Return to the dentist to have the temporary bridge removed and the permanent structure put in pace. Takes two hours and thankfully goes well. I am feeling suitably brave to book a visit on my return to the UK at the end of November.   more »

Carol and Kattie go off for some more treatments and a bit of a shop - a theme has developed! Gary and I leave the kids with Aide and have lunch out. On returning to the car, Gary finds it has been bashed by someone! We watch United absolutely murder Bolton who are fourth in the table, 4 – 1, just a great performance. Eat pizzas, Grace goes to bed and we say good bye to Jack, who is upset about our leaving and Aide who is happy with our little thank you present. Gary and Kattie drop us off at the airport and we say our fond farewells, it has been good to see them. The plane arrives on time at Heathrow, 6.30 pm and Harry is there to meet us. The clocks have gone forward an hour in the UK. Harry delivers us home to Dulwich by 7.30 am. Kooky and Carol have a 15 minute reunion and Keith is up early to greet us. Good to be back in Dulwich.   more »

Carol and Kattie have yet again headed off early for the Four Seasons leaving Gary and I with the kids. I have a bit of a hangover but put on a brave face and after some strong tea and toast I am feeling OK. Spend the day around the pool at the Four Seasons. Kattie has invited her Mexican friend and husband, whom Gary loathes, to join us for dinner at a Mexican restaurant. Dinner is good and the evening goes reasonably well despite Gary and his new pal not speaking to each other. I was very good and spoke to everyone.   more »

Great start to the day with a massive fry up – bacon from the American store! The plan is to visit a small mall to pick up food for tonight’s meal which Gary is cooking and then return for a relax around the pool at the Club House. What actually happened is we went to the mall had a Starbucks and then Carol and Kattie went shopping for hour upon hour whilst Gary and I toured the relatively small mall – we went around so many times we were in danger of becoming giddy! Carol, bless her, skilfully avoided being talked into spending £400 on a pair of sunglasses! Eventually I was really cheesed off. Even the shopping in the supermarket took an absolute age, 30 mins to pick out some vegetables, please! On returning home, it was now dark, I went straight to the club house for a swim and to cool down. Unsurprisingly, we ate late at 10.00 pm but had a few G&T’s and cocktails pre dinner. I drank too much, collectively we drank 5 bottles of red wine with me consuming most and not staining my teeth! It was a good meal, pasta with prawns in a chilli sauce, really tasty. We discussed property investment amongst other stuff. Late night but good fun - eventually.   more »

Went to Four Seasons for the day, sunbathe and swim. Bizarrely, we see people sunbathing who were at the hotel Annassa, in Cyprus in May – small World! Someone comes around and cleans your......sunglasses, well how pampered is that! Go to Indian restaurant within a hotel, Kattie has blagged her way in, saying we have a reservation which we do not. As restaurant is not expecting us (surprise, surprise) we visit a bar on the 11th floor, full of expats quenching their thirsts, (reminds me of the British Bar in Hong Kong) and tap our feet to the duo. We have a couple of large G&T’s to kick Ede off. In the restaurant the atmosphere is great, low cushions and seating, large tables with an Indian band singing those forgotten sing along numbers! Food is exceptionally good an so are the beers, a really great meal with great ambience.   more »

The Ramadan council has still to decide when Ramadan will end, could be early hours (4.00 am) of Sunday or Monday morning. Gary despite not getting home until 1.30 am went off to work at 6.30 am Carol and Kattie left early for the Four Seasons and some treatments and a workout in the gym. Grace is playing with a friend and Jack and I visit the Club house for a swim. We go into the gym and both mess around on the equipment for 30 mins – Jack is really good company and having fun. Taxi picks me and the kids up and takes us to Four Seasons for lunch and to watch footie on TV – left my mobile in the taxi but driver will return soon! Have lunch with Carol, who is really Zen like following her treatment, Kattie, and a Mexican friend of hers whose husband works with and for Gary and who is apparently a big pain in the butt! Gary joins us for the football, United are playing Liverpool and surprisingly easily win 2 – 0 with Scholes scoring the opener and then Ferdinand scoring a rare but skilful second. After the match use the indoor hydra pool, plunge pool and steam rooms, brilliant, feel really good. Returned home before returning to the Four Seasons for dinner in the Ramadan Tent. A huge buffet with cabaret but no alcohol however Ramadan will officially end tonight and the festival of Ede will begin – I’ll drink to that, well tomorrow I will   more »

