Broad itinerary

An early alarm will start me heading off on the first leg of my UK visit tomorrow. I’ll be on board Qantas flight QF 35 departing Melbourne at 11.55 am and arriving Singapore 17.55 pm.
The last weather report I checked for Singapore put the daily temperature at around 30 degrees and rain. Given that I’m currently wearing a jumper and have the heater on low this will be quite an adjustment.

I’m staying in Singapore overnight, departing - all being well - at 11.55 pm on the following evening. My big plan for Singapore involves a visit to the amazing Botanical Gardens, and just a general wander around. Hopefully this will tire me out enough to sleep on the plane, though I imagine I will be somewhat bug eyed at 6.55 am the following day when I arrive at Heathrow.

Once I’m clear of the airport I’m catching a train to Edinburgh for a few days, before wandering around various parts of England and Wales for around six weeks. In my time there I will be catching up with close and extended family, meeting a number of my on-line mates, soaking up art, history, culture and the countryside, attending a dance production at Sadlers Wells in London, a number of exhibitions including a Frida Kahlo costume event, as well as a taxidermy workshop and the Oxenmoot in Oxford.

I’ll be walking a number of labyrinths, gawping at various bits of architecture and laying flowers on the graves of a handful of long dead ancestors and literary inspirations JRR Tolkien and T.S.Eliot. I will be spending about two thirds of my time on public transport, and driving the rest including a stint through the Brecon Beacons. I’m mostly staying at Airbnb’s and have attempted to locate interesting hosts in equally engaging places including  the Lake District, Todmorden, the Cotswolds, the Wye Valley, Glastonbury and Cambridge. My hosts include a beekeeper, farmers, a woman in the film industry, fellow artists and bloggers and another who is a guerilla gardener.

Late October will see me heading to Amsterdam to look at some of my favourite 16th century Dutch still lives, Rembrandt and Vermeer, as well as, (naturally), the works of van Gogh. I also plan to meet with fellow blogger, Marie. Sadly I won’t have much time before I fly to Barcelona, spend some time with Lixie, then head south to visit the Alhambra, before flying out to Dubia via Madrid and then home to Australia where I imagine a damn good rest will be in order.

I aim to post at least once a week but this may vary depending on time and circumstance.

A big shout out to my lovely family and dear friends who are caring for the fur kids in my absence (as well as my house, car and garden).
J