Christmas light-up

Hong Kong really is beautiful when the smog clears and you can see all the lights up for the season. This is the view from the Star Ferry from Tsim Sha Tsui, enroute to catching the Mui Wo ferry home.

Mui Wo celebrity II

Meet Maisie, the other mascot of Tom's Cafe. She's such a little lady and keeps herself so clean she's a walking advertisement for bleach.

China Beach... far away in time

Wonderful views and the smell of meats barbecuing on the grill makes for a perfect Saturday brunch at China Beach Club (Tel: 2983-8931). Our surf and turf (HK$205) was enough for two. I had all three tiger prawns with garlic aioli and Buffalo Wilbur had the steak. We were so full after that we didn't have space for their famous apple crumble. But we will try it soon and I'll post photos of that up!

Silver mining

Many day trippers come to Mui Wo, or Silvermine Bay, in search of the mine that gave the place its name. Problem is, the mine has been closed for more than a century and all there is to see is a spooky arched entryway that has been boarded up.

We've gone up there a few times, mainly to watch the disappointed looks on people's faces when they realise "this is IT?!" But the view from the top is worth the steep slope up.

Chilling out at China Beach Club

What I like about China Beach Club (Tel: 2983-8931) is that the staff love pets. A friendly dog may come to greet you at the top of the stairs and, in the open-air kitchen, cats doze on the rocks above. The view is also amazing: huge sweeping sea view all the way to Hei Ling Chau and beyond.

The prices are more close to city prices (HK$195 for a rib-eye steak) but they do give value. My China Beach curry came with seven fat peeled prawns. And Buffalo Wilbur's kippers came in a mound of kippers. The drinks are also good value – HK$25 can get you almost a pint worth of Gunner or lemonade.

Pity the place is only open on weekends. I could get used to this.

Find your best friend

Got a village house with a huge garden? Or how about a nice little ground floor flat? Mui Wo and the surrounding areas are great for doggy walks. If you're feeling the need for a four-legged friend, looks like Cheung Sha's the place to be on Sunday.

Christmas Fair

Love the charming posters (kiddie misspelling and all) advertising the Lantau International School Christmas Fair on December 4. Makes you want to go there all the more, doesn't it?