Okay rain, I had enough of you! (Long post)

Okay rain, I had enough of you! 

A nice Saturday, I visited my Dad in the early afternoon. I was kinda excited to see and visit him, I walked from my house to the trainstation, I did not want my cycle to be stolen. Cycles and trainstations are not that a good combination, usually cycles are getting stolen or the get broken. So yeah, I walked. When I got there I saw another woman looking for a bike, she told me, 'My bike is stolen.' I said to her, 'take a better look cause I too thought my bike has been stolen many times.' There are so many bikes here at this station, it's just crazy. The woman looked further, and I went further into the trainstation thinking, 'thank god I left my bike at home.'

When I arrived in Nijverdal (Dad's village) I had to walk for another thirty minutes, but I felt good, almost no hip pain, I think those 'supports' in my shoes are doing me good. I bought something for my Dad, I bought three plants on the market plus three pots in a shop, for a very good price aswell. Dad was sleeping when I entered his room, I snapped a few times my fingers but... nothing, lol. I took of my wet winterjacket, (it rained pretty much, damn!) Dad woke up and I putted the plants in the pots and putted them on a nice place, Dad liked it. He has a new chair, a electric chair, just that he doesn't need his strenght to get up. It's so much easier for him, although I saw he has to get used to it though, he was struggling a bit with the remote.

Dad was okay, I didn't see anything akward or weird on him. According to my Aunt he's looking so old and his health is going back strongly day by day, well, I know my Dad, I know how he feels just when I have a look at him. When he's not alright or something's wrong with him, I will surely notice it. He looked fine, and he looked decent and nice in his clothing, nothing to matter. I didn't stay long, I needed still groceries aswell. I stayed for 45 minutes, then I left. 'I will come back next week,' I told my Dad. 'That's okay, take your time,' my Dad replied. I left a note with the plants I bought, 'Sjon came by Saturday and bought these plants.' Just a bit of a sarcastic saying. It's riduculous that the crew here writes down who visits my Dad, and how many times.

Day 4 London. 

There's a weird noise every night waking me up in my room, above the door is a small air handler, yeah, I think that's what it calls, it arranges the electricity in my room. Now the noise sounds like there's a huge musquito in the handler, and the noise only comes at night for a few hours. This is the 4th night I heared the noise and tonight I decided to do something about, though I tried it already for a few nights to see if I could stop that noise, but without succes. It's such a annoying sound. I putted some clothes on and went downstairs to the reception, funny thing happened when I opened mt door the noise was suddenly gone. I thought, "Dammit, now I can't let them hear my problem." I closed my door again and waited for that weird nosise, and it came. I thought of what to do, sleep with my door open or go downstairs to the reception? I went downstairs, there's no way I'm gonna sleep with the door open. Ofcource I expected not many people at the reception cause it was in the middle of the night. (2:40 am) When I got at the reception I saw a few pakistani people working, some were cleaning and some were walking around. I explained one them my problem, and ofcource he didn't understand it, he called his Boss to see if he could get any wiser. 

Again I explained my story and slowly he understood what my problem was, "It's prolly the van in the bathroom,' "No it's not!" I thought, cause I tried the van so many times. The Boss asked me my room number and told me that someone will come to your room soon, "No!" I thought I want that someone comes with me now, I'm not gonna wait. Another staff member came, and he asked another one to come with me, "It's prolly the van,' he said, he told the other one to shut it off. Sigh! Ofcource the noise was gone when we arrived in my room, I explained him where the noise came from, I even made the noise, or atleast tried, lol! The guy went several times to the bathroom to check the van, but that wasn't it, (Told ya!) He pushed a few buttons what I also did the last few days, but he couldn't find the problem. I asked him if it couldn't be the heater, cause I switch it of when I go to bed, "That's not it," he said. We both couldn't find the solution, cause the noise wasn't there, lol! If the noise comes back you can call me anytime," the Pakistani said. "Okay,' I said. But I won't, cause the noise will be gone again when I will call him again, and I don't feel much for walking the whole night up and down. 

