일요일, 9월 26, 2004
greetings from the land of the beefeater and the queen.

yes, after a mind-boggling sixteen hours, i've reached the place where my journey ends/begins -- durham.

the train was delayed due to them doing something to the train tracks, so i had to take a bus to another train station and take the train from there, wrestle my bags up and down the train, buy a ticket amongst the other passengers who wanted to buy tickets too, have strange people ask me whether this was the bus to manchester piccadilly, and get bluffed by the guy at the airport saying that the bus was arriving at nine but actually it arrived at half eight just at the moment when i decided that it would be a good time to run and buy a muffin from around the corner.

and all this at something like seven in the morning.

anyhow, all that was forgotten when the train went round a bend and a splendid view of the cathedral was to be held, absolutely beautiful in the morning sun. as faz once said, i think the feeling is pure, unadulterated pride.

the weather is autumnal. very lovely. despite the quietness of the streets, i remember what it is that made me fall in love with this place. even though my room is still half filled with boxes and the strains of extreme northern slang assault my unlearned ears, i remember.

and now i'm hungry. for some reason i couldn't really bring myself to eat the stuff that i got on the plane save for the yogurt and things that came in sealed packages. oh, and the noodles were good too, but the chicken tasted like mystery meat. oh well, c'est la vie.

am off to explore town in a bit and see what the shops have to offer. (no starbucks! poo.) strange how time seems to plod along at its own pace here. :)

still, to everyone back home, i miss you lot already. your smiles and laughter are in my memory, and i'll see you all before you know it.