One day at a time

Arrived back home in Melbourne. Tried the smart gates, but they weren't smart enough, as they couldn't deal with the fact that I was wearing glasses and had a beard. Then had to wait for my luggage, but wasn't sure which carousal it was going to come off. It eventually arrived, but in the mean time I had been cleared to proceed straight through customs. The airport was very quiet at that time and I thought about getting the Air Bus, but wasn't sure if there would be any taxis at the other end, so decided to get a taxi from the airport instead.

Arrived in Singapore and checked in for my Qantas flight to Melbourne and then went to the transit hotel. It was nice to be able to have a shower and I think that I got at least an hour's sleep before continuing on to Melbourne. The Qantas flight was busy and I had a full row and unfortunately next to me was a young child that would not sit still. Lucky for him, I was not remotely tied so I watched movies the whole way over and it was only a 7 hour flight. I prefer the food on Qantas to the food on KLM and especially the small things like ice creams and real drinking chocolate.

Graham gave me a lift to London Bridge train station so I didn't have to struggle with the underground to get there, although in the end it may have been quicker if I had taken the Tube. Got a quick train to Gatwick, with only one other stop on the way. Discovered that my flight with EasyJet left from the North Terminal so I had to take the monorail to the other terminal, which was surprisingly quiet. No problems checking in, although I was surprised to see that my bag's weight had increased to 19.5 kg, not sure what accounts for the additional 6 kg since I arrived. Still didn't have much of an appetite so just had something to drink and again it was a long walk to the departure gate. EasyJet don't allocate seating, but I was one of the first to check in so got on in one of the first groups, although I had a big group of “lads” sit in front of me; apart from being a bit loud, they were no problem. Found that I could check in as soon as I arrived in Amsterdam, so I...

Woke up early, the light comes into the lounge. Although the sofa was comfortable and I think I got a good nights sleep. Didn't do much in the morning as I had to sort out my replacement flight arrangements, following KLM canceling the flight from Amsterdam to KL. Took a while to sort out over the phone, but on my second attempt I changed my flight to one via Singapore. Had to cancel the booking at the transit hotel in KLIA and hope to get a room in the transit hotel in SIN instead. Once that had been sorted out, I went for a walk around the centre of London as it was a nice day. Got back in time to see most of the Budget Speech and that was the main news for the rest of the day. Haven't been feeling great this afternoon, I beginning to think that the problem in Dublin was food poisoning now, as my stomach is being very delicate at the moment. Rang home to let them know that I got back from Dublin safely and to say my good byes. Went out in the evening with Graham,...

Took it easy in the morning and we just left the hotel, before taking the bus back to the airport. Again the check in area was in a completely separate area and as with Gatwick, the route to the departure gate was long winded. The fight was a bit more bumpy this time, but again short. Passport check at Gatwick was a joke, they just collected our boarding pass. Bought another train ticket, rather than collecting the one that I had already booked. At least the train trip was quick and and London Bridge was the second stop. Stayed at Graham's for most of the day and we went to Shaun's to collect my bag. Met his new guest before we left and gave Shaun his Irish souvenir. I cooked the dinner for both Graham and myself, turned out OK, even if it was only fish fingers. Slept on the couch in the lounge at Graham's place and it was surprisingly comfortable.

Got up early and took the tram to the Guinness Storehouse and we went through the experience. Can't say that I really enjoyed the free pint and I left half of it behind. We walked back through the oldest part of the city and had lunch outside in the city. By the afternoon, I was beginning to feel rough and we went to the hotel to have a rest. Unfortunately the headache got worse and I was violently sick, this put paid to anything for me in the evening and I took a couple of panadol and retired to bed. Graham went out and I found out later that he went to the cinema.

Started out fine and then took a serious down turn when the first train from Balham was postponed beyond the time of my train from Clapham Junction. In the end it proved a mixed blessing as I arrived at the airport at the same time as Graham. Took a while to locate the check-in for Aer Lingus, which was hidden away in their own check in area. The flight looks like it will be very busy as we could not find another pair of seats. Had trouble finding somewhere to eat and then finding the departure gate, which was a very long walk from the check in. The flight went smoothly and was very quick. Dublin Airport was also a long walk from the arrival gate to exit. Took the local bus to the city, it took a while but arrived in Parrnell Square, which is where the hotel is supposed to be situated. In fact the hotel was just off the square, so it took a little while to actual locate it. Room has been set up for three people, but otherwise it is ok, although it doesn't have a fridge in i...

Shaun left early in the morning for his trip to Barcelona. Went over to see Graham and we had lunch in Kennington Park, before I went for a little shopping at the Elephant and Castle Shopping Centre. Stayed at Graham's for most of the day, although I left at a reasonable time in the evening to get ready for the trip to Dublin tomorrow and clearing up at Shaun's.

