The day started with a hearty breakfast and several coffee’s to get me through the day. I went downstairs just before 10.30 to get the bus to the airport, the snow had finally stopped. A black Mercedes pulled up and the driver asked me if I was waiting for a car and I said “no”. He went into the hotel to look for his pick up and returned empty handed about 5 mins later. He said to me that he would take me to the airport for the same price as the bus, now how could I refuse. I got into the back seat and “James” drove me to the airport. A right cockney geezer who was well pissed off that his fare had not turned up, 2nd time this week you know and the hotel charges him a quid for each pickup.

I gave him a £2 as a wee tip, that cheered him up, “God bless you son” he says.

Off to check in with Virginatlantic, although we were going no where near the Atlantic.

Check in was painless and so was the wait for the flight. I went for a whisky tasting but decided not to buy. More coffee and then onto the gate. The plane today is a Dreamliner and a very nice plane it was. I was in a middle aisle seat, which I wasn’t too pleased about, mind you I never noticed until I was about to board.

Opposite there was a young family and I thought that was just marvellous, unfortunately they got moved up to the front for a more comfortable seat and so I jumped across the window seat before it got cold. 3 seats to myself on an eleven hour flight.

On the Dreamliner the window shades are automatic, you have a button to press which allow you to control the amount of light coming in and when it’s time to switch off the cabin lights, all the shades turn black. Now isn’t technology a wonderful thing?

The food on this flight was delicious. I had the vegetarian Shepherds Pie and for breakfast Blueberry Waffles, all really really good and two bottles of wine was had at dinner to help me sleep, but I did not.

I watched two movies, The Shape of Water and Three Billboards. Two good movies but very different. For the last hour of the flight I listened to Black Sabbath.

Arrived in Pudong on time and then started the journey to Suzhou, first by bus and then high speed train and then Metro and then finally my hotel for a few days till I sort out my accommodation. By about 4pm local time I’m well knackered and so it was time for lights out until the morning.

I went to good olde London town on a chilly day when the snow was falling,  which was a first for me.

I came here to meet Steff and we decided to go to the Natural History Museum which was another first for me.

It’s a beautiful ornate building which has so much detail carved throughout. It’s a great place to spend a few hours.

This Sequoia below was 1341 years old before being cut down.

After that we went to the National Portrait Gallery at Trafalgar Square. I love this place and I’m always staggered at the detail that can be achieved, some of the paintings are just like photographs.

This guy has a 5 o’clock shadow and plukes.

Many famous people are remembered here and in one room in particular you will find Isimbard Kingdom Brunel, Stephenson. Faraday and Kelvin.

We were going to go for fish and chips for lunch bit at £16.50 we decided to give it a miss.

My favourite era is from the time of the Tudors from about 1540 to 1650.

And after a great day in London it was time to jump back on the Tube and head back to Pinner.

Today Roseanne gave me the keys to her wee baby and I went for a wee drive to the Aquadrome wetland. It’s been created from an old quarry that was started many years ago and in fact material from here was used in the construction of the first Wembley Stadium.

It’s also beside one of the main canals that connects this part of England to London..

Driving the Mercedes was great. It’s comfortable, quick, stylish and it’s a great place to sit. I only drove it for about 10 miles but I enjoyed every minute. First time I’ve driven a car since June last year.

If and when I return to the UK I think I’m going to have to buy a car that has style and presence on the road and that is comfortable. I quite fancy a Jag. And then I’ll tour the UK in style. Ah well I can dream can’t I?

Once more it’s time to leave my home and head off. I’m not sure when I’ll return. I got here two months ago and it’s gone really quick but I’ve managed to catch up with friends and family. I’ve seen extremes in the weather and I’ve loved it although almost every one else seems to have hated it. 

I got drunk and had a hangover.

 I’ve eaten way too much and feel like a beached whale, but as I head back to China I look forward to getting away from this western diet which I think is a bit unhealthy although delicious.

