Australia Day

...ok... so Australia Day was a write off...not because I am a crazy wild drunken sex mink... but because I WAS a drunken crazy wild sex mink... no that's not true either. But I did have an awesome time in Oxford and did need some time to recover from 3 days of fun times in Oxford... so I spent Australia Day (official Australia Day - Sunday in London) horizontal sleeping for all but 2 hours of it cause I felt so damn exhausted and like the Black Plague had paid a visit. But in true style I did go to a pub with Karen for those 2 hours and then curled up to watch Friends, 27 Dresses at 4:30pm that afternoon and asleep by 7:30ish. Well done you!!!

But thanks to night sweats and a good night's sleep I was up an'at'em at 7am this morning... in pursuit of unravelling t

he mystery of Stonehenge. I headed to Bath, Stonehenge and Salsibury for the day with an old friend who has recently entered my life again... Nyssa. She was travelling with 3 of her girlfriends and I decided to join them on this day trip. I had an awesome time. Bath was beautiful. I wish I could have spent 3 days there... well I could have... but I am on strick ration control...Similar to Oxford in a way. Similar vibe perhaps?

Stonehenge at first glimpse was nothing like I expected. In true Jenna-style I had no idea where in England Stonehenge was. I assumsed that there would be a sunset??? Why?  Well why the hell not? Even at 1:30pm? Yes! Stonehenge = God reaching down at sunset... Well to my surprise at 1:30pm on an overcast day there was not a sunset and nor was there a cliff over looking the ocean. Much like the one in the 3 Musketeers where Sabine jumps off the cliff. Why? Well why the hell not? All the postcards, calenders, pictures you ever see make you believe that a) the sun is a continual state of setting and b) an ocean in just out of view.

To put you out of misery (if you have not been) it is not in a perennial state of sun-setting nor is it anywhere near an ocean. If you had looked at a map this may have been obvious. As it would appear, I had not. So at first, when the bus drove towards the Henge I was a little underwhelmed... I here you saying..."Jesus, what more do you want?" But when I actually walked around the structure it was purely, simply and quietly a breathtaking structure. Despite the other tourists wandering about there was an incredible silence yet incredible presence about the entirety of not only the structure but the space in which surrounded. 

It was strange to see it within 1 metre of a bitumen road. A horrible mix of modernity and history - maybe it shows how values change? And as Bill Heslop would say: you can't stop progress...(???) It was sad (yet in a way understandable) too see that people used to hire picks and chisel off there own piece as a soveigner. It is no different to Ayers Rock. Does it often take the destruction of something to realise worth?

We then headed to Salisbury which was a great surprise for several reasons: 1) I didn't know that was part of the tour 2) didn't know what/where/who/why/what it was 3) didn't know that only one of 4 original Magna Cartas resided at the Cathedral in Salisbury (which also has the tallest spire in Europe). So all in all that was an incredible experience (and there was a beautiful rainbow after the rain wilted away).  Unfortunately my camera died at this point. It was amazing to understand the Magna Carta and to see a copy of the original from 1215 and to realise that one of the most recent Magna Cartas from 1297 is in Canberra, NSW. 

I had a great chat with my friend Nyssa the whole way home to London; exhausted but had a great day. I then met Karen at the Wheatsheaf at Parson's Green and then went to 'Tapas for a Tenner' in Fulham Broadway (near Cafe Del Aziz) where all you can eat tapas can never be a bad thing! After a bottle of red there could not have been a better way to end the night. Although having just said that I naturally tried to think of a better way to end my night: several options came to mind - the Cadbury Creme Egg that sits patiently in my handbag is a close second. 

xx Jenn

Book Recommended: The Tyrannicide Brief

Youtube: The Jayhawks - All The Right Reasons

Recipe: Scallops Seared in Oil - Thanks to Henry Foster - New York 

sea scallops seared in oil

4:50pmJenna

yeah and... details mr!!!

4:50pmHenry

after scallops are tossed in flour first

4:50pmJenna

yo

4:50pmHenry

then drain oil and but 3 tablespoons of butter, a bunch of parsley and juice from half a lemon

4:51pmJenna

sweet easy as!

4:51pmHenry

add salt/pepper for flavour and then serve with the scallops

soooo good

im amazing