I am here in merry ole England, a big jet lagged and relieved. I almost didn't make it to my friends house. The cost of the train ticket online had jumped to 140 pounds (300 dollars). That was a little bit more than I could afford but with some last minute Skyping and luck, I got a return ticket for 60 pounds. More than the twenty pounds it originally was but still manageable. Now, I'm chilling in Chester for the weekend before I go proclaim my love for all things orange in Holland.

I didn't really enjoy my Air Canada flight over here and I'll wait until I fly back to make final judgement over them. (I mean no private screen!!!) I'll give a full report about them when I return but, it's not looking good. I did get some good sleep in though- Ambien is a wonderful thing!

Immigration was a hassle. The woman in Montreal gave me a hard time even though I was just connecting through. In fact, I found all my interactions with the Quebecians to be a little bad. They all gave me attitude when I didn't speak French!!! Immigration in England asked me a million questions about my trip. Lately, it seems wherever I go, I get harassed by the authorities. Is my name on some list that I don't know about? or do I just look like a roughian?

Though I spent most of my train ride writing, I did happen to notice the lovely English countryside. Utterly stunning. I noticed it too while flying in. England is very green and has a lot of country for such a populated little island. It doesn't seem as dense as I thought it would be. I also happened to notice the really fit waitress serving us drinks. I wasn't the only one either. The other waitress caught me glancing and gave me a little wink and a laugh. Quite amusing. Next time, I'll be more discreet.

I'm off to go explore Chester now and start taking those copious amounts of pictures. I am having problems with my camera batteries. They don't seem to hold a charge that long anymore. I think after two years, they're useless and when I go back home, I'm going to have to invest in new ones. Maybe I'll just buy a new camera so I can take better pictures for you all.  I'm going to be posting more about my travels here and posting the pictures on my website- www.nomadicmatt.com