The walk from our office to Waterloo Station is unremarkable except for the marvellous bakery Konditor & Cook, whose delicacies glint at you through the glass window like diamonds in a Bond Street jewellery shop, and a cat of such enormous proportions that all the commuters know it as Cow Cat.
The giant feline languishes for a tickle or a morsel en route, but otherwise the walk is an unremarkable function of the daily journey. Except for the fox. Last week, a dog fox idled along the pavement in the opposite direction to commuters, passing within a foot of many. I was alone in stopping and looking in amazement. I've certainly never been so close to one, but nobody else looked twice. Seeing a fox is clearly commonplace for Londoners, unlike us country dwellers.
Back in Hampshire, it's the apple trees that are getting my attention. I've never seen such a bumper crop and, having recently moved there and not knowing the varieties, I've been biting into the different types to discover whether they are cookers or eaters-the star is a tree whose apples are wondrously red and sweet. What everyone needs now are some new recipes to deal with the glut, so please send me any family favourites.
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Vertigo at Victoria Falls, a sunset surrounded by lions and swimming in the Nile: A journey from Cape Town to CairoWhy do we travel and who inspires us to do so? Chris Wallace went in search of answers on his own epic journey the length of Africa.
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A gorgeous Scottish cottage with contemporary interiors on the bonny banks of the River TayCarnliath on the edge of Strathtay is a delightful family home set in sensational scenery.
