Wandering Boots Tour: Day 47 Oxford Days

By the numbers

29,953 steps

22.53 kms

The day started early as I had to be at the train by 740am as it would be a very early trip and that meant I couldn’t slowly move around. I had to hurry along. I woke up and sorted myself out by doing the basics before walking to the tube station as I had two trains that would get me to the ultimate destination of Oxford Parkway as that was where I was heading first and had to get to the station first. I did arrive with twenty or so minutes ahead of time even when I had to switch two train lines. It is that easy when there are so few people at the time in the morning. There are several train lines in London where I can catch a train and they all seem to have different companies running them.

The train took me all the way intro Oxford although I had thought it called into Oxford and then Oxford Parkway. Oxford was actually the last stop on the service from London. I actually started walking into town the wrong way until I realised I had misread my map. The phone map did it again. I was heading to Wolvercote Cemetery which was on the way to the town of Oxford. Thatr was how I had planned the journey. I was going to visit JRR Tolkien’s grave before making my way into town. The walk did seem long and I was happy it was not too hot yet in town. I soon how there were clear signs pointing me in the direction of the grave and I do wonder if that happened after the first lot of movies came out. I did wander a little bit of the cemetery before I moved on as I was wanting the Hollywell cemetery next for Kenneth Grahame the author of Wind in the Willows. This place was a little further on and I was happy to have a nice brisk walk through a park and past some classrooms of singing kids. I do wonder if they seen me pulling faces as I walked past and that made them sing more off tune. I found the cemetery and most of it was overgrown, although I found it was meant to be like that and the grave I was after I found, but did not realise I had found the right one until I looked it up online at find a grave. The writing was so light that I could hardly read it even when I wet the headstone to make it readable. There was long grass everywhere and even when there was a spiky plant I stopped as I didn’t want to get spiked.

After the cemeteries I tried to find the Oxford Natural History Museum, which was easy to find, but I was not sure I had found the museum when I was there as it didn’t say it was that until I moved further on. I had seen pictures online that everything was in rows and it was true when I entered. I found there were dinosaurs, which included the early drawings of what people thought they looked like especially of the Iguanadon. All around the walls were displays that showed evolution of species including human and I found a few of them including the donisaurs were casts, although I had seen the originals. The dinosaurs that were water bound were actually the originals, which I thought was cool and there was even a tuna that was a big one that sailors on a ship in the 1800s though there was a body in the box as they are superstitious. They understood once it was opened and worked hard to save the specimen out of guilt when the ship ran onto a bank. I stopped at the museum for lunch and also found there was another museum inside the Natural History museum called the Pitt museum, which had things from world cultures. I didn’t spend very long there as I was starting to run out of time. The Natural history museum had statues of prominent figures like Darwin and pillars from various parts of the UK that were from different rock. They were marked where they were from. It was interesting to see the different colours.

I headed to the Oxford Castle as I was wanting to see that before I left on the train and got distracted by another museum. Luckily this one was also free like the other two, although they recommended a donation. The museum was called the Ashmolean and was about art and archaeology. I had no idea what the museum was really about until I entered and found there was heaps of artefacts from different periods of time like Egypt and China. There were some that were considered rare as they were before the Roman had spread with their writings as apart from the Egyptian culture many early groups had no written record apart from what they left behind in their cooking implements and other things. I was curious as to see alot the statues around and they had been collected by one man during the 1800s. I didn’t stay very long here either as I was heading slowly to the station. Along the way I did happen to have a quick look at two campus’ and they were immaculate and I think one was getting ready for graduation.

I found the castle and the mound that was apparently part of the castle a very long time ago. I did find that the castle was also a prison until recently as they had shut that down and now it was all part of a guided tour. I didn’t know about that part, but if I wanted to wander the mound, which was a heritage listed thing, I had to pay a pound as the money went into the conservation. I got a gate code too, which meant I could walk up following the trail. I did get a view of the city and it did look nice being high off the ground. I had a specific timed ticket for the train and I needed to get the train very soon. It didn’t take very long to end up in the station and my train was on time, luckily enough. There were other lines that were actually cancelled due to signal problems, which would be due to the heat. I actually got to sit on the train for 20 mins in the aircon before it headed back to the city. I was happy to be moving and once we called into Marlybone station, I though the ticket gates were fully opened and I tried following someone else out and the doors shut on me. I learnt then I had to use my ticket as they were not open for everyone.

