part of my photo journal I wanted to retrace the steps. I won't be able to do that on the trip back to London because I will travel that part by bus.

So I caught the bus to Windermere. There is a bus stop right outside the hotel but busses aren't all that regular so I had to plan my journey. I walked around Windermere a little. As with the other towns around here, so many of the buildings are faced with slate.

Then I took a return train ride to Oxenholme. In order to get back in time for the bus back to the hotel I had to travel there and straight back. 

Elsewhere I've travelled in England the fields are all neatly (or not so neatly) outlined with hedges and the occasional dry rock wall. But around here grey (slate?) walls are everywhere and hedges are rare.

As the train came into Windermere two airforce planes came in low over the lake.  Along with the fly pasts the other day I'm surprise how visible and active the airforce is in this really touristy area. 

I caught the bus back to the hotel. By this time it was only 2:00 and the sun was actually shining. I was feeling guilty for not finding something else to do. Doing nothing while on holiday is a skill I'm yet to master. But I don't want to get home and feel that I still need a break. So, a quiet afternoon it is.  

The forecast for tomorrow is rain all day. That would be a recipe for guilt-free slothfulness. Fingers crossed. 

It was an impossibly prolonged goodnight. Each time I looked up, expecting you to be done, you were still present. Slightly faded from the last time but still lingering. In no hurry to be finished with the day. 

But now you've finally fallen into the darkness. And I sit with the lights off, watching you rest like a parent watching in wonder at the peaceful sleep of their newborn child.

This is a bit different. With no evidence of any other life it feels like you and I are the only two left in the world. And you are in slumber. I keep watch alone. At least, that's what I like to think. I know there's really life inside you, hiding beneath the shadows. 

This would be the ideal time to make my confessions. But I just sit. Trying to hold on to this feeling for as long as possible. Afraid to fall myself. Determined not to squander this rare moment or surrender it to the numbness of sleep. 

In the early morning, when the first sunbeams sneak around the edges of the curtains, you are the first thought to enter my mind. What is your morning look? And though my eyes are heavy from insufficient rest, I can't resist the desire to peek. 

But you aren't ready. You maintain control and composure, shrouding your modesty with white mist. You force me to be patient and close my eyes for a little bit longer. 

Soon enough I try again. This time you're ready to greet me, though you rise just as gracefully as you fall. Gradually blossoming as the increasing light reveals your features.

We share a moment. 

And then, in an instant, that moment is over. Family surrounds us, darting across the sky and heralding in full voice. Exercising flight and song as if they were new discoveries being tested for the first time. Vying for our attention.

Time to go our separate ways. For a while at least. 

Have a nice day. See you tonight. x

After a delicious breakfast overlooking the lake I hit the road. I had two soft targets for today: visit Ambleside and retrace the train trip between Windermere and Oxenholme for photographs. 

I walked to Bowness-on-Windermere as that's where the cruises leave. Ambleside is at the top of the lake whereas Bowness is midway down. I wasn't sure what to expect in Ambleside but I knew the landscape in the north was more mountainous. 

In Bowness, these boats were tied up near the piers for the cruises. 

The cruise takes about 25 min each way. 

Ambleside is a mile inland from the lake. On the way I spotted these sheep under the cover of the bushes. Not sure what they were taking cover from as it wasn't raining at the time.

Ambleside is pretty. Lots of buildings made from slate and some great views of the surrounding hills and mountains. 

This two room building over a stream was curious. 

I passed a small gallery with some lovely local paintings and prints. They had a series of prints which were a good size for my place so I bought a couple. 

Other than that I did anything BUT amble around Ambleside. I had it in my mind to get to part two of my day and I knew that was kind of dependent on catching the 1:05 boat back. So I kept up a rapid pace. In hindsight it might have been nicer to wander. 

Anyway, I made the boat in time. On the way back it started to spot with rain that became constant by the time we docked. Faced with the prospect of getting a little wet my resolution to continue on disappeared completely. After checking timetables I found a bus was due in a few minutes that would take me past the hotel. Bargain.  

