But eventually Tom was decommissioned, and was replaced by Adam Carter, played by Rupert Penry-Jones. As you can see, he’s also very easy on the eye.
Adam was a different character altogether. He started out being a very light-hearted alternative to Tom’s seriousness, but we found out very quickly that the man had an edge…
Watch here, but be prepared for a nail biter! Not many TV series are prepared to go to this extreme…
I watch a lot of TV, but not one to follow a long-running series year after year. Probably because eventually a series disappoints, or even if it doesn’t, it gets canned. One of the few series that seems to buck this trend is Spooks.
Why is it so enduring? Probably because the writing is of so high a standard, the acting so consistently good, and well… it’s exciting to watch!
Mind you, the fact that they have good looking lead actors does make things a little easier on the eyes. Back in Season 1 (corr, shown all the way back in 2002) we started off with Matthew Macfadyen, a.k.a. Tom Quinn. The trio of Tom, Zoe, and Danny certainly started the ball rolling. And got me well and truly hooked.
Discovering the EatingAsia blog has made me very hungry. Fortunately, there is a lot of good quality SE Asian food around the city and I was able to indulge in some laksa and kueh teao.
It also reminded me that it’s two years ago that I visited Bali, and I’ll spend some time this week in reminiscence.
To start off with, a rather sobering subject – the bombings.
It’s quite a shock to see all those names on the memorial.
I ate with some family friends on the beach restaurant where the second bomb exploded, and I can’t imagine what the carnage was like.
Yet despite it all, it’s also rather sobering to see back then the lack of tourists and closed businesses. Personally, I never felt threatened at all and it’s ludicrous for Aussies to stay away. I think that the Balinese deserve a chance, and I’m glad to hear that things have improved from 2 years ago.
The nuns recently built a yurt next to the cottages. Why? No, they’re not taking up a nomadic existence, but to use it as a prayer/meditation/conference room, of course!
During the Taizé prayer day, I spent an hour or so sketching the structure. From afar, it looks a bit like a flying saucer.
This gate is the entrance to a marvellous paddock that features my favourite Moreton Bay Fig tree.
Walk past the tree and there are acres of grass, surrounded by rainforest. It is beautiful on a clear, sunny autumn’s day.
I like to take a picnic blanket and lie down on the tall, soft grass, soak up the sun, and listen to the cicadas and crickets.
Can’t help but post one more shot of autumn colour! Love the fallen leaf, probably because there isn’t an oak/maple tree in my street, and hardly even in my suburb.
I have to follow it by one more gratuitous shot of some glorious Pink Lady apples. Can’t believe how many apples I’ve eaten this week… Is there such a thing as an apple overdose?
For the past few years I’ve been lucky enough to work on the 28th floor on the western edge of the city. That means an unobstructed view west, all the way to the Blue Mountains on a clear day.
On the weekend I saw the view in reverse from the Blue Mountains foothills at Bellbird Hill, high above the Richmond plains. Whereas from the city only the suburbs are visible, from Bellbird Hill the view is surprisingly rural.
Walked around the corner… and ran into a bee hive! These bees were so hard-working that they were working on a public holiday! No rest for the wicked…
A couple of weeks ago I talked to a friend of mine who went apple-picking in the Blue Mountains. Having never picked an apple off a tree before, I wanted to give it a try, and fortunately got the opportunity on the weekend.
We headed up to the little village of Bilpin and Pine Crest Orchard nice and early with our trusty Coles bags. There were a few Granny Smiths and Golden Delicious, but the prize picks were the Pink Lady apples. There were rows and rows of trees, all laden with big, bright red fruit.
We were beside ourselves. I immediately ‘sampled’ three apples on-site – they were crispier than a, er, crisp – and then picked enough to last at least the rest of the month. Add to that a cool, sunny day, and I was in heaven. Now, I’m busy compiling a list of apple recipes. I’ve already made a simple apple tart with my Pink Ladies, and it was wonderful. Any other suggestions?
I received a little sketch book for my birthday and have been making gradual use of it since. It’s been half a lifetime since I took up a pencil (or a brush for that matter) so this foray into drawing has been a long time coming.
The sketch book came in handy during my recent visits to Jamberoo. I happily wiled away the time sketching in between walks and visits to the Abbey itself. I had forgotten how relaxing it can be. It is a meditation in itself.
Static and Silence 