Heritage Hotel Derby

Woke up this morning. Had that 'Red Letter Day' feeling. Steve obviously felt the same as we bumbled through the usual morning rituals, all the while thinking that today was not just another ordinary day.

Having said goodbye to my esteemed host of the past week I set to getting things ready to leave (and having a final idle surf on the internet). I had initially said I wanted to be out of the ...

Wow - only one week to the day before we make our way down south to London town to stay in the very affordable 'heathrow' travel lodge.

Liz in in Manc saying goodbye to friends and family and i'm sorting the last bits out for the fresh box before we go.

Just wanted to say thank you to Ron and Sue for ...

... filled with Laphroig single malt but will probably hold a number of different spirits around the way).)

Backpack: Clothes, Food and cooking utensils, Duck tape

Top Bar: Energy tablets, gels and Caffiene tablets

I'm glad that is sorted - now just to put my affairs in order.

Precisely 1 week today!

... for now ;-)), I'm most excited about the sleeper train, it's so much more interesting then sitting in Manchester Airport for 4 hours! We'll be squeezing into a tiny cabin, with a triple bunk bed on an 11 hour journey...shutting the curtains in Germany and opening them in Denmark.....and it's cheaper (what with a lack of luggage limits saving me from extortionate Easy Jet add-ons!)

I'll keep updating this as I start booking hostels and buying things for Denmark!

So I'm back in Stoke after my brief trip back to Cumbria (where, sadly I did not see everybody that I could have). I would just like to say now that if I didn't get a chance to catch up with anyone during the whirlwind that was the last couple of months then I'm sorry and I'll see you down the road.

With a little over 10 days til departure three goals need to be achieved:

1 ...

... 45 minutes while he takes his break, what a joke! We stop at a service station and I wait around while he takes his break and we get on our way again. Finally I arrive at Helena and Phil's house at 00:30 and sneak in a get straight to bed. What a day!!!

Wednesday 17th June

We are awake at 6am and finish off the last bits of packing. Yes, after six months in Portugal it’s finally time to leave for home. Our preparations with Susan are completed and she is ready to continue with local staff and run the guest house through the summer.

It’s a bright, sunny morning with the temperature already in the high teens. A quick tea and toast and we load the car, where Bonnie ...

... ihania nama maisemat ovat. Pehmeina kumpuilevat vihreat kukkulat auringonpaisteessa - mitaan sen romanttisempaa en osaa vielakaan kuvitella ;) Olen outo, tiedetaan ihan hyvin. khih. Saavuttuani Derbyyn ystavani Diane oli minua vastassa suloisen 14-kuukautisen Kajsa-tyttarensa kanssa. Kajsa on niin suloinen! Kavelee jo aika hyvin ja osaa useita viittomia. Mita helpoin lapsi, kadehdin Coalwoodin pariskuntaa, kun epailen ...

... city of Derby and everything is very reasonably priced. I remember when I came to England 10 years ago with Evelyn that everything was very expensive, but either things haven't gone up much here or they have gone up heaps in Australia. Either way I was very surprised at the low prices. However public transport, at least the trains, are very expensive but the buses are not too bad, but you can buy a car quite cheap. They really are a mixed up bunch here in England. Bought some ...

... of excellent watering holes, especially the Alexandra and the Brunswick Tavern. Friendly, great buildings and good beer. An honourable mention also goes to the Smithfield, although it was lacking in the areas of friendliness and surroundings. Needless to say, we got the train home, drunk, and had to take care of GT, who then was taken home to take care of his 6-month daughter, Amber.....