Sunshine

Just to let you know we still get plenty of it here in Australia.  Just today it was 30 degrees and amazingly bright and beautiful. I found myself wanting to go outside because I was afraid the sunshine would not last. 

It has not clicked in my head that for the last 6 weeks we have had about 3 days where the sun refused to shine, or rather shone tepidly through misty high soft clouds, and only one, just one day, where it wasn't playing peekaboo behind the clouds for most of that time.  That and my sunglasses are permanently perched on my head.  So its probably safe to say the sun is not in a hurry to go away...yet.

However, as I sit in my little chair at my little desk behind my little laptop tapping away I am continuously thinking, "oh my goodness, will I miss out, what if the sunshine stops and its grey" before dragging myself outside just for a little while. You know just in case.

Though thinking about it, about one week back I stopped to notice, whilst in a car park of all places, that the sky is high in Australia.  Sky High.  I just felt naturally small and that the world was so big the sky so wide, open and clean.  I had never realised before how lucky we are that Australia is so large and welcoming, the sky is one of the things that makes it so. 

London I remember feeling small and squashed, it felt like the clouds were ever perched just above my head, close enough to reach.  Though if I could have touched them I would have grabbed the grey grumpy sodden things and stuffed the darn things in the nearest rubbish bin.  England has low lying dense cotton wool like clouds that float past very fast and I spent plenty of time watching them do just that, where as Australian clouds are high floaty wispy that drift lightly and slowly across the sky.  Laid back clouds...laid back peoples, with London being fast and furious, just like the clouds.

No I haven't had anything to drink I really just felt like talking about clouds, and for those who have not been to Australia, I wanted to give a small insight to Australia that you, or rather Australians tend not to notice or take for granted. Just something that makes Australia what it is.  I will endeavour to think of more little things, its the little things of course that make it so wonderful, to share with you.

Burr, its damn BEYOND freezing out there

Well its not getting warmer, parts of the UK are colder than Moscow. Jadey if your reading this you really needn't have bothered going to Russia for Christmas, but I am grateful as it appears you've brought the weather back with you. I certainly don't mind walking around in the "minuses" when it is snowing, and we are expecting more snow over this weekend....YIPPEE!!

Photo of the Day No.7 - Winter Sunrise

This morning I woke up to this, isn't a white winter just wonderful. And as for the rest of Great Britain, this amazing photo shows it all....Frozen Britain (from the BBC).

Burrr its cold out there

BBC weather at 7pm today....

Seems its been a while since I gave a run down on the weather. Basically its best for brass monkeys, not us squidgey soft warm bodied humans. We've had a really cold winter so far, we even had a great dumping of snow right before Christmas and most of the North its been pretty much non stop chaos causing snow (but that wouldn't be hard 2mm rain and there is chaos) since mid-December.

I keep thinking how gorgeous Scotland would be to visit right now, then change my mind everytime I leave the flat. Next week, as you can see, is set to be cold and its the first week I have seen with temperatures for the day at zero. Scarf, gloves and ear muffs are at the ready!!

Chatty Man... the Live recording of Alan Carr's ITV show... starring ME!

I had always wanted to go to a live taping of a BBC TV show...or there abouts. Over here you just register, pick some dates and hope for the best. Its free of course so its good for a cheap entertaining night out. I was fortunate that I got an earlier date than I hoped for and Mark, Michael and Amy were keen to come along.
Me and Amy with our arm bands....

We got there early to ensure a seat, they over book to ensure they get a full audience, and we waited...and waited in the pouring rain...eeeekkk. We got our arm bands and sneaked a cheeky pint while we awaited our time slot to return for our seats.
In the Studio...

Yippee. The show was hilarious, the compare annoying and throttle worthy (ie trying to encourage us to be twats cause we might be on TV..urgh). The host Alan Carr is always funny and he didn't disappoint. I had seen him perform a comedy routine back in 2006 for the Reading festival and saw him at the train station then too.

