Christmas means summer to us here in Australia, and in perfect accord with the hot holiday weather is the abundance of fresh summer fruit that accompanies it: mangoes, pineapples and papaya, cherries and raspberries, grapes and guavas, peaches and nectarines, and many more exotic fruits too ….

Trekking in Peru, everything was amazing. The people, the views, the ancient culture, the altitude, the incredible and mysterious stone work everywhere, even the barbecued guinea pig.  Their national liquor, pisco, was pretty amazing when made into a Pisco Sour and a dessert, the Tres Leches Cake, of which I became particularly fond ….