Destination London

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Heathrow is like a seething mass of frustration the size of football field concentrated in an area the size of grapefruit. We are the last in a long line of planes to be given permission to land, joining the end of what at first glance is an impossibly long queue. I text my friend Amanda, making sure she’s aware that even though I said I’d be arriving at around 7, there is no way I’ll be out of this room til 9. She is… She’s been there and done that, and so I wait. Sure enough 1 and half hours later, with a determined look of enjoyment to be here still desperately clinging to my face, I emerge.

Amanda finds me a Tesco’s muesli bar in the bottom of her handbag and I devour it in 3 bites. Welcome to London she says.

Don’t worry, it gets better :)

Home

So yes… I’m back. Three weeks, three countries, and three thousand odd photos to process… Photos will soon start to arrive and posts I guess will come along with it. Funny that in such a short time so much can happen.

I feel a little light headed at the moment, which could either be because of jet lag, or the cold I picked up the day before I left, or the cold and flu drugs I’ve been taking to get rid of it. But rest assured as that soon as the world starts making sense again I’ll be pouring my meagre thoughts out and hope you’re all around to read it.

Apologies in advance if I ramble, and flood the screen with lots of boring photos… but this is my catharsis for readjusting to life in the real world that is Perth.

Tropical Delights in Airport Departure Lounges

Mauritius as seen from a departure lounge

Mauritius, a cultural melting pot of intrigue and language and designer clothing stores. Well, at least thats the impression I got from being in the airport departure lounge for 3 hours during the 20 hour dual leg journey from Perth to London.

My first tastes of Mauritian food was a curried egg sandwich and a chicken omlette. Which tasted surprising like a regular curried egg sandwich. Although considering it was most likely made in Perth by Qantas catering, who handles the outgoing meals for a lot of other airlines, should not be too surprising.

Sadly I didn’t get to venture out into the day, which looked very mysterious and intriguing from inside the airport. Small birds flew throughout the terminal without anyone thinking it was weird, and although they say English is the main language, why the hell would you want to speak it, when you know French ?? Big points for French speaking Indian Mauritians, who seem to be one of the few Indian populations around to throw off the impossibly uncool accent.

Second leg of the journey out of Mauritius saw me eating a chicken chop suey and some form of little coconut sweet tart thing, as well as a cream cheese sandwich which was about as disgusting as it sounds.

The wine was good though… a couple of bottles of low grade Bordeaux (a white Chateau du Pin, and a red), kept me well plied and dehydrated, and the ‘tropical punch’ was much less punch and much more ‘straight rum in a glass with ice’.

Never fear though, this will not become a plane food blog. I’m safe and sound in London now, and have much exploring to do. Will update as i can, otherwise I hope you’re all well.

Europe Bound

London skyline
Photo used courtesy of Vemma

The adventures of Matt & Sharon continue. This time internationally.

So my lovely eldest sister recently announced that she was getting married. She’s been living in the UK for the past 6 years now, and despite the fact that she’s developed a terrible generic Southern pommy accent, we still love her dearly and were very excited when the news came through.

What that means of course, is that it necessitates us flying over there. Something that has long been on the agenda, but has perhaps needed a kick up the bum like this to initiate. I am of course, the king of procrastination.

So the date is set for the 20th of September. We’ll be flying over a little beforehand and are going to dip our toes in the cultural sea that is Europe (specifically France and a little of my ancestral homeland Ireland), before livin it large in London for as long as our money holds out (not long).

I’m also charged with the job of being the wedding photographer on the day, and helping to coordinate the reception dinner menu (and I’m thinking of taking a marriage celebrants short course in case I need to step in for the priest on the day).

This henceforth is the post for anyone with knowledge of London, Paris, Dublin, and the greater European / British land mass, to share and inform me of the absolutely must go to places, restaurants, markets, pubs, bistros, schlocky tourist spots, and ridiculously overpriced celebrity filled cocktail bars.

Also if anyone on the other side of planet can give me an idea of what is fresh and seasonal in the UK in September, I’d greatly appreciate it.