Kate Hudson was on the show. She was incredibly gorgeous, legs up to her nostrils in a stunning black dress up to well...there..., but not so funny and they filmed an hours worth footage of her...for maybe 10 minute on the show. Then came Sharon Osbourne, very funny lady really enjoyed her style, followed by David Michell one half of the comedy duo Mitchell and Webb who do a funny show here called Peep Show. He was very amusing. Lilly Allen was supposed to be on, she pulled out last minute (fortunately I see her at Brixton Live next week so not totally fussed).

The Studio

All in all a fun night and just to say my boots recovered from the down pour, but I still have memories of me shivering and drenched in the audience.

Choos' Shoes over snooze

Yes its Jimmy Choos, and I own 3 pairs now. Mad I tell you, I dragged myself up out of bed (those who know me will know its a feat and a half to do that) at 4.30am on a Saturday morning....*squeal insterted here*...yes Saturday, to take a taxi down to Oxford/Regent Street to line up for Jimmy Choo's!!

Well almost, its the Jimmy Choo for H&M range made affordable for those who don't have say £350 to £1,000 just to spend on a pair of killer heels. BUT they are just gorgeous. Quality i tell you, q-u-a-l-i-t-y, with a CAPITAL "Q"!

So what did I get....well see below;
The anxious front of queue at about 7am
Newspaper shot, I am under the first awning closest to the left (at 5am I was in the doorway on the corner)
The excited queue at about 8.30am

The Choo Room where I was about 65th in the door

And.....wait for it....





Ps I had an afternoon nap to make up for the incredible lack of sleep!

Waterlow Park - Autumn 2009

A lovely sunny afternoon on our way out to Richmond I was insistent that we make the most of the day and take a walk in Waterlow Park in Highgate, just a short walk from our flat. I wanted to capture a bit more of the beautiful Autumn leaves, and I hope I have.

My flat in Tufnell Park
Me near Highgate Cemetery in the sunshine
View into the Cemetery, one day well go in
Leaves in Highgate Cemetery Waterlow Park
A beautiful autumn tree in Waterlow Park
The pond in Waterlow Park
Waterlow Park pathway

More Awesome Autumness

Children out and about for Guy Fawkes Day
The Caretaker House of St James's Park
Leaves....
More trees...
London Eye peeking over Whitehall
One of those nasty Canada Geese...though don't he look cute!

More beautiful leaves
Autumn walkway, I have this as a winter shot covered with snow too..

And then it was darker

Autumn, well at the moment I am loving it, actually well I was until we "fell back" an hour and daylight saving was no longer our ally in saving the world from darkness at 4pm. I walk home from work, or part of the way at least, and I had been very much enjoying watching the squirrels run about and the gradual arrival of the winter Canada "Guard" Geese into St James's park. Seriously they stare you out like, "hey lady if you come one step closer to this fence....I so seriously will bite your hand off, go on I dare you".

View of London and Autumn St James's Park from my office

Then all of a sudden on Monday night I went to walk and the park was pitch black at 5.30pm, no chance of walking through to even see my hand let alone the squirrels. It was dark but not unsafe, still lots of people around, walking, jogging, with personal trainers and sitting on the benches. It was then I realised, oh my goodness, when will I get to see the squirrels after work again, as I really might not. I suddenly missed them.

View down my road at home with all the leaves gathering on the paths

It also made the enjoyable thought of walking home after work, sound not so fun anymore, because I cannot see beautiful London with the horse guards parade on Whitehall with the London eye peeking over the top, the lights on it are red this time of year. I thought to myself that maybe I would get up earlier and walk in the morning instead. Then I thought HA - who am I kidding, when all else is put against sleep, I am sorry but sleep ALWAYS, and I mean ALWAYS wins.

Aside from that we are having a beautiful Autumn as you can see from my photos, lots of leaves changing colours and the weather has been quite balmy too and no rain really at all. So not too cold to stand outside the pub or walk to the night bus if you miss the tube close at 12.30am.

