Bingam

Wednesday G and I packed two backpacks and headed for Birmingham (or Bingam as they call it here) to see boetie Rich and Simes for four days. The education continues. The train ride there was just short of 3 hours and quite entertaining. We couldn't understand what on earth the person making the announcements at the station was saying. Rich later explained that heavy Birmingham accents are quite a challenge to decipher. Thank goodness for clear signage.

It was a great few days there and we did loads. Highlights were:

The train ride:

Smooth, quiet and fast. Good way to see the English country-side. Quaint little stations.

Cool architecture:

Birmingham channels:

Bingam has a huge channel network running throughout it. The only boats one sees on the channels are narrow, long barges, often brightly coloured. Some folks live in the barges permanently. We took a cruise on one.

Eating out:

Birmingham is said to be the curry centre of the UK so Rich took us to his favourite Indian restaurant, Mother India. These guys don't mess around. The menu is extremely long and confusing with words like, Buna, Vindu and Jalfrezi, which mean nothing to us uneducated saffers. Rich suggested I order a medium Jalfrezi. I should have know better.

Before we started eating the curry.

After the first mouthfull!! Eesh, the burn was beeg.

Cadbury World:

On Saturday G and I, Rich and Simes (Dannel wasn't feeling great so didn't join us) took a trip to Bournville, home of Cadburys chocolate. The tour was great fun and very informative. The pick below shows the replica of the original Cadburys store, showing that Mr Cadbury was first a tea merchant before becoming a chocolate maker. Wise move. After touring the factory and eating masses of the yummy brown stuff, I was seriously considering establishing the UKs first squatter camp right outside the factory, and spending the rest of my days breathing in the chocolaty fumes.

Richards Jacuzzi bath:

No more do I have to wonder what happens when you put bubble bath in a jacuzzi.

All in all, a great few days in Birmingham. Thanks to Rich, Simes and Danell for playing tour-guides.

Sunday night G and I were play fighting and I somehow managed to break her finger, noted by a loud SNAP noise. So yesterday we spent the day in Huntingdon, first at the hospital (they just wrapped it up and told her to take it easy for 2 weeks), and then doing a self-guided historical walk through the town. Saw the font in which Oliver Cromwell was baptised and a bridge which was constructed in the 1300s. It still is use. Hectic.

G, all historied out, takes a break on the town hill, the site of the old Huntingdon castle.