Winter Calm

You know how winter is supposed to be the quiet time of the year, where apart from Christmas nothing much happens? This winter has been the busiest, most hectic and complicated ever.

I have been to India, Egypt, the UK and France while Stuart has travelled to Paris and Brussels more times than seems feasible, as well as Hong Kong, Mumbai and Stockholm. We went on holiday to Egypt, then we had visitors. We went to Chennai, then had some more visitors. In between Dubai staged a film, a shopping and a jazz festival. Soon we're off to Zanzibar. And through most of it Anna has been keeping us company. We thought we weren't sociable, but I guess we are more people-friendly than I expected.

Bring on nice quiet uneventful summer.

Chennai

After Cairo I thought I'd got the hang of places with too much traffic and no road infrastructure. As it turned out India is so much more.

Stuart has been working with a company in Chennai (ex-Madras) on the East coast of India in Tamil Nadu. On this visit Anna and I were able to accompany him. It was a rush and we are now totally hooked on the India experience. Going back as soon as possible to this most colourful of countries. We were lucky that we had use of a driver and car for the whole five days to take us anywhere and show us the place. Even going out into the street can be forbidding to start with, as it's so mad-busy everywhere and footpaths are an optional extra on the roads. The mix of big trucks, cars, taxis, rickshaws, motor bikes and bicycles with the odd oxen cart and pedestrian thrown in, is a challenge to navigate.

Chennai traffic is interesting at any time...

More India Photos here