The Pad - Battersea...official photos...

And so here it is, finally I remembered to take some photos of where I am. So without further adieu.....

Bathroom...with a bath...bliss!
The kitchen...
My Room, well half of it
The lounge from the kitchen door
Tulips to brighten up the place
The Deck..

and up closer...
and my chair
view from the deck across all the flat gardens

And so does Adelaide...........

Battersea is great, but so is Adelaide!!! Ra-delaide!

I have attached a few pictures from my most recent trip home to see my family and most importantly my Mum who is not well. She is doing great and a real trooper, her boxing gloves are on and she doesn't plan to take them off - go Mummy!!

I was lucky enough that I also had time to catch up with friends, those I saw when I popped into Santos, it was great to see you all - Avril, Jenni, Kelly, John, Debbie, Lynn, Sue, Ross, Ben, Lisa J, Lisa H, Megan, and I am sorry I missed more of you....I will def see you next trip.

I spent time with my best friend Laura and my sister at a play cafe called Jack in the Box, so we could have the wee children - Harry and Oliver - entertained while we girls had a good natter. Laura was lovely enough to organise a fabulously delicious dinner at Melt (tapas, pizza and a scrumptious chocolate pizza) to catch up with those who could make it - Eva, Mel, Matt, Scott, Emma, Craig, Paula, Chris, Tuti, Brad, Laura, Graham, so thank you to those who came, and to those who couldn't, your on the most definitely will see next trip list. You all know who you are!

Thank you to Chris, Saroeun, Scott, and Becs for taking me out for a yummy meal of wine and steak at 1877, to Saroeun for shopping (I hope you like your wedding gift), to Julie for cooking me a feast, Harry for entertaining me at Fasta Pasta (mum and dad - Laura and Graham too), to Michael for lending me his car, for Renee and Ben for letting me have a day with my gorgeous nephew (and for the video camera), to my Nana for having a good ol chat with and most importantly - to mum and dad for letting me live under their feet, boss the doctors around and hog the phone at all hours of the day and night.

And to the others I saw and spoke with I really loved seeing and speaking with you, you are not forgotton at all - Rosanna, Mel, and Amanda. Oh and a big congrats to John and Mel on their engagement too.

If I missed anyone I apologise....jet lag had my brain ceasing to function most of the time...or is that normal. Well I guess we shall never know. It was great to be back and Adelaide provided the goods in the way of home comforts for sure!

Harry and Laura at Jack in the Box - play cafe, and play we did!
Oliver in the Balls
Renee with Oliver at the Play Cafe
Dinner at Melt - Tuti, Lisa and Laura
Cute wee Oliver
Lisa, Laura and Renee....
Oliver with Renee, or vice versa...
Me with my loverly Mum and sister Renee
Jenny and Lisa - Happy Birthday Jen!
Oliver enjoying Jack in the Box
Lisa and Paula, lucky we were out at the same place..
Lisa and Mel
Crazy kids...Emma, Matt and Scott...but I wouldn't have them any other way!
Tuti and Brad with me!
My Nana with Oliver..story time
Proud Dad, Ben with Oliver...
Me and my other Mum - Julie
Eva, Craig and Me at Melt
Laura and Graham - cute!
Emma and I...
Sigh...reminiscing of Adelaide
Adelaide and the famous Popeye
Scott, Chris, Saroeun and I before out to dinner at 1877 for steak...thanks guys!
Saroeun, Becs and I before dinner
Family at home, Uncle Stuart, Dad, Mum and Nan...
My Mummy!! xxxxxxxx

Battersea Rocks!

I know I have only been here a week, but seriously this is so great to live here! Why is it great, why am I peeing my pants with excitment and joy that my goodness I have been blessed by having found the most perfect location in London...well let me tell you why!

1. The commute is a godsend, the bus stop 30 seconds from my door, with 2 different buses that come about every 6-7 minutes....and together that probably works out to about 2-3 minutes for an appropriate bus.

Then i take my bus - albeit a NON-CHAV bus - past the stunning Battersea Park, across the gorgeous Chelsea bridge (pics below view on my walk home) to Sloane Square, passing beautiful buildings with terracotta red bricks and decorative pelmets.

Now, I have to say that I love buildings like this and I sigh blissfully and thank silently the people who once upon a time decided that it was ok to take your time building something, and god damn it while we are at it lets make it beautiful - none of this glass, glass and more glass, lets get it up in 2 days crappy buildings!

Anyway...my commute, oh yes, then I take the District (Green line) from Sloane Square and its not too busy from there, and if it is lots of people get off at the next stop (Victoria) and so I get a seat. This line is mostly above ground so its not too hot either, which will be very nice as the the weather warms up. All up the trip to my current work....is about 40 minutes door to door...

2. There is a lovely little coffee shop just near my bus stop at Sloane Square, and get this - THE COFFEE IS ACTUALLY GOOD...oh my god....that is where I am going every morning now.

3. My flat mates are really nice! Sarah made a bean pasta, made loads and shared it, and it was delicious. Cliff got fantastic pizza and shared that too, proper Italian stuff too, not the hideous Dominos stuff.

