Birmingham, day 2

I get up fairly early and walk over to get some breakfast which wasn't too good. But anyway, internet access is for free even though it says 50 pence/half an hour. To be on the safe side, I don't ask them if this is they mean it seriously.
I'm still impressed with house #2. Anyway, I have about 30 pounds cash and I'm a bit annoyed when nationalrail.co.uk tells me that I have to pay another 44 pounds for a single fare to Cambridge.
Luckily when I walk down the road I bump into a coach station with National Express coaches. I get myself a ticket for a service to Cambridge at 3pm for 25 quid. Not too bad, ey? I decide to walk to house visit #4 for it seems pretty close to me near the University of Birmingham and the city centre. And indeed, it is.
I meet the landlord who's an extremely friendly chap who shows me around and explains me everything. I'm very impressed with the house. It was built in 1910 and each single room, even the attic, has got an own little fire place. Naturally the rents quite high. Not even does he introduce me to the house but also walks with me through the nearby wonderful park, explains me in which pub Oasis had their first ever live gig, and gives me a tour of my future university campus!
I very much like the university. All seems to be very modern and student-friendly. Each department has got it's own building and there's a high tower in the middle of it. Unfortunately you can't climb on it anymore, since a Japanese student committed suicide by jumping off it. I have the impression that someone couldn't handle exam period there. A shame, really, and also very selfish because now students can't climb it anymore, as I said. And not very nice to look at, I'd imagine.
Well, anyway. I walk back into the city centre and to the station. I find a foreign currency exchange bureau where I trade in my last remaining €s. Then I get myself a portion of chips refined with salt n vinegar, additionally a burger. British beef, of course. What else?
The coach to Cambridge is delayed so I wait for a bit. I've got a friendly driver again, who, unfortunately, drives like if he was in a race. So again, I caught a little sleep but not too much. Arriving in Cambridge near Parker's piece, I lend my mobile to a British lady to call her son to pick her up.

What do I owe you, my dear? - No, that's fine, thanks...

I have a trolley as luggage so I can drag it after me as I walk down Hills road, where I find Homerton college straight away. The porters show me to my room and I make myself comfortable. Since I'm too late for dinner I get myself some cheese, ham, rolls and a pack of nice olives in garlic sauce at the nearby supermarket. I don't find any Bell staff on site so I decide to go to sleep and see what tomorrow brings.

off across the channel again

It's Friday, 30th July 2010 and I set off from G-town to Dusseldorf Int Airport. My flight is scheduled for 7:05am GMT+1, and lasts for about one hour in which I ... sleep. Arriving in London Heathrow I go to the tube station straight away, Picadilly line in this case ("this is a Picadilly line service to Cockfosters"), change at Leicester square, go northbound via the northern line until I reach London Euston station which provides a direct rail link to Birmingham. I get there at around 9:30am GMT. Before I get on the train, I get myself the following English mobile no: 07587 531 112 at the nearby King's Cross St. Pancras International rail station. I then pay 40 pounds for a Virgin train single fare ticket to Birmingham New Street. On the train I contact various people regarding spare rooms and arrange meetings (I need somewhere to stay for my Erasmus year starting at the end of September). Also I go past a station of a town which's called like this:

A remarkable place :)

I arrive at Birmingham New Street Station (cloudy, occasional light rain fall) from where I take a taxi (nice driver, except he charged me 5 pounds for a distance that would have been worth 2 Pounds) to Central Backpackers Birmingham. The entrance hall of this youth hostel looks like a hippie-flatshare, nice chill out music, loads of cushions and comfy sofas, the receptionist was (presumably?) French and explains directions to me for my first property visit.

The woman studies somewhere like Malaysia? At least she's got Himalaya paintings up the walls in her house. She tells me to get bus no 50 on the phone which was followed up by a 20 min walk ~  If I'd taken bus no 3A straight away, as I had intended, it would have brought me straight to the doorstep...
Her younger daughter lives in the house and studies at UoB! Another PhD student who seems to be a little messy. She is all into arts and is running around on bare feet, she gets nervous when I ask her about heating: I should possibly only heat rooms in which I am, otherwise the energy bill would be too high - I would never have guessed!Then I go back to the city centre and have a greasy kebap for lunch.
Second flat:

The address is: [...], Bearwood. The best buses are 120,127,128 from Corporation Street(which is just by the New Street Staion if u arrive there), this 2min walk to the house. U can also take 9, 126, 138, 139,140 from Colmore Row(which is next to Snow hill station;both streets fairly close), but then is about 10min walk to the house. any difficulties just give me a call or text. good luck! (SMS)

I have difficulties to find bus stops to Bearwood, in exchange a very friendly bus driver – he shows me where to get off, then I ask for directions in the pub called Bear and they were very friendly but send me to the wrong place.
So I call the dweller of the house which has got an Italian accent but is Polish, very friendly and nice person also male flat mate who is EFL teacher. The third flat mate is not there. She lived in Italy for a few years.
As I walk down the road I happen to see this ad:

Deutschland, Deutschland über rated

Wow, for me being German this is quite an experience - in England it doesn't seem to bother anybody. It's a Nissan commercial - obviously they find it worth mentioning that some people think that German cars are the best ;) There's a similar one like this in which "sausages" play a role...
Finally, the third flat share is in a dodgy area near the city hospital and the neighbour picked me up with two little kids in the back of his car. He grows himself a straight A Taliban Beard. Then he shows me the flat which is a bit of a construction site. The kitchen seems to be old and stuffed with a lot of useless things.
I don't stay for long but walk back into the centre. There's a free dinner at the Centr. Backpackers prepared by an Italian girl. Some really tasty rice with tuna, tomato, corn, and similar stuff - cold though. I sit down at a table and a nice and intelligent (but fat) Aussie girl starts chatting to me. She and her friend (I'm afraid also...) do a Europe trip for 5 month. We go outside into a nice garden - they smoke a cigarette, I have a Carling for 2.50 pounds. After that I feel more dead than alive, it's been a long, long day. Hopefully a successful one... fingers crossed. Tomorrow I'm going to have a second house hunting round.