Went into the centre of London mainly to window shop. First went to see if the Crypt Cafe was still there and it has, plus it was also as busy as I remember it. So after some consideration, I decided to give it a miss and took the Tube to Oxford Circus. Had lunch at John Lewis, although I was disappointed by the scone which broke up easily. I have no sense of taste at the moment, so the cream and jam were a complete waste to me. Walked up to the Primark store on Oxford Street and this one was heaving with people. There was nothing that I needed to get so I left the store. I took a bus back down Oxford Street and got off opposite the London Apple Store, so I popped in. It's a strange concept for a store and I wonder how much money Apple can be making through these when most people seem to be simply using the free internet. I called Graham and arranged to head over to his place before drinks. Made it all the way there, but had forgotten what number apartment he was in, so had...

Went into the centre of London to meet my friend Dave in Leicester Square. Arranged to meet outside the Half Price Ticket Booth, which gave me a chance to look at the shows that were available there and I noticed that Priscilla wasn't one listed. Dave was a little late, so I had to stand around in the cold wind and rain for longer than I would have liked. When he did arrive, he'd coloured his hair again – red! We went to the Stockpot for lunch – simple but cheap food. Had a nice lunch, chatting about what was happening in his live, which included being made redundant, but at least he had volunteered for it. We chatted about the guy that he was helping with his bodybuilding career and how he'd done at the last British Championships. After lunch, I showed Dave where Morgan Computers were just off Tottenham Court Road and then said our good byes before I headed back to Balham. Spent the rest of the day on the computer, correcting the blog and completing the missing ent...

London Eye - April 2009 Took a short trip into the city to enjoy the nice day in my final day in London.

Spring flowers in Greenwich Park, London

Meeting up with my friend Richard and confirmed plans to meet at Limebouse DLR station at around 11.30am. After a quick stop at the local chemists for something for my cough, I took the tube into the city and on to Limehouse. Unfortunately I was able to get Richard on his mobile as I approached the station and just hoped that he would arrive shortly. Thankfully he did and he took me back to his new place. On the way there he told me about his plans to move north, which have been on and off ever since I have known Richard. Then he explained why he couldn't move as he wouldn't be able to sell his place for enough in the current market. Had quite a long chat in is place about where he wants to go and what plans (or lack of) he has in place. After a tea break, we made our way to Greenwich on the DLR, passing through the Docklands, which are still being developed and are one of the reasons why Richard can't get more for his current place. Had lunch at the Greenwich Pizza Express...

The cold as moved into my nose and its started to run. Took the car back this morning, no major problem apart from I was left standing there while they answered the telephone. Not really impressed with the english version of customer service. Walked back into the city centre via the railway station and picked up my tickets for later on. Picked up a couple of mobile phone magazines from WHSmiths and come pocket tissues from Boots, glad I did as I didn't realise that the bus fare would be 1.50 one way. Ate dinner with parents and then sat around waiting for the taxi to arrive to take me to the station. It arrived a little late, but in the end it didn't matter as it only took 10 minutes to get there. Had to wait a little while for the train to be prepared for customers, but not that long. The first class carriages were very quiet, it's nice to travel in first class but not sure if it's worth the expense. The carriages are also showing signs of wear and tear, not really my ...

he cold is dragging on, but still went ahead with catching up with my sisters in the centre of Nottingham. We took a ride on the Nottingham Wheel that is sitting in the Old Market Square and gave us great views over the city (it was a reasonably clear day), turned out the be decent ride as we went round 4 times and although not as big as the London Eye, still very smooth. Pauline showed me the houses that my grandfather used to own in St James Street and then we went down to the Brewers Yard, under the Castle. We had lunch in the Trip to Jerusalem, which I have never been in before and it really is built into the side of the hill the castle is standing on. Had a very nice lunch and chat, before we wandered back into the centre and a spot of shopping, in the end I was the only one that actually bought anything. Got back home and decided to take the car out to fill it up with petrol in advance of taking it back tomorrow. Had intended to go to the Morrison's petrol station but notice...

Got up reasonably late, had already woken during the night from a coughing spell. Got ready for the big family Sunday lunch, but as usual we were ready well in advance of the time that we had to get there and we were the first to arrive. Had a nice lunch (enormous portions) but there wasn't as much of the family as expected. Although we still managed to get nine people there. Would be good if Mum & Dad went out more often for dinner with the family. Arranged to catch up with my sisters in the centre of Nottingham on the following day.

The cold has got the better of me and I stayed in bed for most of the morning. Finally rose after midday and didn't do much today. Was planning on going to see my other sister in the evening, but after calling we decided to leave it and catch up at the family dinner on Sunday. Only highlight of the day was watching the new Doctor Who, although I think they could do more with the assistant, about time that he got one that had some common sense. Didn't stop up long, was in bed by 9.30 pm to see if I can get over this cold.

