27th of March to 19th of April, 2017.
Weybridge is about two hours from London. I had to take a train until King Cross station and from there a bus. At The Middle street, just between the two biggest supermarket in the neighborhood: Morrison’s and Waitrose.
I would do house sitting for a senior lady called Patricia, taking care of her cat, a lovely female called Tammy, and the big old dog Tuck. She also had two Golden fish. The house was so different of everywhere else I ever been and still nowadays I can feel this kind of weird sensation. It was a nice place, not to big and not to small, with a nice typical British backyard.
Patricia is a unusual lady (at least for me) but I guess at the end she was just as the others British senior ladies and I did not know.
I made my routine: wake up at 7a.m. and release Tuck for going outside; feeding the four of them; have some fruit for myself; going for a walk beside the beautiful river, which cross the whole town, and appreciate the view of some amazing houses and nice boats plus the swans and ducks; have some breakfast back; cleaning the house; go for two walks with Tuck per day; have some rest; cooking lunch and dinner; watch something and going to sleep around 10p.m.
Weybridge is an old town so I think because of that it got so traditional. I was looked on the streets as someone very different, probably because of the bald thing. I was not expecting that kind of reaction out of Brazil so sometimes could piss me off. Now I just think that traditional towns are traditional towns wherever in the world.
I was going for shopping in the supermarket almost every day. I was cooking some delicious, but simple things and having one bottle of wine each three days. I had Nutella and peanut butter and jam. I was making pancakes for breakfast and eating with strawberries and Nutella after have some yogurt with granola or cereal with milk. Mushroom risotto for dinner and sometimes pizza. So you are probably thinking: but I thought you said your blog it was for some those like you, who do not have money. Yeah, you are right! But I do not have money now. At the beginning of my travel I had my savings from Brazil and I was enjoying my freedom in style. I was thinking that as soon I moved to Scotland, I would find a job and everything it would ended well. By that time, I had no plans to travel around Africa with almost not money at all, what would change my travel plans for good.
I asked Patricia’s permission to take her bike and try to learn how to ride it. Yes, I was a 27 years old person who did not learn how to ride a bike. So I went to this alley, not to busy and where I could go for a while holding in the wall and after watch some videos online I started. I have to say, at the beginning the only thing I could think it was that I should probably be one of the few people in the world who not supposed to ride a bike. I did not exactly fall but I was hurting my hand and my right leg a lot. A few days later, at the shower, a got choked (even that I found beautiful) with over ten big purple / black spots on it. The few people who pass through me did not care to much. I bet if I was in Brazil it would be a nightmare. Just one guy, walking with his dog, said something “Is not to late to learn how to ride a bike?” What? I was so pissed off but as usual, at the moment, I could not give him an appropriate answer. Of course that later a hundred of them came to my mind. Anyway, I did it! After three days I learned! The first fall it came when I decided go for a ride at the river (a little risky, humm?) and some kids simply did not move from my way and I lost the control of the bike. I actually manage jumped out but the bike ended on the floor.
Walking around the neighborhood a few days later, a guy in a motorbike, quite stylish, approach me and we start to talk. He looked nice but unfortunately my bad English at that time did not allowed me to have a good conversation. Later I realized that he was the same guy who had said the thing about being to late to learn how to ride a bike. But he was so nice this time…
Another day, I pass in front his house when he was leaving. With his bike this time. We had a quite better pep-talk and he invite me to come back some day and visit him. It was the first time I realized how charming he was.
I went to visit Brian on Friday, my birthday. Unfortunately, I do not know how, but I could not find his house. At night, I already had decided to go to The Old Crown Pub for a beer, so I did.
On Monday, one day before I leave, I tried again and I found it. I rang the bell and Brian came out, all cute in his kind of pajamas and his lovely dog, Maggie. With a big smile, he invite me to come inside. I stay for just half an hour but it was enough to admired him and fell good about him. He was a really nice and simple man, kind and gentle. I do not know why I did not ask him to go out at night with me that night. I actually send him an email later, explaining it was my last night and everything but he missed. He said something about going next day but unfortunately, Patricia was coming back that day and I had to say no. I never saw him again which was such a shame. I know that everybody who know me is wondering “What about that ‘no relationship’ thing that you always talk about it?”. It is as much true that time as it is now. Yeah, I found Brian very charming and such a nice guy, but then what? That has to mean that I want something more than friendship with him? No! What are you, fourteen?
Anyway… Weybridge is a charming old and traditional town. You can find some nice small restaurants (but of course you can always find everything that you need cheaper on the supermarkets, including a delicious cheesecake for just three Pounds), some antiquity stores very nice, beautiful views at the river, beautiful old buildings and houses and some nice parks. At the end, what I think that made me more happy it was that Tuck did not die. Wait, I can explain: he was so old, so old, and I am so bad lucky, that I almost knew for sure he would die before Patricia come back. Luckily he did not!