For the passed hour I’ve sat in Glasgow Central waiting for my train to Euston. As I sit and watch the endless stream of people coming and going and wondering where they are headed and also thinking why are we such a gloomy lot. Our clothes are so dark,  but I think that’s because it makes us look slimmer. 

My Chinese visa is for two years and so I’ll have to come back here in 2020 so that I can renew it, but maybe by then I’ll have other ideas. I’ve no plans at this stage to return to Australia, but that might change. I guess it all depends on which way the wind is blowing. 

I enjoy coming home but I don’t think I can live here for the rest of my life. Coming home makes me realise how lucky I have been in life and also how diverse my life has been. I’m at that age when many others have retired or are about to and they are preparing for this new journey. 

Some friends are still very young and others are becoming old before their time. They’ve lost their sense of humour a little and sound more like they have one foot in the grave. Routine seems to be more comfortable than spontaneity. Others surprise me and one of them is my Aunty Audrey who is 90 and she has all her marbles and acts a lot younger than others. 

As you get older your health is a big issue and a few friends have had to suffer for many years which again makes me realise just how fortunate I am, never take your health for granted. I saw one old friend yesterday that I haven’t seen in over 20 years, he had abused his body with more drink and other things for as long as I remember. All those Bacardi & Cokes over the years mixed with anything else he could get his hands on has left his body battered and bruised both inside and out. When I saw him yesterday I felt so sorry for him and he looked so so sad. In fact if Christine hadn’t pointed him out I would never have known him. 

It’s been great to come home and to be honest if I had the money I would buy a house here and live for a few months of the year and explore my home in more detail.  I can’t afford to come back without a source of income but I have no idea what I would do if I came back and I don’t know where I would live either. The future is a blank book still to be written and this is just the end of another chapter.

Today was a wet and miserable day but that is Scotland for you, Scotland is weather and you just have to learn to deal with it by wearing the correct clothing. Steff picked up Christine and myself and we headed for Loch Lomond. I don’t mind the rain when I’m sitting in the car, in fact I would rather be driving watching the world go by, but it’s good to be a passenger because it allows you to enjoy the scenery.

We had lunch at Loch Lomond near where you will find the Maid of the Loch paddle steamer which is currently getting refurbished. They said they were hoping to get it ready for the end of the month but it looks like they still have a lot of work left to do. There was still snow on the ground and the wind was still having a bite.

We continued up to the Lomond Side and stopped at Inverbeg and Luss, if I had the money I would love to stay in one of the wee houses facing the loch, although the midges in the summer would be a bit of a challenge.

We continued to Arrochar and popped into the Villager’s café for some cake and coffee. I had a large slice of Ginger Bread which was so delicious and I felt my gut beginning to enlarge at the mere thought of what the sugar was going to do to me, but there was one bit left for sale and so I had to buy it or I would never forgive myself.

I’d forgotten just how beautiful the drive is down the other side of Ben Lomond. We headed for Helensburgh and the rain was still on. We stopped at a small carpark to look at the view. As we sat there an old crow landed beside the car and looked up patiently, hoping that we would give it something to eat. Steff threw a piece of the gingerbread out for the crow and it loved it and scoffed the lot. We moved the car to the end of the carpark to look at another view and low and behold the crow follows us up. We sat parallel with the small wall and the crow was sitting there looking straight at us. He was an old bird, he was a bit bedraggled due to the weather. His beak looked so grey compared to the rest of his body. His feathers had a lovely blue sheen mixed through the dominant black.

I took a large chunk from the corner of the ginger bread and dropped it far enough away from us as not to scare our new friend. He stood for a few moments and then decided it was safe to jump down and scoff the lot. I would have loved to take our new friend home, I’ve always had a soft spot for crows and they are also very intelligent creatures which makes them very mischievous. Of course before we left I did tell my new friend that if he wanted anymore of the ginger bread then he would have to fly up to Arrochar to the Villager’s Café and ask the young lady in there for a wee bit more, but he would have to be careful as to not eat too much or he wouldn’t be able to get home.

