100 Days, 100 Things: Days 81-100

Wow. At the time this post is published, I should be in Iceland. It seems both ages and no time at all since I started planning this and it still doesn't quite seem real. I managed to freak myself out towards the end of last week wondering if maybe I was just imagining the whole thing and come Monday it'd be back to work as normal. Don't ask - I was half asleep at the time.

Anyway, here are the last 20 of my 100 sometimes interesting, but more often mundane things.

81. Tuesday 24th May - envelope stuffing
Yes. That's how thrilling my day got. I spent the day stuffing envelopes with our apprentice. Fun fun fun.

82. Wednesday 25th May - venison sausages
Because once again, food is the most interesting thing in my life. Seriously, though, venison sausages are delicious.

83. Thursday 26th May - invigilating
Which lead to me being overly amused that it's a decade since I took my GCSEs. Aww. Also, I finally managed to offload the Chomp bar that's been sitting on my desk for the last seven months onto Molly. FINALLY.

84. Friday 27th May - ESTA
Following the successful application for my Canadian eTA last week, I tackled the USA's equivalent. It asked me whether I was planning on engaging in terrorism and I was oh so tempted to click yes just to see what happened. Don't worry, I resisted the temptation.

85. Saturday 28th May - Shakespeare overload
My sister and I took a weekend trip to Stratford-upon-Avon, home of the Bard. Two plays in a day - Cymbeline and Hamlet, plus the first time I've eaten Thai food at a restaurant. Very nice. Also, Stratford is pretty.

86. Sunday 29th May - sunshine
Second day of our trip to Stratford mostly consisted of me buying a few bits for my trip (mosquito net, finally!) and then enjoying the sunshine outside the theatre. Amy got sunburned.

87. Monday 30th May - surprise surprise...
Family farewell lunch which my dad had intended to be a surprise until my mum, not knowing this, accidentally gave the game away. Nice though, especially the amazing cake from Patisserie Valerie.

88. Tuesday 31st May - tech support
My grandad is finally attempting to join the internet age. Unfortunately for him, his router isn't behaving and my mum volunteered me to have a look at it. My usual ability to fix basic tech things failed completely, but I'm going to blame the old line he has instead of my inability to work out what was wrong with the damn thing...

89. Wednesday 1st June - lunch with Wendy
Wendy effectively managed me in my previous office and since she's away at the moment, we thought we'd best meet up before I left. That is all... see how my life is thrilling right now?

90. Thursday 2nd June - minor freak out time!
Today I realised that I will be in Canada in three weeks' time. Oh good god. I also discovered my phone is not unlocked. Fuck.

91. Friday 3rd June - "smells like weed"
Molly tried my oolong tea. I love oolong. It's lovely, but it does have a slightly unusual taste and smell. As demonstrated by Molly casually stating, in the middle of the office, that it smells like weed. I hadn't really noticed the similarity before but thinking about it... maybe.

92. Saturday 4th June - even more Shakespeare
Toddled over to Manchester to see my mum and catch yet another play - this time King Lear. Very good. In other shocking news, I bought clothes. Not just any clothes. I bought shorts. It is a well-established fact that my legs are not just white, they are blindingly pale, so this may turn out to be a bad decision.

93. Sunday 5th June - Nandos and puppies
I'd never understood the appeal of Nandos but I've been a few times now and I think I'm falling in love. Yummy chicken. The afternoon was spent lounging in the sun, attempting to get some sort of colour onto my aforementioned blinding legs and watching the dogs pretending to be hot dog sausages because it was just so warm.

94. Monday 6th June - umm...
It looks like nothing interesting happened on this day. Second to last day at work? Uh... nothing booked. Nothing interesting cooked... yup. Supremely normal day.

95. Tuesday 7th June - last day
My final day at work, most of which was spent either in a minibus or at work's Skegness site invigilating another GCSE exam. 3 and a bit years I worked there and that's the first time I've been to the Skegness site. Hm.

96. Wednesday 8th June - WASH ALL THE THINGS!
Yeah... I probably didn't need to wash everything, but I did. Because... oh, I don't know. The washing frenzy was followed by a lovely evening with the folks from my previous office, eating tapas and then toddling on down to the pub for a pint and a quiz.

97. Thursday 9th June - towel of doom
Ah yes. The fabled towel of doom has made a reappearance in my life. It looks like it's had a body wrapped in it, courtesy of 3 years of red hair dye stains. I found 3 bottles of the aforementioned dye in the top of my wardrobe and figured, what the hell, I'm going to dye my hair again. Took all three bottles because either a) I missed quite a bit or b) the dye's that old it wasn't taking properly, but I think it's sorted now...

98. Friday 10th June - I drank how much?
Actually, I didn't drink that much. I went out with the most recent set of work colleagues and had a couple of pints of cider (not a problem). Unfortunately, I also had a JD & coke and a shot of sambuca and that was enough to make my stomach hate me.

99. Saturday 11th June - WHERE TRAIN?!
Even with the slight hangover from the above night out, I managed to drag myself out of bed early on Saturday morning to go and see Flying Scotsman with my dad. Unfortunately for us, the timings given last week turned out to be no longer accurate and as we were walking up to the track we saw steam billow up above the houses. No glimpse of the fabled Scotsman. Most pissed off. Somewhat made up for this with cheap but yummy breakfast at Tesco's cafe...

In other news, my phone is now unlocked. I think. Huzzah.

100. Sunday 12th June - DON'T PANIC!
AAAAAAARGH. Actually, I haven't done much panicking. Which is nice. Dad had to drive me to Doncaster, but aside from that my trains all ran on time and I got to spend a lovely afternoon in London with Claire. Claire, who has gifted me this lovely little koala called Harold, crocheted by her own fair hands.

Someone pinch me?

Oh good god. What am I doing?

Around the World In: Films

Ever watched a film and thought "I wish I could go there"? Yeah, so have I. And since I'm in the middle of having a final re-watch of the epic Lord of the Rings, I thought I'd pull together some of my favourite films for sparking travel daydreams.

1. The Lord of the Rings

OK, so we all know Middle-earth isn't a real place, but the locations used in Peter Jackson's films are a glorious showcase of New Zealand's natural beauty. Mount Doom, the Shire, Rohan and Gondor all exist in New Zealand and when I get back over there at the end of the year I intend to visit as many of them as possible. And grab myself another pint of cider in the Green Dragon...

2. Up

One of Pixar's greatest creations, Up is full of amazing scenery, mostly based on beautiful places in South America. The plateaux? Venezuela's tepui, including Mount Roraima. The forests? How can you not see the Amazon in that? And the waterfall plunging off the top of the plateau? Angel Falls, also in Venezuela.

3. Madagascar

The clue's in the name. So yes, it's full of talking animals and there's never that much made of the surroundings, but wouldn't you just love to visit that forest and see lemurs in the wild?

