I made it to Stratford-upon-Avon! Via Birmingham, which I'll allow. It's a very cutesy place, with an array of rather darling shops. My first stop was the Peter Rabbit store in which I bought a Tom Kitten card for my brother. As tempted as I was to buy a Jemima Puddleduck cushion or wall clock, neither would fit in my backpack, which is all that I have with me until the end of the week. I then went to Shakespeare's birthplace, a little cottage masquerading a...

I have just received confirmation that I am, to some unknown degree, mentally retarded. I woke up nice and early and got my things packed, breakfast in my belly and suitcase in storage well on time. I left the hotel at a reasonable hour, thirty minutes earlier than necessary, in fact, and headed off to the Russell Square underground, from where I got to Piccadilly Circus without any trouble at all, until getting on the wrong Bakerloo line and ending up in Water...

Day two in sunny London saw me losing my Oxford St-ginity. My purchases have left me rather happy, with my touristy Union Jack singlet and floral leggings and what not. Then somehow, I had the inspired idea of just wandering off, I was walking down a main street when I saw a great looming mass in the distance that looked pretentious enough to be a landmark. I ventured from the city and Soho down through Green and St James's Park to Buckingham Palace, the Royal M...

After 22 hours on a plane and 30 hours without a shower, I'm finally in London! I've made a new friend already :) his name's Ollie and he's from WA too, he's going on his own Contiki tomorrow but it was good to have someone to navigate Heathrow with. The first thing I did upon arrival in my room was draw a hot bath and fix myself a cup of tea. I'm feeling much better than I was an hour ago and still have two and a half hours of daylight left, let's go off explor...