I am going to get out at the weekend to take some more Autumn photos before all the leaves disappear when the trees shake themselves free of leaves, as if shivering with the cold, to show their bare skeletons for winter for what will be my last London winter. Sigh.

Happy August....

Well sort of, as its the last month of summer and officially the last month of Summer for me and Mark living in the UK. Its been pretty good so far, lets put it this way it did not rain at Wimbledon. I got a tan sitting in St James's park, the sunshine to rain ratio is about 80:20, I have been able to walk through St James's park on my way to Embankment and not even get dripped on for ages (though the squirrels have attempted to trip me up multiple times, run right under my feet - probably since I won't stip to admire their gorgeous swishy tails and silly antics) and I have not left the house wearing a jacket since the beginning of June; AND its been mid-20s for well ages, so I think that's a pretty good summer.

Its set to be 27 on Thursday so I am ignoring significant media hype of forecasted MET office...stuff ups... after all they are predicting the future based on the past, and well even the most famous future teller, Nostradamus, was a bit hit and miss on his predictions!

Blame, blame....why do they have to blame someone in the first place, blame God if you must, but not the MET office. I have gripes with them, but hey sometimes I want the weather to be good and when I pray it is and its not I get a bit grumpy with them, I move on, I don't hold grudges. I secretly think people blame them because they have a Twitter account and God doesn't.

Anyways, was walking home tonight from gym about 7.30pm and it was lovely light, balmy and warm, kinda reminds me of an Adelaide autumn evening, warm days and balmy nights. Autumn is my favourite so that is probably why. So again, I won't be disapointed if we don't get a massive heat wave. Yes I remember summer 2006 - brilliant - but I also remember summer 2007 & 2008 - they were bollocks.

So Happy August, Happy Summer, Happy last summer living in England. Oh and its England it doesn't have to be sunny to be beautiful, but when it is sunny its AMAZING, so hopefully we get a handful of AMAZING days, but if not I am content to say its been a great summer.

Europe in the clouds

I managed to capture this amazing picture, well I think so, at Rock Werchter in Belgium. It was a stinking hot day, 34 degrees which to us Australians is not so bad, but add 45% humidity and clammy body heat from 90,000 people and you can see why my sky scanning for clouds and any momentary reprieve from direct sunlight they might provide became a priority.

What you can see is a large dark grey low cloud that looks quite oddly like the continent with a shimmery rainbow, almost halo like glow radiating out from behind it; this is actually the direct sunlight reflecting off those lower clouds and back off ones up at a higher level. Amazing.


Its nothing like I have ever seen before and so I took a moment to capture it forever.

Mother nature has PMS over London

Well we sure do get odd summer weather in London, this is the second time I have been sitting watching a torrential down pour of the heaviest sleet you can imagine, think of sheets of water like when you tip up a full bucket of water.

The clouds have come over slowly all day really with the sun peeking out through grey clouds with sunlit pockets of blue, slowly it went grey, dark grey, then just dark and the London eye, which I can normally see as clear as you like, just vanished.

This time I am sitting at work biding my time till it stops and I can safely leave the building without becoming a wet rag the moment I walk out the doors. It’s complete with ear drum cracking thunder and lightning; both all at the exact same time, so you know your in the thick of it. It has also been hailing pistachio sized chunks of ice. A massive lightning strike just the flag post on the building opposite too.

As it write it’s now over. The blue is back, the eye is visible, it went for about 10 minutes and while new slate grey clouds are approaching from the east and I can see smatterings of lightning heading west, I shall too rumble off like the thunder and head home for the day.

Kobenhavn - BBQ with Princess Mary

Just kidding, apparently she was out, so no BBQ or even an invite to afternoon tea for this bank holiday to Copenhagen. Finally we managed to arrange a holiday around a bank holiday long weekend.

