Guest post from MYCROFT.

Bonjour tout le monde! Mycroft here.

Yes, I know I've been neglecting posting here. Naughty Mycroft. Busy at work. Of course. Always. Especially now there's an election in a few months. Not that it should be my concern. Strictly apolitical  me. Absolutely. At least, that's what I tell people. Some of them even believe me.

Anyhow, that, as Maurice would say, is not the point. Maurice is off galavanting around in Bordeaux (or Boredeau as he insists on spelling it = Bored water?). I hear he's even bought himself another Château. I should be horrified. I should. But somehow I'll manage to make it my new holiday home. I need a break from Canberra. After the election .... !

I've decided to break my veil of secrecy a little and tell you something about my house. A modest place, of course, can't be seen to be wasting tax payer's money.

This picture shows exactly what my house doesn't look like.

Pity. Perhaps when I retire?

I have a house just outside Canberra. I was lucky enough to get one of the earlier buildings in the area. The house was built in 1713, is a modest two story country house. One of the highlights is the cellar, a multi-roomed, multi-floored affair which gives acres of room to store my fine wine collection in perfect conditions! Latour, Haut Brion, Mouton Rothschild, Yquem... yes, and Burgundy, especially DRC ... I have a fondness for Romanée-Conti, and for Grands-Echezeaux. Lots of different vintages, even a few precious bottles of 1811 Yquem.

Okay, okay, I'm pulling your leg. There's no houses in or near Canberra dating from 1713 ... No European settlement here till the 19th century. But I do have a cellar. And a few bottles of 1811 Yquem.

I work for the Government. It's important work. Very. So of course that's all I can say. Sorry, nothing to see here. Move along now please.

Ahem. It does allow me to travel a bit, though. Hence being able to build up such a good wine cellar. Hence my small collection of 18th century watercolour paintings. Hence my modest library, with books dating back to 1631. 

I'd move to Maurice's "Boredeau" château in a heartbeat though. And he'll just forget about it. Perhaps when I retire? He won't remember it then. Lucky if he remembers it a week after he's left for one of his other houses ...

Oh well. Enough. Phone's ringing. It's the Boss. Another government crisis, no doubt...

Guest post by Mycroft

It may seem that I have been somewhat derelict in my duties as a "guest blogger" on my brother's esteemed weblog (i.e., this one). And indeed I have not posted anything at all this year. And it's already October.

And yet, there's been so much to do. The budget. Immigration policy. The deficit. And the honourable leader of her majesty's loyal opposition keeps existing, which is really too vexing.

But that's just excuses. Truth is, if I visit Maurice's weblog, I end up reading his prose. And that just drives me to tears. And not in a good way, I can tell you.

But here I am ... currently in London, in Maurice's somewhat spectacular new Greenwich house. I was initially confused as he insists on calling it a "hosue". Did he mean Castle Hosue in Hereford? Or Hosue Nature House Yamabiko in Japan? Turns out it was just a typo. Who'd have thought?

Eh, it's been good to be in London. Been in America for a few months. At least they know how to drive on the right side of the road here, which is to say the left hand side. And meetings with people from ... certain agencies ... relating to ... trade ... have gone well. Despite Maurice leaking my text messages to him (lucky I tell him little of real importance...). And it's been good to be away from the office for a bit. Don't have Julia constantly popping by with new bits of work for me. Could get used to this!

Oh, and the ENO. Good to be able to go see a few performances. And to call into Berry Bros & Rudd for a bottle or two of something ... such as a few bottles of Haut-Brion. Or maybe some Krug. Perfect!

But ... can't! The budget deficit won't solve itself. And the leader of the opposition is still his usual contrary self. So, will have to go back to Canberra soon. But not this week. Or next week.

Maurice in Canberra - a horrifying prospect

I got back home from work early -- i.e., at 10pm -- and reheated some Boeuf Bourguignonne for dinner. Julia keeps inviting herself round for dinner, but managed to avoid it this evening. Yes, I know you haven't found somewhere to rent yet. Yes, I know I have a spare room. And your point was?

Got a phone call from Maurice. As is typical of Maurice, it was somewhat long and incoherent. The main point was that he's planning to visit Canberra when he's next in Australia.

Suddenly having somebody else over to stay, and thus the spare room occupied, seems like a better idea.

For those who can't remember his last visit, here is an artist's interpretation of what a visit from Maurice would look like:

It's not very realistic, I admit.

In reality, its far worse.

I'll send Julia a text messsage.

The return of Mycroft (from 20,000 fathoms)

Mes amis.... no, fear not, its not Maurice, its me, Mycroft. It's safe to come out from hiding now...

Not much blogging recently as have been organising... stuff... to do with the commonwealth heads of government meeting in Perth. Can't really comment on that at this moment, or indeed at any other moment. Some things will just have to stay opaque.

But the main point here is that this hasn't left me much leisure to do internetting... or much else indeed. And I've been in Perth -- away from my humble abode in Canberra, my library, my cellar...

