Britain has been inundated by snow this week, creating travel chaos across the nation. On Monday evening more than 2,000 motorists either abandoned their vehicles or slept in their cars after getting stuck in gridlocked traffic. The Eurostar high-speed rail service ground to a halt for three days after six trains broke down in Channel tunnel, trapping thousands of passengers for almost 16 hours.
The snow has created magical white Christmas scenes everywhere you go. On Monday we had at least 3cm fall at Swiss Cottage. I walked home after work past children sliding down white hills, while adults gingerly shuffled by wrapped in scarves and heavy coats. For a brief moment I felt as if every Christmas card from my childhood had come to life.
The contrast with the scene in Sydney last Saturday couldn't have been more stark. While enroute from a family reunion in New Zealand I stopped for seven hours to join friends for a leisurely lunch on the harbour. We dined at Catalina, a purpose built restaurant offering panoramic views of Rose Bay and seaplanes on the harbour. On arrival we were greeted by the sight of a cloudless blue sky, reflected in an equally iridescent harbour. The temperature later hit a high of 29°C.
The weather was equally warm and sunny in New Zealand. I flew out of Tauranga to the sight of The Mount literally glowing in the early morning sun. The day before we'd enjoyed a refreshing high of 24°C. Such idylic Summer scenes make it progressively harder to return to London. While the white Christmas scenes have been magical this week my heart remains true to the blue skies and sunshine Down Under.
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1 comment:
trolling through the blogs....enjoyed yours!
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