R is for Return

Arrivng in Adelaide on a Saturday, a day or so to recover and some days to do Mummy required things, so it wasn't until the Thursday that I could take my jaunt to Encounter Bay.

The Floosie had gone to some trouble over the repast after my subtle blogging of the fabulous food at the Spring Bay Mill events...

So delicious, and bubbly too.

Replete from lunch, we took a trip to Port Elliot (as we do).

Some of you will recognise this flowery bower, now sporting a Christmas touch.  We bought (Jill's) Steve a delicious looking chocolate concoction at the bakery, and a banbury for us to compare with an eccle.

And then time to motor home (well fuelled with cake) until the 2020 visit - the Year of the Rat's Tail.

The former Mrs History also loaned me this book, purchased at Flanders Fields (and not in or on).

It may have been later that same day - or possibly the day before - when Willowa arrived home with our new bike riding proudly on her car roof.  We had agreed to buy this bike between us last time I was in Adelaide.  I thought she had forgotten but no, there it was in all it's glory. And gloriously easy it is to ride, too, with only 3 gears that move effortlessly into place.  It was also a joy to watch Willowa effortlessly lift the bike down from her car.  How I love strong women.  I was in such awe that I forgot to take a photo.

This bicycle reminds me of the ones the women rode in Viet Nam when we were there the first time.  The riders wore their ao dai, hats and long gloves with unimaginable poise.  One day, when Steve was learning sword patterns in the park and I was surrounded by people wanting to practise their English, a lady's bike was stolen while she joined in this impromptu English class.  I can never quite get over the guilt I feel about this and the moral quandary it left me.  I don't know the lady's name but we were staying with a lady referred to as Ba Muoi (Mrs Ten) at the time, and so I have called my Adelaide bike Ba Muoi.

The jacarandas were in flower in Adelaide, always entrancing even when walking to the OBahn station on rubbish bin day.  My trip into town, however, was not so charming.  I've never been one of those people who avoid shop change-rooms because I can cleverly look at the overall effect and not hone in on the body.  Not so easy when trying on bathers...  When did my skin age like that?  One toss by a Chinese chef and I'd fall into noodles.

On one of my many restorative walks and bike rides I noticed this calming Buddha detail.  The house was also festooned for Christmas, and is situated on the grounds of the now bulldozed Radcliffe Theosophical Centre on Fourth Avenue.  Fourth Avenue is one of the many ways to get to my new food mecca - OG Road.  There I can partake of short eats, rice and curry, and buy pickles and sambals at ridiculously low prices at the Sri Lankan supermarket.  Sadly it is not open on Mondays so I was forced down the road to Han's Sushi.  Yes, they do sushi but they are Korean and have a huge Korean menu too.  So exciting for next time.  I do these food forays 1) because I'm greedy and 2) because Mum has Meals on Wheels so our food adventures together have been curtailed.

My second Big Adventure, after the Encounter Bay Road Trip, was to Raukkan sometime home to David Unaipon of the $50 note.  I'd read about this suggested day trip in the Sunday Mail and Mum and I were to embark upon it.  But she reneged, as she often does these days, so I re-scheduled with The Pearl.  What a fabulous day we had!

First stop:  Meningie for Coorong Mullet burgers

that we ate at Raukkan, which has a lot more to reccomend it that this photo suggests.  The photo was supposed to tell you what an idyllic spot this is.

This little white cat thought it was quite heavenly when I shared a bit of mullet with it.

The Narrung ferry is one of life's great treasure's (excuse the ufos, again) and I'd never heard of it before reading the Sunday Mail.  The ferry crosses the water where Lake albert meets Lake Alexandrina.

The Wellington ferry I did know and it was one of my favourites until Narrung came along.  When I lived in Wentworth it was my special way of getting to Port Elliot,

because all roads lead to Port Elliot.  The Pearl and I indulged in a coffee at Our Table in Our Pub in Our Favourite Easter Place.  But this was not the end of the adventure because we called in to the Floosie's to return her Flanders Field book (read cover to cover) and met the irresistible Bix.

Mum's only request for an outing was to the Botanical Gardens, and we did eventually get there.  This photo looks a bit wan but I was trying to capture the architecture and decoration of this pavillion where we paused after discovering we were too late for both the cafes - not even an icecream to be had.

I did get to the Central Market and the plan was to meet H Bells for lunch.  Sadly she caught the wrong train, possibly The Ghan, and by the time she arrived I'd eaten crispy lechon, corn pancake and coleslaw from Cumbia, and a coconut from the Cambodia stall.  And delicious it all was too.  Helly and I did have coffee together, and a bit of a trot around the fruit and veg stalls.

This is the view from the driver's seat of my car.  The Mum's garden hustles to say hello to you, but also goodbye.  It was time to leave for the lengthy drive back to Tribes.

I always stop at Coonalpyn to buy a pasty at the Post Office cum Bakery (I discovered it's an outlet for the Meningie Bakery).  I took a photo of this rather lovely shed for Steve.

Stayed overnight at the Nurses' Quarters in Warracknabeal with Sandrine.  It was such a perfect evening we walked to the pub for dinner, stopping only to take a fashion shot on the bridge over Yarriambiack Creek.

Drive, drive, drive and here I am again at Station Pier, waiting to board The Spirit on Friday 13th.

Yes yes, but what did you READ while you were away?  For reasons I can't quite fathom, I didn't read much at all.  This library book will be useful if I ever build my pond for wildlife.

This book has been hanging around at Mum's for yonks so I read it and then took it for a oneway trip on my bicycle to the Book Cupboard at Lochiel Park.  I should mention that Mum and I did a couple of strolls along the Linear Park, including the Book Cupboard.  We even got to Mercato one day, an easier trip than I had imagined it would be with a wheelchair.  And once we saw a koala.

I spent most of my reading time with this library book.  It jumped out at me because I have been compiling my own Rules of Life for some time.  I've got to 3 so far, but keep changing them.  I have no problem with Peterson's Rules, in fact they're rather like The Desiderata, which has long been my guide.  However he takes forever to get to each rule - though his anecdotes are often amusing.  He is a psychologist with a Christian bent, and I just can't accept some of his presuppositions. Thought provoking but.