Watchin' squirrels in London ...

Adam, Joe and I are safely back in London. Coming back to the wet and wintery capital after leaving sunny summertime Sydney was a bit of a shock, but Adam and Joe are settling back into London life now. They are especially fond of the squirrels in the back garden - they took this photo to send to Joe's niece back in Australia (Australia doesn't have squirrels - it has possums that mainly only come out at night). I hope Jackie likes it - we spent half an hour one morning watching this squirrel unsuccessfully attempting to get to the seeds in the bird feeder hanging from this tree.

This weekend, Adam and Joe are taking me to Paris. I've been there before, but I'm looking forward to another trip: this time in the Eurostar from the new station at St Pancras!

Bye bye Australia ...

On our last day in Sydney … Adam and Joe took me to yum cha (called 'dim sum' in the UK).
The largest number of non-English speaking immigrants in Sydney come from China, so Chinese culture has had a powerful influence on Sydney cuisine. Yum cha is a tradition enjoyed by many Sydneysiders, including people of both Chinese and non-Chinese ancestry, so this was a great way to end my stay in Sydney before heading back to London.
I am particularly fond of the roast duck and the pork buns shown in the photo, and I very quickly learned to use chopsticks! Dining out is a very important part of the Sydney lifestyle.
We also ate at many Thai restaurants in Sydney during our stay. Adam and Joe tell me that the Thai food in Sydney is as good as the food they've eaten in Bangkok, but I guess I'll have to check that out myself sometime soon.

So long, Australia ... hope to come back !!!

Happy Newyear!

Happy new year everyone!

May you grow up to be righteous,
May you grow up to be true,
May you always know the truth
And see the lights surrounding you.
May you always be courageous,
Stand upright and be strong,
May you stay forever young,
Forever young, forever young,
May you stay forever young.

I joined Adam and Joe for New Years Eve on the rooftop of Dani and Hugh's harbourside apartment building. Unfortunately, Adam realised this his nighttime photographic skills were somewhat lacking, and very few of the shots turned out well, so here's one from the Sydney Morning Herald. This shows the fireworks on the Sydney Harbour Bridge, with the Opera House in the foreground.
It was an amazing night, lovely clear skies and warm temperatures, with a full view of the city and fireworks from the roof and even a rooftop pool where many children were swimming. To see the complete gallery of pictures in the Sydney Morning Herald, click on: http://www.smh.com.au/photogallery/2008/01/01/1198949751852.html