All the critics from the NYC ...

To quote Raekwon from the Wu-Tang Clan, I'm live, live, live from New York.

And god forbid - I went to Yankee Stadium in the Bronx yesterday to watch the Yankees beat the Angels and guess what? What, I hear you ask. I was actually barracking for the Yankees!

This came only two days after I was cheering for Boston from the stands at Fenway Park.

We have a problem but they were two awesome experiences which I'll share on the blog later.

Hot and humid here today in what could be my final day in the Big Apple.

Bye for now.

Spot the difference ...

One tourist attraction cost me £37 and a whole day in a bus to see.

The other attraction - literally, right on my doorstep - was free and I (along with Cousin Slugg, pictured) saw it every day!

Ghetto Stonehenge - England's least-known tourist attraction.

A tale of two sporting fields ...

Good coffee, fresh food and cheap Internet access are all hard to find across North America, in particular, Toronto, Montreal and Boston. And when one finds a computer, chances are there is no way of being able to view the contents of a CD. Blame it on the tetons or terrorism. This explains the delay it has taken me to get pictures up on this trusty blog. Sorry about that.

Alas, good news! Pictured above is me on the dais outside that awful concrete monstrosity known as Montreal's Olympic stadium. I don't know how the athletes were inspired to compete there. Maybe they had no choice.

Two days later, I did a tour of Fenway Park and here's me pictured by The Green Monster. It was truly a privilege to walk on one of the world's great stadiums. I'm lost for words.

Be thankful.

Beer, baseball and Boston ...

"The ice of Boston is muddy and reflects no light in day or night and I slip on it every time."

What the hell were The Dismemberment Plan singing about? I arrived in Beantown yesterday and proceeded to melt. It would have been more than 35 degrees celcius. The weather was hardly conducive to carrying two bags around the city and, as a result, my shoulders and back are feeling it today. The pain was somewhat eased with the consumption of a few beers at a tavern, close to the hostel (and also a Manny Ramirez home run away from Fenway Park, home of the world champion Red Sox - who, by the way, beat the Tampa Bay Devil Rays 4-1 last night).

Here's me pictured outside Fenway Park. I'm hoping to scalp tickets to see the Red Sox host the Minnesota Twins on Friday night.

Ça fait un peu boui-boui, mais il y a de la jolie moisissure ...

Welcome! Or is that bienvenue? It's been a long time between drinks here on the blog. Pardon.

Where to begin? I'll start at an Internet cafe in Montreal where I arrived a few hours ago. People here prefer to speak French rather than English and I am trying to get used to a real foreign experience - attempting to understand some people who have trouble understanding me. That sounds familiar. Another phrase, "Pardon, mais je ne parle pas français", will most definitely be used for the two days I am here as I quickly recall some of those phrases learnt in Year 8 French class all those years ago.

The above phrase ("It's a bit of a dive, but it has some nice mould") applied to the four nights I spent in Toronto, in particular at the Global. The place had a distinctive odour, was a bit messy and thongs were mandatory in the shower.

Overall, a good attitude was required for my international hostel debut, but I knew someone was looking down on me as soon as I walked through the door. The Postal Service album was in the CD player and as my mate Rivjuando said: "How bad can a hostel be if they are playing that?"

I met some great people from all over this wonderful world. The festivities started on Wednesday with a party and I stayed out until 3am. If London has a lot of Aussies there, then Toronto comes very close. I had a few beers with one Aussie who wasn't acting like a wanker, a bright spark studying aeronautical engineering at Oxford. He should add Advanced Beer Drinking 101 to that impressive CV.

On Thursday, a new Irish friend accompanied me to see my Seattle Mariners lose to the hometown Blue Jays. The stadium, formerly (but still affectionately) known as the SkyDome was the first retractable roof stadium built, more than a decade before the Telstra Dome in Melbourne opened for business.

My colleague and former housemate, the District Attorney met me in Toronto on Friday and we travelled up the CN Tower, which is apparently the world's tallest building at 553 metres. Their website even says so. It's a great feeling having a beer while sitting on top of the world. On Saturday, we took a tour to Niagara Falls before heading out with a couple of lovely lasses from England and Canada respectively. It was an awesome day.

