The one in Which I Pretended I am Up-to-Date

Friday 25 June - Hampton Court: on of King Henry VIII's ol' hangouts. Not a single ghost.

Saturday 26 June - Camden Market. It's a really indie market scene. You are expected to haggle which is weird for me, but I figure that whatever I buy I have to carry - which puts me off spending money. That said I did com away with a snazzy jacket and a new hat for not vry much at all.

Took a train out to Highgate to check out an old cmetery but were distracted by beer and card games. By the time we arrived at the cemetery the gates were shut. That was cool 'cause we didn't want to pay 3 pounds to enter anyway. Instead, we killed an hour, then jumped the fence. See Facebook for the photo of Marx's grave. Saw a squirrel and a fox too.

Sunday 27 - Left London. Took the train to Folkestone, which is near Dover. Picked up by Bea and Mike Auger - friends of Mum who gave us somewhere to stay. They live in Temeraire Heights (EMILY!!) which overlooks the channel. In early morning and evening you can see France. Bea and Mike were very kind and their house was amazing. So nice!

Monday 28 - Day trip to Canterbury - around 30 degrees (86 F). It's an ancient Roman town, and the museum has the foundations of a roman villa, complete with mosaic floor! Liz I thought of you as the only person that I know who might care.

Tuesday 29 - Paul and I left the comfort of Bea and Mike's for Hastings. It seemed like a good idea at the time. It is a chav town with nothing to do, as shown by the high numbers of teenage mothers.

Thursday - I had the worst day. I'm feeling it both mentally and physically. My neck aches and burns. Keeping my temper though.

We did get to go out to Battle on Wednesday, where William the Conqueror defeated Harold Godwinson for the English Crown. There's a brilliant audio guide tour that takes you around the battlefield itself. Found a postcard that listed the top four English tourist attractions - Stonehenge, the Tower of London, Westminster Abbey and an ATM. Very accurate. Bloody expensive being a tourist in England.

Dinner with Aunty Sue and Uncle Harry, and their son and daughter-in-law. Hadn't seen them since 1992.

Today (i.e. Thursday) we tried to escape Hastings. Our directions to a car hire place failed us and we ended up in Rye. It was hot and we were frustrated. We finally caught a train to Brighton, after wasted time and money, in the hopes of finding a car there. No dice. We walked all over town with our heavy packs. I hurt so much.

On a train to Salisbury in the hopes of better fare. Passed through Worthing and Goring-on-Sea for those who care.

Brooklyn Rage!