Gen's here! Woo hoo! Of course the more in tune/observant/Australian readers out there know that Gen actually got here nearly two weeks ago but we've really only just sat down to a decent amount of time at an internet cafe.

Gen got here last Saturday week (if that makes sense) and we napped, went to Borough market and saw Wicked. Something that we managed to replicate exactly, with the inclusion of a Phantom of the Opera matinee, the following Saturday.

The next day we travelled up to Holyhead in Wales in preparation for our ferry the next day. We missed it. We made it to Dublin anyway,then had an early night. Headed to Galway the next day and froze our asses off in the main pedestrian shopping district. We got so cold we went to see Casino Royal because it was indoors and then we went for a night time wander and drank Bulmer's (revolting stuff) in the King's Head.

The next day we headed to Ennis (in county Clare) and spent the day getting soaked and lost (which incidentally led to us watching another movie, Borat). It all worked out fine and we stayed in a lovely B&B and had a great night catching up with my Irish friend Fiona in the world's quietest pub.

The next two nights were spent in the Litton Lane hostel in Dublin. Apparently U2 recorded there but according to Genevieve it's far easier to find somewhere U2 didn't record in Dublin. We hung out with Em, went to the Modern Art Gallery, got soaked again then went to yet another movie. We went out with Em's friends and got a wee bit drunk and spent our last night in Dublin watching Irish theatre sports.

Now we're beyond the Iron Curtain, in deepest Russia. We managed a bus and two trains perfectly before we absolutely could not find our hotel. But given the fact that it was down a muddy, potholed "road", next to a building site and past a row of abandoned cars you can't blame us for looking at it and thinking, uh no. But we made it and we loved St Petersburg. We visited the Hermitage, the church of Spilled Blood, the Aurora and many, many pancake establishments.

We caught the Midnight Express to Moscow and arrived yesterday morning. We were so tired we were seeing double but we took it like the uncomplaining troopers we are(ha) and walked around the amazing Red Square and visited the Historical State Museum. Today we visited the Kremlin and St Basil's and tonight we're going to an ice hockey final. A phenomenon we've discovered in Russian museums so far is that everything stops mysteriously at 1900. Revolution? What revolution? Why do they do this? Do they think no-one paid attention in the last 90 years or so? It's hilarious.

We're loving Russia. But this will probably be our last post for a while. We head off on a 3 day train trip, then hit Siberia and Mongolia. I don't think either of them are reknowned for their internet capabilities. Sorry to anyone who's emailed me, it was blogging or replies and blogging won.

The last thing we have to say is a massive congratulation and pre-birthday wishes to Suz. You our favourite middle sister.

Today I missed my very first anything on this trip. Gen and I did not make our ferry this morning and although Gen thinks there is a connection between her and missing the boat, really we shoud've just checked when check in closed. Gen and I spent a fabulous 20 minutes in the ferry terminal knowing that our boat was just outside and that they weren't going to let us on. Luckily the weather is beautiful and we've been walking around listening to people actually speak welsh and sampling the delights of Holyhead. It is a nice little town with a 4th century roman fort(and an excellent internet cafe) but both food places we've visited have smelt absolutely rank (cigarettes and damp, we think). But as annoying as this was we've sorted everything out, we're into Dublin tonight and we've officially spent a day in Wales. Wales!

Photos courtesy of the great and glorious Em-ma-ma.

















These are from a night out a couple of weeks ago. we danced and danced.
more exciting is liz learned new computer skills today (phew) says bonnie
we tired (says lizbonnie)
but liz will make tea soon and everything will be ok.

YAY Suzy! You and your fellow festival folk rock. Good luck for the rest of the festival.

And now the question. How big do people think a badger is? I thought they were kind of like a hedgehog. Little and black and white and snuffly. Well, they are black and white and very cute but they are also the size of an overgrown wombat. My naiive assumption was smashed yesterday when a very friendly badger took refuge right outside Martin (another of my Uncle Peirs' brothers) and Wencka's back door. I swear it could have eaten Molly (their jack russel terrier) if it wanted to.

I'm back in London now and off to see 7 Brides for 7 Brothers the musical this afternoon. I will be enjoying the classical songs "Bless her Beautiful Hide" and Goin' Courtin'. And you can't stop me.

I'm sure there are at least 2 people out there who are wondering what I've been doing for the last 5 days. Here it is.

Sunday-Tea, walk, dinner, TV, sleep.
Monday-Lunch, TV, dinner, TV, sleep.
Tuesday-Lunch,walk, TV, dinner, TV, sleep.
Wednesday-Brunch, walk, TV, dinner, TV, sleep.
Thursday-Brunch, SHOPPING!!!, walk, TV, dinner, TV, sleep.

See, I quite like this lifestyle but now you know why I won't be blogging much over the next few days.

Fred you and your parents would be proud. In the last 24 hours I have been to a Northamptonshire silk mill, been to a watercress farm and eaten watercress soup. And last night, as I was trying to figure out what the funny smell was coming from my noodles it was clarified for me. In conclusion, the Marmoy family I'm currently staying with;Richard, (brother to my Uncle Piers) his wife Sheela and children Georgie and Oliver are lovely. Liver is not.

I felt that I needed to blog a public congratulations to Lelaina (you so ghetto, girl) and Fred. I hope the theses related tics are subsiding and I'm so proud you both survived.