So, even though it's only 3:00 I'm staying here in front of the fire in the bar. I've had some warming soup. Time to relax.

I wake up early. This morning, as warm and comfortable as the bed was, I couldn't wait to peek outside and see the early morning lake. 

After a quick coffee I had to go and explore. 

Today it was time to leave York and head to my final destination before returning to London then home. It had rained quite a lot overnight and was still drizzling in the morning. It would have been an inside kind of day anyway. 

I got to the station early and my train was in time. 

The first train was to Manchester. Then a change to Oxenholme Lake District. Finally a change to Windermere. The first train was relatively empty. The second was busier. The last train was packed. We passed a beautiful selection of countryside.

Unfortunately I wasn't able to get shots of the last leg because I wasn't by a window. The landscape was distinctly different. Hopefully I can get some photos later.

Windermere was packed with people. Much busier than I'd expected. The taxi driver told me this is nothing compared to mid summer. My hotel is out of Windermere and nicely secluded. It reminds me of a hotel Emily and I stayed in in Ireland. I have a window with a fantastic view of the lake.

The hotel is a converted manor house.

After having a sandwich in the Drawing Room (take note Emily) I got my things together to start exploring. I walked to the nearest town Bowness-on-Windermere. It took just under 45min. It was getting late when I got there, already 4:00pm but they were still running lake cruises. The weather had improved greatly so I seized the opportunity to do a short one.

The light on the walk back to the hotel was perfect for taking some more pictures. 

Just enough time to freshen up and have dinner with the lake as backdrop. Sun very slowly fading. Occasional swan gliding by. Amazing food and wine. A lovely end to the day.

Part of my plan for coming here was to wind down. I'll probably do a little exploring tomorrow, but then I think some lazing around the hotel will be in order.

I woke up after one of the best sleeps I've had on this holiday. It's was early, but I felt refreshed. After breakfast my first plan was to have one last go at photographing some of the older buildings in the city and then explore some more of the wall. 

Capturing the feel of the buildings is challenging. The streets are so narrow its often difficult to fit the whole building in and the streets are so dark that the contrast created by any light makes getting the right light balance tedious. I got some shots that I think will come out all right in post processing, but these two are OK as they are. The second one is meant to show just how ramshackle some of the buildings are. 

I picked up the wall from the eastern side and followed it around. It was still early in the morning and there were some great views. The wall is fascinating to walk and it's punctuated by gates and towers.

It was a beautiful clear morning and by the time I'd walked around the wall I was getting warm so I popped back to the apartment to change into lighter clothes. Then it was back to visit the Merchants Hall I had seen on my wall walk. It was built in the 1400s and was a guild hall for merchants. 

Somewhere on my walks I came across these cute goslings. There are quite a few geese in the rivers of York. I'm not fond of geese so I always make sure to keep my distance. 

From the Merchant Hall I made my way to Clifford's Tower. This used to be part of a castle. 

After grabbing some lunch I made my way to the main destination for the day - the National Railway Museum. 

They have a series of Royal carriages. This was the setting inside one of them.  Luxury.

They even have an authentic bullet train from Japan.

And some historic British trains. 

Probably the most fascinating was this cutaway steam train. I never realised that the round tank at the front contained all those pipes. I'd assumed it was just hollow. 

I spent quite a few hours wandering around before buying some great things from the shop. One is a book of transit system maps from around the world. It may sound a bit boring but I think some of these maps are mini works of art. I've always been a fan.

After popping back to the apartment again to drop of my purchases I walked my aching feet to one last destination - the York Museum. I had considered giving it a miss but I figure tomorrow is a train day and my feet can rest then. 

The museum was really well presented and gave a great insight into the history of York from prehistory, to Roman, Viking, Anglo and Norman. I took a photo of this tile because of the stamp. It just made it a whole lot more personal and real to think that someone placed that stamp there 2,000 years ago. 

That was a jam packed day. My feet aren't talking to me right now but I will rest them. Tomorrow I head on to the Lake District.