4. The room is a decent size and all my stuff fits in and I have a lot of stuff. Its also given me the incentive to go through my many clothes to sort out what I need and don't - its been a while since I have done that propertly.

5. About the flat in general, its always toasty warm, there is lots of light with lots of big windows, the rooms are huge, the kitchen is amazing (even has a dishwasher...woo hoo), the lounges comfy, there is a TV (which to be quite honest I watched one episode of Scrubs the other night and that is it...note I have been here since Saturday and its now Friday), we have a cleaner, there is plenty of extra storage, its very tidy (but no one is anal about it), and best of all is the outside space and deck, which has been nice to sit out on over the past couple of days.

6. The walk to the tube is about 30 minutes...but as with my commute it means I get to walk past (or through...) Battersea Park and over the Chelsea Bridge.

7. My corner shop is a Sainsburys Local, so it is decent with proper things that I need that are not over priced.

8. The overland train is a mere 6 minute walk away and 7 minutes more to Waterloo Station and you can go anywhere from there. Same if I catch a bus about 10 minutes the other way, gets me to Clapham Junction...again its like a train hub to anywhere in the South....

9. I am near all my friends who live in Surbiton, Putney, Battersea (the other side), Richmond, and London Bridge....and in general all, South...though Canary Wharf is not super close.

10. Well I just love it..............

Now for the photos,

View from Chelsea Bridge
Boats on the Thames

And so I return....

Once again I am a Londoner...albeit now a South Londoner, with my return to the fabulous Battersea flat. While I rejoice in returning to what some may consider my glamorous life in London (ha...as if) I have on having returned to Adelaide come to see that my London life is all actually about me living my life to the full, being completely over the top and making it all about...well me. It's about living it up to the minute, in the now; seeing friends, shows, bands, even county's and countries on a whim.

Adelaide showed me what it will be like and what it is to settle down, or rather be ready to settle, to be more responsible, to grow up (or pretend to...), to understand what being a grown up is all about. To be married and settled with a steady job, albeit part-time job, and babies on the cards, in the belly and belting around the living room, most likely with dangerous items like scissors in their wee mitts. Adelaide is about being a family and more importantly being with your family, and of course your friends, who become extended family really.

So in the meantime I have to travel like a maniac, and make sure I see everything that I want to because it won't be long before I have to grow up, properly. In reality I can see that one does not get to randomly travel all over gods creation, with whom and when they want; its simply not normal. Well it could well be normal for some, some people have the option to live that life forever, but its a bit selfish to do so, and I am not ... not really a selfish person. It's about me for a bit now, but its not been about me for a very long time, so I am allowed!

Anyway I must get back to my glamorous life, which currently consists of me putting all my lovely books (finally..my room will be box free..its only been 9 months) in my brand new - thank you, you know who you are - bookshelf.

And a snap of what I can see from my new place...the beautiful old Battersea Powerstation, they don't build places like that anymore!

And so we move on....from North to South

Well another move was on the cards as it was time I became a South Londoner, as you cannot truly have lived in London just having glammed it up on the North shores of the glorious Thames. While a Northerner would say how wonderful it is there on that side, a Southern would say how wonderful it is on the South side.

Its not something I can argue with as I have only live North, and... I loved living North. The very reliable, albeit crowded (and full of smug marrieds or couple's) Jubilee line, the lovely village like West Hampstead and Hampstead high streets, the crowded and bustling Kilburn high street (you'd swear you were in East London), Wembley stadium, proximity to Oxford Street (clearly my credit card will thank me for the Southern move or not...more on that later), Primrose Hill, the crazy and kooky Camden markets and Koko, the Haverstock hill restaurants, Belsize Park, my pub the Holly Bush and my most loved (and this will be dearly missed) Hampstead Heath and the amazing views of London that it affords. Sigh...

I love all the parks so I will miss most of those on the North side, including Regents Park and Parliament Hill, and I will also be disapointed of not having visited parts of the North that I just really never got a chance to get to (though there is still time) like Little Venice and all the canals.

Anyway as just a little farewell to my lovely little Hampstead flat and Fitzjohns Avenue, here are some photos that I have taken to show what living there was like....

So moving on....where am I going? Well South of the River for sure and landing square along the middle of Queenstown Road, Battersea.. Am I on the coast suddenly? Well I wish, but no just South of Sloane Square, a 6 minute walk (yes I timed it) from the Queenstown road overland station and smack bang between Clapham Common and the very beautiful Battersea Park.

It is very different from Fitzjohns Avenue, very flat, lots of buses, close proximity to friends (more random nights out here we come), a decent corner shop (there was a downside to the old place), but I will have a TV, a gorgeous and massive bath, a big kitchen, a good sized and cosy living room and a deck! Yes outside space with a BBQ and if that is not enough half of the kitchen is like a mini conservatory so will be lovely on sunny wintry days. My place for the sun and parties come sunny London in June....and through to August, fingers are tightly crossed in regards to this...pretty please.

