Hi all.

we have just returned from a fortnight in the Alps - first the Jura in France and then the Bernese Oberland in Switzerland. What a fantastic combination of relaxation, fresh air and hiking up mountains - with a bit of skiing thrown in! We stayed in a little folding caravan that I bought on ebay last October, which was amazingly cosy, and given it rained most nights, thankfully dry too! The thunder and lightening were most impressive entertainment once I believed that the canvas would hold!

Be back soon!

As my regular bloppers will know I am coming to the end of my two week vacation in the US with Doc. And I just wanted to thank her for her amazing hospitality and fabulous company. I thought it appropriate to do it here, as it is due to our mutual love of ER (and of course all things Goran V) that we ever got to know of each other's existence through good ol' tv.com.

Turns out we have a lot in common and I have had a wonderful time. Not only have I now seen a large proportion of the local area, but also been up to the Napa Valley and tasted the most delicious of wines! We have eaten in, and eaten out. I have had a Starbucks coffee every day but one! I have had 2 Krispy Kreme donuts, Baskin and Robbins ice cream, and even had ice cream mixed for me at Coldstone creamery! I had a Margherita last night and Fajitas. We haved watched lots of tv (funnily a few episodes of BBC stuff!) and an old John Wayne movie! (Oh and I really saw the hospital in which he died). I have also had time to lie in the sun (bit too hot actually) and the loan of Doc's laptop to make hundreds of submissions and get 3 new editorships! What better combination of treats could a friend provide?

So - THANK YOU, Doc

(now I need to get planning to make sure that the return visit can be anything like as exciting!)

Yesterday was another unbelievably hot one here in the San Gabriel Valley! I could only manage to toast myself for 15 minute stretches on the patio, and then only twice!

So we drove down to Newport Beach - the temperature gauge on the car fell from 108ºF to 86ºF within 30 miles - and we were driving South - how strange is that?

Anyway, we could then face the outside world! And what fun places we went to - first a garden centre, but no ordinary garden centre, oh no a very exclusive one that had an amazing Halloween display, that went through three rooms and had the most hilarious things, including a full height bandage coated Mummy whose eyes followed you around. The even more amazing thing is that it was sold - and the price tag was $695!!! Now that is taking Halloween a little too seriously imo! (or having too much money! ) It was also great fun to see how different, or the same, the plants are that grow in this climate.

Then we crossed a very pretty bridge and found ourselves on Balboa island (now I wish I could get you the pics - but the photo gallery will appear once I get home - promise!) I have never seen so many houses so close together, the mews between the houses were just wide enough for golf buggies it would seem and lots of bikes were being used. To get off the island we put the car, along with only 2 others onto a very quaint little ferry, and landed on Balboa. What a fun thing to do!

Ok, what about the crab? Well after a few drives round to find a parking space (it was heaving with humanity down by the beach, even at 6.30pm) and put our names down for a table at ...

The Crab Cooker . What a divine experience. Our waitress was called Carol, and she was happy to be busy as it paid the rent - I would guess rent round there was pretty steep! Food was extraordinarily good, quick to the table and I ate til I thought I might burst. But fresh fish, scallops and prawns are best fresh, so not much point in taking any home! Eat lots a fish!

As we drove home the temperature steadily rose again - and was back up by 20º when we stopped at Baskin Robbins for dessert (didn't think we'd miss out, did you?)

Fabulous fun! Oh, and I even got to taste Salt Water Taffy - which is an interesting phenomonen!

Ok, sorry to go on, but it was a particulaly fun day!