I left a book behind at one of the schools, and Select rang me and said could I come in and get it this afternoon. I didn't feel the finality of it, because I wasn't in the same schools with friends and connections for the whole time, so no sense of missing them. However when I got to Select Iain (my go to guy) presented me with a bottle of wine (I know, but it was a nice thought) and a card signed by everyone. He then went on to say he appreciated everything I had done for them this year, and I would be missed (at which point one of the girls who worked there chimed in "Very much so") and he went on to say that several of the schools are already complaining that I am not going to be around anymore. He also said that if I wanted to come back again later to get in touch with them and he could organise sponsorship (which I don't need as I'm British passport-wise) and he said he could get me a job in a school in a heartbeat, and a couple of the schools have already asked for me full-time. So that was nice to hear. And the school I was at on wed/thurs I was talking to the school secretary who said she was going to meet Iain finally as he was coming out that way, she also went on to say when she didn't recognise my name, he sang my praises to her. So that's very nice to here. That's my pat on the back.
I am all packed, pretty much, I am getting my bond back (assuming the room doesn't self-destruct over night) at midday tomorrow, then its bye bye Bristol and Hello Kettering. It still hasn't really hit me how fast things are coming to a close. I have been kind of numb, I think because if I absorb it all I might just become a gibbering mess. I need to go away again. I haven't gone to another country for a month, and I feel bored! Sure I have been to the Lake District for a weekend, and on a Cotswold's tour, but its not the same. I'm still hoping to get to Scotland. Might try and do North Wales too. Man I have the travel bug! My newest crazy hair brain scheme is to get a motor home and me and Ernie travel around Australia teaching in off the beaten track towns through the agency!
Ok, well, I should finish off my last bit of packing and sorting, so I'm ready to load the car tomorrow and flee Bristol.
Oh... and for those who questioned a bunny roundabout.... I managed to get a foto of it... its not great, cos it's hard to take a foto and drive. I tried getting out and walking back to it, but its a big 2 lane roundabout and I couldn't get close enough to it. Its not VERY obvious cos I didn't want to scare them off, so there are red circles around the 4 bunnies....
(Side note: luckily someone else said the name of the town first, as I would have embarrassed myself calling it kes-wick when it is pronounced kessick). It was so unspoilt and picturesque. I noticed that about the whole of the area, there was almost no trash just left anywhere, it was looked after, cared for, despite the number of tourists going through. 
You actually walk through sheep fields and have to walk through lots of gates etc. 
On the way down from there it got to a part that was gravel and downhill. Knowing my knees I slowly and carefully went down the path, ensuring each foot was secure before I placed all my weight on it to take a step. I had been going down this path for a couple of minutes, steadily and carefully and had about 3 more steps before I came to the fence that marked the end of the field with the path, and an actual road. There was a stile going over the fence which the couple in front had climbed over, and they were stopped waiting for me. When I was 3 more steps to go, she said "we can open the gate from this side, would you like me to open the gate?" so I didn't have to climb over. So I looked at her and said yes, and in doing so stopped concentrating on my steps and went BANG down onto my right hip/thigh. Thanks to the stones, I didn't get one flat bruise, I got about 4 large welts that came up immediately as I landed on 4 stones. So... I fell on a fell. *sigh*
I finally got back to town about 3.25 hours after i set off,and I had about 25 minutes of breaks along the way, so that means I did it in just under 3 hours. So yay me! On the way down the path 2 ladies in little lycra numbers RAN past me. Freaks! Then when I got back I grabbed a bread roll and went to sit down by the lake again, getting my normal colour back in my cheeks. It must have been about 25'C which I have acclimatised myself to finding hot now. 
then met back up with Colin who took me to a place called the Drunken Duck Inn for lunch. Then we went to Beatrix Potter's house, which was quite small and had a gorgeous English country garden. 
