Bowled Over!

I discovered yesterday evening why Perth was so busy when we drove back - there was a certain cricket match between England and New Zealand apparently.We only discovered when a whole load of people tipped up in the bar at the hotel when we were having a drink and we asked the barman what was going on. Then the boys themselves trooped in looking a bit glum. All except Freddie who was mouthing something to someone in the bar. Not me. Well I don't think it was, I have no idea what he was saying if it was!
Anyway we are at Ayers Rock and in our trip to Oz there were just 2 places I insisted upon staying at, one being Longtitude 131 where we are now. And I was bang on the money. It is the best place I have ever stayed in my whole life EVER. Not only are the views breathtaking, and I don't use that expression lightly - Uluru smack bang out of the floor-length windows in the bedroom, but the decor is super stylish and luxurious. And there's a help yourself bar!!!Champagne, the works.
We've just been on a trip to Uluru (mixed bag of fellow guests, guess you can't have everything!) and are going to dine under the stars later after a sundowner. A 4am start tomorrow though....
Sorry no photo, using the computer at Longtitude.

Not such Perth-ect timing

For those of you expecting to see a photo of me holding a koala at this point, all I can say is that you've been spared. Time ran out for us after our drive back from Margaret River and we opted for a visit to Fremantle instead. In retrospect we should have opted for the furry ones.
Fremantle is a real mix of styles and has some very funky bars, coffee shops and the rudest T-shirts on the planet (I gave them a miss as I didn't think they would go down well at Ayers Rock!) It was also kind of quiet around the back streets and as Robert remarked the buildings looked as though they were cardboard cut-outs.
Driving back towards Perth someone ran into the back of us. It wasn't serious, no-one was hurt but it's just hassle all round. Exchanging details etc. delayed us so we hit Perth (bad choice of expression) in rush hour: it certainly wasn't KL, it wasn't even central London but it was BUSY. Glad to get back to the hotel really.
A week has already gone and it has flown past. No drinking at lunchtime, but no working out either. Am definitely going to have a drink now and sod the run!

Spit or Swallow?!

I was a bit disappointed yesterday that we didn't see any kangaroos. I thought they'd be popping about all over the place. But today we saw these guys as soon as we drove out of the hotel. I've yet to see one jumping though!
We did the driving touristy bit this morning - Margaret River, Augusta, some lighthouse or other - the sea is the most beautiful aquamarine and inland there are just acres of vines. The driving is very relaxing, not that I've done any personally of course, but the roads are great and very quiet.
We thought we should 'do' a vineyard (well it would be rude not to) so chose Vasse Felix which was the first in the area. So to spit or swallow? Well the latter of course! You only get a couple of sips per glass and as we only did the one vineyard we were allowed to taste them properly (or not so properly if you're a wine buff I guess). If you sampled at all 100+ vineyards though you would be in trouble! I can heartily recommend the Vasse Felix Semillon 2005 (Robert wasn't too impressed with the Shiraz though!)

G'DAY!

I must confess that I wrote the last post in KL airport as I said (no dancing ensued though) but could not post until now when we have finally arrived in Oz. We landed at Perth at 2am but were spared nightmare immigration queues by being off the plane sharpish!
Robert woke up with a dodgy tummy which meant the prospect of a 3 hour drive to Margaret River wasn't exactly a pleasant one! However we finally made it. We did discover that not having a map was a slight drawback resulting in the jouney taking 4+hours involving retracing of steps various times but it was through vineyards so it was quite pleasant! Cape Lodge where we are staying is certanly worth the drive - it overlooks a lake and is calmness itself. We're just having very English afternoon tea in the Drawing Room (very English in the respect that 2 of us are tapping away on our laptops) and we're just going to chill out later hoping that Robert recovers in time fo some wine-tasting tomorrow!

Our Hosts in KL

Here's the lovely Kula, Ray and their two gorgeous boys! We said a very sad farewell to them a short time ago. They have shown us the real Malaysia and we feel privileged to have had such generous guides. Who'd have thought Robert would have been getting down and dirty with a plateful of crab last night (I gave that a miss) and noodles and dim sum for breakfast!
We're now sitting in the airport at KL having a glass of wine and listening to ABBA (if 'Dancing Queen' comes on I'm up there!) and waiting for our flight back to Singapore. We don't have too long a wait there (hopeully) before our flight to Perth. What a difference in cultures! The heat is pretty much the same though, although maybe not so humid in Oz. We leave here when it is 34C and are heading to temperatures of 40C apparently. Oh gosh sorry, it's kind of cold for you guys in England isn't it? Missing you all.

