Finally...

Well, finally here I am sitting outside at the YHA in Nimes over two weeks since I wrote anything - and it's hard to imagine how much has happened - and also how little has happened! Lol!

It's pretty late so I'm not going to write too much here - and it'll take me a while to remember everything that has happened.

I also have dozens and dozens of photos which I guess I should at some stage sort and post.

But very quickly:

HK to London - HK was amazing. The trip to London was a trip to London - all very weird on the plane as they make you sleep; when it's daylight and you don't really want to sleep - odd!!

London - into London (Sarah my sister picked me up - yah) and hanging out there. Very cool as within a couple of hours arriving (on the Tuesday) I was outside my nephew Daniel's school picking him up! Very cool. Andrew was a bit slow to warm up - who is this strange man he is thinking - but after Daniel saw me, Andrew kind've realised that I was ok - and now we get on a like a house on fire.

In London some highlights were - my nephews - easy-peasy. Went bike shopping with them, dinners, hanging out, the aquarium (really good in London - go) and just generally being Uncle Mike. Priscilla - yes, saw the stage show - and Jason Donovan. What an amazing show - just absolutely stunning!! :) Buckingham Palace with Michael, Sue, Liz and Sharon - wow tour. The inside is really really impressive!!

In London some not highlights were getting a cold - which I still have the vestigives of over a week later - and spending a whole day in bed with a cold and throwing up (food poisoning I think) - and it was apparently the last of the perfect summer days - bummer!

London, especially the nephews, was very cool (and not literally - was quite warm really - touch wood but so far I've not had a single day with rain!).

After London it was Glasgow - catching the whisper jet (that's what they used to called) from London City Airport - sweet - and up to Glasgow.

Fantastic to see Helen again, meet her son (Aidan - he's got the sweetest little accent), Nicole (daughter), Mark (husband), Helen's parents, Helen's brother (Jules) and his wife (Kirsty) and their kids. She took them out of school for a day and we all hung out together - went to the Glasgow Museum - it was really impressive; a beautiful old building. And Glasgow, I reckon, is a beautiful city - although I didn't (and by all accounts won't) get to see Drumchappe!!

Also had a stunning lunch with Helen and Mark in Glasg0w (in a little village outside Glasgow) - yummy and the best coffee ever in the UK - courtesy of the Australian who made it! :)

Then in a plane (huge huge security queues - bar, touch wood, London City, security at UK airports is major suckee!) down to Gatwick, pissing about there trying to find the train (it's not very well laid out - where the ticket office is etc), then on the train and down to Portsmouth. Picked up by Sharon's son James, out to dinner that night (fantastic chinese meal!), the next day was over to the Isle of Wight (wow - a tip for the wise - garlic ice cream is really horrible!), then the Saturday to Liz's pub (I forget the name right now - duh) for fish and chips - Andrea (rather jet lagged!!) was there by that stage - yah - and then the party that night - yah! Not sure wha the poms thought of the hongi!).

Next day (Sunday) was a 5 pound bus trip to London - free wifi but I kind've slept - and felt gross. Caught up with Deb, thought I had a tooth absess, found Ji, went donkey riding with the nephews - well, they rode the donkey - most very very cool.

Then out to Gatwick - waited an hour for the bloody bus to the hotel.

Next morning up - the most horrific queue for Easyjet to check in - just horrible!). Finally checked in (I'm talking 1 1/2 hours!), then security, then plane, then Montpellier.

:)

France!

It was sunny and warm.

And the hotels were all full. I found out later because of a bee conference. Go figure.

Finally found somewhere (it's kind've stressful when you don't have somewhere to sleep) and then off exploring Montpellier - what a nice city! Did the walking tour, dinner, sleep (until after 10am!), breakfast, the cathedral, the old town, the Odyseum (odd but cool), a moroccan meal - yum - and then more sleep - well, broken sleep.

Then up this morning, more breakfast, a train to Nimes (god, the french train system - nice trains but trying to get a ticket - what a hassle - icky!).

Then, Nimes, picked up the car (Lol - I'm not driving, Ji is as she's from Germany); we have a sat nav system - very cool.

Then to the Tour Magna - very very cool, it's been much hotter here today - yah! Into the town, a bit of looking around and shopping, some food for dinner and then back to the YHA.

Which is where I am now, waiting for my laundry to dry - hehe

I'll have to fill in more details in due course - but how all very cool!