Daniel's England Top 10

Hey everyone.

Here's a list of the top 10 things I have gotten up or experienced in England since my last email (in chronological order, not in order of topness):

1. Enduring the London heatwave as it breaks a number of records: Hottest July ever, hottest July day ever, and Hottest temperature recorded in all of Europe. Roads were literally melting, trains are running at limited speed and of course the poms winged a lot.

2. My first West End show! Blue Man Group. It's was good. I had seen ads for it on the Strip in Las Vegas and Broadway in New York but finally saw it in London's West End.

3. On a tropical London weekend (humid, hot and alternating between bright sunny patches and heavy downpours of rain) catching a train with a friend to classical Oxford, to do some sight seeing and visit some of the many, many pubs. As well as a traditional English cream tea (sconnes) while it rained.

4. On the university town theme, a day trip to Cambridge to walk around and check out the collages and punting boats crashing into each other on the river.

5. Watching Danger Mouse on TV like I used to as a kid but now actually knowing many of the places Danger Mouse goes (he lives in a post box on Baker Street, where I pass through every day).

6. Joining my work's Technology & Litigation group softball team and playing softball in one of the world's most famous parks: Hyde Park

7. Catching a train to historical to Hastings (of 1066 fame) on a warm day to lie, and walk on (with great difficulty), the pebbled rather than sandy beach. The pebbles there are really big - they are more like big large rounded rocks than pebbles. Had English-style fish and chips (cod, not flake) at one of the many many fish and chip shops lining the foreshore.

8. A day trip by train to Southend-on-Sea, including a walk and mini-train ride along the "world's longest leisure peer".

9. Witnessing London first hand during a critical terror alert, as terror attempts to blow up planes to the US are foiled, causing havock all around London and its 5 international airports.

10. Going to lots of BBQs and finiding out that the English can't do it as well as us Aussies.

Sorry I have been really slow to reply to emails, I know I still have to write to many of you individually. I have no internet at home (our broadband company decided we don't have internet in our area months after we have been successfuly using it and paying for it!) and I have been flat out at work.

I'm off to the Rhine Valley in Germany for the long weekend this weekend and also visiting Croatia, Slovenia, Italy, Austria in the coming month, so I'll write more when that all happens.