We left London and a strangely not very busy Heathrow on Friday night and after a very short 1 ½ flight landed in Cophenhagen just as the sun was setting. It was lovely a bright red sunset just like home in Adelaide . Getting to the city was easy very simple and quick transport links helped too. Our hotel was right near the Opera house and the canals, so we quickly got settled into Hotel City Best Western and rugged up for a walk around, was a bit chilly being surrounded by canals and being close to the coast.

We didn’t see much at first but quickly found Nyhavn, which is a very picturesque restaurant and bar street right on the canal with lots of boats, very Amsterdam like. After a drink of yummy cider – Somersby, which is Carlsbergs branded cider – it was back off to rest up and plan for long weekends adventures.

Saturday morning we were in for breakfast at 9am, and it was delicious - more than delicious probably the best travel breakfast ever. Tasty tea/coffee, melt in your mouth Danish pastries (or Viennese pastries as they are called there), fresh fruit and yoghurt, tasty bread, ham and cheese, as well as bacon and eggs – oh and chocolate melted coated cornflakes. Yum.

We filled up and headed for the train station walking past the Copenhagen Opera house and right up the Stroget, which is the longest shopping strip in Europe (and very boring after the 10th time...not to mention depressing as the shops Sand and Malene Birger looked so very tempting) so we could head to Helsingnor (pronounced Elsinor). Its right on the coastal strip and very near Sweden, you can take the ferry there to Helsingbord, its only 2km away, we contemplated going, but were advised it was much of the same. Thinking back, not sure we could have as I am sure we would have needed our passports – which we didn’t have with us.

It was bright and sunny so we headed to Krongborg Castle - built by King Fredrick II in 1574. Its also known as Hamlets Castle, as what it is known as the original movie of Hamlet was filmed there and its also where the original stories of Hamlet came from, before Shakespeare time. Its a UNESCO world heritage site so its well preserved. We took a tour around the casemates and fortifications, very cold and damp and all under the castle quite deep too before taking another tour around the queens apartments, the ballroom was my favourite its 60 meters long.

Tours are quite good especially when you cannot read much in the way of the signs. Though my Danish has now improved – hahha – I can say a few words and will add those few words to my few that I can say for other languages too! Though my strong point is definitely the French and obviously the English, but they all spoke English well there so we were ok on communicating.

After wandering back into the town we found the town square and then a nice little place for lunch where we had local beer (me) and cider along with traditional fare of cold roast beef and pork with rye bread and coleslaw. All that walking had tired us out – are we getting too old for this – so we napped on the train back to Cophenhagen to get us ready for our late afternoon evening out.

A quick change back at the hotel then we headed to the Tivoli Gardens , which is a beautiful gardens with Theme Park built in that has existed since the 1800’s. It was just stunning lots of fairy lights, elaborate buildings (including a mini Taj Mahal), flowers, trees, ponds, lakes, open air theatres, bandstands, 40 odd restaurants and lots of ride for big and small kids – thus Mark was quite eager to get on the super speedy roller coaster! Its also very good for the environment with a big windmill that generates all the power for the rides and a cup deposit scheme.

We wandered around, me in photo heaven and Mark sussing out where to eat. We eventually chose a place that did ribs and steak, so had one of each to share. Again yum. I could not find fault with the food there, nothing was bad – not even the hotdogs they sell in stalls everywhere in Copenhagen (of which Mark had 3 on the last day). After dinner I did a few night shots (photos) and after listening to a proper band playing all the songs from Sound of Music (still cannot get them out of my head – but that’s ok will be in Salzburg in 3 weeks!) we plunged in and went on a ride – the sky flyer. Well its basically a chair lift that goes way up above the park, one of my favourite rides from growing up – but its high, it was night time (so pretty), but so so cold!! That was enough and after establishing that they no longer did fireworks (they used to every evening) we got ourselves a body warming coffee and headed back to our hotel.