My only concern is that I have no idea where the local supermarket is or how far anything is on foot. I will have to up my running just to explore the area a bit more, find the shops, the pub, the local offie, and check out the parks and restaurants. Now on to the credit card dilemma, well the Kings Road and Sloane square are well known for their shopping, so all the rent money I will now save, is going on shopping, well that works perfectly as that was actually my original plan. Though since I also want to visit Australia a bit more, that may have to be curbed and heaven forbid it I will have to stick to some sort of budget. It won't be the first time so all is good.

In the meantime I am still in Australia and all is currently well, and having only lived one night so far in Battesea I look forward to spending more time there soon.

My Building

Summer view

Summer Street

Autumn view

Foggy view

Winter View

Winter sunrise....there is no way I am getting up at 4am for the summer sunrise!

Spring blossoms, about a month before my move...
My fav photo in my flat, one picture of my many flowers.....

Sun in Adelaide; Snow in London

What a contrast. I come back to Adelaide and get bombarded with news of heavy snow fall in London from various friends (thanks Sophie and Shauna). Typical of London weather to wait till I am not there, though it did snow a tiny bit on Easter Monday, so I am not completely hard done by.

On the plus side it is lovely, sunny and warm in Adelaide and was 27 today - totally bliss. Everyone at my old work was cold and in suits and jackets, they thought it funny that I was totally in summery clothes and geared to go to the beach - which I have not done as yet but cannot wait to do so. My lilly white and now very English skin needs a bit of colour.

I will take some summery pictures of Adelaide and post them up!! So where ever you are enjoy the snow and sun!

Visit Home - Adelaide!

Well I am currently back in Adelaide to visit my family, an unscheduled visit because my mum is not well, but it has been 16 months (as my lovely sister pointed out) since I was here last so clearly a visit was much overdue.  I am glad to be back and its good to see that nothing has changed, at least something in my life has remained stable over the past year or so.  You can always count on Adelaide with its many "anti-everything" supporters to ensure that it stays the same, so its the place you will always remember as home. Though I am not sure what happened with the trams down King William street, what a disaster, where were the "anti" people when this proposal went through!!. 

 

I suppose the lack of changes is why people always come back, you either love it or hate it.  Everyone wants the same streets, the same Victoria Square, the same King William Street (well slightly modified now), the same cafes and restaurants.  I am very much looking forward to having a decent coffee, that is for sure, gotta love Bean Bar and Cibo..mmmmm...  that and catching up with as many friends as I can given the circumstances, just because I don't get to see you does not mean I didn't want to.  I will also be back again before the year is out so I will get in a good chin wag with you all at some point this year for sure.

 

As for Adelaide, well lots of people ask about Adelaide when I say where I am from because usually well they have not heard of it.  Its a lovely friendly little town, all about friends and family, where generally the biggest news is how much the cost of petrol is and how the Crows and Power are doing in the footy, that and there is lots of complaining about the traffic! That always makes me laugh - what traffic!!!  Anyway, sorry this is not a bag about Adelaide, I love the beautiful sunny calm town that nurtured me to become the cultured little cookie that I am.  There are things to do here and you can do them, while catching up with family, good friends, good food, good wine and damn good coffee - can I mention the coffee again....can I take Cibo back to London, oh I so wish.

 

What I love - well here is a list and its only a small list, but its a start, so before you bag Adelaide think of all the wonderful things we have;

 

Haighs Chocolate (must be first)

Fruchocs

Cibo/Bean Bar

The Central Markets

Rundle Plaza (where DJ's is)

Farmers Union Iced Coffee

St Peters Bakery...pies, pies, and more pies

Adelaide Oval - what an Icon

The Crows

Cleland Wildlife Reserve

A day out down at Victor Harbour

The Torrens - have you ever biked or run/walked along it, its gorgeous

Brighton and Seacliff beaches

The winery regions - Barossa, Clare Valley, Adelaide Hills, Limestone Coast and Southern Vales

Skyshow

Camping in the Flinders Ranges

Clipsal 500

The Fringe Festival

Starlight Room

WomAdelaide

The Dinosaurs at the Adelaide Museum, especially the blue whale

Rundle Mall

Bunnings, I love a good wander around a hardware store!

The Royal Adelaide Show

Big Day Out

Festival centre

The Big Rocking Horse in the Adelaide Hills

Foodie Streets - O'Connell Street, Melbourne St, Gouger Street, Hutt Street, Rundle Street and Unley Road

Grumpy's Pizza

Swimming with the dolphins at Glenelg beach

Sushi Train - mmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

Food and Wine Festivals, all of them, though Norwood is the best one

Day on the Green

Glenelg Jetty and ice cream at Glenelg beach on summer evenings

Autumn in the Adelaide Hills

Mt Lofty

Morialta Falls

Monarto Zoo

Friendly people (I experienced this today and was in heaven!)

Sunshine, Sunshine and more Sunshine

 

Well I think that is enough things don't you - so there - I love Adelaide and proud to call it Radelaide!!!