Tunbridge Wells

This should have been a wonderful weekend and an equally uplifting blog entry.

 

Planned were a trip to visit my Romanian friend who currently lives and works in Tunbridge Wells, a trip to the cinema, a warhammer battle and my nephews "turning teenage" birthday party. All in all, a lot to look forward to and only the threat of more strong winds could possibly have dampened my spirits.

 

When I left home just before lunchtime on Saturday I was in fine spirits, and this was in no way diminished by having to change three times to reach my destination.

 

As planned, Dana was there and ready to meet me on the platform and together we went for a spot of shopping and a few drinks in her local, where her Swedish friend works.

 

If I ever start to get a big head believing that I am a true globetrotting adventurer, it only takes a quick chat to her to convince me I've still a long way ahead of me to catch up with her. For she is not only living in a foreign country, but holding down a job in that country, speaks at least three languages fluently ( maybe even more, I can't remember ), goes on REGULAR trips abroad with her other friends, who also happen to be foreign nationals living and working over here, and has come up with a fantastic way of choosing their next holiday destination.

 

While it may not work for everyone, she and her friend hit on the idea of travelling to the winners of the "Eurovision Song Contest". True, it probably won't always work as it could be her home country, here in the UK or be a repeat of a previous year, but it does at least solve one headache and have a fair chance of being random and different each year.

 

The pub where we rested and ate a splendid meal was called the Ragged Trousers, and yet this was only my second favourite T.Wells pub name, as the best name for me by far was the "Spread Eagle". However I saw this pub only briefly from the outside, and did not get a chance to see if it had any such wondrous birds inside! ( Ah-hum, and please no comments on any possible single-entendre references. )

 

After a hearty meal and few drinks we chose to trip over to Tonbridge to catch a movie, however the showing times were far too spread out and without wasting 2 hours nearby we chose to watch Apocalypto - which was a gory, ancient native Indian chase fest, romance, rescue story with a very dodgy ending.

 

Upon leaving there at no later than 8.15pm I was a bit horrified to find out that I had already missed the last train links to get me home, but every the amazing friend she is, Dana let me crash over at hers for the night and catch the train home in the morning. Such kindness I could not turn down and will no doubt leave me in her debt for some time until I can concoct an equally awesome return favour.

 

The morning I left in high spirits with still a party to go to, even though I had missed the chance of playing the warhammer battle.

 

And sadly this is where BR let themselves down big-time, as they were unable to get me the thirty miles home in anything like a sensible time, as I arrived home over four hours after calling the cab from Dana's to take me to the train station. From home I could actually have made it to a London airport and flown to about a good many of mainland European cities in that time.

 

When I finally did get home my lodger pointed out that I had lost four fence panels and a couple of posts to the strong winds of the previous few nights, a pain, but then again it could have been a lot worse.

 

So with the extended stop over in Tunbridge Wells, albeit with a very fun and enjoyable sleepover, and the tediously slow journey home I managed to miss most of the weekend and also felt tired during Sunday daytime, which meant I had a nap and then couldn't sleep Sunday night.