Chilling with BBC 1 on the channel before my breakfast.

The noise was gone and I hoped it didn't return, it's a pretty loud noise aswell. I won't be going downstairs again, it's only for one night more, I will live, lol. The noise didn't return and I slept a few hours more, perfect! The days are flying by, it's day 4 already. This morning all the passengers will gather around again at 9:oo am, first I needed a breakfast, I never skip one. This time I didn't had that much cause I wasn't feeling so well, I felt a bit pale and my stomach hurted. Ha! First I was worried about the not free lunches and dinners while being in London, now I'm actually a bit worried I ated to much. Oh yeah, because I didn't had a clock in my room, I asked the reception last night before I went to bed for a 'wake up call', that was alright. I was a tiny bit worried that I wouldn't wake up on time for our next travel. I was on time awake though and I waited for someone to knock on my door, (wake up call) but nothing happend. 8:00 am was the time I had to had a wake up call, it was 8:o5 am when I walked out of my room. I wasn't even five seconds on my way when I heard the phone in my room, (not my cellphone) I rushed back to my room and picked up the phone, it was the wake up call! Lol, a friendly recorded voice told me that this is a wake up call.

Today was a cold day, it was 6 degrees, yesterday it was 12 degrees, yes a huge difference! The sun was out though and a clear blue sky, nice! Perfect weather to make pictures, Sjonshine! Today the plan was to go to Hampton court, again I didn't know what to expect, okay a court but, what actually is it? The bus arrived on a nice early time, the drive wasn't that far. The weather was perfect to look out of the bus windows, we drove trough a few villages wich was nice to see. There weren't so many passengers though, cause some of them didn't pay for this attraction, they will be going elsewhere or have a time for them selves. We were with 80 people, so the bus wasn't full. Hampton court looked like a huge castle, just a bit like Winsor Castle but this court was way bigger and wider. This castle had so much more itmes then Windsor Castle, lots of gardens, lots of rooms, there were many, ways to walk, and many ways to go inside. It looked like a maze, and there was so much to see, there was even a little chappel inside Hampton Court. When I walked in a guide stormed towards me and made gestures to take my hat off, oops, ofcource, I excused towards him and said, 'Sorry.'

Hapmton Court entrance.

You really have to see it to experience it, it's so nice here. I took more pictures then usual, I figured it's the last day that I will visit these atractions, tomorrow we will be gone heading home. All the passengers were going there own way like usual, sometimes I bumped into them and then we stopped for a quick talk. Hampton Court gives you the feeling like your actually living in the time when there were knights, kings and queens, yeah, I can't really describe it, you have to see it. There were options to go inside aswell, lots of rooms and lots of hallways, all antique, there was so much to see. I had a small lunch there aswell, and I posted a postcard. The postcard was for Humanitas, I putted a nice text on the card. I would like to thank them again for what they all did for me, I can almost say that without them I wouldn't be even thinking to make this trip to London a month ago. First I had doubts to post the card at Hampton Court, I saw the mailbox and I thought, "For the same reason this red huge designed mailbox could be from King Henry the fifth, and maybe it's  not even a real mailbox." But a guide told me that it was alright to post the card, relieved I posted the card, it was aswell the last day that I could post it.


After 12:30 everyone was satisfied and walked a few miles to a little trainstation in Hampton, the bus picked us up from there and we continued further our day trip. I was relieved about the pictures I took, and the pictures I took from the last 4 days, scary thought if I would all loose them, I didn't even wanna think about it. But I sometimes did, lol. The bus headed to Greenwich, Greenwich is a little area just outside London. We will stop there for an hour to have a short look, after that we will hop on a boat at Greenwich Harbor, wow, does it ever stop? While driving towards Greenwich we noticed that this area from London is very downtown, poor houses, junk on the street, louzy people, it was quit interesting to see. But stopping here for a small visit, no thank you! At Greenwich we stopped the bus and we had a hour free off, I took a look in my wallet and figured that if this is my last day then I should perhaps get some souvenirs, I thought of a little clock for 'time' in my hotel room, and perhaps something more, something small. I didn't like Greenwich that much though, I couldn't even find a decent clock, they were expensive or to kitchy. I couldn't make a choice. 