Yesterday, we went to the Hockey Hall Of Fame, walked extensively around the downtown area and saw Wedding Crashers before embarking on the eight-hour journey, arriving around 8am local time. The trip was surprisingly smooth and I was able to get some leg room and a few naps in between.

I look forward to posting some pictures here at JB HQ when I can, but for now, I'm going to go and buy a French dictionary. Au revoir!

How to make a dollar (and get a laugh) in Toronto ...

O Canada!

With a heavy heart I left London today, or was that yesterday? Many people, including Cousin Slugg, Can't Stop The Rush, AC Literally and Westminster Abby made the trip memorable for yours truly. A big shout out to you all.

To paraphrase the greatest band in the world, Tenacious D, I met a tasty baby from Michigan on the flight to Toronto today, which definitely made the eight hours fly, pardon the pun. After we parted ways - exchanging phone numbers but that was it - I then had to wait more than an hour for receipt of my overladen rucksack. Ridiculous. I managed to pass the time by collecting all the luggage trolleys for a refund of 25 cents per. I must be struggling. And to think I wasted it all on figuring out how to work the $1 lockers here at the Global Village Backpackers. Four attempts and I finally figured it out.

I'm not able to put pictures up on this here blog from the hostel and that's a shame. I have many to share including from Stonehenge and Bath and my final moments in London.

The blog is continuing make friends. Deb Star wrote: "Nice blog dude! Love the pics." My rugby-loving, lager-swilling cohort, Geezer, said: "Your trip is sounding like a trip through my childhood - we used to go on hols to Cromer - lovely part of the world, East Anglia". Of the blog, he wrote: "Any danger of you shaving for photos?"

Not in this lifetime, my friend.

Here's to Captain Morgan really being a captain ...

What are the three things I like about London?
1. 10.30pm sunsets - although I've been assured that this will change. The long days are enjoyed more when there are no mosquitos.
2. Captain Morgan Spiced Rum - if Thomas More was a man for all seasons, then this is a drink for all times. A classic.
3. The bridges - London Bridge may have been a disappointment and the Millennium Bridge may have been wobbly, but I love Tower Bridge and the lesser known Albert Bridge, pictured above with yours truly.

What are the three things I don't like about London?
1. The 4.30am sunrises - I'm staying in an east-facing room and I'm partial to 10.30pm sunsets and some Captain Morgan. Something's gotta give!
2. The number of ex-pats here - Is this Australia's seventh state? What happened to just relying on your ocker Aussie accent to pick up? Having said that, I "met" a girl on Friday night. You would not have guessed she was Australian.
3. The number of ex-pats here (part two) - You might be able to buy a VB or a Crownie (at severely inflated prices), but do you know how impossible it is to buy a Sherrin? I'm convinced there's a business opportunity to be had here. I was "forced" to kick a rugby ball around Clapham Common on Saturday, as evidenced above in full flight. Running like a gazelle.

I saw dead people ...

The good times continue to roll in the mother country. On Friday, I was joined by Can't Stop The Rush at the London Dungeon. The Lonely Planet (aka the traveller's bible) was right on this London icon - long on blood and gore, short on substance and value. However, it gave a good insight into history on this wonderful city.
Then it was to The Monument for some value-packed views of London. It may not be as technologically advanced as the London Eye, but if you're willing to part with £2 and walk 311 steps to the top (and another 311 steps back down to the bottom) then you won't be disappointed. Thanks for the suggestion, K-Beezer.

Then we went to St Paul's Cathedral for Evensong. Unfortunately, I have no photos from the inside of this beautiful building, even though some of the riff-raff there - who treated the service more like a tourist attraction and were content on breaking the rules - took pictures. I pray that God Almighty has mercy on your souls and mine, for accepting a mobile phone call from inside the cathedral, albeit before the 5pm service had started.

My century at Lord's ...

Another hot afternoon in London gives me time to reflect on my last couple of days here.

