Easterish

Pearl returned home on the Tuesday and Lady Jayne arrived on Wednesday.  The Easterers were just about together again.  We visited old haunts.

Where the river meets the sea at Port Noarlunga.  A lot of frolicking with first husbands happened here.

Pearl showed us where this beautiful staircase now winds down to the beach.

A West Beach marina.

We took the Glenelg tram into the Adelaide Market to stock up on provisions for New Year's Eve.  I was in my element, though it was rather ho hum for Pearl and Lady Jayne who have everyday access to such abundance.  We spent an indulgent NYE watching the Adelaide fireworks with some of Pearl's neighbours, and Lady Jayne and I saw the New Year in, something neither of us have done for a loooong time.  We even kept a vague pledge to return to Port Noarlunga for a swim on New Year's Day,

joining the local talent,

me

The Pearl

Lady Jayne keeps wisely to the shade.

though not in the yellow, blue and olive green terry towelling bikinis of yore.

The next day was all about culture.  Back on the Glenelg tram and off to the Botanical Gardens and Art Gallery.

via Adelaide Uni, our alma mater

turtles at the Bot Gards enthralled  young and old

The Art Gallery seems to have been rejigged a bit and has a fresher look to my eyes.  I was a bit stunned to see all these works of Clarice Beckett on one wall.  The Floosie and I went to an exhibition of her work which had an entire downstairs gallery devoted it to it.  You can see her blog post of it here.

It was lovely to see these works on display in the main gallery and not relegated to 'Indigenous Art' or some such niche spot.

The Adelaide skyline seems different every time I visit.  This is the view from the Art Gallery's original entrance on North Terrace.  I would be  unable to place it had I not taken the photo myself.

After all that culture you need to replenish the brain with a good fish feed.

So we went to Glenelg Marina in search of a seafood platter.  It took us a while but we found it at a restaurant called The Wharf.  It was expensive but delicious.

Pearl knows a secret parking spot where there are always parks, plus a pleasant walk to the restaurant strip on the marina.  It was a very silver evening as we walked to the car.  We returned to the restaurant the next evening to try their beef ragout with pumpkin gnocchi.  It was a huge serve but too salty for me,

but we struggled womanfully.  And thus, after an indulgent and nostalgic week, we parted ways.  Lady Jayne back to Canberra, me off to Encounter Bay, and the Pearl finally allowed to enjoy the comfort of her own home.

Yule log

On Christmas Eve last year I drove to Devonport and boarded the ferry for Geelong.  I was in need of adventure, 2022 being a flatish year.  To avoid confusing Father Christmas, many people choose not to travel on Christmas Eve, so Spirit of Tasmania fares were discounted and I treated myself to a cabin with porthole.  Glorious.  I munched gingerbreads, chocolates and rum balls, as the lights of Devonport receded. 

Geelong hoves into view

Christmas Day was hot and I faced the forthcoming drive to Adelaide with some trepidation.  My first test was to find my way out of Geelong, home to the new ferry terminal.  As you know, I'm not very good at that stuff and it took me an hour to find the right road and, even then, I had to compromise by  driving to Ballarat because I couldn't see the turn off to Ararat.

I had promised my travelling companions that we would stop at Dadswell Bridge to  have a drink with Christmas Koala.

Bobbin and Flowers were blown away by the gargantuan beast but thankful for the shade.

Despite its imposing presence, the koala offered no succour.  The cafe was closed.  We stopped somewhere for petrol and iced coffee and drove on wishing for Christmas miracles like air conditioning and a working fuel gauge.

We arrived Chez Pearl in the evening,

hot, tired, disheveled, but thankful there was a bottle of bubbly keeping cool in the sleeping bag in the back of the car.  Pearl was away on an adventure of her own.

Flowers and Bobbin made themselves very much at home and we enjoyed a convivial evening sipping bubbles, eating cornchips with truffled triple cream brie, and opening presents.  Father Christmas had found us after all.

I awoke on Boxing Day to find Pearl's place boxed in by cars and people trudging in 40 degree heat to buy stuff at Harbor Town sales.  My day was dedicated to keeping cool, visiting Mum in the blissfully cool nursing home, and a long bath.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!

 

It's the Year of the Rabbit

and I have a new origami kit.