The Sound of Hippos Snoring...

8th October, Bath YHA

Ghnnnnzzzzzzz... BurrrTRrrrr..... GhnuuuurRRhhhhhhhzzzzz....

This is the sound I woke up to this morning. Hippos snoring. Either that or an elephant farting.

No. It's the sound of two women in my dorm snoring. Women ... Snoring ... Geeeeeezz! Only one thing for it... I laid in bed dreaming up stories of hippos and elephants snoring so loudly they woke up a lion who roared in their ears - but their snores were so loud that the roar didn't wake them! I kept this up for a while, and then finally got fed up so went down to have breakfast...

I went to town quite late today, and posted parcels (yet again) back to Australia. But then found more things for family - so my bag is no doubt going to be overweight when I get on that plane tomorrow - I'm catching a flight to IRELAND!! But hopefully it won't be too bad!

I kept walking around town, and found The Jane Austen Museum in Bath. The guide I had through the building was a little painful, but the things I learned about Miss Austen were quite fascinating. She wrote a book "The History of England written by a partial, prejudiced, & ignorant Historian", when she was quite young. It was quite a quirky, so I actually bought a copy! It was illustrated her sister Cassandra.

Had a headache, so I returned to the hostel for a break from city noise - but I went back to an older lady who wanted to chat and chat and chat about her life story. So my afternoon break before the talk I was going was no longer a nap time - but a ear to hear about someone's life story, the tragedies and triumphs of this woman on a sunny afternoon.

The talk on War and Media in the 20th Century was quite incredible. I learned loads upon what I already learned in University, and met a woman who actually knows Don McCullin! He had just had a big operation, and wasn't allowed to take photos until his doctor said he was better. So as this lady said, he was probably stuck between convalescing and dying of boredom for not being able to take photos! I was so glad to hear he is still taking photos, doing street work, as well as his landscapes still.

I walked back up Bathwick Hill to the hostel - DIED HALFWAY! It was a great walk, but hills and I are still not on the best of terms... I think its my knees... Plane tomorrow... let's hope it's lovely and easy!