Keeping Cool in KL!

This is an added bonus of our trip as we're staying with Kula and Raymond in KL. It's a year since they left London and we've missed them so it's great to see them here in their new home. And ever since we landed yesterday afternoon we have been SPOILT! They introduced us to the delights of KL traffic (Robert is now totally bald after near misses with several scooters) and some different culinary experiences which we would never have dared try without their guidance. We travelled to the top of the KL tower to see the city sprawled beneath us, the Petronas Towers really are very stunning in their design. On a shallow note, a real bonus came last night when they arranged for a masseuse to come to their lovely home for some much-needed relief from jet lag which was followed by a meal and a catch-up by candlelight on their verandah! FABULOUS! One of the highlights though was meeting Ethan and Owen their 4-month old twins who are gorgeous and smell just as babies should: I keep having a good deep snort of them whenever I can!
Today we've visited an elephant sanctuary a couple of hours' drive away. We all fell in love with the two baby elephants and contemplated tucking them in the back of the CRV to bring back home with us. Now I'd love to go out walking with a couple of those beauties in the morning!

Singapore Slings!

Well we have finally arrived in Singapore and I have 1 tip for you all: Business Class is the only way to go. We went through check in and fast-track security in 15 minutes - fan-bleeding-tastic! Enough time to enjoy the pleasures of the lounge before partaking of the very generous servings of champagne on board. 12 hours zapped past although I wasn't quite as au fait with the bed mechanism as I might have been and of course didn't want to 'fess up that we didn't always travel that way. So by the time I'd arsed around having my legs in every conceivable position (!!) it was almost time for breakfast. And Singapore Airlines took my request for 'fish meals' very literally.
So once we'd landed we had time for a quick shower before heading to the 'Long Bar' at Raffles hotel where casting your peanut shells on the floor is obligatory. I couldn't quite bring myself to ask for a 'Singapore Sling' as the 101 English people who were already in there (many clutching M&S carrier bags) had already done just that!
Just time for a quick turnaround now before heading out for the evening. Hope you're all enjoying the cold weather. It's a bit steamy out here!

Faking it!

There comes a time in every woman's life when faking it is the only answer. That time has come for me now and God I wish I'd done it sooner! White limbs just aren't going to cut it on the beach are they? I'm going to look like a 'pasty Pom' and no mistake. So I've been using a rather daring cocktail of the famous Johnson's Summer Sun and the ever reliable St Tropez but fear I may have left it all a bit late. Just as long as I don't have streaks and/or a nasty rash when I board the plane tomorrow it might just be OK!

Cummings to Freeload in San Diego area

Have a wonderful and safe trip,,,,and Crikey stay away from the bloody Crocs..Good On Yer Mates ,will pick you up and put you in quaranteen when you get to Carlsbad...love Rich and Jenine

Our first ever post to a Blog !

Not so much a last supper, nor indeed a last lunch really but Cafe Rouge was certainly a pleasant enough place to say bon voyage (not sure yet of Aussie translation !) to Fiona & Robert as they prepared to set off on another journey into the unknown.

With Fiona giving her boots a last airing for a few weeks and Robert donning his wooly hat in a defiant farewell to the british weather we said our goodbyes beside a Wimbledon Common basked in winter sunshine.

The next time we hear from them they will be in another continent with the summer sunshine providing the backdrop to their holiday of a lifetime (part two).

All that was left for us to do was to get home, turn on the pc, log onto 'The Blog', prepare to post and here it is, our very first post to a Blog - we can now share in the adventure that is 'cummingsandgoings07'.

Enjoy - love from us all x

A View From The Bridge

Yesterday I had my last work-related meeting before going away. A year's hard work is finally coming together and I'm disappearing to the other side of the world for 6 weeks leaving Ian with all the business stuff to deal with. I feel very guilty about that. The whole business scene is very much his domain though and if I was here I would probably be more of a hindrance than a help, so I'm sure that he's very glad that I'm not going to be around for a while. But thanks to modern technology I can at least still nag him from Down Under - something to look forward to Ian, eh?!
We meet in Covent Garden and I absolutely love the walk there. The view along the Thames from Waterloo Bridge is one of my favourite views in the world. Whatever the weather I see all that amazing architecture and it lifts me. And without fail I always think 'I am so lucky to live in London'. I do so love it here.
Yesterday that walk was particularly poignant as I won't be doing it again for a while. But I'll be seeing some amazing sights over the next few weeks and visiting some incredible places. And just as visitors to London see the same things as I do but through new eyes, I'll be doing exactly the same while I'm away. And hopefully I'll be standing alongside people who are as passionate about their homes as I am about London.