4. Harry Potter

All right, so few of the places in the HP films actually exist (or do they...?), but courtesy of them being set in Britain, you can still get your geekery on. Fancy hunting down Platform 9 & 3/4 at Kings Cross Station? Go ahead. You can also visit Hogwarts at Alnwick Castle in Northumberland and further afield in Ireland, you can see where Dumbledore took Harry to retrieve the locket horcrux. Conveniently located at the Cliffs of Moher, by the way.

Or, you know, you could just check out the studio tour just outside London.

5. Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade

This film was probably the first time I saw Petra. An ancient city in Jordan carved out of the rock, Petra features as the final home of the fabled Holy Grail. The rock has an oddly pink hue and it just looks beautiful. You can see why it's such a big tourist draw.

Have you ever watched a film and wanted to visit the settings? Let me know in the comments!

100 Days, 100 Things: Days 61-80

Oh my. The start of my round-the-world Grand Tour is getting close, isn't it? Here's the next 20 of my record of silly, somewhat mundane things in my last 100 days before departure.

61. Wednesday 4th May - Staff Quiz
Which I won with my usual team. Hurrah.

62. Thursday 5th May - closed? Why are you closed?
Apparently my local pharmacy closes early on a Thursday. So having walked all the way down there, I had to walk all the way back without my anti-malarials. Did pick up some biscuits on the way though...

63. Friday 6th May - Doxy-whatnow?
Said pharmacy opens till a sensible time on Fridays so now I have enough Doxycycline to keep my protected from malaria for nearly 2 months in a malarial area. So that's South East Asia and Southern Africa covered.

64. Saturday 7th May - Fotherby & Utterby walking
Took an afternoon stroll around the pretty villages of Fotherby and Utterby with my dad. Shame it was so hazy because I imagine the view from this hill is amazing when it's clear.

65. Sunday 8th May - Cambridge
Spent the afternoon exploring museums in Cambridge. More on that here: Swords, fans & pounamu.

66. Monday 9th May - lookup lessons
Successfully got a colleague using lookups in Excel. Hurrah!

67. Tuesday 10th May - fish pie again
I'm getting good at fish pie. Can't imagine I'll be making much of it while I'm away though...

68. Wednesday 11th May - umm...
Apparently nothing happened on this day. At all. Not even something boring. Oh well.

69. Thursday 12th May - hair
First haircut in nearly 3 years. Got almost 6 inches taken off. Already missing the length, but it's so much easier to manage now!

70. Friday 13th May - Cook Islands daydreaming
I made the mistake of reading THIS ARTICLE on Never Ending Footsteps. And now I really want to go to the Cook Islands and I think I could probably afford to do it. Umm... do I need to add any more destinations to my plans?

71. Saturday 14th May - ballooning. Also, bún.
My mum finally got to take a balloon flight having missed out in India and the UK in recent months. We also paid another visit to Pho in Manchester and I tried bún. It was delicious.

72. Sunday 15th May - Wembley
Down to Wembley with my dad to see Grimsby Town win their playoff final and get promoted back into the Football League. Much fun.

73. Monday 16th May - frequent flyer ahoy!
Joined a frequent flyer scheme. I figure I'll be taking enough flights over the next year that I might as well see if I can get anything back from them.

74. Tuesday 17th May - pre-audit success
As ever, there is an audit going on at work. The pre-audit check went OK. Woo. That is all.

75. Wednesday 18th May - Mail Merge success!
Somehow I managed to get a Mail Merge to walk on a huge amount of data at work. Haven't used it in about 5 years, so I was pretty pleased with myself.

76. Thursday 19th May - budget spreadsheet
In addition to my pre-trip itinerary/budget spreadsheet, I now have a sheet to use during my trip to keep track of expenses. Happy times.

77. Friday 20th May - clickety clack
My mum has very kindly donated her old Nexus 7 tablet to me for my travels. Unfortunately, I hate the onscreen keyboard and I need to be able to type at a reasonable pace to keep up with the blogging and whatnot. So I've bought myself a Bluetooth keyboard and it is wonderful. Clickety keys are much better than that swiping crap.

78. Saturday 21st May - radars & railways
Took a walk on the Lincolnshire Wolds Walking Festival to see the old radar station at RAF Stenigot, coupled with a short walk down the old Bardney-Louth railway. More on that here: Radar & Railways.

[IMAGE]

79. Sunday 22nd May - Wembley take 2
A return to Wembley with my dad. Unfortunately there was to be no repeat of the previous visit's success and we went down 1-0 to Halifax in the FA Trophy final. Ah well. We're still going up!

80. Monday 23rd May - tablet tapping
Having got my keyboard to make blogging via the tablet easier, I decided to see how easy it would be to compose, format and post from said tablet. Turns out I can do it and it only takes a little bit longer than it does on my laptop. Bodes well for keeping up the blog while I'm on the road!

Less than 3 weeks to go now. How much more can I cram in before I leave?

London: The Complete Walk

I was a bit slow about getting this one written. Oops.

I visited London on 23rd April to take part in the celebrations for the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare's death. The Globe put on a big event to show off all 37 of the Bard's plays along the South Bank and my sister and I, both being fans of his work, decided to check it out. 37 plays, 37 films, 37 screens. Seems like a good way to spend a Saturday, right?

Each film was 10 minutes of new footage shot on the locations Shakespeare imagined, combined with archive footage from performances at the Globe and internationally and some even included some very old silent, black and white footage. 10 minutes per film... we reckoned even with walking time we could cover quite a few of the 37, especially since we'd gone through and made a shortlist of the ones we really wanted to see.

We arrived in London about half an hour before the event was due to start and managed to make it to the first of our planned viewings - The Taming of the Shrew in Jubilee Gardens - just after 10am, the published start time. So imagine our annoyance, having got the 6:30am train, when we found that the screen wasn't even set up, let alone showing the film. Slightly peeved but putting it down to technical issues, we moved on and caught Titus Andronicus under the Hungerford Bridge.

Brilliant. A great combination of clips, with Peter Capaldi as an excellently unhinged Titus and a great clip of the Globe production in which the Queen of the Goths, Tamora, played by Indira Varma unknowingly eats a pie containing the body parts of her murdered sons. A chorus of "ew" mingled with laughter from the audience. Just a shame we couldn't hear half of it because Hungerford Bridge is a railway bridge and every couple of minutes a train rumbled across overhead.

Anyway, seeing that the screen (Henry VI, part 2) next to Titus was also playing, we were a bit more hopeful that the following screens would also be working. Of the next 2 we passed, 1 was working and we had not interest in Romeo and Juliet. Then we caught Love's Labours Lost - pretty cool. Tempted to check out the next screen showing King John, only because the archive footage was from 1899 and is probably the earliest instance of a Shakespeare production on film.

