Hathersage, Peak District, Derbyshire

Today I fancied a day out to the Peak District again, since it's so close and I wanted to get out of the city for some fresh air. Jen and I decided on the quaint little village of Hathersage for our excursion, since we'd both been to Castleton and Jen didn't fancy Bakewell.

We got the bus and got off at a random stop, which just so happened to be right by a church, the cemetary of which boasts (if that's the right word) the grave of Little John, comrade of Robin Hood. We went for a little look then ventured into the village centre, which was pretty small to be fair, but no smaller than Castleton. I bought a book on South Africa from the craft shop (it was only 3 quid and it's for research purposes!) and had a look at the Youth Hostel (an ideal location for one of our Page Youth Hostel holidays - click here for photos). After a wander around we sat and had a hot chocolate and then headed back.

It was a shame I didn't have my hiking boots with me or we could have gone for a decent walk, but sadly neither of us knew any of the trails anyway. So I think we need to do some more trail research before our next outing.

However, on the way back we got off the bus at the Hunter's Bar Roundabout and walked up to Tapton from there, much to Jen's delight of returning home via a mention from an Arctic Monkeys' song. Small things.

Leeds, West Yorkshire

Continuing the theme of getting away from Uni, I went to Leeds on Thursday to see Claire, and Lauren went too. Now I know this is nothing spectacular cos I've been to Leeds before, but this time it was special cos we stayed with Claire in uni halls!

We met at the station at about 3.20pm (my train was late... oops!), and then walked to the University as Claire had a lecture to go to. Me and Lauren sat in the Union bar and caught up for an hour, then we trekked to Claire's halls in Headingley, a walk that took just as long as the bus would've done, the traffic was so heavy.

We got a Domino's pizza for tea - YUM! And watched some Friends before getting ready to go out. Claire's room is really nice, really big and she's got some cracking photos up! We went out to Walkabout (to celebrate Australia Day!) and I met CB there, which was great cos I haven't seen her in ages. After a few drinks we went onto Oceana, this AMAZING club which had loads of different rooms - two entrance bars, a Japanese style Chill-Out bar, a Viennese Ballroom (which had some cracking dance music and a live band on), a New-York 70s disco room, an Alpine Ski Lodge, and a French Boudoir. It was the best night out I think I've ever had, aside from Home in Sydney. And since I live in the home of Gatecrasher, that's saying something!

So yeh, I had a great time and I'm looking forward to my next night out in Leeds with Claire! Hee hee!

Castleton: Peak District, Derbyshire

Hello All!

Well, exams are over and I have had a week off already, and I have another week yet before the new semester starts. Things got quite boring in Tapton very quickly whilst everyone was either home or revising, so on Friday I decided to go out for the day to the Peak District, and got the bus to Castleton.

The bus journey was absolutely LUSH in scenery - I went through little towns such as Bamford and Hope, and the only eyesore was a cement factory of the way out of Hope right in the middle of the valley. How disappointing to see it. Ick.

Castleton proved to be totally beyond my expectations... it was AMAZING! It was this little country village complete with pubs, tea shops, river, castle and caverns. I went up to Peveril Castle (or the Castle of the High Peaks) to have a mosey, and it was delightful! It was an old Norman castle which was used as a centre for local government rather than for military purposes, and later for hunting, as a prison and a place to keep livestock. The castle had fabulous views of Mam Tor (the opposing hillside) and the Hope Valley. It was an absolutely freezing and blustery day, but the view was spectacular.

After posting a post card home I retired to a tea shop for a cream tea, then set off on a walk around the village, stopping in the second-hand bookshop and the visitor's centre. Then I took a walk around the back of Peveril Castle. This little walk led me straight out of the village, and not back around to the other side like I envisioned. This resulted in me sliding down a hill and twisting my ankle in the process to get back down to the village in time to get my bus home! I stopped at the Peak Cavern (quaintly nick-named 'The Devil's Arse') on the way to have a little look, but I didn't go in, cos as a student I could only afford one tourist attraction!

The day was JUST what I needed, a lovely day out of the zoo for the caged globetrotter!

What a difference a Voicemail makes...

I got a missed call on my phone yesterday, and after much deliberation of trying to get through to my voicemail, I discovered on my break at work that the person trying to ring me had been my Mum. She was phoning to tell me that she was sat at the Opera House Bar with a glass of shiraz, gazing at the Opera House, Circular Quay, the Harbour Bridge and Luna Park, and that she was thinking of me and missing me.

Well... I just broke down in tears, overcome with emotion! Firstly I was just so relieved to hear from her cos then I knew that her and Dad had arrived in Sydney alright for their three week holiday that they've been looking forward to for so long. Then I was just so happy for her cos she's finally made it back to her homeland after nearly thirty years of living in England. Then I was just so sad... cos I miss Sydney so much and I wanted nothing more than to be sat there with her and to show her my favourite place in the whole world. And, of course, I was sad because my Mum and Dad are on the other side of the planet and, frankly, that's just too far away! It was ok when I was there but it's not ok now!

