UK, London

This post is dedicated to the family. Le has a sister Ching and brother-in-law Tony Smith in London and another sister Keng and brother-in-law Francios in France. Ching and Tony put us up at their house in Highgate - a newly decorated guest room with ensuite. We'd better enjoy it as we won't have this luxury, living mostly in a tent for the next six months.

Tony and Ching. The Smith family at yet another dinner party.

Smith family: Tony, Stephanie, Guy, Ching and Louise






Dinner at a long lost relative's place, Corine and Phillip Wee




Keng and Francios came over from France to meet up so we can spend about a week and a half catching up.
Francois and Keng Millet, with Le





When families get together, there are always hi's and lo's. In this case, we are having only hi's and hi'ers - really enjoying the company.

The only thing I cannot fit-in is their discussion on the intimacy of wines. The French love their wine and Tony is in the wine trade all his life. So, I'm out-of-place there, however, there are plenty to talk about - so much so that most of the time we talk over each other. All in good humour.

The area and surrounding have many adjoining woods. We have been exploring them.

Ching is the work-horse (I'm saying this with the ultmost of respect), and Tony provides the generous variety of exceptional wines and acts as a part-time guide. Francois also provides other variety of French wines and a good person to discuss travels - as he is real intellect on the subject. And Keng, with her infamous recipes of Foie Gras de Canard and Confit de Canard, we could not let her get away without serving them up, can we?

Here is Keng with her infamous duck. What a proud moment when the Confit de Canard is served up.




A family outing at Hampstead Heath and Hampstead village.

Hampstead Heath, Parliement Hill: the three sisters, with the two wise men behind.

Group photo include Guy and Louise


We also spent a few days in the Lodge (Northhampton) and spent a day in Oxford.


Some pictures taken at the Overstone Lodge, Oxford and surroundings











Tony organised and shouted us to a dinner in Covent Garden at Davy's Crusting Pipe with 5 kinds of wine:

1. Manzanilla Sherry
2. Sauvignon Blanc (Chile)
3. Sarget Guarard Larose 2003 St Julian
4. Chateau LaGrange 2003 St Julian
5. Special Reserve Port served in a Jug and in accordance with the old British tradition (first serving to the right before himself, then passing the jug to the left. No one to be accused of being Bishop of Norwich).

Unfortunately, yours truly don't consume a lot of wine and missed out on these fine drinks.

Move over Tony, let me show you how this is done. Tony in the first picture and me in the second holding a "hand broom" to paint the garden shed.









Painting the gates and here is Francois giving the finer tips of painting.



The Smith Tour of the city included Greenwich, the south bank of Thames over the Mellinium bridge, etc. Unfortunately, the weather wasn't kind to us.

At the Davy's wine bar at Canary Wharf, Greenwich. Look for the Davy's sign through the window.







Wet day in the city for the Smith Tour






Another dinner party tonight - the last one before we hit the road to start out expedition tomorrow morning.

Here comes Odyssey Overland London to Darwin, 12th April to 10th Oct 2009.