I was joined by Can't Stop The Rush on a Tower Of London tour on Tuesday. Cousin Slugg seriously underestimated the time it took to wander through this historic landmark. We turned up at 2.30pm (after getting cheap tickets for £10 each from a Japanese tourist who presumably bought two too many) and there was still plenty more to see by the time we were kicked out around three hours later. The highlight was our tour guide, the beefy Beefeater (pictured here in his summer uniform with yours truly) who commented on my Jimmy Eat World t-shirt. I informed him they were an emo outfit from Arizona but I'm not sure he cared too much after that.

From there we walked along the River Thames. London Bridge was a big disappointment (it did fall down, after all) but Tower Bridge rated pretty highly in my books. Then it was to a pub for some well-deserved ales and we even went to a Walkabout, a pub that apparently shows "the awesome spirit of Australia". Not that us Aussies need to be reminded of our spirit. While the Crown Lager was nice, I'm sure the Irish don't travel to other countries and visit Irish pubs. However, I'm happy to report that the designated "dry" day on Monday was adhered to.

Yesterday, I went to the home of cricket - Lord's. I reckon I would have nearly taken 100 photos at this sporting temple and I have included one for this here blog. Magnificent. Then it was off to Abbey Road, where I attempted to get a photo of me walking along the pedestrian crossing, Beatles-style. I'm sure the locals get annoyed. I nearly got run over, but that is hardly new for me here in London. A couple of hot-and-steamy rides in the Tube and catching up with Westminster Abby for dinner and a riverfront stroll capped off my day.

Here, here (for beer) ...

Today has been my first dry day since being on tour, so let's recap on some of my drinking experiences.

Last Friday, AC Literally and yours truly travelled in Bruce to Leeds for a night out. AC Literally's housemate, pictured here, joined us for a series of beers at establishments that went by the name of The Original Oak and The North Bar. Erdinger, pictured here, was our weapon of choice and good times were had.

On Saturday, after arriving in London, Cousin Slugg and Can't Stop The Rush joined me for a beer at The Settle Inn. I couldn't help myself when I saw a stubbie of VB in the fridge. I think it tasted the same. Afterwards, the bartender informed me that I had just spent £3. Do the math. Then I realised the joke was on me.

Last night, I had a drink with a work colleague in Fulham. Tonight, there is a six-pack of Stella Artois in the fridge and the weather is hot.

Is the body strong but the mind weak?

"I don't wanna go to London, I told you I don't care" ...

I'm not sure what Third Eye Blind were singing about, but I have to say I really like this place.

Today I travelled around London with Can't Stop The Rush, who is pictured here with yours truly on the London Eye. I can't recommend this landmark highly enough. For £12.50 we got 360 degree views around the place and for around 40 minutes we were suspended more than 100 metres in the air. The skies were clear, which resulted in me taking some great pictures. I may consider a career change when I return to the metropolitan broadsheet. Not that I'm thinking that far ahead.

Then it was off to Big Ben, Westminster Abbey and Buckingham Palace. The guards were surprisingly off-duty so they had me manning the gates! From there, my next few stops resembled a trip around the Monopoly board: The Strand, Trafalgar Square, Piccadilly, Regent Street, you get the drift.

Tomorrow we had planned to go to the one-dayer at the Brit Oval, which is close to Cousin Slugg's humble abode. But it's sold out and considering I'll have to spend all my money trying to get tickets to see the Red Sox-Twins game at Fenway Park in a couple of weeks time (yes, I know I'm wearing a Yankees t-shirt) I think I'll have to miss tomorrow's match. Following discussions with Can't Stop The Rush, JB will probably check out the Tower Of London tomorrow and other sights of this fine city.

The first picture ...

Here you see me with my gracious hosts (Cousin Slugg and Can't Stop The Rush) during my stay here in Battersea. We were served one-and-a-half chickens and the finest roast potatoes at one of Cousin Slugg's locals on Sunday night - all washed down with a beer (or three).

Now I have figured out how to add pictures to this here blog, more will be revealed.

JSB? A-OK ...

I'm more regular than fibre at the moment in compiling daily reports for this here blog. This is probably bad rather than good but I'm sure it will all change when I arrive in London - thankfully, given recent developments, on Saturday night.