After that though... well, it all started going wrong. We walked up as far as the Tate Modern where there were supposed to be another 4 screens. Every screen between King John at the National Theatre and the screens at the Tate Modern was out. No film. No audio. Nothing. Nada. Zilch.

That's 12 screens that weren't working. Out of 37. So we decided to grab a cuppa and wile away half an hour, during which time I tweeted at the Globe in an attempt to get an explanation for the absolute shambles. They first told me it was because of the Presidential visit and later claimed technical difficulties. I'm more inclined to go with the latter - that many screens not working isn't anything to do with security issues or the like.

Anyway, refreshed and all ranted out, we decided to see if some of the early screens were working. Nope. Buggeration. Descending back into grumpiness, we marched off down the bank and finally found a functioning screen in Gabriel's Wharf showing the wonderful A Midsummer Night's Dream. One of the more straightforward of Shakespeare's works and one of the funniest. Much laughter from the many people crowding into the bandstand.

Unfortunately, from there the chaos returned. A Midsummer Night's Dream was screen 13. From there, the next functioning screen we came across was Measure for Measure at screen 24. On the plus side, screen 25 just around the corner was showing Twelfth Night and it was brilliant, if a little drowned out at times by the rail bridge overhead. Seem to be an awful lot of rail bridges over the Thames...

From there, we had a little more success and caught a run of working screens that included Troilus & Cressida, Timon of Athens, King Lear and Macbeth. All great, although Troilus & Cressida was rather ruined by being down in a hole which made it very hard to view. Did catch the snippet from the Maori production a few years ago. Genius, that, putting a haka in Shakespeare.

After Macbeth it all went downhill yet again. No working screens from there up until the very last screen which was showing The Tempest near Tower Bridge. Another wonderful little production and awesome to see so many people enjoying Shakespeare, but such a shame more of the screens weren't working.

A little bit cold and disappointed, we headed back along the bank, passing still non-functional screens, and decided to revisit some of the missing films from that morning. Some success was had - we caught a great Othello featuring David Harewood, an interesting take on Hamlet with several actors playing the Prince of Denmark and, much to my sister's delight, an excellent Much Ado About Nothing featuring Samuel West among others. Given that Much Ado is one of my sister's favourites, I'm glad we at least caught that one.

This was followed by the excellent Toby Jones playing Falstaff in Henry IV, pt 1 although he did rather drown out the also wonderful Johnathon Pryce playing Shylock in The Merchant of Venice on the next screen. Glad to see so many screens now working and getting rather short on time, we made one last attempt on The Taming of the Shrew. We found it working, at last although as we left to catch the train back home there were still screens not playing.

In all, a lovely day, with a stroll along the Thames and a whole heap of culture thrown in for good measure. It's just such a shame that such a huge event could be so badly organised. As mentioned above, I actually Tweeted the Globe to try to find out why it was going so wrong and they produced the following response:

@ZoeDixon Hi, there's been a delay due to the presidential visit but we hope to have all screens playing as soon as possible. Thanks!

— Shakespeare's Globe (@The_Globe) April 23, 2016

They also told other users that there had been some technical issues. I'm more inclined to believe the latter, given that as I pointed out to the poor bugger manning the Globe Twitter account, they should have taken the presidential visit into account. Let's just hope that they learn from this and the next time they try anything on this scale they'll organise it better.

In the end, we managed to see 15 of the 37 films. Not bad given that when we left, around 11 screens still didn't seem to be working although I'm told all 37 were working by the end of the day.

Did you visit the complete walk? What was your favourite film? How many did you manage to see?

Around the World In: Awesome Museums

Everyone loves a good museum, right? These are some of my favourites from around the world.

1. The Natural History Museum, London

The British Museum might be the most visited museum in London, but the Natural History Museum is my favourite. It helped to foster my childhood love of the natural world and remains a brilliant place to this day.

Best visited later in the afternoon and during the week when there are less people around, especially if you want to see the famous Dinosaur Gallery.

2. National Museum of Ireland, Dublin

There's a few branches of this wonderful museum and I'd recommend the archaeology building and the slightly creepy Dead Zoo for a start. The archaeology section has some amazingly well preserved bog bodies that are worth checking out so long as you're not squeamish.

And if you can cope with vast cabinets of stuffed animals staring down at you, the Dead Zoo is amazing. Creepy, but amazing.

3. Canadian Museum of History, Gatineau

Situated just across the river from Canada's lovely capital city, Ottawa, this sprawling museum is an amazing introduction to the history of Canada, from the people of the First Nations all the way through to the present. Hoping to revisit this when I head back to Canada in the summer.

4. Te Papa Tongarewa, Wellington

New Zealand's national museum is a deceptively huge place and it's easy to lose a day in here without really scratching the surface of the collection. Highlights include a gallery charting the changes in the wildlife of the islands and a small collection of musical instruments, both traditional Maori and Pacific Island and some more familiar to Europeans.

 

5. The Louvre, Paris

Probably the most famous museum in France and to date the only one I've visited. Home of the Mona Lisa among numerous other amazing artworks. And if you're into the faux-conspiracy of Dan Brown's books, the Louvre is big in that too.

What are your favourite museums? Got any unusual collections to share? Why not let us know in the comments below.

Nothing Says "Tourist" Like...

Anyone who's visited London knows the feeling. You've managed to get into the Tube station but now you have no idea which platform you need to be on. There's escalators going in every direction, tunnels leading off to unknown domains and right in front of you there's a gaggle of people all craning to read the map.

Welcome to London, folks. This is the big tourist giveaway, or so I believe. Those maps aren't always the most intuitive of things to read, are they? Which way are you actually going? Do you know where you're supposed to be heading? You've got about 5 seconds before someone else tries to get at the map or a fed-up commuter jostles past you.

So, here's the thing - work out where you're going before you get into the station. Pick up one of the little paper maps of the network or get on Transport for London's journey planner site. Don't just know which station you're heading for. Know which station the train will be heading for. That way, you don't need to pore over the map to find out which platform you need - just scan the top of the map for the station the train terminates at.

It's a tourist rite of passage, getting lost on the Tube. For those of us who've visited the city often, finding your way round becomes easy to the point that you're amused by your fellow tourists' confusion.

Other tourist quirks aren't nearly as amusing.

Selfie sticks. What is with these things? Yes, you're in London. Well done. Now, can you get that stick out of the way so I can actually enjoy the view? I understand that people like to have photos of themselves at the places they've been, but what happened to asking a friendly passerby to take the shot for you?

In a similar vein, taking photos with tablets has to be one of the most ridiculous things I've seen. I'm short. Getting stuck behind someone taking a photograph with a tablet is not fun. Hey, dude, you fancy getting that thing out of the way?

