Wheels in motion

Ok so.

I bought my Eurostar ticket the other day, so the date is now set for leaving the country! I will be leaving Sheffield on April the 15th for 3 months. I've still got a fair bit of shopping to do, but it's good to have a deadline - means I have to pull my socks up now.

I spent a good couple of hours on the website, and as a result have managed to get a ticket for £56.50! There are a few tips I found out for getting a cheap Eurostar ticket:

• allow yourself plenty of time to book the ticket, changing a few details can mean the difference between a £60 fare and a £200 one

• try to get a departure time either very early in the morning or departing after 7pm in the evening -  mid-week or on a Sunday

• try to book in advance (apparently 60 or 90 days is best)

• sometimes single tickets can be expensive, so it's worth adding a return ticket to see if it's cheaper (make sure you set the return date to at least 1 week after your departure) then you can simply bin the return ticket

Moving on, I'd like to thoroughly recommend the website OneBag. This site is a goldmine for people wanting tips on travelling light. It's well thought-out and informative. Even if you're not planning on travelling with all you can fit in a handkerchief there's still plenty to take away from it. 

One of the cool things is how to pack! Check the diagram towards the bottom of the page. Another is the Universal Packing List. I've not used this one yet, but it's sure to be some use. Also take a nosey at the checklist.

As for my first couple of nights in Paris, I've looked at a couple of places - the Young & Happy Hostel, the Eldorado Hotel and the Peace and Love Hostel. Gotta love the names of these places. Haha.

I have looked into Australian working visas, £185 for a year if I remember right, I'll provide details later on. 

• This week I got hold of Steven Wilson's first solo album, Insurgentes. If you're a fan of Porcupine Tree you'll already have it, but if you like Progressive Rock from the past or present you should definitely check it out.

• I also acquired some more excellent Brian Eno in the form of January 07003: Bell Studies for the Clock of the Long Now. Top stuff.

• I watched Cool Hand Luke (1967) - great film about a prisoner who doesn't quite fit in, some awesome quotes in there.

Right, I'm hungry for food so I'm gonna bugger off now. Peace.

Not long now..

Well I finished my job on Friday 27th and it feels weird not having to get up.. good, but weird. I'm sure I'll adjust!

I spent 2 years working at a Solicitors' office as an office mule in the centre of town. A dull job, but full of lots of cool people. It took me until the second year to realise I wanted change, and, after hearing of tales of travelling from friends I started getting my own ideas.

It wasn't until a few months after the initial seeds of imagination were planted, that I started talking with people about travel and then came to the conclusion that solo travel was the way to go. The more I've thought about it, the more the benefits have outweighed the negatives.

Anyway, in the void left by work I have, amongst other things, been dabbling in a little photography so I can take better pictures when I head into the unknown. I only have a measly 4 megapixels to play with, but I'll live.

 

The first photo was taken the other week in Sheffield, the rest are from when I went to Scotland last summer. Maybe I should pursue a career as a postcard photographer... 

Anyway, I've spent too long on this post and forgotten what else I was going to put so I'll just round it up here. Before I go I'd like to spread the word of Charlie Brooker... I'll let his latest article do the talking... click me

• This week I have been mostly listening to Robin Trower's Bridge of Sighs and a good chunk of Daft Punk. I've also been rubbing my hands with glee as I've started on the final season of The Shield - awesome.