09 round up

Another year zoomed by! This coming year will be my 5th in London which I can hardly believe, but I am still enjoying it a lot and making the most of being in this city and on this side of the world - as much as I miss all of my friends and family at home.

Unfortunately for me, both Rob and Louise & Andrew headed back home this year but we welcomed Ana mid-year which has been really fun.

So a quick reflection on the past year to set me in good stead for 2010.

Travel highlights:

- Visiting Aus back in March for Mum's 60th and seeing all my lovely friends (even if it did rain for 2 weeks!)
- Chilling out in the Lake District with Lisa and baby Hamish
- Long weekends with friends in Sardinia, Normandy and Barcelona (at long last I made it!)
- Weekends with the girls in Paris and Dorset
- Lots of fun & mischief in Devon for the River Cottage weekend and in Vienna with the gang
- and my first visit to New York!

...hmm I think that might be all of my trips!

Cultural highlights:
- Matthew Bourne's Swan Lake
- Ed Ruscha exhibition
- Inherit the Wind at the Old Vic with Kevin Spacey
- Much Ado about Nothing in Regent's Park open air theatre
- Grizzly Bear with the London Symphony Orchestra at the Barbican

Dining out:

- Bistrotheque was a fun night
- Chez Bruce the second time around with the girls
- Loving the food at Moro, Ottolenghi and Tapas Brindisa
- High tea at Claridges was a real treat
- I had some very enjoyable breakfasts at the Wolseley and Zetter
- Two good finds at Boundary Project and Paradise

The best of the rest:

- Hanging out with Dunja in London, Oxford and Glastonbury while she was here
- Being promoted to Account Director at work
- Oh and I hosted my first BBQ at my place!

There were an awful lot of drinks, dinners and dinner parties in amongst this lot and birthday celebrations too which made the year a good one.

Here's hoping this is a great year for me, and for all of you too! See many of you in Aus later in the year.