kissing elephants

Ouch!

Having been oh so concerned with getting bitten in Sri Lanka for fear of malaria and other such nasties, I've found that since getting back to Oz, I have become the local delicacy for the neighborhood ant colony. Whilst in Adelaide my bottom was feasted on in about five minutes of sitting outside, last night I was two minutes taking a photo on the balcony and now I have an elephant's foot.

OK, maybe I have a tendency to exaggerate a bit, but it bloody hurts and itches! You wait - when I see them I'm going to stamp on them with my newly enlarged foot.

Facing the future

I want one of these! Grandad let me try out his snazzy scooter. I was terrible at driving - mum was an instant expert - well I have a few more years to practice before I'll be running down children on my way to the shops....

Meet the family

Finally, after over ten years, I met up with my 90 year old grandad (sorry Charlie, for revealing your years, but you are a testiment to the power of the Guardian Weekly and Coopers Stout) and uncles who all live in Adelaide. We had a lovely day out in the Barossa Valley, stopping at Sandy Creek hotel for the first beer of the day (at 11am). I now know where my (and mother's) penchant for a small tipple comes from - I can blame the genes. I had great fun catching up.

Being together after so long apart made me think about 'family' and what it means. For me, it's an natural intimacy that can't be explained - no airs and graces, no pretence, no need for explanations - despite spending less time with them than the people you see everyday.

At a small winery called Kabminye, I found a bottle of red which tasted like nothing I've drunk before. I was so excited, I gave it a home. What was I saying about genes?.....

In a town where I was born

Back from Adelaide which for six months of my tender years was where I would have called home had I mastered the skill of language at that point in my development. Adelaide gets a lot of stick from Sydneysiders and Melbournites but I thought it was a very nice city. Designed by Colonel Light, it is based on a grid system with the centre surrounded by a strip of protected parkland, which means from almost all views you get greenery (or brownery in the summer). It has welcomed cafe culture with open arms to the extent that it almost feels like there isn't any other retail - but have no fear, I found some.