We all, Kattie, Gary, Aillie and girlfriend (?), Jack, Grace, Carol and me pile into two 4x4 off road vehicles and head for the desert. Ida is off to see some pals. Drove up and down the dunes, the scary bit is when the car is travelling sideways down very steep slopes. Very hot and having to constantly squint even with sun glasses on because the sun is so glaringly bright against the bleached sand. Stopped for lunch at an inland lake which looks out upon Saudi Arabia. Swim for awhile in the lake, clear blue water. Great fun in the water with Gary and the kids playing ball and splashing, Grace is fearless in the water! Take shelter from the sun in a large Bedouin tent and have lunch – more Kebabs but no beers even here! Real Lawrence of Arabia scenery but no camels, which is a good thing! Returned home and we all went to the Club House (literally a stone throw away from the house) for a swim; great facility. Went to Thai fast food place, shared a whole fish with Gary, really good. Aily and pal head off to airport (Scotland via Heathrow) – Jack and Grace really upset to see Aily leave.   more »

Ramadan is still being held which means the Muslims fast during the day but go crackers at night and absolutely no alcohol is served in public. The religious council announce when Ramadan ends according to sighting of the moon and then Ede celebrations start – this is similar to Christmas, big family affair, people give presents and allegedly resolve differences. Ede is a national holiday so everyone is off which makes it a great time to visit.   more »

Gary & Katty meet us at airport – really good to see them, it seems like only yesterday that we have seen each other! They have a huge house in an Ex-pat compound with a Club house that has a great swimming pool and gym. Ailee and friend are staying. Ailee is 14 and looks 20, unbelievable change since we last saw her some 18 months ago. Met the lovely Aida – the domestic help from the Philippines. Over kebabs and some beers discussed Kattie’s conspiracy theory by USA on Iraq – absolute tosh of course – we each put in our own tuppence worth, just like old times, great! Chip a tooth!   more »

Picked up by Harry at the crack of 7.00 am – took 1 hour 50 mins to get to Heathrow – traffic horrendous! Check in relatively painless despite the terror alerts and increased security, lots of queues – travelling BA Club helps which fast tracks us through airport. Really hungry so we have a full English breakfast and then whiz off to the gate – no time for shopping (shame). Sods Law, given the advice of not eating food with strong colouring and not to drink red wines the best meal on offer on the flight is Prawn Curry; had the Hotpot – not great however washed down with some pretty good white wine Watched the new Meryl Streep film about Prada, she is brilliant, an Oscar I think, enjoyable yarn. Arrived in Bahrain for an hour stop over and then 30 mins to Doha.   more »

Have a leisurely morning, send Marais and Poynton rugby tickets and then head of for the Dentist at Raynes Park. Arrive early and Andrew arrives soon after so we set to work. I am having a front bridge removed and replaced with a temporary whilst a super one is crafted and fitted on my return from Doha. It takes over three hours and an unexpected amount of anaesthetic to numb my upper right side. Although this seems all quite painful it is not half as hurtful as the cost - £3,000. I originally thought that this was a bit of a jest by Andrew but no this jaw dropping figure is correct. I have offered to pay in full (the payment includes the forthcoming work) and do so via the reception PC using internet banking. I have been warned not to eat or drink stuff with strong colouring as it may stain the temporary bridge. I am going to Qatar for goodness sake!   more »

Fri 6th – Lunch at Le Rocher the local café followed by an early curry and a few drinks in Brady’s – we are not repeating the previous drunken wipe out of a weekend (see Sept 11th). Sat 7th – Return to Brady’s who have started doing Irish brunch – absolutely delicious – in fact we are their first paying customers! European soccer qualifiers are being played, England manage to draw 0-0 away to Macedonia but Scotland beat France 1-0. Jack is playing his first Uni soccer game and they win 3-2 with Jack scoring two, one with his head. We have dinner with Luc and Patricia to celebrate our recent announcement to marry. Really good evening. Sun 8th – Morning, Sunday Times and coffee in Café, Lunch in Bugsy’s and Dinner in the Chinese. Mon 9th – Shopping trip to look for a gift for Jack to present at the wedding for his role as Best Man – find an appropriate little gift in silver! Tues 10th – return to Lausanne   more »

Don't underestimate the value of Doing Nothing, of just going along, listening to all the things you can't hear, and not bothering! I had one of those "just going along" days, where you are simply glad to be a live. There is an undercurrent that winter is upon us, the cafes and restaurants have changed their opening hours! But today is a very sunny day. I cycled into Ouchy for lunch - a pizza! Then along the lakeside to St Sulpice, a small hamlet set in the most serene of settings. Had a coffee at the only cafe in St Sulpice, sat outside taking in the heat of the afternoon sun. Then returned to Ouchy where I stopped for another coffee - it was 5.00 pm and still the sun was hot. returned home feeling utterly relaxed! Idleness is not doing nothing. Idleness is being free to do anything!   more »

Sat: Coffee in a tiny place - the Tea Folly, followed by lunch - fresh fish from the lake - really good. Returned in the evening to see the celebrations, some bands and several tents with people sampling the wine. I had a stir fry and a beer, in the rain, and returned home. Sun: Returned to Lutry for lunch - still raining! Back home to watch the footie - United beat Newcastle 2-0.   more »