This is the third time I have attempted to enter this blog entry and each attempt has gotten progressively shorter. Bottom line is that I am here, I have arived, I am now officially on my holiday and have gone halfway around the globe and am loving it!

Flight was fine, good people, alright movies and a few hours sleep, everything since has been excellent. Sal is a dab hand at jet-lag management and has me feeling normal again already, having treated me with a combination of great walks along the Downs or in the woods or along the High Street and hot bacon sarnies and other great food. Went to a farm shop today and bought, amongst other things, this great Welsh cheese called y finni which is full of mustard seeds and very peppery.

Also today went to Hampden Court, which is one of the castles that Henry VIII appropriated during his reign. Beautiful, and my first English castle. My favourite part was the wild meadow (pictured), I just love the idea that castle grounds can deliberately have an area set aside for things like daffodils and hyacinths to grow wild.

Has been great getting to spend some time with the family and getting a sense of where they live and what it is like here. Surrey really is beautiful, I can see how so much classic literature could come out of a place like this.