Amma and I are going to be in the UK from the 17th to 31st. The land of Dickens and Shaw and Shakespeare and Austen and Sayers and Rendell and James (PD) and Townsend and Heyer and Francis…. I’m excited.

It’s my first trip abroad, the first time I’m taking a long-distance flight, the first time I’ve applied for a visa. There was some drama with my mom’s passport first, a policeman playing havoc with verification and delaying the renewal until the last minute. But the visa magically came through in three days without us having to travel to Chennai for an interview.

Do you know, my parents and my sister came back to India via Europe when they resettled from Canada in 1972? And they actually landed in London two years to the day I was born! They spent 4 days there and also visited Paris, Venice, Rome, Belgrade, and Egypt.

Ruth has very very kindly offered to help with accommodation in London. I was originally planning to go to Edinburgh/Lake District/Yorkshire but friends there haven’t responded to my latest mail, so I’m going to try and see as much as possible via day trips from London. Maybe move into a hostel so we don’t inconvenience Ruth more than we are already.

Anyone has any tips? Ruth says she might take me to her local knitting group, which is a scary idea! Me, the amateur knitter, meeting actual real knitters, who probably make usable items!!! And beautiful ones. It’s terrifying. Gulp.

I don’t plan to buy any yarn, because I’d probably want a little bit of everything and that would be way above my budget/baggage allowance. Too much temptation might sometimes translate into none at all, you know. But maybe some small gizmo, if it is affordable.

Will I meet any of my readers there? Let me know. Did I say I’m excited? I’m excited!