"mum? is that you? am I dying?"

"no, son, you have a mild respiratory infection that goes away with simple antibiotics"

"then why is everything going white?"

"you are in poland during the winter"

"did this conversation even really happen?"

Working with children will do this to you. High-fiving every kid at the end of the day and not washing your hands is an infectious nuclear explosion, I've realised. One of them gave me what felt like the bubonic plague, just before my trip to England and Poland began. But the show must go on.

Morris

It's important to introduce Señor Morris as a new character for the Christmas period. Mi viajero australiano. A tried and tested great traveller to have with you - he will bring the energy and the smiles.

Maisie

The stars aligned in our European exchanges that I could meet up with Maisie too! At the tail end of her Denmark studies she joined us for Christmas and New Years. Maisie was an invaluable travel partner and is one of those people you feel like you can share anything with. Here is a photo of Maisie very rudely photobombing my fucking great photo of an English landscape. I would never photobomb someone else.

The Scoggins

Oliver lives in Loughborough. It's a Midlands 'market town' of around 60k, in Leicestershire. It seems like their education is top notch. They have a really great bell tower, and Ollie Scoggins lives there so I love it. His cat Wilson might be the only cat I've ever loved. I am allergic yes, but I was already sick so the histamines seemed to cancel out..

Teresa, Bel, Simon, Maisie, Morris, Ollie, John

The gang next to Old John Tower in Bradgate Park. Built by 'the Greys' in 1784. British landmarks have colloquial and almost demeaning names for their landmarks. Tea and scones were distributed here. It was on this walk that Simon explained to me the Domesday book, a crazy manuscript record survey of England and Wales in 1086 which is super detailed about where everyone lives and what's what.

I could think of no better place to be sick than under the care and comfort of the Scoggins family home. I was provided with the best care one could offer. I'm talking pigs in blankets (sausages in bacon - we should really do cows in blankets back home), yorkshire pudding (not my thing exactly, but the gravy saved me), guinea fowl (dude!), father Simon's chilli (are you noticing the hot food theme), Mr Oliver Scoggins' cauliflower cheese bake (I had most of this) and mother Teresa's Yule log (beat my pavlova).

Little did I know, every night at the Scoggins abode would be this rich. The cold weather I found harsh, but every night I was placated by good, traditional hot food. I changed my critical tune on British food here - homecooked meals will win every time.

Ay-up me duck! Ollie carrying me is a good metaphor for the whole trip. Also Nottingham building. This place was the most endearing to me as somewhere to live. Go Nottingham Forest F.C.

York

Old York is a pretty place

Birmingham

Old Joe > Big Ben

I think i want to make an entire post about birmingham. brummagem. maybe an entire book. This place is a little bit sinister and several times I think it tried to kill me.

But our New Years was perfect!

@ethan

Londinium/Londres/London/Londontown

All my photos of London are garbage, it was dark and I had a lot to take in! We only had one proper day there, and I spent it all walking around trying to see everything. It was chockers during the day, and then at night I got to see London asleep - it was a breath of fresh air. Amazed how expansive the place is. The old town is completely separate to where I thought 'London' actually was - the Big Ben, the London Eye, etc.

It was magical to see London up close, but it's hard to form a concrete opinion. At times it seemed like a hyper-melbourne, or a bit like what I imagined the Melbourne CBD to be like when I was a kid. It's expensive, and the concrete seemed rather inescapable. But there's a real charm to the place as well.

Poland

to be continued!!