200 years of English cooking (but the oysters were great)

On the final leg of my journey to Adelaide and by now entirely insomniac, I dipped into Bill Bryson's entertaining account of his various trips to Australia (thanks Karina). As a keen historian, Bryson gives some fascinating insights into the original colonisation of Australia and the inherent conflict this created with the indigenous population, the aborigines, a conflict which persists to this day. He also recounts how the first convict ships sent by the British government (following the directions laid down on a previous voyage of discovery by the legendary Captain James Cook) arrived in Botany Bay only a short time before two French ships skippered by a Count de la Pérouse. As Bryson observes: "Had La Pérouse been just a little faster, he could have claimed Australia for France and saved the country from 200 years of English cooking".

My first act of note after arriving in Adelaide was to have lunch with my university friend Sally on a sun-filled terrace overlooking the River Torrens (as opposed to the Adelaide River, which is a crocodile-infested river in the Northern Territories). It wasn't sun-filled for long. In fact it rained. Quite hard. But it was very warm rain (you have to look on the bright side when you have come from temperatures of minus 5). And as you might expect, the Coffin Bay oysters were to die for....

Today it's hot and sunny, with temperatures of 35 promised for the weekend. It seems normal service has been resumed in time for the start of the 2nd Test match tomorrow. With a keen sense of anticipation, I took the short stroll across the river to the Adelaide Oval, renowned (quite rightly) as one of the world's most picturesque cricket arenas. There I was fortunate enough to catch the end of the England batting practice, presided over by a very stern-looking Andy Flower and a larger than life but equally inscrutable Graham Gooch. These guys really mean business. Suitably encouraged, I'm going for an England win here in Adelaide.