Feeling Good - J'ai la bougeotte!

I've got itchy feet! Good timing: I'm flying to Canberra for work next week. That's not what I mean though... I think I'm ready for the next big thing. What is it gonna be? We can only wait and see.

In the meantime, another great summer is here! We love the beach and Philippe is a champion walker! He runs on the beach, splashes mud everywhere, eats plenty of sand (it's clean, isn't it?) and enjoys the cold water! We had a great time last Saturday. We might go again for a quick splash after dinner.

We've started the veggie patch again. Last weekend we put peas, lettuce, basil (lots of basil!). The leeks are nearly ready, the tomatoes are doing well. We ended up getting a few broccolis from the winter crop but then they got full of worms and we lost the rest of it (cauliflowers and cabbages as well). We have a new ennemy this year: a possum eats all our strawberries, apples and almonds! And now he started having a snack in the peach tree! What can we do apart waiting for the monster at night with a gun??? I'm joking - the only think I kill is spiders, and just the small ones (I leave the big huntsmen for Marc to throw outside!). I used to think possums were cute, now I know better: they're a nuisance, just like raccoons in North America. Anyway...

Work is busy, but good! Next time I'm bored, I might just stay quiet. I now have 3 projects in parallel and no time to complain. I'm going on a project management course next week, as well as meeting my software supplier in Canberra. I'll be staying a few days to visit the Capital city and to spend time with my good friend Ruth I haven't seen since my last birthday. Marc will be a busy single parent operation!

Where would you like to see more photos? Flickr or Facebook?

P.S. This photo: morning meal before leaving for work.

Weekend in Sydney

That was excellent, apart from the flight from Hobart to Sydney, which I did with Philippe as Marc was already there for the week. Pass the details - all I will say is imagine a newly-walking, 14-months old who has to sit on his mom for over 2 hours, stuck between the window and the biggest person on the flight: NOT FUN!

It was our first trip since the round the world back in April. How we enjoyed it! We ate brunches, Japanese, Chinese, gelati, Marc cooked a bolognese and Philippe learned to use a straw so he can have Mummy's yummy fresh fruit juice!

On Saturdays we drove to the Blue Mountains, east of Sydney, for a bit of scenery, photos and bush walk. The weather was pretty average and I had packed for summer so we didn't really walked and the photos are a bit dull. But it felt nice anyway. That photo is probably a very famous one of Australia: The Three Sisters at Echo Point in the Blue Mountains, NSW.

Sunday we went to the beach. If it's not summer yet in Tassie, it certainly is at Bondi! We did the sea walk between Bondi and Bronte and could no longer resist the water! The sea was pretty rough, we even saw the lifeguards in action. As they came back from a rescue their boat hit the rocks and they had a hard time getting everything (and everyone) back to shore. Marc and a few other guys ended up going to help as they were cutting their bare feet on the rock. Not good for a lifeguard!

Meanwhile, Philippe was eating sand and seemed way to busy to be interested in lunch. Even if the surf was too big for a swim, the rocks make a natural pool at one end of the beach where the waves are much smaller and you can take the family for a nice "trempette". Marc was quite happy to sea that Australian women now also do it the French way: monokini!

After that we met with our friends Patrick and Jayda (from Longueuil and New Castle) and went for gelati. As you will see if you've got access to Energium's photo on Flickr, Philippe was covered with a wetsuit, a hat and had sunscreen on. Good parents. But then, we didn't think WE needed sunscreen. Why would we? Now we've pretty badly sunburnt. Stupid parents!

See ya!

P.S. Videos of little walking Tasmanian Devil on Facebook too. But you've got to be my Friend.