Gozitan photo bomb

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I feel like I need to apologise (to myself?) for taking a series of crap photos of late. Since coming back from France nothing seems as photogenic; I would have normally captured every moment of walking, eating and debauchery much to the annoyance (sometimes) of my friends but here, at home, all of those things seem so banal. Anyway, meloncholy over, here are some family snaps from sunnier parts.

Haunting hog

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Rosie owns what is to be considered the scariest mask in the world. Hedgehogs are not cute and they are only cuddly if you enjoy acupuncture. Still freaked!!!

Also, I've been contributing to Travelettes for a few weeks now, an online travel website with advice, anecdotes and interviews related to being independent female travellers. Katja has done an amazing job putting it all together. You can read my first few articles here and here.

Today my feet look like this...

Bruce and a hermit

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These were taken back in May when France was still home. We'd hiked all morning in 30+ degree heat and arrived at this amazing hermit's cave right at the top of the mountain before descending for a swim in the ocean. I remember feeling like it was something from a Bruce Springsteen album cover ...

Escape to Gozo

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As you read this I'm on a small island of the Maltese archipelago complaining about how hot it is and how my brother keeps lowering the aircon. There are more churches than people on this tiny island and living in Xaghra (pronounced Shara) has provided us with many travelling tales of monster sized jelly fish and naked German divers. Lets see what this summer has to hold ...

That box game

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Have you ever played the cereal box game? The basic principal is that you have a cereal box (or a pizza box if coco pops don't float your boat) and you have to pick it up only using your mouth. Only your feet are allowed to touch the floor so you can't kneel down and just pick it up. As the game progresses inches of the box are cut off making it smaller and more difficult to pick up. Players are eliminated when then can no longer pick up the box or accidentally touch the floor with their hands/knees/bum etc. The winner is the last man standing who probably has some freaky flexibility skills and an unnatural ability to perform circus acrobat esque positions.

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At one point during our game I did get a little competitive and went to change into my pyjama bottoms; my spray on jeans were a little too constraining BUT the costume change didn't help as victory went to two (unnaturally) flexible boys who managed to retrieve a tiny 1cm box off the ground! Despite the hilarity of it my muscles are still complaining; splits fail = owch!

Error

Being back at home means that opportunities for public humiliation are minimised; naturally I'm missing it so decided that a human sized man-repelling romper suit would re-align the embarrassment balance. Now the world is restored to its natural order I'm going to make tea.

It's Venice baby!!

Normally when I visit a city I instantly love it or hate it. If it's love it gets added to the list of many cities I would like to live in one day and if it's hate (disdain/contempt blabla), well, I don't go back. I find Venice strange; I'd never want to live there but this is my 4th visit to this amazing city and I find it more and more enchanting ever time I come. There is no limit to the amount of time I can spend aimlessly wandering or sitting watching the world go by on the canals and there is also a strange lack of noise come nighttime which creates almost an erie magical atmosphere. If you can manage to find a space away from the tourist Venice really is one of the most magical cities around. (I have a ton of film I need developping but there should be a bit more of Venice to come ...)

U.G.L.Y

My sister and I found a collection of hilariously ugly 80's jumpers in a random closet which naturally led to an afternoon of near hysterics. Why is it that ugly clothes with exaggerated shoulder pads brighten my day so much?

The Deep, Hull

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I wanted to make some clever joke referring to "sleeping with the fishes" after Lex and I went to the aquarium on Sunday but any form of linguistic creativity has escaped me. Whatever.

Frieda