Sir Walter Raleigh on the south riverside bank near the Royal Navel college.

I found a nice shop and bought myself a 'London' sweather and a piggy bank, lol. Actually it wasn't a piggy but a red London phone booth, nice. After that I headed slowly back to the bus, there were a few more passengers waiting plus our busdriver. I felt a bit better, my stomach cleared a tiny bit up. I can perhaps blame the different food I daily eat, I haven't had a potato in four days, lol. But the good thing is that I didn't had much snacks, it was most of all healty food, but just different then I normally consume. It was time for the boat trip, we will sail across the Thames, and will stop near the London Eye, there's where the bus stands too to pick us up again. A strong cold wind came up while we headed to the boat, it went colder and colder. Once we were on the boat I went inside first to warm up, darn what a cold wind! After 15 minutes I went on deck to take some nice pictures, with succes. I went from outside to inside again, and went again outside. It was way to cold to be outside, but the vieuw was so damn nice, we passed the Tower Bridge and the London Eye. I realized I'm having a great time, who would have thought this, that I would be here in London at this time. I'm still excited, but then again four days in London is enough for me. 

I have seen it now, I saw the Big Ben a million times and the London Eye a million times. I had a awesome time but such journeys is also asking alot of energy aswell. I took some last pictures from the Tower Bridge, the Big Ben, and the nice afternoon sunset, it was cold but so much worth it. At 5:30 pm the boat arrived and we had two hours free of in the centre of London, at 7:30 pm the bus will take off again to our hotel. This will be our last visit in London, sniff! I found a little Italian restaurant and ordered myself spaghetti bolognese, it seemed the only meal I knew on the menucard, lol. The spaghetti bolognese was just above the 10 Pounds, I thought it's my last meal so let's have a ball, lol. I had to get rid of my last Pounds aswell. After the spagheti I went further into the centre of London, just to have a last look around. I still had 90 minutes, I have seen so many things the last four days. I felt better, just a bit tired but that wasn't that weird after these full days, right? I even got lost a few times, lol. I wanted to stay near the Big Ben, so I wont get lost, but I did, lol. It's so easy though to get lost in London, you hop in a store from the left side of the road and when you get out of the store, you want to go to the left side again but you turn right, knowing that your going left again.

A nice look at the afternoon sunset from the boat.

I visited a few stores, saw Trafel Square, I walked the Prinses Diana Memorial lane, yeah I saw the street name and I thought let's see what there is to see there. But I didn't see something akward or perhaps a statue or something else, I ended up at the Big Ben and walked towards the Thames and towards the bus. It was 6:30 pm, a hour to early. I waited and other passengers were comming too. I could see that the passengers were tired too from the last 4 days. I spoke with some of the passengers who I didn't talk to yet, it was nice, but we all wanted that the busdriver showed up and bring us to our warm hotel. It's so easy now to talk with these people, aproaching them for a talk is a piece of cake, that gives a nice feeling, I'm sure I'm gonna take more of those excursion trips. The busdriver was late, but okay he showed up and we headed to the hotel. I knew already that I will come cold in bed again, I dislike that, warming up while I'm already cold is not that easy for me. I asked the reception for another blanket, I had already four blankets on my bed, lol. now these blankets are thin, super thin. You can't actually call them blankets, perhaps a coverlet.
Early up tomorrow, 6:30 am, I asked again for a wake up call, just to be sure I wont sleep while the other passengers are already gone, lol. Goodnight!