I Am Finishing

Melbourne, 10.33am

Back in the day, I was in London - final destination! By the time I was leaving Helsinki I was in major pep talk mode whenever I had to deal with my suitcase. "This is it, you're off to your final destination, you just have to get to the airport and then you'll be in London and that's it, nowhere else." Except of course I changed accomodation in London three times, so until I very happily arrived at Jess and Marcus', everytime was not the last time and secretly, I think my suitcase knew it.

While in London, having a fabulous time, I stayed in Kentish Town with Sharon, Rickmansworth with Melinda and Ian and Notting Hill with Jess and Marcus. I really did the right thing by leaving London till last and hanging out with friends at the end of my trip, not doing the hostel chat thing, which I was pretty over. I also got to catch up with Carl, who I met on my Contiki tour, for a few beers in Leceister Square on my last evening. (The Jonas Brothers were also there, I restrained myself from throwing beer at them and using big words to confuse and insult them.)

One of the most exciting events of my trip was meeting Antonia of Whoopee fame, who I adore. I think she's one of my favourite writers and one of the funniest people on the planet, but I was very proud of myself for not hyperventilating or gushing when I met her. I think the stupidest thing I did was get half my lunch stuck in my teeth, which I didn't realize until I got home to Melbourne and saw the photo of the two of us outside Buckingham Palace enlarged on my computer screen. I'm so cool.

Another great part about London was the discovery that I had bucketloads of cash left and could essentially spend as much as I wanted on EVERYTHING while I was there. So I did. I shopped HARD right before I left, threw out half the clothes, shoes and a handbag that I'd taken with me. I also discovered the love of my life (for this month), a black Kenneth Cole handbag. I refuse to put it on the floor anywhere and you must have spotlessly clean hands to touch it. We will be besties for the next ten years, to justify the cost, but it's totally worth it! I don't think London would be fun, as a tourist or a resident, without plenty of money though. Everyone there was incredibly stressed about money and nobody was making enough and they were either unemployed or worried about being made redundant.

I didn't go as hard in London at all the touristy hotspots as I did in lots of other cities, I had nine days and I wanted to have fun and not try and tick everything off in my guide book. Despite that, I still managed to see and do plenty. I did the London Eye, the Victoria and Albert Museum, the National Portrait Gallery, the Tower of London, Camden Market, Trafalgar Square, Covent Garden, Madame Tussaud's, Westminster Abbey, the Tate Modern, outside St Paul's, Big Ben, Buckingham Palace, plus lots of parks and gardens like St James' Park, Green Park, Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens. I spent a very long and happy Saturday at Portobello Market with Melinda and Sharon, followed by a lazy Sunday afternoon in beautiful Windsor with Ian and Melinda. Jess and I went and saw "The Lion King", which was wonderful. I ate lunches and dinners at more pubs than I can remember, I had scones with jam and cream at the Crooked House of Windsor and Toad in the Hole at the Coy Carp. I ate banoffee pie at Trafalgar Square and breakfast at Pret almost every morning. I finally had pad thai (four months sans Thai take away was killing me) at an Irish pub in Kensington and a gorgeous Chelsea Bun from Covent Garden. I hunted down and visited a Nigella Lawson recommended baking supplies shop to buy two cookie cutters.

Basically, I had a ball!

And then, sadly, it was time to come home. I have to admit, I was kind of ready to leave Europe. Although I also believe that's a mental thing. I knew I was going for four months, so that's what I was mentally prepared for, if it had been two weeks or two years it would've been fine with me! Despite thinking that I was running out of "wow's", right up until the end, I was impressed and delighted and excited by everything. The only regret I have is that I didn't leave the time and money to go back to my favourite place, Barcelona, for another couple of days. Not to worry, I'll be going straight there next time, not passing go or collecting $200!

My flights home were fine, the timing everywhere was all wrong for my body clock, but my favourite part was my ghetto upgrade (as it's known in the travel business) on my final flight from Hong Kong to Melbourne, when I got four seats in the centre of the plane all to myself. I wolfed down the meal as soon as they brought it, whacked on the eye mask and conked out for several hours. That doesn't mean I wasn't totally antsy to get out by the time we arrived in Melbourne, but at least I wasn't exhausted and deranged as well as over it and smelly. After an hour of queueing for EVERYTHING at Melbourne Airport, I was out, ginned up, my luggage was taken by the family and two hours later I was finally in my own bed and happily passed out. Four months of random beds certainly gave me a new appreciation for my own bed!

Now, two weeks later, it's all completely normal and it feels like I didn't go anywhere. Or if I did, then it was only for two weeks, not four months. I just have to keep looking at my photos (half of which are still on their way from Prague with the child porn and home made bomb) and emailing my new travel friends so it doesn't feel quite so much like a dream. I plan to post one more blog, which will be all my top fives or tens of my favourites and least favourites. Just in case anyone wants to know where the best laundry was. Because let's face it, that's important! So I will return shortly with the Grand Finale of my Continental adventure!