I love Paris in the Springtime

Well here I am just about to embark on another adventure. I'm off to Paris this afternoon. I wanted to write to you all and let you know what I'm up too and that I'm thinking of you all. Having spent a couple of days in London and having experienced its chaotic nature I am happy to be leaving it for a while.
I am excited and anxious about traveling to yet another country, this time to  some that don't speak English (but you could argue that the Scottish and Irish don't speak English...... even the Geordies up in Newcastle don't because the accents are so strong :) !).
I love you all
I hope you haven't forgotten about me.
your Acushla.

Bruuuucccccccccccceeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee.......

Well hi there.
It is the day after the Bruce Springsteen concert, which was just FANTASTIC!!!!



(Acushla wasn't quite this close.... but it gives you an idea of the size of the concert.... Paul)

Scottish Highlands and Islands...... oh and England too....

So very sorry that I have been neglecting you all. I will now try to recap what has been going on for the last two weeks.....

I arrived in Scotland on Sunday. Edinburgh is a beautiful city especially the parts I was in.....
now this just shows how much I have been neglecting you.... I wrote that over a month ago and never finished it. Some time I will have to write a really long account of what I have been up to but for now I have only half a hour so I will tell you what I have been up to in the recent past.

I have spent the last week in London in a wonderful flat with some wonderful people (Frank and Jess) in a wonderful location (Pimlico right by the River Thames just down from the Britain Tate, an art gallery which houses some lovely statues and some fantastic paintings by William Turner). It's in the City of Westminster so Big Ben, the Houses of Parliament and Westminster Abbey are right down the road and Buckingham Palace is around the corner....not that I have been there! NOTE I love the Tube - it is so great it will get you anywhere if you just have a little patience and a Tube map.

For the last week I have been packing my bag each day and heading out to explore the "Big Smoke". There are so SO many museums and art galleries that I really haven't go to go to all of them. Like today I went back to Trafalgar Square (I was there a couple of days ago but you really can't take in that much in just one visit so I have been returning to places like Kensington Gardens and the British Museum) and wandered around the National Gallery. My favourite part was seeing the works of Turner and Constable also the Impressionists and Van Gogh (it isn't "Va Go" even though that's how it sounds). It is really amazing to see these paintings in real life. Paintings that I have studied with Julia and Gubs (my art teachers). They always said when we were studying a painting, 'When you go and see such and such' and here I am really seeing these paintings up close!! It is so great!!!
Now I know, not just believe, that it is real that so many years ago Turner put paint to canvas and created 'Rain, Smoke and Speed'. It makes history so real. You can see proof of history all around you when you are in London. I love it. I then went to the National Portrait Gallery where I saw lots of famous people most of whom are dead now. It was great to see portraits of past kings and queens, once againg it makes the past real not just a story in a book or dates on a page but a physical thing that has lasted through the generations. It was nice to place the different people to an era especially all the scientists who made such amazing discoveries in the Victorian era. I get to use all sorts of things that I have learnt in school or through books or what people have told me when I remember what so and so did. For example Leonardo da Vinci or Michael Faraday.

Just to let you know that I am very happy at the moment and having a great time. I was in a blue patch last week but that is just the way travelling goes - you take all of it on, the good and the not so great. I love and miss every single one of you and hope that some day you will be able to have an adventure like mine.

All my love Acushla.

P.S. If you don't send me your addresses I can't send you a post card. So please email your address AND POST CODE (somebody gave me their adress with no post code which isn't particularly useful).
P.P.S. You might like to know that I get reminded of you when I listen to certain songs - Sasha when ever Jack Johnson comes on. (sorry I have to go!)
Bye! xoxoxo

England

What to say?
I arrived at Heathrow and had no problems going through. I had to go up and ask if I was allowed to bring in dates and other organic material that you could never get into Australia, but unless you've got too many kilogrammes of cigarettes or too much alcohol they don't care and waved me through. I met Polly who is really nice. We then took the Tube into London. As soon as we got out of the station you knew you were in London - everything about the place screams ENGLAND! The funny houses, the people running around in big coats, the 'Tube' and even the stop signs are English. The weather where everyone said it was lovely, sunny and mild, but I still had on 3 jumpers. (I am actually getting used to the climate and am only wearing one jumper). Polly's family are so lovely. The next day Polly helped me open up bank accounts and do all the paperwork that needed doing. We also just 'walk(ed) the streets of London'. We went to Hamleys toy shop which was so cool. People were paid to play with toys all day and there was like six floors each one for a different kind of toy - "Boys", "Girls", "Soft Toys", "Games" etc...
We also went to Libertys (Maddy you may have to come to London for the fashion).
We went to Piccadilly Circus and saw Eros. Then to Kings Cross railway station and St Pancras which Polly is very proud of. It is a lovely station and a real effort was put into restoring it - it does look really lovely. We had quite a busy day and got lots done.
That night we had some more family over for dinner - more lovely people. And, as it is the show to watch here, Polly, Jamie and I watched "The Apprentice" the first bit of TV I have watched since leaving Australia.

On Thursday I caught a train up to Skegness to see Grandma and Grandpa Burden. That is where I am now just looking around the local towns. Today we are going off to Lincoln if the weather will let us.

I really like it here - everything is just so different. And it is great to just hang out with Grandma and Grandpa.
Love you all lots,
Acushla