I would love to go back here next time I’m back in Scotland and I would be so chuffed if my new friend was still there.

The sun was shining in Edinburgh today 

and so I decided to climb Arthur’s Seat. The track was still quite muddy due to the weather we have had over the past week and near the top there was still snow to trapes through.  The path was well worn, there were many people heading up to the top and there were even a few running to the top.

The jacket came off halfway up because I was beginning to overheat but as soon as I stopped to look at the view and take a few snaps, the wind quickly reminded me that it was cold. 

The view from the top is spectacular and you can see the Forth Bridge’s, Lieth and beyond. The sky was blue and it could have been a summer’s day if not for the cold. 

I took the easy path back to the bottom and passed a small lake that was frozen. Further round I came across another and here I found many swans happily paddling through a path in the ice. There were a few pigeons looking on and I’m sure they must think that these swans are just crazy buggers.

Yesterday I caught up with Ian and Ross in the city for lunch and beer. We met at Wetherspoons in Sauchiehall Street and we all had a huge rump steak. £10 for a drink and steak.

I had a glass of wine because I really can’t drink that much but unfortunately I strayed from that plan and had a few pints and although I enjoyed drinking them I feel a little worse for wear. I had a terrible sleep and I had a bit of brain damage when I woke up this morn. But sometimes you just have to be a martyr.

I went to the city today but after a couple of hours or so I decided to head back home. It began to snow again and the wind got up and so it wasn’t the best weather to be out and about. 

But it was still nice to walk along the Clyde Side and look at this great industrial city with the snow on the ground. 

Ann picked me up at the bus station and it was obvious as soon as my nose got out the bus that Campbelltown was a lot colder than Glasgow.

Thankfully Ann’s house was tropical. The old house sits up on the hill and you can see down to the loch. The house may be old but it’s very cosy.  I forgot that she never locks the door, not sure where she keeps the keys but if I had found them I would have locked the door behind us.

A lovely hot dinner followed by wine and the cold was a thing of the past.

Next morning Ann was catching up with friends and so I went for a wander around the town. I had every intention of going along to Davaar so say hello to my Mother, but I’m afraid the Arctic winds put an end to that idea. It was absolutely freezing. Even my phone was protesting, the display was changing colour and so were my hands.

After only a minute my hands began to feel sore as the biting wind ripped through.  I stood behind a shelter and hoped that it wouldn’t get blown away and take me with it. Standing up straight was not an option.

The wind was so strong and I’ve never seen Campbelltown Loch look so angry.

After about an hour of this I decided to retreat and I went to the old museum. I loved going here as a kid and looking at the prehistoric finds,  namely the flints and arrow heads that had been found locally. The museum is a lot smaller than I remember but they still had a small collection of ancient arrow heads.
I walked a few minutes up the main street and then went for a plate of soup to warm me up.  I sat at the table near the window opposite an old woman.  We started chatting, she’s asking me where I’m from and was I a golfer. I said that I was visiting my cousin and it turns out that this old lady not only knows my cousin but is related somewhere along the line.

I’ve sent this info to Catherine as she is doing the family tree and will understand the 2nd  cousin connection that exists. I’m not very clever when it comes to this stuff.
I went to the local distillery for a tour and tasting which was great. The local brew is 57% and it gives you a nice warm glow in this weather.

After the tour I headed up the road and was very glad when I made it back to the hoose but as I arrived we had a bit of an emergency,  a burst pipe. Thankfully it was only the pipe for the garden hose but we still had to shut off the water.  The plumber was called and he fixed it within 2 minutes. Drama averted. This was his 15th burst pipe that day. It didn’t surprise us in the least. This had been Campbelltown’s coldest day in years and you only had to look at the icicles hanging from the shed for evidence of that.