Steve n Jen's UK adventures

UK and European adventures. Read on my pretties, and discover what two stray Aussies can get up to on their travels.......

23 February 2011

Feb 2011 a

The main street of Tully, QLD,
devastated by cat 5 cyclone Yasi
Wed 26 Jan 2011
Today Steve finished a course lasting 8 work days. The course was on Cisco switching and routing. His colleagues were very happy to have him back at work again the next day.

Wed 02 Feb 2011
This morning to our distress, we learn of a vast category 5 cyclone bearing down on the north Queensland coast. Cat 5 is as fast and furious as a cyclone gets - it's a monster! The size of the storm is almost continental! 

A day later, after closely watching the news reports, it seems the cyclone has rapidly downgraded over land into a category 1 - hurray! But not before it trashed the little coastal town Tully. Incidentally, a close buddy of ours went to school in Tully, so we hope her old school friends are all OK.



Fri 04 Feb 2011
Last night we created lamingtons; Steve made a couple dozen of his gourment white choc and raspberry muffins. They're all for the Aussie disaster relief fundraiser at Jen's workplace today. By the end of the day we'd actually raised just over $200 Aussie bucks! (and gained a few 'pounds' - pun intended!)
Jen's boss Sally created the little mini-pavlovas at the front of the table - nice one!
 


 
Sat-Sun 05-06 Feb 20011
We spent the day indoors. Steve's sick with a nasty stuffed up headcold, and Jen focussed on practise calligraphy. Here's the result of her efforts - a work still in progress (right)....








Tues 08 Feb 2011
Steve took Jen to out for dinner and to see the film Tangled. Good fun flick, made Jen feel all girly and naive... for a short while at least.

Sat 12 Feb 2011
Woohoo! A care package of twisties, cherry ripes & wizz fizz arrived today!

Early afternoon we hopped on the tube. Not your usual adults-only exhibits: today we spent 4 hours visiting the Imperial War Museum. We saw the Crimes against humanity room and the Holocaust exhibition. Standing before the door, a child asked: "Daddy why can't we go in there?" Had a thought - isn't it weird this museum's such a popular day out for families?

Can't help but think "ride of the valkyries" looking at this pic.
Steve roars at the crowd below (OK, so he was yawning)
.

Fri 11 Feb 2011
Steve cooked Jen a yummy dinner of thick juicy steak with oven roasted potatoes and salad on the side. Yay Steve!

Sun 13 Feb 2011
This morning Jen got started on relief carving Steve's new shield. Here's a photo of the current shield (right), and you can see why there's a new one on the way.


Kris and Jana

Tonight we enjoyed Kris Buckle's 2nd last gig in London (at the World's End, Camden) before he and wife Jana move to Perth.


Mon 14 Feb 2011
Steve cooked Jen a lovely dinner of Stir-fry beef and chinese veggies. Happy valentines.
After dinner, Jen finished the carving on Steve's new shield (left). Happy Steve.


Wed 16 Feb 2011
Jen has finished painting the front of the new shield - the back is a small project for later on.










09 February 2011

Jan 2011


After our travels in Egypt over Xmas and New Year, January was uneventful for us here in London. Mid-January, Jen completed filming an editing of a short music video for a co-worker.

This month, for us, was mainly about looking on in horror as we saw news footage, firstly of Toowoomba, and then of our home-town Brisbane, deluged by intense and/or flash flooding. It's 1974 all over again. Much of Australia this month was beset by extensive flooding and/or cyclones, or intense fire-storms. What's going on Australia?!!!

Here are some of the more notable photos we've seen of 'Brisvenice'....

Our first home together (rented) - the water level apparently did rise up to a metre higher than pictured here. Hooray for the Queenslander style of home up on stilts. The current occupants' stuff would have been OK. Thanks Stanzi for taking the above pic.
So much for a thinking about a stroll along the river's edge....

Our thoughts went out to friends who lost everything, and we wish we could have been there to give a helping hand. The cleanup and repair from this disaster will take many months of hard work. On the plus side - it'll be great for 'community cohesion'.

Sculpture 'flood' marking the height of the previous
(1974) flood. The top of the o's I believe.
Pure genius whoever did this. The stadium pictured
behind the statue is of course also flooded.

Sat 8 Jan 2011
A surprise birthday party for Deb as her "life begins" officially now. 
Happy birthday Deb!
***
Suprise! to the birthday girl...



Sat 15 Jan 2011
Attended a nice little medieval style event in Ware. Jen was surprised with an award.

Mon 17 Jan 2011
Jen has a singing lesson.
Seems she has 3 octaves rather than the usual 2, and by the end of the hour lesson, she'd supposedly sung in a way that takes some people 3 years to achieve. Maybe he was just buttering her up to be an ongoing student....?

Mon 24 Jan 2011
Today we booked nice accommodation in Cornwall which we'll enjoy in several weeks' time. We've not yet made it out to Cornwall - hopefully the weather will be kind.

Thu 27 Jan 2011
Tidying and preparations to be done for the impending Aussie Day party. Lamingtons were made (Steve made it possible, then Jen assembled the lamingtons), BBQ was borrowed, and the rear decking had been cleaned on the weekend
(a Steve & Jen special team effort) to be less slippery.

Sat 26 Jan 2011
Aussie Day Party. Thanks to friends for fun suggestions on the music playlist for the party.
A chilly -4 to 4 degrees Celcius, but that did not deter the blokes from getting out there and cooking! All told, we had 5 Aussies, 5 Brits, 3 Americans and a token Kiwi. Our little house was rockin', and the table groaning with BBQ goodness!


We'd rather have a beer with ...erm, Jim-o?
who seems to like Fosters. How strange!