Once in the city, I found I was only a 5 min walk to Baker street, which was where Sherlock Holmes had his house and I wanted to see what it was all about. On the way I came across a building where the first Bently had been made and that was in a back alley near Baker Street. I found the Sherlock museum and people were lining up out front of the door getting pics taken. Nearby was a Beatles shop that included Yellow Submarine Slippers. I got stuck across the road with a guy who asked me what size would be good for his wife who was five foot and then he said big boned. I started with a Medium and ended up telling him Large. I had no idea and no idea who Rainbow was as this was a Rock music shop. I was aware of my surroundings as he was talking to me as I was hoping he wasn’t a scammer. He ended up going into the shop and I wandered to a park called Regents Park. I did wonder if some nearby buildings were from the Regent Street in Monopoly. I knew I had to head back so I found Baker Street station and did my two station switch as I needed to get two trains on two different lines. The tube was busy and getting stuffy. I knew I needed a shower as it was pretty hot and I probably stank. My clothes will stink in the room, but we shall see what happens over the next couple of days.

Wandering Boots Tour: Day 46 The National Archives

By the numbers

15,180 steps

11.41 kms

The day started with a sleepless type of night where it wasn’t a long enough sleep, but enough that you are not tired, but happy to get moving in the morning. Breakfast was at 730 in the morning at the hostel. It was the basics with me eating toast and coffee. At least they had peanut butter, but no marge, not that I looked in the fridge. There was morning entertainment with builders showing up as they are renovating the common room / laundry in the basement and the guy in charge was still sleeping and one of the other guys had no ideas what was going on. I don’t think the builders were impressed as they had to get into the joists behind the ceiling there and that work had not been done. I was going to be long gone by the time they sort out anything. I told the hostel guy that I was amused at the shit fight and he happens to be a gardener / landscaper. I was able to leave by the pub as it was open. Lets see if it is when I have two early mornings where I do leave early well before 7am that is.

The plan for today was to visit the National Archives, although it wasn’t original records I was wanting to view. What I was after was the digitised records and they were free at the archives, so I could sort them out then. I had to pay for the records if I accessed them elsewhere. I headed to Kew Garden from a nearby overground station as Gospel Oak. It was a 15 min walk, but I got there with heaps of time even though I did have to wait a little bit for the train, I did make it there under my own steam. It was around 40 mins that I was on the train and I did wonder about some of the people wearing jumpers who must be sweltering or up to no good.I was wondering about the Archives and how to get there while looking at my lethargic map and found the Archives were well sign posted and I followed the signs and could not have missed the building if I tried. The front door signs at the entrance and then the huge words on the building cleared me up with what I needed to know.

I had to put my stuff into a clear plastic bag or I think I should be when I entered the archives room to sort out my ID stuff and get a reader card that gives me access to the records I wanted. I wastched a 5 min video on how to access the records and then record which documents I had to identify myself. I needed one that had my address and a Photo ID. I tried my passport with having an address and the Medicare card with having my name. That didn’t work as my passport does not have an address. Some European countries do have their address on them. I tried and I was asked if I had access to anything with my current address and my Archives reader card that expired in 2014 would not help. Luckily I could get access to my bank statement on my phone ands used that. Technology wins again and it was the latest statement too from June. I got my card and I thought several records I needed to order, but I couldn’t for some reason, so I made sure I could get the digital records and I got them all and learnt you could email them to yourself as USB sticks you have no where to put them.

After getting what I wanted and the going downstairs for lunch, I went to the bookshop and had a look around at the family tree guides that I thought would be interesting even though I have no room. I did checkout a exhibition on the Cold War in Britain that included spies who got away and the threat of nuclear attack. There was information on the civil defence and also the popular culture of the Cold War through movies, comics and even building of nuclear bomb shelters. It was interesting and I decided that it was time to leave so I ended up visiting Kew Gardens, although I did not enter as I needed to get back to the hostel to do some washing. I ended up at a laundry run by an Indian couple that was just down the road and I put my washing on there. I went for a walk in the area and wandered into the library for a quick look and that was all you could do as it was just that small. Once I had the washing done and the drying as well, I headed back to sort that out. I did get a drink from the hostel before leaving and they were nearly out of everything, well out of coke and most soft drinks. They would get a delivery on Saturday. I think they could soon be the pub with no beer and would explain why there are not big crowds unless the locals visit earlier.

