Mamalade

As you can see, I’ve moved to Wordpress. My son Ben has set this up for me. Once I get used to it, it should be easier to manage. I might even update more often!

I spent the week after Christmas in Sydney with Ben and Agnieszka. And a very full week it was! Some of the highlights were …

operahouse

1st day. A cruise on the harbour. We caught the bus into the city and walked to Darling Harbour, where we boarded the cruise boat. We were able to eat all we wanted while enjoying the scenery. On the way back, Agnieszka did some shopping while Ben & I browsed in a wonderful big bookstore.

movie-in-park

That night we went to a movie in the park. There was a huge crowd. We had to park a quite a distance away and walk back, laden with rugs and picnic supplies. In spite of lying on the bumpiest, slopiest part of the park, I’m afraid I dozed and missed the ending of “Kenny.” It had been a big day. A storm broke just as we left the park. We made it to the car just in time.

2nd day. A visit to the Norman Lindsay gallery, just outside Springwood. (I forget the name of the place.) When Mum & Relle were in Sydney a couple of years ago, they visited the gallery, expecting to see a lot of cat pictures. (They’d heard he painted cats.) They were very surprised to find that Norman Lindsay had painted mostly nude pictures! Very beautiful nude pictures, they are, very detailed with wonderful use of light in the paintings. His etchings are the most impressive, done in fine detail on copper.

It was interesting to see where Norman Lindsay had lived and worked in his studio. “I’ll have to tidy my house,” I said to Ben, “in case I become famous and people come to see where I lived.”

“It would have to be messed up again,” said Ben, “so they could see what you were really like!”

It was raining heavily when we left. (Another storm) “It’s too wet to go on to the Blue Mountains,” said Agnieszka. “We wouldn’t see anything.”

“But it’s not far from here,” argued Ben. “And we’d get a good park - everyone else will be leaving.”

bluemountains

He was right. There was a steady stream of traffic coming toward us. By the time we arrived at the Leura Lookout the rain had cleared and there was a magical mist rising through the mountains.

3rd day. We swam in the rock pool and visted the Paddington markets.

fireworks

4th day. New Years Eve. We had a “Yum Cha” lunch at a Chinese restaurant. I think everyone else there was Chinese. At 9.30 pm we went down to the headland and where we could watch the fireworks from Coogee Beach. Agnieszka & I played “Carcassonne” till midnight, then we all watched the Harbour fireworks on TV.

southhead

5th day. New Years Day. Went to South Head National Park and walked and walked… all around the clifftops, over the infamous Gap. The views were spectacular. We had a picnic lunch at Watsons Bay.

6th day. Agnieszka wanted to get birthday presents for Mum and Relle, so she could send them back with me. I was relieved when she settled on a brooch for Mum & earrings for Relle. “They will be great,” I assured her. “They’re light!” I already had my suitcase bulging with the Christmas presents they were sending back for everone. Mum & Relle loved their presents.

We just had time for a cuppa and cherry struedel before leaving for the airport.

flyinghome

It was raining as I left Sydney. I had a brief glimpse of the Opera House and Harbour Bridge before the plane flew into dense clouds. The clouds were beautiful, anyway.

Relle met me at the airport. I arrived home in time to pop around to Joel’s place & give Hayley her birthday present before she went to bed. It was her 5th birthday.

My holiday is well and truly over now. I’ve been trying to tidy my shed - where I keep all the stuff for our World Vision jumble sales. The trouble is, nearly everyone I know seems to be doing a post-Christmas spring clean. Nearly every day, someone turns up with another carload of stuff.

More about that soon…