Back to the amusing quirks: wearing clothing with the name of your current city on it. Maybe it's just me, but I don't understand this. You're in London. We know you're in London. You know you're in London. Do you really need a jumper to remind you that you're in London? Also, maybe I'm being cynical, but wouldn't you think it'd make you a target for thieves/pickpockets/other assorted criminals? You might as well be wearing a big badge that says "not local, lots of valuables".

Oh, so many tourist giveaways. What would you add to the list? Any advice you'd share on not marking yourself out as a tourist?

London: Tips for Budget Travellers

London is expensive. No secret there. There's plenty of folks like me who are either unwilling to fork out or simply can't afford to. So how can you make the most of a trip to London without breaking the bank?

Plenty of options there. Here are a few tips from personal experience.

Accommodation

If you're on your own, consider staying in a hostel. As a general rule, this'll work out cheaper. If you're travelling as a group, you can get a hotel room for up to 3 people starting from about £50 a night - which works out as cheap or cheaper per person than a hostel. Think hostelling isn't for you? Check out these tips HERE.

Booking accommodation further from the city centre is cheaper. Just bear in mind that you'll then have to commute into the city to hit the attractions. From experience, the Travelodge at East India Quay balances commute time with cost quite well and my sister would recommend the same at Walthamstow. From both it takes about 30 minutes to get to the centre.

Travel & Transport

Pick up a travelcard or Oyster Card to save on Tube and bus tickets. Fares soon stack up and you can save a fair bit by using a card instead. Alternatively, if you have a contactless card, you can use that - the fares are the same as for an Oyster.

Sometimes it's quicker to switch lines on the Tube instead of running straight through. Transport for London (TfL) website has a journey planner that'll give you the quickest routes.

At Tube stations, move to the end of the platform - end carriages tend to be less busy. You might even manage to grab a seat.

If you're like me and struggle with crowds, avoid the Tube at rush hour - take this to be any time between 7:30-9:30am and about 4:30-7pm.

In central London, skip the Tube/bus altogether. Leicester Square and Covent Garden stations are famously only a few hundred metres apart and likewise, most of the major attractions are within walking distance of each other. You'll see more on foot too.

If you've no fear of heights, take a trip on the Emirates Air Line, the cable car that spans the Thames near the O2 Arena. Fun, if a bit short and only £3.40 if you use Oyster.

For a new view of London, take a trip on a river boat. There's plenty of sight seeing trips, but if you resist the lure of the commentary, you can get the same experience by taking one of the commuter boats and it costs less. It also tends to be less busy than the Tube.

Attractions

Take advantage of the free museums and galleries. Most of the bigger ones - the Natural History Museum, National Gallery, V&A etc - are free entry and also offer free gallery tours.

If you're in a hurry, most of the major museums and galleries have floor plans on their websites. Pick out the bits you really want to see and plan a rough route before you get there. You can easily cover several places in a day doing this if you're in a major rush. You can find mine and my sister's suggestions for London's Highlights in a Day HERE.

Specific to the Natural History Museum - if you want to see the famous Dinosaur Gallery, hit it late in the afternoon to avoid the school groups and the early rush. After 3:30pm during the week seems to be a good time. It's harder at the weekend.

Have a wander around Covent Garden. Assuming you don't go shopping, this is free and it's a great place to people watch - make sure to check out the street entertainment, like this fella up a ladder wearing a kilt while juggling knives. Because, of course.

Take in a bit of theatre. Who cares what you go to see? That said, don't go booking the expensive seats. Sure, your leg room might be a bit compromised, but you usually get just as good a view from the cheaper seats. And if you're really lucky, you might get upgraded for free like my sister and I did when we went to see Henry V at the Barbican.

Take a stroll around one of London's many green spaces. Hyde Park is perhaps the most famous, but why not check out Green Park and St James' Park too? You can go and see Buckingham Palace while you're there.

Speaking of, you can get free entertainment (sort of) by going to see the Changing of the Guard at the Palace. This happens every other day just after 11am. Who wouldn't want to watch a bunch of soldiers in funny hats marching around? Just don't do that typical tourist thing and try to get the sentries to react to you. It's really not funny.

Food

OK, so this applies to most cities, but I'm going to include it anyway: eat your main meal at lunch. Lunch menus tend to be a bit cheaper and some places have daytime discounts. Then you can just grab a sandwich or similar later on in the day while everyone else is forking out to eat.

Eat brunch. Skip breakfast and eat a bit later in the day. If you get a decent enough meal you can then miss lunch as well and just have tea/dinner/whatever the southerners call it... I feel I must point out that I don't usually advocate skipping meals, but this one seems to work. I recommend the lovely Dishoom near Kings Cross for brunch, by the way.

For a quick bite that's no more expensive than, say, any major high street coffee shop, grab something in one of the museum/gallery cafes. You could end up eating in the most amazing surroundings. Check out the cafe at the V&A for example.

Basically, it's not that hard to cut down on costs in London. Get out there and explore!

What would you recommend for folks going to London? Do you know of a cheap place to eat or a great place to stay? Let us know in the comments below.

Around the World In: World Heritage Sites

World Heritage Sites are wonderful things and there's plenty of them to go at. I've visited quite a few on my travels (although that's as much because the UK has quite a few), so here are some of my favourites.

1. Tasmanian Wilderness, Australia

Some 40% of the Australian state of Tasmania is designated as some form of protected area. The Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage area takes in much of the south and west of the island which is largely inaccesible and a beautiful part of an already beautiful place. I made the trip to Cradle Mountain while I was studying at the University of Tasmania, but unfortunately the weather got the better of it and this is the best photo I managed. Cradle Mountain itself is hidden in the cloud on the right of the shot.

I'm hoping to return to the area when I reach Tasmania around this time next year on my Grand Tour. Easiest access to the World Heritage area is probably via the Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park.

2. Tongariro National Park, New Zealand

Famed for the Tongariro Alpine Crossing, a long distance trek across this amazing volcanic landscape, Tongariro National Park sits at the centre of New Zealand's North Island. Rich with Maori mythology and somewhat alien to look at, it's no wonder the area is so popular. Oh, and I suppose it's an added bonus that Peter Jackson used the area to shoot several sections of the Lord of the Rings films. Mount Nguaruhoe doubles as the infamous Mount Doom, but the whole park is beautiful, even in the ice rain.

Somewhere else I'd like to revisit on the Grand Tour. Access is free (as far as I can see), the main gateway being at Whakapapa.

3. Þhingvellir, Iceland

Þhingvellir, the place where Iceland's ancient Althingi met for several centuries, also happens to lie over the ridge where the North American and Eurasian plates are pulling apart. History and geology all rolled into one and a beautiful place. Not that I could see much of it when I visited this time last year, it being winter and snowing and whatnot. Felt a bit like wandering through Middle-earth... Hopefully when I revisit in the summer I'll see a bit more of it than this.

