I'm Back in England (Finally)

Zoom Airlines tried to keep me away, but I got here! I flew with Air Canada again, and overall the experience was pretty good. The baggage agent at YVR chastised me for laying my suitcase flat on the conveyor belt commenting "I don't work on my knees". It took a lot of self control not to give her a zippy retort, but I managed to hold my tongue. Ah, the maturity that comes with age.

Our new flat is four levels and has yet to be organized to my satisfaction. I tell, you I'm going to have buns o' steel by the time I'm finished. It never fails that whatever I need, it's on a different floor.

The best feature is the view of the English Channel - just incredible. Last night there was a huge storm and I couldn't sleep... (One would assume I had jet lag, but I really think it was the fact that I had six hour nap in the afternoon.) Anyway, the wind was howling and the waves were churning - it was very exciting. There are views from the kitchen and bathroom, too. I love watching the water change. I find it mesmerizing and calming.

Anyway, that's it for today.

Why do the English drive on the "wrong" side of the road ?

"In days of old, logic dictated that when people passed each other on the road they should be in the best possible position to use their sword to protect themselves. As most people are right handed they therefore keep to their left. This practice was formalized in a Papal Edict by Pope Benefice around 1300AD who told all his pilgrims to keep to the left.

Nothing much changed until 1773 when an increase in horse traffic forced the UK Government to introduce the General Highways Act of 1773 which contained a keep left recommendation. This became a law as part of the Highways Bill in 1835.

Reasons to travel on the right are less clear but the generally accepted version of history is as follows: The French, being Catholics, followed Pope Beneface's edict but in the build up to the French Revolution in 1790 the French Aristocracy drove their carriages at great speed on the left hand side of the road, forcing the peasantry over to the right side for their own safety. Come the Revolution, instincts of self preservation resulted in the remains of the Aristocracy joining the peasants on the right hand side of the road. The first official record of this was a keep right rule introduced in Paris in 1794

France also had quite an empire after the revolutionary wars and the keep right rule spread through much of modern day Europe and to colonies such as Egypt. The connection with the USA is thought to be General Lafayette who recommended a keep right rule as part of the help that he gave the Americans in the build up to the war of Independence. The first reference to keep right in USA law is in a rule covering the Lancaster to Philadelphia turnpike in 1792."


from www.Amphicars.com

Our New Flat!

Our househunt began in earnest last weekend. I looked at about ten properties - the market here is really competitive for rentals, as no one is buying houses at the moment... So, you have to act really fast. I was advised by some people to go to the viewing with the deposit in hand. I felt a little like Goldilocks, too small, too big and then JUST RIGHT! I used a great website called Rightmove which is updated daily. They're really good, actually. Everyone uses agents here - there's very few private rentals. Anyway, I saw this great place and thought it was 4 suites for rent in the same building. Silly Sue - it was four agents trying to rent the same property. I called all four agents and go a hold of Nick - a bit distracted, our Nick, but I was able to look at the place that morning... Oh my!

So, we're justing getting our credit check/reference check done, so it's not 100%, but I'll tell you the details: it's a townhouse. Four floors - tall and skinny - like in Amsterdam. Bottom (basement) is the master bedroom with adjoining shower. Next floor is the second bedroom with a nice big bay window looking over the street with a little room with a toilet and sink. Next floor is bathroom and modern kitchen with dishwasher, washer/dryer and stainless appliances. Upstairs is the living room with big built in shelves and the coup de grace - a little deck with a view of the English Channel from France to the SW tip of England. It's so great!! I thought I was going to pop a piston! Had to get Jay to confirm I'd found the house of our dreams, and he did that very afternoon. It's perfectly located - actually just a couple of blocks from our present flat. Close to everything. Jay can walk to work in about 10 minutes.

I don't have any pics (yet) of the inside, but will post them when I do!

Booth's

This natural history museum is just fantastic. I've read about it a couple of times and it seemed a bit lame, but I have been proved incorrect. I love it! And will be going back... Apparently that have more than 500,000 specimens there. I believe it. It was stuffed (pardon the pun) full of exhibits! Don't you just love the squirrels playing poker? And couldn't help taking a photo of the Canada goose - they poop less and are much quieter in this environment. And, like most museums here, it was free!

The View from Kemp Town Beach on Sunday Night

 

We were invited to a beach barbeque with our friends Ian & Fleur. They are both fantastic and there was a lot of laughs. Especially about the hopeless nature of the "barbeque". Forget propane! This was a bona fide portable/disposable hibatchi like contraption - didn't get all that hot, but we managed!

Brighton Sewer Walk

This morning, bright and early, we met up at Palace Pier to embark on our Brighton sewer walk. It was beautiful this morning - cloudless sky, nice and warm, even at 9:15. Perfect time to go underground into the sewer!

We were outfitted in hard hats and latex gloves. I used this opportunity to show off my fabulous bee wellingtons!

The smell - not as bad as you'd think, but not very nice, either. They warned us about sewer rats, but I didn't see any. Did see other nibblies, though! The jokes - you can imagine what they were like. My favourite was "poovenir".

The tunnels themselves were impressive. Those Victorian engineers really knew what they were doing. The tunnels are made of brick four layers deep. They estimate they used 7 million to build them. The tunnels were designed in an egg shape, which helps propel the water through the tunnels and breaking up large bits of debris (you know what I mean by debris!) We finished the tour by climbing up a ladder and exiting via a manhole by the Royal Pavilion. Great tour!

If you're interested in learning more:

www.southernwater.co.uk/homeAndLeisure/daysOut/brightonSewerTours

Dead Birds

Heather e-mailed me reporting she had found a bird carcass in the apartment this morning. We agreed that it is way better to find the body than to try and save them as they're frantically bashing into windows and such and all the cats are kill mode.

When Pony was just little another neighbourhood cat taught him how to hunt. It was obvious that they were in cahoots. The other cat never came by to eat or try and move in - it was purely a professional relationship. I have a great picture of him with one of his first kills but the photo is at home. I thought I'd put up a couple of other cute ones of my boy.

Another time Arthur had a poor little bird in the house. I valiantly tried to save it. I managed to pick him up and put him back in the tree outside my apartment. Alas, it was all in vain. Arthur nimbly jumped up into the tree and grabbed him. Bye bye birdie...