Flat Jessica was very excited for the train ride, even though it wasn't a long trip it all. They boarded at Oxford and took a short ride to Didcot Pkwy, changed trains and had an entire car all to themselves. So Flat Jessica got to sit in her own seat.
The reason for the trip to Swindon was to see Jasper Fforde, one of Michal's favorite authors. He had just written a brand new one called Shades of Grey, although mostly known for the THursday Next series and the lesser known Nursery Crimes Series. Michal hadn't finished SHades of Grey yet so she perched on a small stool near the signing table and finished the book. Flat Jessica was pretty excited when Michal finished, about ten minutes before Jasper arrived.
Turns out Michal was also at the front of the signing queue so she was the first to meet Jasper! He was very nice, friendly, interested that she was planning on seeing him in Pasadena a few weeks before but ended up coming to Swindon instead. He had no problem taking a picture with Michal and they chatted for a bit.
However, Flat Jessica wanted to meet Jasper too so they waited until everyone else had gotten their books signed and then Flat Jessica got her picture too.
They asked Jasper what there was to do in Swindon and athough he wasn't too sure (clearly there is not much to do), they found plenty to fill the rest of their afternoon. They wandered through the Brunell Shopping Centre on Michal's quest to find red rainboots with white polka dots. They also observed some beautiful old architecture which gave the town an 1800s feel.
They finally decided to go to the STEAM museum since Swindon is at the heart of the Great Western Railway System but it wasn't free so Michal put the kibosh on that.
So they ended up in the Swindon outlet mall! They walked through John Lewis, the British version of Ikea and then meandered through the outlet shops, looking for good deals and boots. Neither were found.
They did enjoy seeing a large train, although Flat Jessica felt that in this picture, the train was running her down. Michal argued that because Flat Jessica can't stand on her own, she better take whatever she can get. It was their only argument and they soon were friends again.
There was a beautiful pink and orange sunset that Michal and Flat Jessica got to watch as they were waiting for the train back to Didcot Station. By the time they arrived at Didcot 15 minutes later, it was gone so they were lucky to have witnessed it.
All in all, it was a long day but Flat Jessica was glad to enjoy a part of England she had never seen before.
The End.
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