A Jane Austen Moment

I've spent the past fortnight ensconced at number 58 The Avenue, Lowestoft, the most easterly point in England. This is the place where all the winds of the earth are travelling to – my hair can attest to this so don't dare argue with me. Charles Dickens once visited here, the Germans bombed it to smithereens and it used to be a hot spot for the fish. That's all I've uncovered so far.

I've become excellent at sitting in one spot – I was rather good at this before I left home, but travelling doesn't allow one to practise this under-appreciated activity. During my sitting time I discovered Special Topics in Calamity Physics (which isn't actually about science, but is a rather intriguing murder mystery), something I think Margs read years ago but I wasn't paying attention. I'm also reading Roger Deakin's Wildwood, since Dad claims it's his favourite book (but he has many favourite books he insists I read so I wonder about his definition of this word or perhaps, like I can be with food groups, he's fickle when it comes to books). There's been a few other books on my bedside table, but none memorable enough for a mention.

I have ventured outdoors on the odd sunny occasion. The weather is unbearably unreliable. I look out the window and spot sun so go hunting for my shoes and before I've laced them it's pouring with rain. Once the sun came and stayed so I went riding down country lanes – I imagined, which shows how narcissistic I can be at times, a bird's eye view of me, a modern Jane Austen figure, cycling through thickets (have doubts about what these are but I'm sure they're in all good English stories), passing the occasional fox (I still haven't seen one; Fadia (whose house I seem to have moved into) claims she saw one the other evening, but, well – I'm the one who watched endless hours of The Animals of Farthing Wood (beloved television show, circa 1990s for those puzzled readers) surely if one was going to appear, it would appear for me. Anyway zoom back in on me cycling, wind-swept hair, setting sun in background - honestly, I wouldn't have been surprised had a Mr Knightly (ha, not so predictable, am I? You were expecting the other Mr) arrived on horseback, or motorbike , and with him, the swelling sounds of a classical theme song. Instead I encountered Postman Pat's red van, which was being used by a family with two dogs. Alas.

I also, and this may surprise some of you, have persisted with running. You may not realise that if I were given the power to remove a word from our vocabulary it would be 'run' and all its various forms, so I say, with a great deal of pride, that I ran 6 km yesterday (I did considerably less today but my toe was sore).

At one point I even went as far as London (not running, I've moved on – keep up, readers). I stayed with my aunt's friend, the very welcoming Jo and her two cats, who didn't seem so impressed by my presence and would sit watching me through the window. It was all rather disconcerting. I went to the V&A, saw a wonderful Grace Kelly exhibition – which wasn't my best decision since it gave me dress envy and led to a rather impractical summer dress purchase in the Camden Markets. I spent hours trawling the book shops in Charing Cross Road – only surfaced with two finds, which demonstrates amazing restraint on my part.

Yesterday John, the other owner of the house and whose bike I borrow – I only just fit as he's very tall – dropped Fadia and me at a car-boot sale. This was rather exciting as I imagined myself digging about and finding that bargain (the one they find on those antique TV shows) – this didn't happen, but I did get a copy of that neat little grammar book Eats, Shoots & Leaves, and a wind-up gaudy Swiss gold watch (I paid 8 pound, which John pronounced too much), but I think it looks very dashing.

I'm currently job hunting; I have my sights set on Cambridge, but I'm not sure the eye-balling is reciprocal. Next week I'm taking a jaunt to Scotland where, if the mood strikes, you might find me Loch Ness hunting.

p.s. What's a blog without a food mention? I'm living with my favourite cook in the world. Fadia's a genius in the kitchen and I'm spoiled at every meal time so I hope you're all jealous of me.