Culture, heritage and home sweet home

Romeo and Juliet may have disappointed me

but Van Diemen's Band at St Davids Cathedral was paradise enow.

The second Tuesday in November saw me at The Shoreline for a Melbourne Cup Lunch with the Bunna Babes.   Caz (in the middle) boldly got into the spirit and came third in the Ladies Best Dressed.

The following Friday saw me at the St Mark's Church market, delighted by the remaining flowers.

This rose is borrowed landscape from the garden next door.   I had been tempted to use it as part of my Melbourne Cup regalia.

my nasturtiums catching the morning sun

Saturday brought a feast of opportunities with the Architecture Open Day Tasmania.  I couldn't make much use of the day without a car but I did catch the bus into Hobart to explore the controversial 'Red Awnings' in Murray Street.  Formerly a bank, it is  now in private hands and scandalised many when the red canopies were installed.

I was very excited to learn the sandstone came from Kangaroo Point aka Bellerive

I love the red blinds

Now, I lived in an old bank but not like this!

through the front door

I had thought it would be nice to have a piano...

we did have a vault to store wine

a ceiling feature is always nice

as is a good library

and my kitchen was also much admired, perhaps not on quite this scale

Sated, I strolled through Salamanca Market,

Cary Lewincamp playing

caught the ferry to Bellerive,

unknown couple on ferry

and visited our old home in Queen Street, now part of the Cottage School.

the space under the house has been converted to classrooms

and I am very proud to say that the silver birches I planted remain

A walk along the beach to Alexandra Paradiso and through my new front gate,

past the onions that are doing exactly what I want them to.  A most satisfactory day.

Alexandra Paradiso

This may become my new blog name.  We'll see.  My guests seem to enjoy my unit as much as I do.  Admittedly the weather may not be to their liking but the bandicoots seem to seduce everyone, as have the parent and child butcherbirds.

The (hopefully) Jill-proof fence was finished on the day H Bells arrived.  Georgia brought Jilly for a visit today and so far so good.
The fence has been widely complimented

and Sundance, the butcherbird, seems to approve too.

My sister, H Bells, came to celebrate her birthday, her last visit being about 40 years ago.  I was living in my unit then, too.  I don't think I had a car then either.  Poor Helly again had to battle the elements to get anywhere.  And she feels the cold.  Mrs History had 3 doonas, H Bells 4!!!!  Helly's allergies are far more numerous than mine so she could stay warm cooking her own food and walking to the new gluten-free shop.

There was more than food though.

the Cat and Fiddle Arcade must still be visited

 Helly chose the Botanical Gardens for her birthday outing

and immediately began photographing everything in sight

short trip to a very cold Macquarie Island

and a linger at the pineapple house

A birthday picnic was interrupted by marauding ducks who climbed all over us and snatched food as we lifted it to our mouths.  We gave in and shared.

The long march back into town took us past these peaceful cattle grazing on my friend The Governor's acreage.

we reached home for a replenishing repast

though Helly was a little apprehensive about lurking ducks...

There was also The Poochibald to investigate.

It's an annual exhibition for residents young and old of Clarence City Council.

so many contributions!

I think this one is amazing.  A true work of love.

naturally this was a crowd pleaser

and I think this one is both clever and appealing

more!!!!

But all good things...  There's Helly off to the plane

while I was off to see Romeo and Juliet at the Theatre Royal.  Despite the beautiful ceiling, I didn't enjoy the performance.

And for Helly there was even more.  A night in Melbourne!  She missed the connecting flight.

nothing much

except

Sarah's gig at the Hobart Town Hall last Sunday

I don't think this was aimed at doting grandmas

the school band playing where I usually see Van Diemen's Band

And, as of this afternoon,

my new, hopefully, dog proof fence for when Jilly Pup returns from her sojourn in Triabunna with her sister while my car issue is sorted.  Georgia brought Jill, Miya, Ella and Remi for a visit on Thursday.  How lovely to have the house bursting with lively dogs and gorgeous people.

I've been doing a lot of walking around Bellerive:

the crab apple boulevard at the library is coming into its own

I noticed this groovy little set-up in Bellerive Village, very Viet Nam in the '90s.

I walked back to Eastlands to have another look at it '60 years' exhibition:

Mrs History and I had been highly entertained by this newspaper item

how amazing to those who know it now

And in other architectural shots

Theatre Royal in Hobart

I was there for Ensemble Kaboul.

Hobart GPO 

I was there to buy stamps...

As Billy Joel sings 'warmed by the memory of days to come'.

Romping pawprints from a joyous kelpie I met on Bellerive Beach.  My sister arrives from Adelaide this evening.  I think she'll find it a bit cold for beach romping, but the Bellerive Bardot lives in hope.