Landscapes

Sometimes you just have to appreciate the beauty that New Zealand allows us to live within. The last few weekends have been uncharacteristically sunny and pleasant (not just for Wellington, but for anywhere in winter). We have made no inroads on the wallpaper stripping as it just seems wrong to be inside on sunny winter days. Plenty of time for rain.

Last weekend we spent a lovely morning up Makara hill munching on bacon sandwiches and reading, and then this weekend we wandered round the coast to Red Rocks and made silly noises and daft conversation with the seals. (I love the way that each seem to have a personality and look at you like you're being very tiresome when you disturb them - which is probably true, but still funny).

Watching thugs looting the streets of Brixton - 2 minutes from where we used to live only a wee while ago - just underlines how very lucky we are. To be so far away from that kind of grey and desperate environment and to be immediately close to this type of landscape is just such a privilege and surely fixes the soul.