Access is free, but in winter the area is easier to access as part of an organised bus trip from Reykjavik.

4. Bru na Boinne, Ireland

A rather more human site, this one. Bru Na Boinne is cited because of it's outstanding collection of Neolithic tombs, art and other landmarks. The most famous of these is probably the white walled Newgrange passage tomb. Personally, I found the strange collection of mounds at Knowth more interesting, what with it's huge central mound and numerous smaller satellite tombs. That and the fact that Knowth is home to a third or more of all the known megalithic art in Europe. The huge kerbstones which encircle the main mound are inscribed with all manner of carvings. Very cool.

Oh, and there's something strangely compelling about seeing down the passage at Knowth. Not sure why...

All access to the two main sites - Newgrange and Knowth - is via the Bru na Boinne visitor centre. Entry is €11 to visit Newgrange and Knowth and includes the exhibitions at the visitor centre, plus guided commentary at the sites. Dowth can be accessed without visiting the centre and as far as I can see has no entry charge. Don't hold me to that one...

5. Maritime Greenwich, United Kingdom

Beautiful architecture, amazing history and ground-breaking science all come together in Greenwich, home of the Old Royal Naval College, the National Maritime Museum and the Royal Observatory. All three are well worth checking out to get a real feel for the history of this area of London. If you've got the time, you should try taking the river boat up from the City to the pier near the Old Royal Naval College or even up past Greenwich itself to the O2 to get a wonderful view of the buildings.

Seems somewhat appropriate to approach the Royal Naval College from the water, doesn't it?

To visit Greenwich, hop on the DLR and alight at Cutty Sark. This will entail some changing of trains. Alternatively, get on one of the river boats in central London and head up the river, disembarking at Greenwich Pier. Entry to the National Maritime Museum and Painted Hall at the Old Royal Naval College is free. There is a charge of £9.50 for access to the Royal Observatory. If you also want to visit the Cutty Sark, save money by getting a combo ticket which includes both the Observatory and the Cutty Sark.

There's so many World Heritage sites all over the world. I've visited many more - these are just some of my favourites - and I hope to visit even more over the course of my round-the-world Grand Tour starting this summer.

World Heritage sites can be vital to preserving historic sites and sensitive habitats. Do you have a favourite site? Or perhaps you'd like to see something given World Heritage status? Why not share in the comments below?

Unusual Museums: Medical History in London

On a recent trip to London my sister and I decided to find a few of London's more unusual museums. We covered the ones below in a day and they provide a really fascinating insight into the history of medicine and healthcare.

1. The Museum of the Order of St John

St John's Gate

This is the Order of St John possibly best known for providing the St John Ambulance. Tucked away north of Smithfield Market, the museum is housed in the gatehouse and attached buildings of the old Priory Church of St John. It charts the history of the Order from their origins in the Middle East during the Crusades through to their present day charity work across the world. It's not a big place but well worth a visit, not just for the history of the Order but for the history of medicine which goes along with it.

Entry: Free
Get there: St John's Lane, Clerkenwell. Nearest Tube is Barbican.

2. The Old Operating Theatre & Herb Garret

The Doctor will see you now...

Tucked away behind massive doors this is a real little gem. Access through the narrow spiral staircase of the old church bell tower means it's not suitable for disabled persons (unfortunately), but if you can make it up the stairs it's well worth the trip. The museum is in the attic space of an old church, formerly attached to St Thomas' Hospital. The attic used to house the herb garret of the hospital, a place where the apothecary could mix up medicines for the hospital patients. It's now full of cabinets of weird medical instruments, pickled organs and other somewhat gruesome things. Fascinating but perhaps not for the weak stomached? Attached to this is the Old Operating Theatre itself. Possibly the oldest purpose built operating theatre in Europe. Make sure to catch a talk there if you have time.

Entry: £6.50
Get there: 9a St Thomas' St, London. Nearest Tube is London Bridge (right round the corner).

3. The Hunterian Museum

If you're not over-fond of preserved things in jars, this is probably not the museum for you, but for anyone with an interest in the history of medicine and pathology, it's brilliant. Parts of the collection date back a few centuries, to the beginnings of medicine as we understand it today and despite the fact that much of the museum is taken up by the aforementioned things in jars, you can get quite a lot out of it. If you feel you need some fresh air afterwards, the lovely park of Lincoln's Inn Fields is quite literally just across the road.

Entry: Free
Get there: Royal College of Surgeons, Lincoln's Inn Fields. Nearest Tube is Holborn.

4. The Science Museum

They might not be as popular as the space and engineering galleries, the Science Museum's human biology galleries should be visited. If you've got small children they're especially good - there's lots of interactive games and such to keep little ones engaged. Plenty of information about genetics and medical technology, plus, if I recall correctly, a whole bunch of glass eyes which creep me out no end.

Entry: Free
Get there: Exhibition Road, South Kensington. Nearest Tube is South Kensington. 

So there you have it: 4 museums you can cover in a day in London, at least three of which I'd count as unusual. Would you suggest another for the list? Why not leave a comment and let me know about an unusual museum near you?

London: Highlights in a Day

So you're only in London for a day and you want to see as much as you can without running around. What should you see and do? I spent a day traipsing round London with my sister doing the following and we reckon these are some of the best bits of the city. We did this route in reverse on a Sunday, skipping the Natural History Museum because of the massive queue at 10am (opening time). Even missing that out, we were done by just gone 3pm.

Before we start, you're going to need comfortable shoes and you won't want to be carrying a heavy bag around with you. There's a fair bit of walking involved.

Start your day with a history and culture fix at the British Museum (nearest Tube Station: Russell Square or Holborn). It is entirely possible to spend the whole day in here (this is a recurring theme with London museums) so we've picked out some highlights for you. Start off by popping up to level 1 and seeing the Lewis Chessmen and the Sutton Hoo treasures. Beautifully crafted, they are. Then head down through the early Britain and Persian galleries and turn left into the Egyptian galleries. It's always busy in here, but if mummies are your thing, it's worth it. After that, head down the East Stairs, cross the courtyard and aim for room 21 where you can see fragments of the tomb of Mausolos, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. Follow the galleries through here to see some amazing pieces of Assyrian sculpture. This is the sort of stuff a certain terrorist group are currently blowing up in the Middle East, so make the most of it. More suggestions for the British Museum can be found in THIS POST.

Treasure from the Sutton Hoo burial

Once you've got your fill of history, take a walk south to Covent Garden. This takes about 15 minutes. Or you could take the shorter walk to Holborn Tube Station and hop on the Piccadilly Line to Covent Garden Station. Have a wander round the little shops and check out the street entertainment - it's normally pretty good round here.

