Well! With several emails back and forth between Steve and I today, and me being about 10% packed…the excitement and anticipation of MHIV is building! We’re just hoping for a good dry start, with no rain between Eastwood and Eden.Given Sydney’s abmismal  Can’t do anything about it if it rains, but from past experience starting out a Mild Hog adventure in rain tests our spirited enthusiasm! Big thanks to Steve for working tirelessly on the maps and the itinerary! Geoff got his bike serviced today and now has a brand new rear tyre and new front brake pads. Better to be safe than sorry…
This was the view I was lucky enough to get when I had a coffee at Shelley Beach this afternoon. I got there about 1hr before the storm hit. Love Shelley Beach!!Â
What a brilliant day! Another lazy start with my roomies, Kate, Iain and gorgeous young Ollie just hanging about the house. The weather started out somewhat attrociously but as the day progressed, so too did the weather. I ended up riding a briskly cold ride into town on Iain’s push bike where I meandered the streets of Cambridge, did a spot of shopping (didn’t buy anything apart from a nice coffee). Then I joined Kate, Iain and Oliver at ‘The Anchor’ pub on the Cambridge Cam for two pints…followed by that was a punt on the Cam where I was taught the skill of ‘punting’ and thoroughly enjoyed it!
Miraculously or not, the sun came out and it turned out to be a magical Cambridge afternoon, scarf, beanie and jumper off and it was nearly ‘hot’! After about an hour and a half on the Cam we ventured back home, me on the bike to prepare dinner…spicey prawns with a lentil/rice/onion finish…of course with a glass of beautiful red wine, listening to the tunes of Crowded House…nothing short of Bliss! 🙂
After a lovely personal tour of Cambridge town by Kate, where I saw Kings College and surrounds we came back home to have an ‘Aussie’ BBQ with some of Kate and Iain’s friends, Laura, Dan & Stephen. We watched The World Cup soccer, Aus Vs Ghana (1-1) then had a delicious BBQ together 🙂
A few drinks later everyone was very relaxed and enjoying the warmth of inside, this isn’t summer! 🙂
Here’s a quick summary (with photos to come eventually).
A late start, leaving Cambridge with Kate, Iain and Oliver at about 10am (Kate and Iain choose not to start til late and the day care they have Oliver in closes at 6pm, they often have to go in after hours as well to check up on/watch experiments they are running)…
So…from Cambridge I caught the train into London, first stop Kings Cross, then another (tube) train to Covent Garden where everything seemed to come alive…it was beautiful…I strolled around there for a while then walked all the way down to Knightsbridge, via Hyde Park, Trafalgar Square, Piccadilly Circus and Leicester Square…sooo Monopoly!! I felt like the top hat!! 🙂
I didn’t stay in Harrods that long, nice but not really my thing…from Harrods I went directly to the Underground again and got a train to Waterloo, which is where I went on the famous London Eye – it was great. Expensive, but great!! The weather wasn’t rainy but very overcast, got some nice shots some of which you will see soon I hope!
After a few hours down there I made my way back to Piccadilly Circus, SoHo, Covent Gardens (where I enjoyed a beer) and then back to Kings Cross, and then finally Cambridge. Walked back home from the station at Cambridge, a good 35 minute (very flat) walk!
Me on the London Eye!
Doing a local/personal tour of Cambridge with Kate/Iain tomorrow then helping host a soccer( Football party at their place for a few Aussie friends). Should be a bit more chilled out than today was.
I enjoyed it very much but the enormous mass of people in London is a little scary – the tube was MENTAL during the evening peak hour!!
Well – it’s been a looong time since I’ve flown anywhere of distance so I have to say first up that the 22hr flight nearly killed me! All good though.
The first 8hr leg from Sydney to Singapore was ok, being farewelled by Son, Soph, Hugh, Mum and Dad was a delight at Sydney airport.
The 2nd leg (13hrs) was looong, so long. Wasn’t overly impressed with British Airways, however it was ‘ok’.
Landed at Heathrow at 5:20am and then managed to get on an earlier bus (0710hrs) from Heathrow to Trumpington Park and Ride, Cambridge where I was met by Kate Duggin! Kate brought me home to their beautiful little place in Cambridge, gave me the grand tour and now has gone to work. I made myself a nice three egg omlette, have had a shower and now time to have a few hours sleep before I head out for a walk and maybe some photos! Clear, sunny blue skies and the current temperature is about 16 degrees!
So after a nice weekend with Jane, Steve, Liam and Flynn in Dubbo and a little bit of over indulgance (not too much), I got back to the gym tonight and went nuts.
814calories in 55 minutes and 30.1kms later! UNREAL! Felt fantastic (but nearly dead) afterwards!!
