31.7.2009 Friday, Mendoza, Argentina

The town of Mendoza is surrounded by an impressive net of irrigation channels, originally built by the Huarpe Indians before the Spaniards arrived. The channels lead the water from the Andean glaciers to the plains, and while the Indians used it for growing potatoes, these days it is used for the purposes of viticulture. The climate is amazingly warm; check out the tree on the right in this photo - it is a bunya!

30.7.2009 Thursday, Puerto Madero, Buenos Aires, Argentina

Puerto Madero is the love child of Melbourne Docklands and Katajanokka in Helsinki: a posh, marine, urban environment reconstructed in old redbrick buildings. The coolest thing by far is the museum frigate Presidente Sarmiento, floating at the dock.

Crossing out things from my "1000 Things To Do Before You Die" list: visiting the cadets' loo. That felt almost as good as bathing in the sauna of the Finnish Naval Academy!

...or, How I Learned To Stop Worrying And Love The Torpedo.

29.7.2009 Wednesday, San Telmo, Buenos Aires, Argentina

Wednesday the 29th was such a jolly good day that it just had to be revisited! On the latter occasion, we walked miles on the cobblestone streets of old Buenos Aires, so thoroughly Continental after the years spent in the Colonies that I felt like kissing every building. The antique shops at San Telmo had everything and the kitchen sink.

29.7.2009 Wednesday, South Pacific

Incidentally, I have never travelled round the world. However, I have crossed every longitude (ever since shortly after this photo was taken). The flight time from Australia to South America was fourteen hours - short and sweet in comparison to Australia-Europe flights, that is.

13.7.2009 Monday, University of Queensland

I took the Annual Fire Safety Training electronically. My favourite part comes in the very end, as you have to select from a long list of buildings the one in which you are stationed. Mine is the boring old 0080 Queensland Bioscience Precinct, but many others such as 0112 Calf Pens, 0113 Poultry Laying Unit, 0056C Shark Compound, and 0251 below never fail to bring a smile to my face.