The Lost Treasure of the Golden Fish

I have returned. A week away in Norfolk with Sarah and Caoimhe has come and gone. Back to work, back to the old routine and back to being broke again. Like the last time I was away, I'll break these blog entries up into easily digestable chunks for you all.... and so to Part One...

Travel.

Why is it there are delays and problems when you are going on holiday, but when it's time to leave, and return to work, everything goes smoothly? I was supposed to travel from Southampton to Manchester on the Thursday evening. direct train, reserved seat, a few beers and a sandwich. What more could I ask for. I arrived at the station in plenty of time and checked the departure board:

17:15 to Manchester - Cancelled.

Ok, don't panic. Plenty of trains go to Manchester. A quick visit to the ticket office to find out what the best solution is.

"Next train to Manchester is in one hour, but you'll have to change at Birmingham. gets in at 23:30"

So, now I don't have a reserved seat, I'm stuck at Southampton station for an hour and I have to change trains halfway along (juggling two heavy hold-all bags). To top it all I was now going to arrive nearly two hours later than expected.

Thankfully I did get a seat on both legs of the journey, and there were no further delays. I also found out the reason for the original cancellation....not enough staff at Bournemouth where the train was due to start from.

The next big chunk of travel was driving myself, Sarah and baby to Norfolk. With stops it took about 6 hours. It was my first time using a 'Tom Tom' and all in all it did it's job. I did swear at it a few times trying to get through Stoke, and close to Wroxham it did take us on a very strange route, but other than that it was a useful gadget to have with us. Driving my Dad's car wasn't that easy though. With a buggy in the boot, the view in my mirror was very restricted, and his car is the size of a panza tank. I did clip one kerb, missed a roundabout exit and got stuck in a car-park in Norwich, but considering the mileage we covered, I think I did OK.

The drive back from Norfolk to Manchester was just me. Sarah and Caoimhe had travelled home the day before with Caoimhe's dad to see if they could sort out Sarah's University course. I kept myself amused by singing along to my ipod at an incredibly high volume. At lunchtime I decided I needed something to eat, so I took the first exit I could find off the motorway in the hope of finding a cafe or pub. Little did I know I had come off the motorway in the middle of Saddleworth Moor, a million miles away from any form of civilization. I did get some spectular views though as I drove through the wilderness.

The last leg of travel was my train home. Completely straight forward with no delays at all. I had a table seat reserved, and opposite me were two, young Japanese girls. I was definately regretting not shaving that morning. I settled down to watch Casino Royale, ate a few sandwiches and watched the world whizz by....

...if only all journeys could be that tranquil.