Saturday 27 March - London

I spend yesterday exploring Colchester and in particular the Norman keep there - a completely absorbing day, regardless of the rain. 

This trip was always intended as a means for me to find out more about my past and my heritage, and staying with my aunt and uncle has provided that in spades. I've learned so much about my family history including a lot of stuff from when I was little and living in England - it's surprising how much of my memory is reasonably accurate. I've also discovered there's a large portion of relatives living in Melbourne, and who are still in close contact with Av and Ken, so I'll try to contact them when I get home.

Exploring the history presented in the Keep and wandering or bussing around the streets seems to be adding an extra depth to me - filling in some of the holes I've always felt existed in me.

We decided that I'd leave half of my gear with Av and Ken and take a smaller bag for the next couple of weeks I intend wandering around the UK. I've also contacted my friend Sue who lives in London and I haven't seen since she left Perth for a new and exciting job back in the late 1990s. I'll stay with her and her hubby for a few days while I explore London more fully before heading to the continent some time mid April.

Must contact the other rellies too and get to see them.

Traveled down from Colchester to London this morning in readiness for the train trip up to meet my OL friend, Dora, in the Yorkshire area tomorrow.

Checked into a nice little hotel (love all these tiny hotels) just up from the Kings Cross/St Pancras station. The room wasn't available when I arrived as I was early, so found one of the Hop-on-Hop-off bus tours and toodled around London for a couple of hours. I'm actually getting fairly comfortable with using the underground now - it's all so well signposted and people are happy to help if I ask.

This is really London - the bits you hear about, read about and generally absorb. Must take many more pictures though. Ended up at the Thames under Big Ben and on a river trip down to Tower Bridge, then spend a delightful several hours wandering around the Tower of London. It's nothing like I'd expected as I don't think I'd even ever seen pictures of it, just the bits you get in movies/tv etc - talk about being ignorant of places that are ubiquitous in the media and literature of my time.

The Tower of London - completely not what I'd imagined.

I'll have to think about it a bit before I can really add my impressions here, but on the surface one thing I can say is that I seem to be looking at a lot of 13th to 17th century (and earlier - in terms of Colchester) and seeing solidity, construction meant for the centuries, harmony of design, functionality and use of small spaces. Mind you the huge fireplace on display in the Colchester keep was wonderful. It's surprising that the royal residences in the Tower precinct were so compact - none of the grandeur of later eras.

Will try to pick up another tour route in the morning for a couple of hours before heading to the train to leave at mid-day and a meeting with another of my real virtual friends.

Oh yes - I've been getting some work done on the Phaedran Chronicles too - must upload the one I've completed. The next one is almost done and will probably get that up in the next few days.