I was going to see a show called The Mousetrap and wanted to have enough time to get there. I headed back into the city to where I was the night before on the same train journey. I just love the breeze the tube trains give when you know they are coming and it is refreshing. I wanted to get something decent to eat and I found it at a restaurant that had steak. I had that and a jacket potato too. By that time I could pick up my ticket and wait around 10 mins before they opened the stalls. I ended up being on the roof top stalls and they were high to the point where you could fall off the balcony onto the floor. They did lean forward a little too and I kept on having a kid coming through and tripping over my bag, which serves him right for not asking, although the last couple of times he let me stand up to let him in. By the time the show finished it was very nearly dark and the tube took around 15 mins to get me to the stop and I powered my way to the hostel that was still open at around 1030. Any later and I would have to buzz the door.

Wandering Boots Tour: Day 45 Rolling to London

By the numbers

14,238 steps

10.7kms

Today was the day that I visit London at the end of my epic journey within parts of Europe and the UK. It looked like it was going to be another nice day and I was looking forward to getting the bus for the two hour journey into London and to explore the city like I had not done before. I had breakfast at the hostel and luckily they had food and coffee, which satisfied me until I had to leave. I ended up getting to the bus stop around 40 mins early and I was happy to wait even though others came along and asked if this was where the bus stopped. I sure as hell hoped so. The bus did turn up and I was happy it was correct and even happier there was a loo on board even though the door didn’t really lock. Not a great idea to try to stand on the bus while it is moving in the loo. Even to pull up pants.

I locked my wallet and phone in my bag that was sitting on my front and wondered if my near 10 year old Oyster Card would work still. After walking to the Victoria Station and wondering where I should be going while trying my hardest not to run over the top of elderly people and everyone else as I was a battering ram that does seem to be very solid. I knew which lines I needed to use to walk to the hostel. First I checked my card and found there was plenty of money on it from last time, so I just walked to the gates and scanned. I don’t wander slowly through when they open, I dash through as they would close on me and my bags. I caught the right lines and they were mot that busy as it was around lunch time and everyone would still be at work. I knew I was staying near some alms houses, which is something to do with church and the hostel I found and was soon stopped when I found I couldn’t checkin until 2pm and that was half hour away. So I stored my big bag and waited.

I had a pack of chips from the pub for lunch or I could have had an extended breakfast. It wasn’t that long to wait and I was apparently in line as the guy showed you around. I soon found the receptionist had to move my main bag and found that the 20 plus kilos was very heavy and he struggled to move my bag. I thought this was funny, but he put it on his back going up the stair and I had my other bag. He didn’t know about the website BagBNB that has drop off points when I told him as I did not want to walk up and down the hill just to grab my bag. I wasn’t sure about the area and I was told that it was safe enough and I should be alright. The trouble is only if you are in a rival gang and they would leave you alone if you are not in one. The washing machine was broken and was directed to a washing service down the road that would charge the same. I will have to use them sooner or later as I was going to really need them. I worked out that washing in the next couple of days would mean I wont need to wash until I leave Singapore, although maybe just hand wash a couple of things.

I could have gone back out, but I stayed and rested half the afternoon and even had a little shut eye, although that was around 5 mins. I had showered and read a book before walking down to Camden Town, which is a bunch of well known shops that sell anything from punk to steam punk type stuff and lots of touristy stuff too. I even found a series of Lochs that I didn’t know about and I stayed to watch some boats clear them. It was something you don’t expect to see in London and I liked that. I jumped on the tube after having something to eat. I ended up in the very busy Leicester Square and it was very crowded. Being after work that would have kinda figured in everything. I checked to see if I could get my ticket early and I found that I could before wandering off down to Nelson square and back to where the theatre was. I even stopped in a huge Lego store along the way. Once I could see the show, I was happy to see something like that as there was singing and dancing with a bit of history even though it wasn’t like Horrible Histories. They actually did a great job and delighted the audience. Once the show finished, I did head back into the tube station as I wanted to get back to the hostel before it got too dark and the pub closes as its all part of the hostel. I have to wear a wrist bad to identify me as someone staying there. That includes a really great door code to the rooms that I cannot remember off hand, so either need my phone or wallet as thats where it is.

