07 August 2007

Trip Blog. Day Twenty.

Actually, I have had the interwebs -in my room- but I have not really felt blogworthy the last few days. Nonetheless, here is an update:

When I got to London, late at night, there were a billion people in the bar below the hostel. However, they all pointed me to the lady that runs the place and she was very kind. Had it not been so far from the DLR station, I would have liked it better than The Bird's Nest, I think. Well, except the Bird's Nest had better showers. Hmm.

At any rate, the next day I got up and wandered around London. It was sunny and nice. The day after that (Monday? Sunday? Sunday.) I checked out and went to Victoria station to catch the train to here, which is Canterbury. I got slightly lost once I got here, which was not helped by the fact that I could not remember the name of the street on which the hostel resides. I found an Esso station and bought a map. Oh, right. Nunnery Fields.

On this journey, I discovered the existence of Saint Mildred's Street. I took a photo of it. There is also an Ivy Lane here, but I have not found a street sign for it, so I just have someone's address plaque.

Anyway, I found the hostel, which it turns up is owned by the same people who own the Antigallican Hotel in Greenwich. The chick who checked me in was really sweet and all, and I liked being here almost immediately. I took a rest for a bit and then enquired after the location of a grocery, since there is actually a functioning kitchen here.

Later, when I talked to Amber, I realised that a great deal of my previous discontent was the lack of food in my general vicinity, and that being in a hostel with a kitchen has made a large difference in my life. I managed to find avocados and have therefore been eating turkey, avocado and tomato sandwiches for the last few days.

Yesterday, I went walkabout in Canterbury and saw the ruins of Saint Augustine's Abbey (nerdy historical note: this is not Augustine of Hippo, who is the purveyor of original sin, souls, Heaven, a fallen world, and sundry other theological ideas which the fundies now shove down our throats as Biblical fact. Not that I necessarily disagree with all of those ideas. I do think we, and everything else that's alive, have souls and I am also inclined to believe that there is some further dimension to which our souls travel once they are no longer corporeal. Heaven is a good name for it, but it could also be Kings Cross Station. I think it depends on what your Heaven would be. I think mine would be playing softball with my grandmother for eternity (well, and a bunch of other people, because two people playing softball still wouldn't work). At any rate, Augustine of Hippo lived in the century before this Augustine, who was the first Archbishop of Canterbury, and is responsible for reintroducing Christianity to the Britons).

Those were very long parentheses, and therefore that is a one-sentence paragraph.

Right, then.

Anyway, after the Abbey, I sort of halfheartedly went shopping (I have recently discovered how tired I am of wearing t-shirts all the time), but then rediscovered why I hate shopping. I did get some lotion and masque, though, because one does get tired of being crusty.

Today I was going to go to Dover and lay around on the beach, but the guy who vacuums the rooms says that there is not a beach at Dover because it's a port and that I should go to Sandwich. So I may well do that. First, I think I am going to have a quick shower and make myself some lunch.

Today is Tuesday, so I am here for two more nights; Thursday at midday I am going to Bath, staying there overnight and then headed to Cardiff (which reminds me that I need to e-mail the Cardiff people again) until the thirteenth. Then I am back at the Bird's Nest for one night, and then the next day I am going down to Gatwick to stay at an actual hotel overnight because I have to be at Gatwick at about half past seven to make sure I don't miss my flight.

The End, for now.

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