I woke up very late in Norwich this morning to see news on the television of the London terror blasts. I'm more than a couple hours from the capital, but it's the topic of discussion on everyone's lips here. Just before, there were 25 people in an electrical goods store watching TV and getting up-to-date reports. Yesterday, the news was of London winning the 2012 Summer Olympics. Now, the same city is at the centre of a terrorism attack. Unbelievable.

I have not had much luck in finding a TV that is showing the first one-day international between Australia and England. I'll just have to keep looking. I had hoped to go and watch it, as AC Literally lives just down the street from the hallowed Headingley but it was not meant to be. I'm sure it will be in a pub somewhere.

For those (looking at you K-Beezer) concerned with my early patronage at such establishments, I'm more worried about my diet and my liking for an English breakfast. I'll soon start to look like an English breakfast, which consists of bacon, eggs, sausages, baked beans and mushrooms, served with white bread drowned in butter and topped off with a healthy tomato. It might be the national dish here, even when it is served by people who look to be far from Anglo. The meal could just be a metaphor for the multicultural melting pot known as England.

He's so smart (he went to university) ...

During a trip to Boston almost three years ago, I went to Harvard (just to say I had "been there"). Today, I can say that I'm reporting here from Cambridge, home of another esteemed university and a place where the architecture is as equally historic and brilliant.

One of my colleagues back home, Paraletic aka The Marathon Man, has enjoyed the entries on this here blog. He wrote: "I was left lying on the floor laughing - very funny, but very enjoyable! The page is now added as a favourite and looking forward to updates." Get back to work! Another happy customer, the well-known District Attorney said: "The blog is looking fine. It is on my favs."

Paraletic suggested I put together a list of the best places to have a beer. I just think I should stop drinking before 11am. I found myself having G&T's on the plane (7am Australian time) and just then I went into a bar to escape a sudden downpour (apologies to Westminster Abby from London who suggested I take an umbrella everywhere I go). Subsequently I had a pint of Stella Artois for £2.90.

In Norwich, I had an English breakfast at The M-rderer's Arms. Going by the name (which has apparently been censored), I'm very lucky to have made it out alive. I still find myself drinking Foster's here, even though I wouldn't touch it back home. In Cromer, I had three pints at three different establishments. Like Cromer, each pub was picturesque but uneventful.

Good luck to the Blues of New South Wales in the State Of Origin decider tonight. Back to it!

First impressions of the mother country ...

Greetings from Cromer. Where the hell is that, you ask? On visiting England, most people would visit London first, but I'm following my Aussie expat mate, AC Literally, who is working around the county (?) of Norfolk. Apparently there is no Internet cafe in Cromer, a quaint little seaside town known as "The Gem of the Norfolk Coast", so I'm taking advantage of the free access down at the public library before I enjoy a refreshing ale in one of the many waterside pubs and pen some postcards for postage back home.

Highlights so far have been catching up with AC and his Mum, who returned to Australia just after I arrived at Heathrow and seeing the sights as we travelled north-east in Bruce, AC's red VW work van. I have been impressed with the architecture, the amount of new cars and the Live TV channel in our hotel room that mimicks very soft porn. I am yet to see any rising stars in Norwich but that will hopefully change.

I'll be in the Norfolk area until I go to the university town of Leeds in northern England. London then awaits.

JB - Live from Singapore ...

Welcome to what will be the first of many travelling posts on this here blog!

Arrived at Singapore Airport about 30 minutes ago. The flight was good - the beautiful ladies on Singapore Airlines really look after a young fella from Australia. The best $2 I ever spent was before I got on the plane. With a stubbie of Carlton Draught in my hand - the last one for five months - I had four minutes of relief in a massage chair and it was divine, easing the stress of moving house and organising this trip.

Now just taking advantage of the free Internet here at the airport before I get on the connecting flight to London. The pack of people who are waiting to get on look at me in disgust, but hey, I had to wait 15 minutes too!

Finally, a shout-out to everyone I caught up with in Geelong and Melbourne before flying off last night. And also to the mighty Cats for yesterday's win, sending me out on a high! Last of all, a tonne of appreciation and love to my Mum and Dad. Without them, I wouldn't be here.