Wandering Boots Tour: Day 44 White Cliffs of Dover

By the numbers

16 Day Heritage Pass £42, sites visited £55.50 or $100 AUD

28,536 Steps

20.24 kms

I had a pretty good sleep as the night before, I had a headache that I think could have been from lack of sleep the night before, a little bit from the heat and no coffee. I was allowed to sleep this time round and up before 730 am to have breakfast before leaving on a train to Dover, where I had a castle to visit It wasn’t that far to walk and I was expecting to catch the train at 930am, but had enough time to catch the one at 830am, which was pretty good as it took me into Dover station, where it would be a short walk up hill to Dover Castle.

I had to walk the hill all the way up to Dover Castle and I took some stairs as I thought that would be a better place to get inside. I was turned around at the drawbridge gate by a security guard who told me I gad to buy a ticket at 10am. It was twenty to ten and I found the ticket gate that I had avoided when coming up the steps. The ticket gate was a little booth as the main one is further up the hill at the main entrance. I started walking that way and soon realised it was not much fun walking up a big hill, so walked back and waited until 10am so I could enter the castle. I didn’t have long to wait by that time and I was happy to finally visit the castle as last time I was there it had been shut for the winter apart from being open on the weekend. Before I left home, I nearly thought it would be closed on the day I was going to visit, but that changed luckily.

The first place I headed to was a platform that was used during WW1 to direct communications amongst the shipping traffic using Morse code and telephone. The place had a great view of the harbour and thats what it was used for during the war. From there I headed up the hill towards an old church that had something I had wanted to see for quite some time and that was an old Roman Lighthouse, which was the oldest structure on the site as there had also been Roman Fortifications, but I don’t know if they tried finding those or not. The Actual Castle is nearby and pretty imposing as it was built by King Henry II in the late 1100’s and has morphed into what it is today as it had been used throughout time up to World War 2. The castle you could walk through and there was an actual fire burning in the fire place. I did question the fire in the middle of summer. It was explained that it adds to the atmosphere. It did look good though and there were other room you could explore on your way to the roof. That showed a spectacular view of the whole area. I did end up in some medieval tunnels nearby that were a little bit dark and there was only one way in and out as I soon found out. Going back the way I came was loads of fun.

I made it to a tunnel tour of Operation Dynamo, which was a tour of the tunnels where events played out during World War 2 with Dover being defended although Dover was attacked from France with Germany lobbing shells and air raids to attack the area. Operation Dynamo was the biggest event that took place and that was where the Dunkirk evacuation took place over 10 days and included the little ships as well. The tunnels were built during the 1700s and used during the Napoleonic wars and extended during World War 2. There were around 4 miles of tunnel and I still don’t see how you could possibly get lost there as you are directed where to go the entire way. The story of the operation is through video clips and audio starts with the beginning to how the action at Dunkirk played out. At the end the displays show old telephone switchboards and video on how some of the other stuff worked like the radar and the artillery making sure of the positions of friendly pilots so they wouldn’t be shot down. I did love how at the end of the tour you ended up in the gift shop, although there was a little display about the operation in Dunkirk and defending Dover from attack. The tunnels were kept secret from the Germans throughout the war and reached a depth of 24 metres underground, although I am guessing they go deeper.