In a kilt. Up a ladder. With knives. Covent Garden entertainment.

Move on from Covent Garden towards Trafalgar Square, another 10 minute walk. Or take the Tube (various options) to Charing Cross. Trafalgar Square's great for people watching, so make sure to spend a few minutes enjoying the view and then pop into the National Portrait Gallery, just round the corner from the National Gallery which fronts onto the Square.

Portraiture isn't really my thing, but the Tudor and Stuart galleries are pretty interesting and probably the only thing I'd personally take in. From there, move on to the National Gallery. Plenty of amazing artwork to go at in here. The majority of the collection is on level 2 - just go straight up the stairs as you come through the main entrance at Trafalgar Square. Take in Van Gogh, Suerat and Monet (rooms 43-45), Caneletto (room 38), Turner's beautiful seascapes (my favourites, in room 34) and Rembrandt (rooms 23-4).

You might be getting a bit peckish by now. There's plenty of cafes around the Square, but I would suggest if it's a reasonable day, grab something to go and sit by the fountains to eat. Again, great for people watching.

From there, hop on the Tube from Charing Cross to Westminster (via Embankment). At Westminster, take a stroll onto the bridge to get those classic shots of Big Ben and the London Eye and then head north past the Houses of Parliament to see Westminster Abbey. It currently costs £20 to get into the Abbey, a price I'm not quite willing to pay, but do have a look inside if you can - I hear it's beautiful.

Carry on walking up Birdcage Walk. This will take you up alongside St James' Park and up to Buckingham Palace. It is always busy round here, but especially so at the Changing of the Guards. Take those selfies (or whatever it is people do at Buckingham Palace) and then head across the roundabout to take the road up past Green Park. If you're a bit lost, look for signs for Hyde Park Corner. At the top of the hill is the huge Wellington Arch.

If all that sounds like too much walking - it's about 30 minutes altogether - and you're not too bothered about Buckingham Palace, hop back on the Tube at Westminster and take the District or Circle lines to South Kensington. If you've done the walking, take the Piccadilly from Hyde Park Corner to South Kensington.

During the holidays and weekends, this must be one of the busiest stations on the Tube network and it's because some of London's most popular museums are accessed from it. We're suggesting the Victoria & Albert Museum as your first stop here, purely because the Natural History Museum is best left till late in the day.

So, head up the subway from the station and head into the V&A. Again, you could spend most of the day in here, so we've picked out some highlights. First, the costume gallery (room 40), to the right hand side if you enter through the Exhibition Road doors - a great view of how fashions have changed over the last few hundred years. This will lead you into the Asian galleries. We'll come back to this in a bit, but first head straight across into room 48a to see the amazing Raphael Cartoons - these are full size template drawings to be copied as tapestries. They're in amazing condition given their age. Once you've admired these, head back into the Asian galleries, making sure to check out the Islamic Middle East section (room 42) and from there go onto the Cast Courts (rooms 46a and 46b). These are full of various replicas, including a plaster copy of Trajan's Column.

History and art fix filled? Tired? Why not take a break in the V&A's awesome cafe. It gets busy, but if you've got time, it's worth it for the joy of eating in this room.

Awesome, right?

Anyway, head now up Exhibition Road away from the station. A 10 minute walk will bring you to the top where you need to turn left. You should see the Royal Albert Hall. Cross the road to get a better view of it and of the Albert Memorial which stands opposite. There's nothing to do here, just a nice view and we've tried to bring you to the Natural History Museum as late as possible.

On which note, we now need to head back down Exhibition Road, towards South Kensington Station. The Natural History Museum is on your right near the end of the road. Take the Exhibition Road entrance into the Earth Galleries. Take the escalator all the way up to the top floor and have a wander around the Volcanoes & Earthquakes area. Have a go on the Kobe earthquake simulator - great fun for kids (and adults, let's be honest).

Into the bowels of the Earth...

Head back down to the ground floor and take a walk through the Green Zone. You should end up in a corridor full of fossil marine reptiles - one of my favourite parts of the museum. If you want to see the Natural History Museum's famous dinosaurs, now is the time. Cross the main entrance hall and enter the Dinosaur Gallery on your left. If it's late on in the day you should be able to enjoy the gallery at your own speed. If you've timed it wrong, you'll just get swept along in an irritable crowd.

The final suggestion I'd make for the Natural History Museum is the Darwin Centre. This is always quieter than the rest of the museum, but if you get creeped out by things floating in jars, it might not be for you. You've been warned.

That completes our suggestions for seeing London's highlights in a day. Obviously, these are just our ideas of what constitutes the highlights and I'd love to hear what others would include. Aside from the Tube, all the places included here are free entry. The Tube will be cheaper if you buy either a travelcard or get an Oyster Card. You'll also find getting on the Tube easier if you move down to the end of the platforms - the end carriages are quieter.

So, what do you think? What are your London highlights?

London: Ways to spend a day

I'm in London at the moment. It's lovely (discounting the Tube, which is hellish as always). I'm here with my sister and we're finding some interesting ways to spend the day. I thought I'd share a few with you.

1. Seek out new museums

Well, not so much new as less-visited. The Natural History Museum, National Gallery and British Museum are wonderful and we'll probably end up there at some point during this trip, but for the most part we're trying to find more unusual places. Things like the Old Operating Theatre at London Bridge and the Fan Museum at Greenwich. You can easily spend a whole day strolling around a few of these little gems.

2. People watching

London is amazing for people watching. Just find yourself a good vantage point and enjoy the view. Trafalgar Square is good (mostly for watching other tourists) along with Leicester Square. If you don't fancy sitting outside and want a bit more comfort, you can go and find yourself a window seat in a cafe and just watch the world go by.

3. Explore the Tube

Grab yourself a day pass (or an Oyster Card) and go. OK, so it's a little bit geeky, but there's some interesting little stations dotted around the Tube network. You could try hopping off at the next station down from the one you planned and then explore that area instead. Might find a cool new cafe or shop or a little piece of London history.

4. Explore on foot

Alternatively, skip the Tube entirely. Try to get between the places you'd planned on your own two feet. You'll see more of the city and you might just come across something new. That's how I came across Lincoln's Inn Fields earlier in the year, although I was sort of looking for the Hunterian Museum as well. Nice little park to stop and sit a while.

5. See the highlights

OK, so everyone’s going to have different highlights, but if you pick just a few you can easily get round the best bits in a day. This is probably easier for those who’ve visited London before and know what they want to see, but I’d recommend a couple of specific galleries from the museums, a stroll through one of the parks and a trip to Trafalgar Square for the people watching.

There’ll be a post in the next week or so of my pick of London’s highlights, but if you’ve got your own and you think others should know about them, why not leave a note in the comments?

