New York

You can kind of see why this place has so many songs written about it. Utterly mindblowing. Sensory overload. Cabs honking, hotdogs everywhere, people jaywalking, yelling on their phones. I escaped to Central Park to pay my respects to John Lennon; the blossoms were flowering and petals were being carried in the wind.

Oh.

Your average London antipedean house party last night. Kitchen crammed with empties and shouty conversation; smokers huddled out the back; and lone one found in fetal position of upstairs bedroom (me).

Off for tour of East End now. Voller, Phillie and me getting narky with each other. Fuckem.

Londonium

London starts in an odd way, with banker bloke walking up to me at Terminal 1, bombing me with 'you're beautiful' and then running away; the sun out; people smiling on the tube, all very odd.

Hanging out with the sister and bro in law, drinking cans in the park, etc. Sis tries on some wedding dresses. Posh assistant won't let us take pics even when Aunty Kate tries to out posh her.

London making it hard for me to hate it.

Now time to party.

Days 3, 4, 5 and what are we up to now?

Doing all manner of Irish things: pints, visits to Penneys, Irish coffee, scoffing soda bread, having another pint. Popped down to cork to see John etc for St Patricks day, predictably mental.

I forgot how fierce the sky at twilight is, how smooth and delicious the Guinness is, or the peaty smell of briquettes burning on close gloomy days. I really have to come back here more.

Trip day 2

Dublin is exactly how I left it. Cloudy, cool, Georgian houses and Guinness. Paddy has taken the week off while I am here; four pints last night made me sleep very well. Having some grease now to cut through the steely grey of the morning. I have missed soda bread.

Trip day zero:
Perfect autumn day outside - slept fitfully and woke early, organised stuff in an orderly fashion into shoulder bag, etc. Had last decent coffee for several weeks, and now I am sitting waiting for ride to airport (I have nice friends).

Last few days I have been busy being unemployed, getting warrant of fitness on hair, teeth, and other bits and now, having had flying visit to Chch for our most excellent Granny's 90th, I am off to Dublin this afternoon. It will take me nearly a day and a half to get there as I am a cheap bastard and elected to have two stops on journey as opposed to one; but that's fine - I'm not in any hurry.