From the sun to the snow!

I started writing this on a plane from Abu Dhabi to London Heathrow on Wednesday 17th November...it is now Thursday 2nd December!

Neville's company DanaGas, had their Board (and planning) meeting at a swanky hotel on the beach in Abu Dhabi and I was just fortunate to tag along. Here we are enjoying an evening swim on the beach being photo bombed by Neville's work colleague Mike who has become a good friend. I somehow managed to take a random photo of him being disfigured by my camera! Neville returned to Dubai for just a couple of days before flying back to Australia for the first time since August last year. (I could not face another stint in quarantine along with the uncertainty of Australia's border closures.) He is currently almost to the end of his 2 weeks quarantining (in Tabitha's hotel the Westin) before being set free on Saturday, He has to be out in time for Elissa's University Graduation & Short Film Premier.

I was very excited to spend my first week in the UK with Tamsin, Afshin and Jasmine - I hadn't seen them since their wedding celebrations in Kenya almost 2 years ago. It was wonderful to have lots of time with them. Friday evening Tamsin and I went into Soho to have a wander around & on Saturday we had a girl's day out. I am looking forward to going back up to London tomorrow to spend some more time with them and to see Jasmine as Mary in her kindy's nativity play.

Last Tuesday I caught the train down to Surrey and am now residing at St Mary's Cottage, Beare Green with Julia and Colin. It will be 5 years in February since I was last here after Julia had a long recovery from surgery. This will be my first ever Northern Hemisphere Christmas in the cold! And is has turned frigid cold...on Sunday morning it was -2C with a high for the day of 2C, we were expecting snow but it didn't materialise. This morning I woke up and there had been a smattering of snow! Needless to say I was in need of some thermal underwear, warm socks and fleecy gloves.

As hospitable as always, Julia and Colin are wonderful hosts - I have been enjoying the garden vegetables (Julia still has parsnips hidden underground), hot soup, roast dinners and the cosy fire of an evening. It astounds me (I am naive - I know), that the sun doesn't rise until 0800 and it is setting currently at 1557 - that is less than 8 hours of sunlight...and if it is actually visible it is so low in the sky you can hardly find it. It is no wander they get seasonal affective disorder, it is still 3 weeks until the Winter Solstice!

I fly back to Dubai on 27th December, Neville flies in on the 28th with hopefully both Ethan and Elissa who will join us for 2 weeks of exploring our favourite places in the UAE!