Why I Won't Be Scared

I'm going to London tomorrow. Enjoying a super long weekend with my sister. We're going to search out some little museums and poke around in little nooks of the city.

In the wake of the awful attacks on Paris recently, several colleagues have questioned why I'm still going. Won't I feel unsafe? Aren't I scared that something bad will happen?

To which my answer is no. I won't. For the following reasons.

1. What are the chances?

By all means, the threat of a terrorist attack on London is high. But it is a threat only. And if something does happen, how likely is it that I personally will be involved? There's several million people in London at any one time. The chances of any single person being caught up in a terrorist attack is very low. The figures I can find are for folks from the US, but basically I'm many hundreds of times more likely to be killed in a car crash than I am in an act of terrorism. Yeah.

2. I am careful

I'm not a suspicious person, but I'm not stupid enough that I wouldn't know a dangerous situation if I saw it. I'm much more concerned about general crime (pickpocketing and the like) than I am about terrorists in London.

3. I will not be scared

The whole point of terrorism is to instill terror in people. To make them feel unsafe in their own territory. To turn them against their fellow citizens (and refugees, but that's for another day). I refuse to be scared by these people. It would feel like giving in. That's what they want and I refuse.

So yes, I am going to London tomorrow. I will be my usual careful self and have to suppress anxiety on the Tube, but I will enjoy myself and I will make the most of my time off.

The terrorists can go fuck themselves.

Halloween: 5 After Dark Experiences

Well, I've missed Halloween by a week, but I though I'd share with you some of the spooky places I've been. Because I'm told everyone loves Halloween. I don't really do spooky or Halloween so the 5 things I've included here are more... embracing the dark than aiming for scares.

1. The Tower of London

Or any other castle for that matter. OK, I'll admit that most of the Tower isn't spooky. In fact, it's pretty damn fascinating. But there's little areas where it just makes you shiver. I'm no great believer in the paranormal, but you can understand why, when so many people were executed at the Tower it might make you feel a little uneasy.

I'm sort of tempted to have a wander around Tower Hill in the dark the next time I'm in London...

2. York after dark

The city of York with its hundreds of years of history and maze of narrow streets lends itself to ghost stories. I took a ghost tour there years ago with school and while the tour itself wasn't really up there in the scary stakes, wandering around the city at night could get quite creepy. Traipsing through the little snickelways where the buildings in places nearly meet overhead was especially cool.

For sheer bloody history, head up to Clifford's Tower, the largest remaining segment of the old York Castle. Here in the Middle Ages the city's persecuted Jewish community holed themselves up to find protection from an angry mob. The tower, then the keep of the castle, came under siege and eventually the families inside committed suicide and set the tower on fire rather than fall into the hands of the mob. A rather black mark on English history...

3. Waitomo Glow Worm Caves

Not so much spooky as surreal, the Waitomo Caves in New Zealand are famous for their amazing glow worms. There are a series of caves at the site, all of which have their own unique appeal. In Ruakuri Cave all the lights get turned out and you can walk conga-style through the dark with just the pale blue lights of the glow worms to show you where the walls are, while in the main Waitomo Cave you go on a boat ride along the Waitomo River, lit from all sides by so many glow worms it feels like you're outside under stars. An amazing experience and one I would highly recommend.

4. Starlight Kayaking, West Cork

Picture this. A wide calm bay bounded by hills. You're in a kayak floating along, barely paddling. Just ahead your guide shows the way, with you trying to keep sight of the flashing light on his kayak. And over head a sky full of stars.

Yeah, starlight kayaking's a pretty magical experience. On our trip in West Cork every stroke of the paddle set off sparks of bioluminescence in the water. So pretty that our boat kept stopping because my friend Claire was too busy playing with the bioluminescence to paddle.

No worries though because the whole trip was so laid back it didn't matter if we went slowly. Although for scare value, hearing Jim the guide call out "Watch out for the boat" and a second later see a huge half-sunken boat loom out of the darkness a few feet away has to be up there with the best.

5. Camping in the Outback

OK, so it wasn't quite camping. The tents were more like canvas rooms - pretty permanent structures just with canvas walls. Brilliant and maybe a bit more secure than a tent. Didn't stop the friend I was travelling with from waking me up in the middle of the night to tell me there was a dingo trying to get into our tent-room. I'd heard something as I woke up and assumed it was just the noise of one of our sleeping bags. No big deal - I figured he'd just been half-asleep and his imagination had run away with him. But he was insistent. Again, not a problem - there was a catch on the door. And then he goes "but, Zoe, I need the loo". So I had to persuade him there was no dingo and that he'd be fine. Go to the loo and if you're not back in ten minutes I'll go and get the guide.

Suffice to say he managed to get back to the tent-room in one piece. Although... he had seen a snake outside the toilet block. Oh dear.

So there's my 5 things to see and do for an amazing after dark experience - or Halloween if you're that way inclined. Have you had a spooky experience while travelling? Done any amazing things after dark? Why not share them here.

London: 'Ere, don't feed the pigeons

My sister treated me to a trip to London to see The Book of Mormon for my birthday. How lovely. She even paid for us to go first class on the train which meant my day began with a yummy croissant and a rather stewed cup of tea. Tiniest knife ever too for the spreading of the butter...

Anyways, by the time we got to London I'd managed to wake up after the 6am start. Our first stop was the Travel Photographer of the Year exhibition at the Royal Geographical Society. Caught the Piccadilly line from Kings Cross to South Kensington (pleasantly quiet at 10am) and then took a stroll up Cromwell Road to the RGS.

The exhibition (closed 5th September) was free entry, which is always lovely and the photographs were stunning. Seems to have visited from all over the world, but we had to stick our little pins in for Grimsby.

A brilliant range of subjects and places - people, animals, landscapes from all over the world. Also, these fun signs (forgive awful phone photos...)

So stunning, in fact, that I bought myself this year's book of winning images and a pack of postcards to stick to my travel door. Travel door is already getting a bit full following a couple of trips to London and Wales...

Got a bit of a surprise when the lady at the counter mentioned that I'd been to New Zealand - had one of those moments of "who are you and how the hell did you know that?!" before I realised a) that the lady was a Kiwi and b) I was, as always, wearing my manaia. Yeah... makes sense now.

Anyway, buzzing with new travel inspirations, we popped along to the Albert Memorial for a few minutes. Amused ourselves watching the other tourists trying to take selfies. Should have taken my camera, but unfortunately I only had my phone...

And then it was off in the vague direction of Leicester Square in search of the Prince of Wales Theatre. Hopped back on the Piccadilly, then onto the Bakerloo to Charing Cross to grab some lunch in Trafalgar Square. Amused as always by the tourists blithely ignoring the signs telling you not to feed the pigeons. Also the little girl who came running towards the fountains squealing that it looked like a swimming pool.