I just thought it was funny cos, even though it's nine months since I left Australia I still miss it, painfully at times. I've been thinking about the future a lot recently (it's what comes with three emails a day about careers fairs)... maybe I am meant to live there after all. Hmmm. I mean, for crying out loud, I saw a box of Arnott's Pizza Shapes on Neighbours the other day and nearly broke down with grief! What does that tell you?

That's right.... I'm a wee bit weird. Ok, rant over!

The Rainy Side of the Pennines! The Globetrotter settles in Sheffield...

Hello All!

Well, I bet you're all SO worried cos you've not heard from me in a LONG while, and that I probably got kidnapped by a gang of youths in Washington DC cos I've not had chance to finish my USA diary! The truth is, folks, I've just been SO busy I haven't even had chance to smell my own farts I've been moving that quick!

Since landing back in the UK from the USA, I spent about a week at home straightening everything out before university, and moved into halls in Sheffield on 17th September. I absolutely LOVE living in Sheffield; the girls on my corridor are fab. We go partying in 'Shef' every week at either Kingdom, the Leadmill, the Student's Union or - my new love - Gatecrasher One.

My course is going great too (for the ignorant amongst you I'm doing Law with Criminology - how DARE you not remember!), I got some feedback on my first non-assessed essay the other day and I got 62% - I'm not sure what that means but I've been told that's fairly good, so yey! I've also handed in another non-assessed essay and currently have a 1500 word Book Review to do for Monday and a 2500 word Legal Methods Project for the 30th, so work sure is piling up! :os

I also got some photos done from camp the other day, they were of staff training, Boston and our Wizard of Oz group. Looking at them made me miss my camp friends SO much! You know, camp was really hard at times, but we had a right laugh really.

Anyways, that's all for now really. Oh, and, to find out what's really been going on at Tapton Hall at the University of Sheffield... see www.allstarpidge.blogspot.com to get the real story! This site is the main reason I haven't kept up with my globetrotting blog. Sorry guys!

I'll post again soon! xxx

More of NYC... then on my way home!

Yesterday was a great day. I got up lazily at about 10.30am, had a nice shower, then left the hostel around 12pm. I headed straight for Central Park and had a nice wander through it. There were lots of runners and joggers, as well as people riding horses, playing volleyball, tennis etc. I stopped to take a photo at the reservoir and dropped my camera case behind the railings! After some conspiring I managed to get it back with the aid of a branch. Very proud of myself.

So then I got the subway to Times Square and dropped by the Hard Rock Cafe to buy a t-shirt, and the Toys R Us to have a look. It was AMAZING - they had a ferris wheel, a moving dinosaur, a WWF ring and a big Barbie house! Then I walked to Radio City Music Hall to have a look, and dropped by the CD shop, FYE. See http://allstarpidge.blogspot.com/2005/09/brief-encounter-in-fye.html for the full story. There I bought Dashboard Confessional and Matt Nathanson, then walked to the Rockefeller Center and couldn't wait to ring Mum and tell her about what happened in FYE!

I traversed NYC for a payphone and made it to the Manhattan Mall, and my phonecard wouldn't work! So I text Mum and told her I had something really cool to tell her and I'd ring her tomorrow. I then went into Aeropostale and they had a No-Tax sale on, so I got two tops and some jeans, fighting the urge to buy a hoodie!

So then I was all shopped out, so I got some chinese food from the food court and headed back to the hostel, where I sat in front of the telly until 11pm! Travelling solo is vastly overrated!
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This morning I awoke around 10am, checked out and booked an airport shuttle, which leaves in around an hour, so no time to visit Liberty Island, but I saw the statue so I'm happy! Been on the internet and had my last Dunkin Donuts breakfast (left over from yesterday!) and I'm now just gonna chill in front of the telly. Really looking forward to going home now. VERY excited!

The Big Apple! New York City, NY

So here I am, back in NYC, where I started nearly three months ago. It's weird to think I've not been home since then.

It was quite sad leaving Philly today. I liked it a lot really. Me and CB spent the morning lazily, going for coffee in Starbucks, then getting breakfast at Dunkin donuts in the mall. Spending time with her was great.

I got my bus around 12pm. It was PACKED - I ended up on the front seat behind the driver, squashed up against the window by some heffer woman's ass. John Mayer and Ben Harper made it all better!

Once in NYC I got the right subway but in the wrong direction! By the time I got to the HI I was knackered from all my luggage! Had to change my own sheets which In wasn't too impressed about, then I headed to Subway for lunch! Then I got the subway to South Ferry, right at the bottom of Manhattan, and walked through the financial district, past Wall Street, to Ground Zero - the site of the World Trade Center. It was really moving, all fenced off and a mess, with information boards around it - so sad.

Then I got the ferry to Staten Island, hoping for a good view of the Statue of Liberty, but it was still quite far away, and the sun was behind it. I think I may get the Liberty Island ferry on Tuesday morning before my flight home to get a better look.

Anyways, I waited ages for a ferry back, then I had to get the subway, so I've only just got back and had some tea. Gonna catch some zees now so I can do plenty tomorrow - even though it's Labour Day apparently it's business as usual!