Then from there we went to see her studio which was very creaky and old and I thought I was going to fall through the floor to downstairs! Then on the way back we had time to swing by Castlerigg stone circle, which I had mentioned I hadn't seen but wanted to, which is a massive stone circle, and it heaps older than Stonehenge and no one knows what it was used for, or why. It is an amazing place because you can see all around as it is on top of a fell. 
White Corn stock- Kenya
Rugs stall- Marrakech
There was a market cross, because it used to be a market town, and there is a nice little church.
Apparently he is one of the few lords of the manor who don't have to open their homes to the public to help subsidise the upkeep, because he is loaded. A fine art dealer apparently, who is friends with many celebrities. 
We walked past Arlington Row which is said to be the most photographed row of houses in Britain... so I had to take a photo! 
We then walked back around up past the river where there a couple of wild trout swimming, eating the bread the ducks don't get. Further up the river, just across the next road was the Trout farm where you could go an catch your own trout to take home. Apparently people buy trout to stock their local rivers from there as it is that large and successful! 
And further up by the bridge back onto the Isle was a mummy and daddy swan and some baby cygnets. As per usual, the mum was looking after the kids while the dad was getting hand fed bread! 
From here we went to Stow-on-the-Wold where we stopped for lunch. It isn't anything special because it is a more developed town, with a YHA and banks and mini supermarket and stuff. Stow means Sacred Place apparently.
Then the coach driver/guide sent us off on a walk through fields and stuff to get to Lower Slaughter where he met us. 
Then we had the opportunity to have an icecream if we wanted, which I didn't bring my money for... shame... cos they had very random flavours!!! 
There was also a little antique shop that had a row of ornamental staddles. Random Fact #3: these were used to store grain barrels on so that they were above ground and not getting wet. 4 of them were placed on the ground, and a wooden board was put down and the barrels placed on top. They are shaped as they are because it was impossible for mice to climb them. They are now sought after garden ornaments and some houses have the originals, while others buy new ones which as you can see, are made for any size garden. But the original ones were only the giant size. 
That was the last stop, then we got back on the coach and drove back into bath, past the outside gate to Prince Charles' house, which you wouldn't know was there if it wasn't pointed out as it is completely hidden away and not marked at all. It was a good day, very informative, and now I can say I have done the Cotswolds. Even if that was only a beginners guide to them. I got a sense of them.
Interesting. I didn't use it... I showered in the share with everyone in the building showers down the hall. 
And as I got closer and closer the rain got heavier and heavier and the visibility got worse and worse. GRRR! It was a good experience, I can tick it off the list, but the rain was pouring down the glass so you couldn't see much, and then the rain made it hard to see far anyways. So I ended up with lots of tragic photos. 
I have named him... wait for it... Hamlet. Cos he's little and from Hamleys! HAHA. I know, I'm hilarious! From there I went back on the tube and across to Kightbridge station where one can find the illustrious Harrods, 
which only opened at 12 on Sundays, and it was only 1pm, so it was a scooch crowded, especially because of the slightly less rainy but still misty weather. I walked around a little bit, went into the souvenirs and cos I was too poor this time decided I would go back next time I am in London, however I did go into the food hall and bought myself a slice of £1 banana cake so I could get a bag. I queued for 25 minutes for it! But it was probably the cheapest thing you could get in order to get a bag! 
