We've actually had a pretty administrative week or so. We finally got a phoneline and an internet connection. Then we registered with our local doctor's clinic (takes two separate visits - of course during business hours). Then there was a mains burst and we lost water one morning. (I had a bath in about 3 inches of boiling water. Yikes!) Then the water came back, but we couldn't get hot water in the kitchen. (Fortunately, our shower has a separate heater.) So I had to stay in, again, for a plumber visit. Turns out the water failure had allowed air to get into the pipes. Wasn't hard to fix - the plumber just held his hand over the faucet and ran the cold tap. This forced water back into the other pipes. Easy peasy, two minutes, and £115 thank you very much.
The news keeps telling us that it's going to get colder - and it did, briefly. One week the temperatures dropped to about 14 - 16 degrees and it rained a lot. But now it's hot and sunny again. Looks like the famous London winter is greatly delayed this year. Hooray!We've started planning our holidays for the next couple of years. I booked the tickets for our triumphal return to New Zealand next year - will be nice to see veryone, if only for a week or two. We will stop in Singapore on the way back, to break up that awful 24 hour flight to the northern hemisphere. However, our next holiday is a long weekend in Amsterdam a fortnight from now. We have bought a travel guide, and are reading up. Otherwise we're still trying to decide where to go for Christmas. All the nice hot places are very expensive... We've already given up on the Caribbean, but Morocco or Tunisia might be in the works.
Finally did our big "Squirrel Hunt" on Sunday. Hyde's Park (probably the best hunting grounds) was full up with marathon runners, so we went to Regent's Park instead. Very pretty grounds, grass, trees, a big pond. We found some squirrels, but I have to say they were'nt very bold. I think there are not so many tourists here, so they're not trained to take food from people. When we approached they would nip up a tree, and then hang there and regard us with suspicion.
They have a neat trick where they actually face down, and poke their head out. They then freeze in this position, as though you can't see them. (This is very similar to what I've seen lizards in Australia and Fiji do.) The best thing is, this means they're sitting still and you can take pictures of them. Plus it looks cute.When they're on the ground, however, they're grey lightning. I have lots of photos of grass, with what looks a zig-zag streak of grey through the middle. Grr. I'm posting the best of my efforts - even these are still reasonable blurry. They are gorgeous when they move, though. They don't run, they bound, like an animated slinky. Every now and then they would burst into a little fit as they tried to bury or unearth an acorn - apparently by bouncing up and down on the spot. Enjoy!
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