People always seem to be yammering on about how small Europe is: Belgium can fit inside Tasmania eight times etc. I'm not sure how I feel about these claims because burned in my brain is a 16 hour train trip in the economy seats of a Swedish regional train. Hmmn.

I guess I'm willing to concede that England is very compact though, since I managed to zig-zag across the bottom third in one day and make it home in time for dinner.

First we went to Windsor Castle. There it rained, and because I have a Murphy's Law conviction about the probability of rain being linked to the likelihood of my carrying an umbrella, I had to think quick and buy a Windsor Castle gift-shop umbrella.

It has very shiny gold logos on it and I am embarrassed every time I use it. But fortunately it, like England, is very compact so I think I will stick with it and hope it fades..

The weather was truly English, and so the pictures are all bleak and washed out. And I didn't take any inside because I wasn't sure where the parts you weren't allowed to use cameras began, and I didn't want to get busted by someone with a gun. Just believe me when I say it's super majestic.

It wasn't all doom and gloom though, because there were boys in uniform all over the place. Sigh.


Stonehenge, our next stop, was extremely moodly because of the rain and mist. Not so much because of the motorway running off into the distance..but mist..very mystical. *boom tish*


The Jane Austen moment that I alluded to earlier occurred on this day, because our final stop was Bath. I even went to the Jane Austen Centre and took a picture of a man dressed like Mr Bennet, but I didn't go in because it was packed to the rafters with asian tourists. Quite strange I thought, but judging by the speed with which the Mr Darcy merchandise was leaving the shop, I guess he has a universal appeal. Jane Austen too, obviously. Ahem.

Here is the actual bath. We were warned not to go in the water. What was good for the Romans apparently not so good now... I guess that explains the colour.


The seagulls keep watch. I think I have a thing for birds.


And after all the rain and mist, it cleared as we drove up the hill, and out across the Severn Valley was Wales.


So ok. I guess I'll concede that the United Kindgom in general is fairly compact.