Wednesday 14 April - Colchester again

Spent a great 2 and half days in London again picking up the Hop-on Hop-off, but felt a little off colour on day 2 with a bit of a stuffed sinus cold and vaguely unconfortable throat - and tired as I'd had a rotten night's sleep. At least with the tour bus you can just stay on it and get carted around.

So much I'd love to see and do, too much really - so I'll probably end up doing little of it as I won't be able to decide, just let things happen as they will.

Lunch at Leicester Square was great though - with the lunchtime chorus of chanting football supporters over the other side of the square. London is probably the most vibrant city I've travelled in. There's almost a tangible feeling of excitement, energy and purpose that I haven't noticed anywhere else, anywhere I've previously travelled. Whether that's in the US, Asia, the middle east, or in Aus.

I'll add pics to this post when I get the chance to hook in on a faster connection that where I currently am.

Was intending to go to the Natural History museum, but as the bus went past there was a queue a mile long (probably literally), so I opted to wander into the Victoria and Albert museum just down the road. Wonderful exhibition there of Europe 300 to Medieaeval. Top class exhibition of some absolutely beautiful and detailed pieces - 3 large rooms of it, all excellently curated. Again, pics when I can. Was too tired to explore any more of the museum though so just headed back on the bus as there was about another 2 hours left of the tour anyway. Have managed to get fairly well oriented and I'm pretty sure I'll be back again to check more out. No way anyone could see all there is in anything under 2 weeks, and even then I think you'd have to compromise.

Next day I ended up at the Hard Rock cafe for lunch. Been to each one in each city I've visited that has one, and as London is the original one - the first of them, it just had to be done - buy the pin, get a t-shirt that I'm hoping Zeb likes. Original guitars from so many around the walls of the cafe - The Who, Jimi Hendrix, Stones etc etc. In the vaults are the original papers setting up the Beatles as a company and the signed share certificates of the 4 of them. Pics later.

Later that day I headed back up on the train to Colchester and have spent another couple of days with my Aunt and Uncle - who are delightful people.

We went to a wonderful Medieaval town called Lavenham yesterday. The buildings are so old they're all leaning on each other or out over the streets. This area is where the tribes who joined with Boudica to route the Romans out of Colchester came from, so the histories I've been reading about are all coming together for me.

It's hard to imagine living in such close proximity to places that are 800 years old and more - and still lived in - still changing hands.

Heading back to London hopefully tomorrow to stay with a friend before heading over to the continent and Paris.