tvordlj | Down in Dagenham (Reply)

Still feeling pretty yick. Last night i managed to get some sleeping by sitting upright as it's the only position i don't wheeze which triggers the coughing fits. Well i still get them sitting up but not as frequently. Still feverish. Dagenham is where Gary lives. It's quite comfy and he's beeing great. The way i felt this morning i wasn't sure i was going to be able to get on that plane Tuesday at all and i still don't know for sure. the meds are high dose though so maybe two days under my belt on them will make a difference. Am still weak as kitten though so taking it one day at a time. At least i have a place to stay if i need it.

so the rest of the tour... I got to Bath by train on Wednesday in the blazing sun. I took the open top bus tour around. The first guide was veddy veddy wot wot, a real show man and drove me nuts. I joined the other guide's tour to get the rest of the two-route circuit and liked him better so retook the first bit again. Got sunburned but have also been running a low grade fever too i think so it's hard to tell which is which.

I wandered a bit after the tour and decided to go into the Roman baths after all and bought a combination entry to the costume museum for tomorrow. They have these long phone like audio commentaries which are quite good. So it's very quiet there because everyone is listening to theirs. I really didn't get as much out of it as i would have, starting to feel a bit under the weather again. I went to a sweet little tea room i saw from up ont he walls of the Baths then went to Marks and spencers to pick up a few snacks for the hotel. got some tylenol as well as some cough medicine. Found myself by the bus station so i bought a bus ticket to London for Friday because Paddington train station was shut down all weekend and it would be no end of grief getting into the city from bloody Ealing and i would have no energy for hauling my bags up and down stairs in the underground. Also didn't realize it until when i left that i was at that time, directly across the street frmo the book museum and i missed it! I knew it was in that area. I walked back along the road along the River Avon and stopped in to pick up a few postcards and asked the owner where it was. He said generally where it was but i didn't clue in until the cab the day i left.

made it back to the hotel, took pills, ate the snacks, watched corrie and had a long early night tossing and turning, coughing etc.

Had a light breakfast in the morning. Felt a bit better in the cool morning air. even out this early, before 9, there are a few tourists wandering around. i sat in the main square shared by the Abbey and Roman BAths in the sun until the abbey opened and went in and had a look round there for a little while. Found a coffee shop to kill more time until the tour busses started. I had to chuckle, i got the ~veddy veddy~ guide and since i was the only one on the bus (tickets good for two days so you can use the bus for transport as well) he sat downstairs beside me and gave me my own personal tour even though he knew i had been on yesterday though he did eliminate the comedy schtick lol I got off at the Assembly Rooms and Costume museum. The Assembly rooms were the Georgian's place to see and be seen for playing cards, balls, concerts and tea and light refreshments. The costumes are very neat, again the same sort of audio controls as the Baths. The oldest complete outfit they have is from 1660 but they had a few pieces older that that. It is very interesting to see the fashion progress right up to the Edwardian and turn of the 20th century. There was a bit after that but not a lot.

I walked over to the 'Circus' which is 30 houses built around a circular avenue and then up to the Royal Crescent, lovely georgian crescent of houses as well, now selling for up to 2million pounds! made my way back into the city center which is hopping with tourist by now. Found a place to have lunch and a sunny place to sit behind the abbey for awhile after.

Energy seriously flagging now i went back to the hotel and slept for a few hours. went out to the newsagents for some snack stuff and then back to bed for the night.

The rest is pretty much a right off. Met my sister and Gary Friday night and we ate at my hotel and here i am in Dagenham trying to stay upright for awhile.