Monday - start of week 4

It was 3 weeks ago yesterday that we descended on the Steeles, having left Aberdeen 2 days before, so we're officially now more than half way through the longest single holiday we've ever taken. We've kept ourselves busy so time certainly hasn't passed slowly.

Being home alone at the start of the working week affords Jo and I endless choices. We took our time - leisurely breakfast, shower etc plus some essential clothes washing - but we eventually headed out about 11 am, heading north towards Outer Bay. It was a lovely sunny day, albeit with a strong prevailing wind from the south. The walkway beside the dunes and beach is very nice. At one stage, when it got a bit closer to the main road, we opted to head down to the beach and have a paddle along there. It was a fair distance away:

Heading back towards the walking/cycle path and the marina, we came across swathes of the washed-up dried seaweed, which we attempted to walk through. At times, it felt like a swamp, but we made it through and headed up towards the Port Authority at Outer Harbour, where we met a lovely couple, originally from Swansea, but who had been in Oz since 1971. Peter and Pat still sounded as Welsh as could be and she, in particular, was very talkative and effusive, belying her 77 years.

They had arrived at the same spot as us to take a photo of the cruise liner they would be taking in October - flying to London, then cruising down to Madeira, across the Atlantic to the West Indies, through the Panama Canal, on to Tahiti and then Australia. All of this in what we thought was a pretty small boat - we would have thought twice about crossing the Channel in it, although they said it berthed 600 in all. 45 days in this on the high seas - no thanks - but they were keen.

We stopped for a quick bite of lunch at an Italian cafe at the marina:

Now it was the long walk back home - but we had to do some shopping first of all, which meant walking past Derby St. to the Semaphore Road shops and then back again, adding unnecessary miles to what had already been a longish walk in the unrelenting sun - 20 kms in all, taking 6 hours, including lunch and shopping.

Chris did gym this morning and Kelly this evening, after which she picked up Miller and came home, not long after we arrived. Dinner was fritattas by Chris, with salad made by Jo. We were all off the wagon again and the wine was flowing - but we all had an excuse, having done a fair degree of exercise today.

Incidentally, bush fires today down at Yankalilla, where we just came back from yesterday.

In other news, which some may know already, it looks like the planned wedding at Drumtochty Castle in the summer of 2016 won't be happening after all. Other priorities have taken over and it is now more likely that the wedding - when it happens - will be in Australia, probably at Coriole Winery, where we were on Sunday, at some time to be determined. Await more news from Chris and Kelly in due course.