But back in Canberra now. Maurice-free since December 2010! Quite an achievement. I'm proud, in any case.

I bought plenty of wine in Burgundy ... you might all remember my trip there earlier in the year ... and that was arriving back in dribs and drabs by surface mail for months afterwards. But I got some good stuff ... '55 Clos Vougeot? I bought several magnums. I also got a few nice bottles of a '78 Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru ... yummy.

But Julia said I should stop boasting about my wine cellar, so that's it for now (though I think that's because she's secretly envious ... and because I wouldn't open my last bottle of '34 Romanée-Conti for her ... but we'll pass over that in silence. What cannot be said here will not be spoken of!)

I'm starting to make plans for 2012. A trip to Italy is a must. Lots of trips to the US, but that's not personal, it's business. No, again, I can't speak of that here. I'm also debating starting on a scholarly autobiography ... 'Life and times of an intellectual civil servant', but probably wouldn't get clearance to publish it. Eh ...

Back to the present -- seems Maurice (my 'geynius' brother) has forgotten the grape harvest at his Italian and Spanish estates. How long should we wait till we remind him? Just need to wait long enough for the vintage to be an almost irreparable disaster ... so any day now?

Hiappy new year, mes amis!!!1!!!

Bonne année, mon amis!!!1! Or, as we say "en français", "Happy New Year, My Freinds!!" Eh bien, it is true. It once agian a new year is.

Wow! How teh old year wery fast went. Even for such a grate geynius as Murrhjuose, who wery wery good at noticing things that happen wery fast is. The years are so short, it almost seems as if their is a new year every 365 days!!! Incredioble! Incroyable!!

Well mes amis, Merhwse thuoght that his loyal fans had suffered enuogh deprevation of MISSIVES from their favourite geynius (I.E., moi!!! Morose!!!), and so he a wobleg post shuold writinte.

He hopes you a wery good Christmass hjad. He a wery good Christmas had, wihch he spent wiht his long long lost brohter Mycroft in Canbererera.... tahts right mes amis, Mururuse has a brohter..... rember you read taht here FIRST. Anyway, it incroidable catching up wiht him after may yers (5 years? 10 years? 20 years? 100 years? WHO KNOWES?!?!?!) was. Muirhose wanted to tweet and wobleg all abuot Christmas LIVe as it happeniated but alas it was not possible. Mijruse his NON-GEYNIUS borhter forbidinated it (now Morose rembers why he to him stoped talking!!1!) simply becuaeese Mycroft works in some ""confidiential"" projects in Governenmenbt and it cuold have ""Jeopardised National Security"". Wahtever. Murrhuwse, he a GRATER geynius is.

Eh bien, despite tihs, we a grate CHristmas had. For Christmas dinner, we had roast duck, roast turkey, roast lamb AND roast goose!!! ALL OF TEHM>>>!! WOAH!! it such a meal was. Their were roast potatoes, roast punmpkin, roast parsnip, a beautiful salad. OH...,.and I still have not teh fois gras starter mentionated....

NAturally Murhose and Mycroft many good whines had. Mycroft is wery partial to teh 1892 Chateau Lafite, so NAturally we several bottels of tihs had... since Murrhose preferinates Romanee COnti we sevral bottels of 1956 Romanée Conti also haded.

Eh bien, as alwauys, even such good thymes to an end must come. And teh day before yester-day, murrhose his hairyplane packinated, and to Paris, NSW flew. He is plaesed to relate taht teh flight only two days him took -- a record, he hardly at all lost got!!!!1!

à bien-tôt...
MUERRHAESE
geynius

Wisiting Canberra.... and Mycroft...

Mes amis, if you have Murrhose on twitter been folowingk, you will ahve noticed taht he once again on spaeking terms wiht his younger brother Mycroft now once again is. And Murrhose has him been E-MIALING (even touhgh he a lesser mind tahn Moirwse is). AND so it was aranginated taht Murrheçe will him wisit in his Canberraerera hosue. Looking forward to it, mes amis, this geynius is looking forward to it!!!

Just need to find his way to Australie first. Murruse thinks he still over New Zealand is, so NOT LONG NOW....

Subject: Re: Visit me [CLASSIFIED LEVEL=3]
From: Mycroft de Perfossor
Sent: 11:20
To: Maurice de Perfossor [maurice.deperfossor@hotmail.fr]

Indeed, Maurice. See you whenever you remember where 
Canberra is...

Yours
Mycroft

> ----- Original Message -----
> From: Maurice de Perfossor
> Sent: 12/14/10 10:32 AM
> To: Mycroft de Perfossor
> Subject: Re: Visit me [CLASSIFIED LEVEL=3]
>
> Of cuorse. A geynius can wisit his non-geynius brother,
> non? Will telelephoninate you once Murhuse he has in 
> Australie arrivinated...
>
> Morrowse.
>
> Mycroft de Perfossor wrote:
>>
>> Planning to visit Canberra whilst you're in 
>> "Australie"? Will invite Julia around for 
>> dinner if you come.
>>
>> Yours
>> Mycroft