Lunch consumed, we hopped back on the Tube to Piccadilly Circus, whiled away an hour in Leicester Square playing spot the tourist (i.e. everyone) and then finally got into the theatre.

The Book of Mormon is amazing. A fun piss-take of Mormon missionaries without being cruel about it. Loads of laughs, great little story and amazing songs. Can't ask for much more. Had it stuck in my head for the rest of the day.

And then it was first class on the train back - sandwiches this time and much better tea. Om nom nom.

Awesome birthday present from my sister. Now I just need to think of something as awesome for her 25th... Ideas, anyone?

Bournemouth & London: Fish, cuneiform and freaking out on the Tube

My final day in Bournemouth was wet. Soggy as anything. In search of somewhere dry to spend the day we headed to the Oceanarium on the seafront, stopping to coo over a group of ducklings on the way.

Can't resist cute fluffy ducklings. Anyhoo, we made it to the Oceanarium only to find that everyone else had had the same idea and the queue was out of the front doors. We'd booked our tickets online that morning but not knowing where the fast lane was, we didn't really want to push.

We toddled off round the corner instead, away from the sideways rain and wind to find somewhere to have a cuppa while the queue or the weather calmed down. Settled down in a nice little cafe/restaurant called West Beach, just round the corner from the Oceanarium. Amazing deluxe hot chocolate and, at least when we went in, friendly staff.

So far, so good. We blithered about in the cafe for a while before deciding to brave the rain again. Neither weather nor queue had really changed, but we stuck it out and eventually made it into the Oceanarium.

It was RAMMED. Mostly folks with kids who didn't understand the concept of not banging on the glass. Ugh. The actual content of the Oceanarium itself was pretty good, especially considering it's not a very big place. It includes such things as otters...

A new exhibit of penguins, which very few people seemed to have discovered...

A pair of Green Sea Turtles, called Friday and Crusoe...

An assortment of small (out of focus) sharks...

A group of African Dwarf Crocodiles that look like weird garden ornaments, they're that little...

Nautilus, which are super cool, if a little bit dim, photowise...

There's also a pair of Loggerhead Turtles, but I've got no even vaguely decent photos of them. And of course the obligatory tanks of tropical fish, without which no aquarium is complete. Oh, and seahorses. Cute seahorses.

Basically, the Oceanarium is pretty good. You get in cheaper if you book in advance online.

We spent the rest of the afternoon in Wetherspoons with a nice pint of cider while it rained some more outside. And then I had a go at Limbo because Claire thought I should have another go at a video game while I was staying with her. Let's just say I'm not so great with gaming. Limbo's pretty cool though.

The next morning was an early start again to catch the train back to Grimsby. I stopped off in London on the way to break up the otherwise 6 hour train journey. I'd intended to visit the Hunterian Museum so headed off from Waterloo Station on foot, across the Thames, along the Strand and then up Kingsway. Found my way there just fine, only to find that it doesn't open on Mondays, so it'll have to wait for another trip.

Instead I found a bench in Lincoln's Inn Fields, the little park that the museum faces, and ate my breakfast. Saw a rat. Had a quick look on Google Maps for something else nearby that I could check out. Settled on the British Museum, just up the road.

A short walk later, during which someone asked me for directions to the British Museum (do I look like a non-tourist?), I went to dump my bag and coat at the cloakroom. Apparently it's £1.50 per item and given how short I was on change, I opted to just leave my bag and carry my coat. If I'd thought about it, I probably could have fit my coat inside the bag. I'll remember that next time.

I'd intended originally just to spend a couple of hours there and then find another place to check out. I ended up spending all day there. Good thing, really - there's so much to see that you need a good few hours to get the most out of it.

Managed to see quite a big chunk of the collections, which makes a change from previous visits. Some really fascinating objects, like this case full of cuneiform tablets.

Cuneiform is one of the earliest forms of writing, used in the ancient Middle East. It's awesome. And then there's this little tablet from Babylon, which is potentially the oldest map of the world (c. 500BC).

It's hard to tell from this photo, so here's a diagram of it from Wikipedia. The little spikes around the outside are islands of some sort and are partly why it's considered a map of the world and not just of the region around Babylon.

There's also a whole room about pre-Roman Italy, which is really interesting and an area I don't know much about. It includes these funky little figures. Look quite modern to me.

Also these beautiful pieces from the ship burial at Sutton Hoo. All intricate enamel, glass, stones and gold.

For any Time Team fans there's this case full of Samian Ware from Roman era Britain.

These little beads from an ancient burial that look like they belong in Mario Kart.

I also made sure to check out the Assyrian galleries. I hadn't realised how much Assyrian art and sculpture they had before. Things like these iconic gate guardians.

And these enormous gates.

There's also some pieces from the Mausoleum at Halicarnassus, one of the Wonders of the Ancient World. Pretty cool. These two statues are thought to be of Mausolos and his wife Artemisia (also his sister, ew).

There's a temporary exhibition on at the moment about Indigenous Australia. I lived out there for a year, so I figured I'd check it out (£10 entry). Not much that I hadn't already seen similar of in Australia, but interesting nonetheless. Intriguing to see how the Museum justifies its continued possession of Indigenous artefacts that their traditional owners feel should be returned. Even better to see that there was a reasonably large coverage of Tasmania, which sometimes seems to get a bit forgotten. Tasmania is awesome. No photos from this exhibition because of a request from the traditional owners that no photos be taken of the objects.

Aside from all of the above interesting things, there's a great display of Chinese jade that I'd not noticed before, some fascinating cases of Mesoamerican objects and a whole gallery of Egyptian artefacts that I completely bypassed because it's always heaving and I've seen it before. Just had to nip back upstairs when I thought I was almost finished because I'd forgotten to find the Lewis Chessmen. Shame I didn't get a picture of the little berserker pieces biting their shields, but here you go.

If you're heading to the British Museum soon, there's some cool exhibitions coming up - Celts I think? Yup - Celts: Art & Identity, opens 24th September. Only thing to note, and it's probably obvious - food inside the Museum is expensive. Either bring your own or pop out and explore the surrounding streets for better value grub.

Finally left the museum just before 4 in an attempt to avoid rush hour on the Tube. Which I sort of half managed - Russell Square Station was empty but the actual train was busy. Have I mentioned how the Tube freaks me out? Yeah... so the train apparently stalling twice in the few seconds after we pulled away from the platform wasn't fun. Totally thought we were going to be stuck in the tunnel. Then the driver comes over the tannoy: "Can you please keep away from the doors, ladies and gentlemen?" Think the guy next to me was a bit worried by my almost silent mantra of "It's only 1 stop. It's only 1 stop. It's only 1 stop." Sorry, dude.

Basically, I had a great weekend. Really wish I'd managed to get into the Hunterian Museum though...