It was getting close to the time that I should return and I decided to walk the ramparts before leaving and I did get a pretty good view of the white cliffs of Dover, although in the tunnels you were actually metres behind the cliffs. The ramparts are the defences and they had where the anti air were located and also some of the old canons as the castle had been involved in conflict in the past. I left the castle and walked to the water where I had a better view of the cliffs, although it was pretty warm outside by the afternoon. I knew I had to turn around and head to the train station and I made it there with at least 10 mins before a train left until I realised I needed to be on platform 3 and not 1. That was very lucky I checked as I was going to hop onto a train that didn’t stop at Canterbury. It even left one minute early unless my phone is 1 min slow. Once back in Canterbury, I had a walk along the wall before heading back to the hostel as they have pizza. Turns out they are out of pizza bases and I had to walk up the road for something else that ended up being Pizza from Pizza Hutt. I walked that back and had that for tea. From the way the menu at the hostel reads it is only pizza they have. Hopefully they don’t run out of anything else for breakfast.

Wandering Boots Tour: Day 43 Off to Canterbury

By the numbers

14,178 steps

10.63 kms

I actually woke up pretty early as I had the need everyone of an advanced age needs in the morning and that was the loo. At the same time I checked on the train timetable to make sure everything was running smoothly. At 5am that might be a bit hard to figure out. I came across a report of signal problems that would apparently go until 830am between several stations to London Victoria. That had me worried and I couldn’t really sleep for the next couple of hours as it was churning in my mind and the ticket I had said the train was one trip, but the journey planner said two trains. The morning wasn’t too bad as it was sunny and I would get something to eat on my wait to the station, although that was an egg sandwich at the station.

I could see my train was running all the way to Victoria and I was happy to wait the 40 mins before it came as I didn’t know how long it would take for me to get to the station from where I was staying. I couldn’t use the loos at the station anyway as they had blockages. The train arrived on time and as requested. It wasn’t that bad a trip into London and I was off the train and stuck in a big crowd building up at the ticket gate. To get everyone out the workers opened the gate and we all streamed out. I had my wallet and phone in my bah on my front. I didn’t want to get stuck like I had again, although there is only one card. I was able to make my way easily to the bus station, which I realised that I needed to check what bus I was on as there were heaps of bus’ leaving at the time I had. I did ask one lady, but I think she wasn’t sure what I was after. I thought if the bus leaving for Dover at 1130am, could also mean the next one that I was after left from the same area. My bus I found wasn’t going to Dover at all, but Ramsgate, which was nearby. The gate opened up 15 mins before departure and closed 2 mins before. I did see several people miss their bus, only to watch them pull away.

My bus I was able to get on in time and I had no problems going through London just to get to Canterbury. Getting into Canterbury were at least 10 mins late, but that didn’t actually matter as I still had to walk to the hostel. It wasn’t very far and in some places there were subway like tunnels under the roads so it was easy to get across. Turns out I was lucky as I arrived just after 3pm and that was when the office reopened, but they told me to come back as they were sorting out the til. I only had to wait 5 mins and I could check into my room. I also ordered breakfast for both mornings that I am at the hostel. I then took off walking once I sorted out myself and some more data for my phone as it only lasts a month before rolling over. Not ideal happening when I was on the bus to Canterbury.

The first location, I was trying for was an English Heritage site that was the St Augustine’s Abbey. It was an old Abbey that had been rebuilt when the Normans invaded. There were monks in the building and by the time King Henry VIII came along he was basically shutting down the Abbeys and this was one of them. It had been dug up over time and many parts collapsed into ruin and land sold off. It is even part of a 1800km walk, which is a pilgrim’s walk that you can get a special passport for that takes you all the way to Rome. There are several Norman Kings buried here or there were. I didn’t see anything to say they were not still there, but St Augustine is no longer there as he was moved on I was lucky as the museum didn’t close until 6pm and I was able to look around the grounds and the museum before I left. I thought I better get back before it got too late and I ended up taking a walk to the Cathedral, which is undergoing renovation. The cathedral by this time of day was closed and I did get to walk around the open parts.

On the way back I went looking to see if there were specific places the National Express bus stopped and it only seemed to be where the bus dropped me off. The rest of the bus services were for the local ones, which I was happy to know. I did plan to get a supermarket meal and I couldn’t make up my mind, which one I wanted. One that I nearly took with me was oven onbly and took 30 mins to cook. Then once I found what I wanted I found my card would not work in the supermarket and they had not seen a travel card before. I was worried I had locked my card again, but that wasn’t the case at all. I think it might be that specific supermarket. I did see in another one that I could have had a roast beef. That will be something I will look at or pizza.