Went over to see one of my sisters in the morning and in particular one of my nephews who was there with his daughters. They were heading back to Jersey the following day so it was the only time that I would be able to get to see them. The two girls were very sweet and very difficult to photograph as they would not stand still, but I got a few pictures of them. Arranged to catch up with most of the family on Sunday lunch time at the Tree Top pub. Then I drove down to Tesco's but couldn't find anywhere to park, so stopped at Carlton Central and went to the local chemist. Not that they were much help with my cold, but I did buy something that was supposed to treat all my symptoms. My cold is getting slowly worse, although some cough medicine that my mum has helped sooth my throat. I did get a nice text message from my mate here in Nottingham and I think I will see if I can arrange to come over just after his competition.

Went shopping with the parents to one of the local supermarkets in the hire car. They spent far more than planned and just don't worry about the calories (well not too much anyway). Met up with a couple of my parents old friends in the supermarket car park, although we didn't hang around long as the wind was bitter. In the afternoon, I went by bus to the city centre. Mainly to see if I could find an ATM that would tell me the balance on my Australian bank account and after trying half a dozen, the Nationwide machine was able to confirm there was money still in the account. Did a spot of shopping in Marks and Spencers, as well as looked for the same cold defence remedy that we have in Australian, but failed on that count. In the evening, I spent a very enjoyable dinner with a old internet mate, who's aiming to enter a bodybuilding competition next year and he has certainly change (or more precisely – got a lot bigger). We chatted about his training, how our work was going an...

Spring blossom in Greenwich Park, London.

Nottingham Council House tower from the top of the Nottingham Wheel in the Old Market Square.

Got a good nights sleep for the first time on this trip, probably due to being back in familiar surroundings. After breakfast, my Dad and I drove down to the local retail park and looked in a few of the shops. I was surprised to find that the wireless modems I was interested in had dropped in price, but there were none in stock. Dad had better luck and picked ip the electric blanket that he was after. Dropped in to one of the local supermarkets and looked for some decent cheap Australian and New Zealand wine. Not easy to find any good cheap stuff, but picked up couple of what I hope will turn out to be nice wines for under £5. In the afternoon, I drove down to Castle Marina to look over out for wirelesss modems and discovered that they have all come down in price. But after a long time weighing up the options I decided to stay with the unpredictable but cheaper option of using my Nokia phone. On my return, tried to check my bank balance on my aussie bank account, but got the pin num...

Another glorious spring day in Nottingham - blue skies, a few white clouds wandering passed and all under a warm April sun.

Woke up again early, this time 2am. At least this time I was able to get back to sleep, even if it was only for a couple of hours. Check out provided to be a problem, the difficulty with my account that had occurred when I checked in was still causing the system lots of problem. I had to leave them to sort it out and I headed into the airport to check in. There were already a few people waiting when I arrived, but it didn't take too long before my bag was sent packing and was free to wander the halls of Schiphol Airport, which is a lot larger than I first expected. It took me a long while to walk from the check in area to the gate (although I did stop to look at several shops on the way). I was thankful that I was early at the gate, as there wasn't much room in the waiting lounge. The security is very different in Amsterdam, instead of one central area dealing with all travelling, each gate has it's own security team and scanners. They were very thorough, although I...

Spent the whole day in central Amsterdam and once I got round the idea that bicycles have the right of way (even when they don't) and to look both ways before stepping off the curb. Went to see some of Amsterdam's canals and bridges, before walking over to the Van Gough Museum. I had planned to also take in Anne Franks House, but the queue was far too long. The trip there and back was painless from the airport. Having a simple night in as I have a early flight tomorrow.

Crossing one of the many canals that really do criss cross the city and all the grand houses along the water front - Amsterdam as I expected it to look.

Arrived in the early hours of Sunday in Amsterdam. The airport seemed remarkable quiet and after some advice, I easily found my hotel for the next few days. I was very happy to find that I could enter my room immediately, far less happy that I was charged an additional 76 Euros. After an initial rest and refresh, I questioned the increase and found that I had been charged a different rate than the one advertised on the web site. I went for a wander around the airport, to find an atm, where I had to check in on Tuesday and somewhere to eat. I achieved all of these, although I wasn't very adventurous with the place I choose to eat - Burger King ! On my return to the hotel, I thought about going into Amsterdam, but felt too tied in the end and fell asleep until early evening. I wrote a email to Citizen M, to see if I could get a better explanation of the change in rates and sent the evening watching the BBC sunday programmes,

Today was about traveling. Traveling to the airport in Melbourne with Craig and queuing to check in for my Qantas flight.   When I arrived in Singapore, queuing again for my connecting flight and waiting around.   On neither flight was I able to get a seat with extra leg room and the KLM one felt more crampled than the Qantas one.   Didn't much sleep on the KLM one, if any and I was so glad to reach my room at the Citizen M hotel at Amsterdam Airport.