Guess what, if I had gone the other way following the ring signs at Wimbledon Park I would have found it and guess what it was right next to? The lawn Tennis Museum!!! ARGH!!! Walking back to the station I found a phone on the floor. It was broken. I picked it up, put it back together and went through the contacts to find "Dad" who I rang. Turns out "dad" was in South Africa but it was his daughters phone and he tried to help me get it back to her, but in calling him i used up her left over credit, and i didn't have my 
I was there too early, but didn't have anything else I wanted to do in the rain and cold... highs of 10'C!! Bring on Summer! I was going to go to Malaysian Airlines to work out my return ticket but I didn't realise it was a public holiday, so they would have been shut. It dawned on me that if I could reclaim my time spent sitting in airports during the last 12 months I could get like another 15 hours at least! Finally I checked in, and the plane... oh wow... I should fly from Heathrow on proper international flights more often! It had room. Leg room. Bum room. It was great!! So I flew into Brussels, caught a train to the North Station and walked in the gloom to my hostel, where I decided I would just stay for the rest of the day as it was already like 6pm. There were bastard children (10 yr old boys) running around the place, as it was one of those big family/school group friendly hostels, not just a backpackers. I had to yell at them at one point cos they were rolling a ball down the hall to bounce off their door, which was right next to my door, and it was SO annoying! So then they went inside and bounced it against the adjoining wall instead. MUCH better! I was assigned the top bunk, even tho no one else was in there, but there was more light up there and head room, so I sacrificed my knees again and made the climb up and down. I went to bed alone, and woke up alone, however there was evidence that 2 other people had used the room during the night. 
I went from there around the corner to the Mannequin Pis. I learnt that he has over 100 different outfits made for him for special occasions! 
Then I got back on the bus and went to the Courts of Justice which are massive, but covered in scaffolding during renovations (like most important buildings I have seen). There is a good view of the city as that is the highest point. You can even see the Atomium, which I got off and took a photo of, while on the bus tour. 
It was built for the world trade fair, and it supposed to symbolise an atom, made up of 9 nuclei which represent the then 9 regions of Belgium. It is massive! Apparently you can climb it and there is a restaurant up one of the balls. I walked back down the street to a very pretty cathedral, however inside about 70% is boarded up for renovation. Then down from there is the Musical Instrument Museum (MIM) which is in an old art deco style building that used to be a hotel. 
I paid €5 for my tour where you get headphones and when you stand in front of a display of instruments you hear some piece that focuses on that instrument either as a solo or an ensemble of brass etc. There were some very nice pieces, and some interesting ones, like an ocarina and drum concerto. Some were oriental instruments. There was no clarinet music, just old clarinets showing their development. I had to run by the bagpipes display because the music was awful! it hurt my ears! From there I walked down the hill and through a park, where there are very nice views from the top. 
The blue sky was trying very hard to come out at this stage. Then I walked down in the general direction of the Hostel, and stumbled on the Grande Place which was an amazing square of old buildings. 
It is where the King resides when he is in town, and the flag was flying, which meant he was home! 
Opposite his palace is the Parc de Bruxelles which had a really nice photo expo running up and down each side of one of the perimeter fences. Through the park is a fountain and opposite was the Palais de la Nation. I walked up and around the block and discovered the Palais des Academies which houses 5 of Belgium's 7 academies (e.g. medicine/ fine arts/ military etc). I then walked down the Boulevard de Waterloo, which is a massive street designed to reflect the boulevards of Paris. I then got some lunch and walked to the Petit S'Ablon park which has 48 statues of tradesmen on pillars around the outside, representing the 48 trades that were acknowledged in the guild. 
I then ended up outside the Museum of Fine Arts which is near the big horse statue, completing my big loop. I worked out a loop past a church and to the botanical gardens before heading back to the hotel. I was amazed to discover I timed something right, walking into the Cathedral just as the 2pm bells were chiming, and being handed a flyer because there was a free concert starting at 2pm from a group called the Oakville Singers where were touring, from Worcestershire! So I sat and listened to them sing for 90 minutes, then walked nearby to the Place de Congress where there is an obelisk guarded by 2 large lion statues who protect it and an eternal flame. 
From there I headed up to the botanical gardens, which are pretty, but not very serene, as they are RIGHT next to 2 of the biggest roads surrounding Brussels. 
It was then cloudy and starting to rain so I headed back to the hotel, checked in and headed to my room. The room was ok. It was a first for me... it had a mirrored ceiling! Random! 
My quiz for this post is a bit different. I took some photos of the photos in the expo and you need to guess what they are pictures of. They are either sections of, or the whole, whichever makes it harder to guess. Good luck!
