hull in my head

It’s raining today. No real surprise there though since I’ve never really seen more than 2 or 3 days of un-Englishly sunny weather. And on this rainy Manchester morning we are driving around to find an internet café. It’s not something you think would be hard to find, especially in the University’s vicinity, but try as we might, none are open. Maybe because it’s Sunday, and early. Or maybe it’s because I’m preoccupied with my first really strong craving for Starbucks. Not that I even love Starbucks, but the idea of a tall, hot Chai-latte, with no water, extra Chai, and half a pump of white chocolate, won’t stop pestering my mind. The freeway-green color scheme of the Seattle moniker beckon me. But I will resist. Unless Jenny can tell me of one on the route…. She couldn’t. Apparently the only “food” places Jenny knows of are McDonald’s, Burger King, Road Chef, KFC, and Wimpy burger. Sat Nav’s, it would seem, have no taste in dining. Our drive through Wales was lovely none-the-less as we passed through a land green and littered with castles and road signs with far too many consonants to attempt to pronounce. Personally I find the Welsh language very intriguing and decided I should marry a Welsh girl just so I could hear it often. For lunch in Snowden we stopped at Pete’s Eats, which is essentially hikers heaven. The portions of food allocated to give you all the climbing fuel you need for the next week, make even American servings seem inadequate. I had liver-‘n-onions and chips and physically felt sick and bloated afterwards. So much so that we went upstairs to the free map room where travel book, maps, and guides line every wall, and tried to find a place for a good jog. I’ve never been really good with maps though so we just set off in our own directions aimlessly. I went for this woodsy area that turned out to be an enchanted forest. It was astonishingly beautiful and somehow mystical. Every minute I half-expected a ferry or elf or something to emerge from the bright green foliage.cialis Then I came across and old castle ruin. Just like that! I was jogging along and then there it was. It was amazing! And it’s time likes theses, where one stumbles across a random castle, that you remember just how different this place is from home and how lucky you are to be here. So despite running in the rain, slipping and falling in the mud, and vomiting up some of the unsettled 4-pound-mass of liver and chips lodged in my belly, it was the most exciting/inspiring exercise sessions I’ve ever had. Most of the rest of the day was spent driving to Stratford-upon-Avon though we did go by way of one of the prettiest castles in all of the UK. We arrived pretty late but thankfully I booked at a posh B&B that I found a great last-minute rate on and they waited for us to get there and showed us to our room which was most likely intended for a couple spending a romantic weekend in Shakespeare’s home town. Awkward. Sorry again Marcus, but after all, sharing a tent is almost the same as sharing a bed…right?