Heavy Weather

With the wind howling outside it was a morning for snuggling back under the duvet and staying there. But get up I did and thought how much everything has changed. Not the getting up part, the weather part. When I was little we endured weeks of winter weather (and in Yorkshire the weather could be horrendous) and the pay-off was the lighter days of Spring and the earth coming back to life. The first sighting of a snowdrop was something to be excited about (that's growing up in Yorkshire for you I guess!) But now nature seems screwed.
We were walking back from friends' at 2 the other morning and birds were singing merrily away - truly, it wasn't the alcohol. Very strange. Then we were woken at 6.30 by a very loud owl. Something's a bit wrong surely?
So I am looking forward to some conventional weather away - warmth, sunshine, not so much wind thank you. But if Britain is so badly affected by climate change, it must be affecting everywhere else as well, mustn't it? We'll probably get to Uluru and be unable to see anything through the blizzard!

Spiders

Forgot to mention the Huntsman spider. Absolutely huge (but harmless - unlike the Redback and Funnell Web). Remember - always look under the toilet seat (you wont find a Huntsman there, they can lift it by themselves)

Talking Dirty!

The worst part of any holiday is looming - the packing! Preparing for our trip to Zambia was a piece of pie compared to this. Then it was a case of tossing assorted items of khaki clothing into a bag, checking that weight = 10kg - SORTED! This time I have to cover lots of bases from city chic to poolside chilling, getting-up-and-going clothes to downtime lolling gear. And that's before I start on the wedges, the sandals, the flip-flops and of course the boots. But my major dilemma concerns my underwear! I have to cover all eventualities, so to speak, but how much to take? I am rather ashamed to admit that taking enough to last the entire 6 weeks isn't exactly impossible. But the practicalities of that in the long-term are, frankly, just nasty. But how much is enough before I submit to that ultimate decadence - 5* hotel laundry service for my lingerie?!

Gym and Tonic!

I was in the changing room at the gym this morning where 2 Korean women were chatting (in English obviously, my Korean isn't up to much) and one was telling the other how she hadn't been to the gym for 2 months. Her friend looked her up and down and said "You can tell. You're looking very flabby!" I thought flippin' heck, thank goodness for good old British reserve. And then I thought, I'm going away for 6 weeks and I don't want any dark mutterings behind the treadmill on my return. So Rule No. 1 for our 'Big Trip' is that I must work out seriously at least 3 times a week. And Rule No. 2 is no getting into 'holiday mode' and drinking at lunchtime. Flab would be the least of our problems if we did that for 6 weeks. (Rule No.2 obviously does not apply if we're flying: alcohol on an aeroplane is ALWAYS medicinal!)

Boots Update!

Robert has told me that he thinks it probably is a good idea if I DO take at least one pair of boots away with me. Is this because he fears for my sanity if I am parted from them for too long? Is it because he is concerned about the damage to my credit card when I realise that Uggs are in fact rather more stylish than I had originally appreciated. (And according to this morning's 'Times' that is indeed the case.) Actually no. Apparently he thinks boots might be just the thing as they provide a certain amount of protection from snakes - not exactly the kind of reassurance I was looking for!

These boots are made for....

I am finally getting my head round the fact that we're going to be going away for 6 weeks in ooh...9 days time. I'm even getting (and whisper this softly) a little bit excited about the whole thing. But I'm going to be homesick I know. So what am I going to miss the most - my family, my fab friends, my lovely home or....my 20 pairs of boots!! I mean come on - I'm missing 6 weeks of British boot-wearing weather, what a waste! I'm toying with the idea of taking a token pair (or 3 ) with me....swinging in a hammock in a bikini and a nice pink pair, or maybe tramping through the rainforest in my leopard print flatties. And don't tell me I can stock up on a traditional pair of Aussie Uggs...not really my style darling!