news from the big world

Sometimes I am reminded that there is a bigger world. Last week I went to a Van Diemen's Band concert at the Hobart Town Hall.  It featured the harpsichord, one of my least favourite instruments but I thought I'd give it a chance to prove itself.

It took me a while to work out why Hobart is bedecked in red and black.  Dark Mofo.  Even the op shops trooped the colours.

I heard my name being called out as I entered the hall, which was most intriguing because I go to these lunchtime concerts on my own and never see anyone I know.  The caller was Mrs Mars1, ie Georgia and Jake's Mum.  She was bursting to tell me that Jake had heard from his daughter, Sarah, in Korea, and Sarah would like to come for a visit next year.  Big news indeed.  And very exciting.  🤞🤞

In other world news:

Rosa Norte and friend take their first swim for the summer season in Spain

photos finally arrive of Mark and Aloma's wedding in St Davids,

and a travel longing is stirred...

Sandrine, daughter and granddaughter in Queensland

The Floosie is off to New Caledonia next week.  Doubtless photos of her bikinied and sunkissed will grace these pages soon.

Sweet home Triabunna

garden bounty

apricot leaves at their best - the colour of courage

windy days

frosty nights

rainbow mornings

The pub has featured a bit since my return.

Lily, the pub owner's daughter, has decorated the designated smoking area.

early evening. walking back from the pub after a Guinness and discussion on drumming

walking to the pub for a Friends of Triabunna Reserves Gathering,

The Barracks at 6pm.

And walking to Anne's cottage for lunch, I'm reminded that Triabunna is probably as close to Pembrokeshire as I'm going to get in Australia

Anne trying to remember how to use a corkscrew

Family and home

The next day was Mothers Day.  Lady Jayne and Pearl took a leisurely stroll to Glenelg.  I did makko ho stretches in the sunshine and then set off to see Mum.  It was lovely to have Tamasin, Helly Bells, Mum and I together.

darling Mumsy

A final visit to Mum the next day, and a farewell to Pearl Resort.

farewell to the tree dahlia blossoms viewed from my window chez Pearl

Next stop:  Klemzig.  The Windsor Gardens Caravan Park.  

Lady Jayne arrives at our Klemzig cabin

So many times I have walked past this place from Mum's house, sometimes with Mum and Dad, sometimes just Mum, for a while with Steve, Rosie and Sis.

It's an easy walk from here to Mercato in Campbelltown, where we provisioned for the evening meal, fueling up for the sentimental walk around Klemzig the next day.

Steve and my old home did not look the same, even more overgrown that last time.

2 smart units evolving next door

more posh units just down Cullford Avenue

Other changes in Klemzig too.

carnival atmosphere on OG Road!

We picked up some short eats from my Sri Lankan supermarket and threaded our way through backstreets to our cosy cabin.

In the afternoon we took a stroll along the Linear Park.  So many memories along this track.

rain washed River Red Gums take me back to Thegoa Lagoon in Wentworth

but this is the Torrens, tumbling over rocks as Mum loved it.

How I loved this couple of days.  I'll do it again.  People-watch from the cabin window.  Curl up and read.  Watch the birds, the clouds, the towering eucalypts.  Do the walks again, slowly.  Greet the dogs.  I hadn't realised how much of my story lingers here.

Destination Canberra the next day.  An overnight in Hay which is an interesting little town.  Arriving late and leaving early, we didn't see much.

our pub meal

I had the special.  I can't remember what it was but it was excellent.

a moody early morning start across Hay Plain

violets from Lady Jayne's garden

This is just what I had wanted to find for Mum for Mothers Day.

kites at The Arboretum

lunch at the Bot Gards

Time to go home.  An empty Canberra Airport on a Sunday.

a chance for crab and seaweed inari sushi (and very cheap for airport food)

A wonderful flight home.  No-one beside me.  The window seat.  A cruise down the East Coast of Tasmania.  And our house visible through the clouds.

out and about

We drove to Melbourne Street in North Adelaide.  Back in the 1970s this was the grooviest street and the boys were all excited about The Clipjoint - hairdresser / barber with topless female barbers.  It's not so groovy these days - though I did work briefly in a cafe there in about 2006.  Now there's some retail but it is increasingly medical / specialist rooms.  Pearl had an appointment with her sister and we waited for her at a Vietnamese influenced cafe.

Pearl looks calm and assured.  I look like a cross  between the Cheshire Cat and Rumpole of the Bailey

Lady Jayne waits elegantly

While Pearl attended her sister, LJ and I sought out the North Adelaide shop once belonging to her aunt.  As a child, the Lady would sit by the shop door and alert her aunt to the arrival of customers.  

The shop is now a popular cafe whose patrons looked very PLU

We meandered back to Melbourne Street and rendezvoused with Pearl.  Cunningly I had noticed an exhibition advertised outside the David Roche House Museum, a place I had long wanted to visited but had never been able to find.  Seize the day! 

https://www.rochefoundation.com.au/exhibitions/  The exhibition consisted of 12 huge, stunning tapestries that Arthur Boyd had commissioned to be made in Portugal from his Life of St Francis paintings and drawings.

As a reward for such cultural pursuits, we indulged in lunch at The Red Lion, once The Place to rage the weekend away.

Taking the long way home, we eventually located the house where Lady Jayne's grandma had  lived.  It would be a wonderful place to live today - close to the Parklands, old houses, a villagey feel with an edge.

The next day we were off to Tanunda to take Pearl's sister home.  This is another lovely town with a gorgeous bookshop.

I didn't buy this book but have ordered it from the library since my return.

So beguiled was I by the shop and owner that I bought a 500 piece jigsaw.  I hate jigsaws but thought, if ever I'm going to get into them, this is the one to do it.  Could be useful if I ever have to quarantine again for covid or suchlike...

Took the Glenelg tram the next day into the city.  It was Friday and The Guardsman restaurant in the train station was open!  It's not the exciting lunch place it used to be, the menu having been taken over by the inevitable improbable sounding burgers, but there's still some good choices and the toilets are as refreshing as ever.

More driving the next day - McLaren Vale and the d'Arenberg Cube.  We wanked our way through the wine tasting and Salvador Dali exhibition.

I tried to get Lady Jayne to out-impose this bronze 

but she  preferred to checkout the merch.

The Pearl got down to some serious study

and the autumn vines were glorious

Some days you've just got to agree with The Man.