Next morning back to the train station (on our 24 hour ticket, that was care of the helpful lady the day before this allowed us to get a cheap ticket, so we could travel to Helsingnor return and to Roskilde on the Sunday quite cheaply) we headed to Roskilde which is quite well known for the music festival it holds each year. It also has a very lovely church - Roskilde Domkirke - which is resting place of many of the Fredriks and Christians of Denmark along with their wives.

We firstly wandered past a sea of children and parents setting up stalls throughout the town for a mass toy jumble sale, before we made our way to the harbour for the Viking museum. This was actually really interesting and mostly for the fact that they re-created (almost painstakingly the same way) one of the boats they salvaged and actually sailed it between Copenhagen and Dublin . We did a little sailing trip, where we had to row like the vikings would have (hard work!!) and our captains both did the Dublin boat trip and said it was very hard work – and oh so cold. I can only imagine!

After yet more cider and traditional food sitting in the sunshine we returned to Cophenhagen. After more wandering and a drink we had every intention of going out for an early dinner, but we both fell asleep, woke up all grumpy, trekked across town to find a restaurant that no longer existed (in the RAIN!) and ended up just having a quiet drink - at a bar called Obeliks -before taking a taxi back to the hotel. Sigh....

Monday we packed up early, stuffed ourselves full of food and wandered to Christianstown to attempt to go to the Vor Freslers Kirke. At the church there is a gold spiral staircase on the outside of the steeple that you can walk up. Unfortunately despite the sign saying, that it was open (it only had re-opened after being closed for 3 years) on the Sunday, it was not open for us on the Monday – pooh. Oh well we consoled ourselves with coffee and more yummy pastries before taking a walk around the town.

We made our way through the centre to walk through the Kings gardens, where Rosenburg Castle is - it houses the crown jewels - then over past the Amelienborg to the Castellets (a 17th century fortification) where we walked around across the top. It was beautiful and sunny too. Then we returned for the changing of the guards at Amelienborg, which was good a there was a band because someone Royal was at home. Not Freddy and Mary though – they were out as their flag was down.

After that we had hotdogs, the first of 3 for Mark went to the *snore* Danish Design museum (which was rubbish – basically an exhibition about not using light bulbs!!). I was very disappointed as I expected so much more as there design is second to none really, well maybe Sweden. Then Mark had hotdog number 2 before we hit the shops for the rest of the afternoon.

I found one store that I really liked and the Illum department store and homewear shop was very cool – much of what I actually hoped to see at the Danish Design center really, shame my house to furnish is too far away in Australia. Finally we had time for a drink back at Nyhavn before making our way back to the airport for our flight back to London . On Monday I actually felt like I had been away ages, so I guess it was a trip worthwhile, not too stressful and we still did quite a bit too.

Oh pictures will come when my lovely brother in law provides me with Photoshop...so stay tuned...this blog will get more interesting once I add pics!!

Whether the Weather!

Well I believe we are due another weather update, as discussion of the weather is a very English thing to do. In fact last night they were advertising a TV show that is coming up just about English Weather, a series, the first show to be about rain. Hummm, not sure what they will cover over the rest of the series.

Though I hope they cover clouds, seriously! Over London some days we have what I like to call Simpsons weather. Sounds weird, close your eyes put your mind to visualise the opening credits of the Simpsons episodes, where the clouds part and then there is a clear bright sunny blue sky with fluffy silver and white clouds. That is precisely what it looks like here AND it is really lovely and they are my favourite days, as it adds such character to the day.

As for the show, well am sure there is plenty they can cover, after all we had severe floods a couple of years ago and this year was some serious snow (...never complain about snow....Marks rule).

We have been having lovely weather over the past couple of weeks, ever since daylight savings kicked in and its light till nearly 7pm now. I noticed it the first night back from skiing, it was like London had come to life, restaurants were full, pub beer gardens were pulsing, parks were bustling and tourists were returning (in droves) to London. A switch had been flicked on, bring on London summertime.

