This is why I came here

I was the happy tourist today, courtesy of a whirlwind tour of London in the Saab, ably hosted by Mark and Kathryn, and my god, it blew my mind. The sublimty of London and the grandeur of its heritage was simply out of this world.

A long time fan of classical architecture (the (not the Beehive) Government building in Wellington being amongst my favourites), today I saw more beauty than I thought imaginable. The Tower of London, Big Ben (it was sparkling Suz) and the Houses of Parliament were magnificent - how this square kilometre of perfection survived the blitzkreg eludes me.

I plan to take a week to walk through these places, reading their various histories as I go. Sitting for a day atop a double decker bus and being spoon feed tip bits wouldn't do it justice.

I'll make my solo debut on the tube tomorrow and do a dry run to Hammersmith and back to get my bearings for the interview on Tuesday - shouldn't be a drama - worst case scenario is a long way south of Ireland.

It is hard to describe a day when at one point you are exposed to the depths and richness of your spiritual home, and just half an hour later, you are having a beer in a flat, watching a game of football.

Fortunately; Newcastle United came to the party and restored a sense of normality - losing 2-1 to Man United....