Saturday holiday

Getting a tad historical here.  Feeling a bit fragmented at the moment - seem to be jumping all over the place.  But today I have devoted to Catching Up, and so far it's going well.  The Saturday referred to was a couple of weeks ago.  There was an exhibition at the Allport Library & Museum which I wanted to catch and it was ending early March.  I decided to take the bus in.  It's so civilised.  Catch the bus at 10.05am at the end of the road, enjoy scenery from high bus windows, arrive Hobart CBD approx 11.30am, and no worries about parking.  The return bus is at 4pm.  Perfect.

First get some sushi in a brown paper bag:  brown rice rainbow veg; crispy tofu; seaweed inari.  Delicious.  Fuelled up for The Allport.

The exhibition was small but beautiful.  Rodney Gardner's paintings, mostly of Launceston, are the smudgy watercolours that I think best capture the mood of Tasmania.  He also has portraits of contemporary palawa leaders juxtaposed with portraits of Aboriginal people from Baudin's exploration of Van Diemen's Land.

I explored the Allport Museum where I discovered some treasures.  Above is a painting of Bellerive by an unknown artist in the 1920s - note railway pier.  I couldn't believe I had not seen this before.

And there were Peron's sketches of structures the Baudin exploration found on Maria Island.

note looming photographer in foreground

Well satisfied, I trotted up Davey Street

passed St David's Park - note your taxes at work - to Hampden Road and Markree House. 

photocopied handout at house - but good info

I love Arts and Craft houses.  This one is a joy and I was totally overwhelmed by the furniture and architectural detail.  I could only take in the ground floor and will have to make a return visit for the upstairs.

shades of Edna W

It was a lovely garden to wander around on a warmish day.

Next door is Red Knights.  The two houses are complementary, one having been built for the Baldwin family, the other for The Aunts.  The gardens were connected by a rose arbour, sadly no longer there.

I walked back via Salamanca Market, buying a rose quartz and amethyst because my Chinese horoscope for the Year of the Tiger predicts I will need them to protect my health this year.

Then it was back to the bus-stop to read my book for 10 minutes before the prompt arrival of the bus.  I was also amused by a very stationary big gull.