So we have ourselves been out and about a bit more. I have walked home across St James Park a couple of times, I have been out running, we went out in Angel for a few drinks in the garden and per my last blog wandered around St James Park in the sunshine.

Alas with Easter approaching, so are rain clouds. The original forecast was to rain all weekend, but yesterday it was due to rain today, and rain it certainly did. So it was not quite as fun roaming around Covent Garden and Camden markets. Though I was planning to do nothing, we ended up having a drink at the Hawley Arms before heading to Cuba bar in Camden markets for a late lunch.

We are in Chesterfield on Saturday and its expected to be sunny - so the camera is coming along too, hopefully we will get some beautiful countryside views.

What is the Deal....with Deal

My friend Nicki and I had a bit of a girly weekend together, so after a girly night in with pasta, crumble and custard and the DVD of Sex and the City (which I have now seen 3 times, cause its just that good!) we headed off to Dover Castle.

Me & Nicki

Well we got there and it was closed due to the weather, it was rainy and windy, but what else is new. So we thought to try Deal Castle, rang the tourist board and the ever so helpful lady on the other end told, us pretty much everything was closed due to the hideous weather.

Nicki and I decided that Kent was officially closed due to bad weather, the whole of it and found a nice little cosy cafe called the Black Douglas opposite the Deal pier and had a long lunch instead. Lovely, with lots of fresh local produce and a very hot pot of tea...mmm.

Icky weather outside the cafe.....

Cake....
The quaint interior....

Well it was good.....so we didn't leave you any!

If it rains it pours ... or snows if you live in North London...grr

Well the weather is, kinda like winter, which to me is a bit of a concern since it is not actually winter as yet. It bucketed down today, I got drowned after all what is a bit of drizzle. Not drizzle really when it goes on for hours while your hiking up and then down Oxford Street. Yippee for the new Westfield shopping centre in White City (all indoors).

Its been winter coat requiring weather for the last week and a bit. Yes both my winter coats have been hauled out of their plastic safe havens, shook, dusted, de-treasured (several pounds in one of them) and sent into service against the ever changing, but always cold, autumn days.

One good thing, and one slightly annoying thing.

Good - its been very sunny, lots of happy smile inducing sunshine. I could live with a winter with plenty of sunshine.

Annoying - it was bitterly cold on Tuesday yet while bitterly cold makes it snow, it does so only NORTH. Thus, I was well pissed off when several people....damn the Northerners....text me to tell me that it was indeed snowing. Cue; Lisa running for the window....donning face of childlike surprise and delight, followed quickly by face of utmost pitiful sadness upon realising snow in SOUTH London was torrential rain. Doh.

Sunset from my house

And it was more beautiful than I can get from the photos, and I was not really trying very hard as I am doing housework....yes...I am cleaning, and now I cannot stop, where was the duster again.

Enjoy the photos
Front yard view complete with Footy oval to the side (see white goal posts)

Pretty.....

Still Pretty.....*sigh*

A beautiful country....

Photos taken through the dodgy two layer dirty plane windows, does not guarantee that one will be taking pictures worthy of being prized National Geographic shots.

However, such beautiful clouds and masses of glorious Australian countryside seen from great heights, it seems to me, cannot be captured any other way, but they still make beautiful pictures to me and that is all that counts - enjoy!

Flying over the south of Adelaide, lush and green
View of Adelaide in April this year...just a tad brown
This is my favourite, the low cloud in Sydney's Blue Mountains at sunrise on Sunday morning
These just looked so comfy, and if you look closely you can see two layers of clouds
Sunset whilst somewhere over Europe after flying out of London...sigh...

And it gets soooo much better

Gotta love it!!

Oh my God I can't believe it.....

Check out the weather for the next week here in London....its going to be sooooo lovely, I cannot wait....and it starts today with a bit of a snooze on Clapham Common!