Monday, January 30th, 2017 - A Day on the Ocean

You know how it is when you have planned something for a while, and finally the reality is here and this is the moment you had wanted? Well it began at 4:15am for me to emerge into this day for a 5:30am departure to the dock in Melbourne for our journey on the Spirit of Australia. As a child I had made the overnight crossing to Tasmania on the older boat Princess of Tasmania, but this was the first time doing it during the day. We were at the dock shortly after 6am for a 9am departure, so patience was the virtue of the day.

Fortunately it was not difficult to wait.

The rising sun provided a wonderful show.

However, the ship wasn't at the dock. What was the deal? Happily there were many other photographers out and other passengers waiting, so chatting was fun.

Finally it came sailing into port. It seems it crosses overnight, unloads, then turns right around and heads back. A hard working ship and crew!

The bow crossed our path right at sunrise.

There were many campers, but they loaded them in separate lines. We were in the car line.

Loading was very easy - lots of personnel around to direct us.

We drove on through the bow of the ship.

Although this is an out of focus picture, I loved the reflections of all the tail lights that it shows. They squished us in pretty tightly. Two more rows of cars were loaded to our left. Then brakes on, alarms off and lock it up. They said alarms can be triggered by the movement of the ship and one can come back to a flat battery at the end of the day if they are not disabled.

From here, we found a cozy quiet space to hang out until our anticipated arrival time in Devonport of 6:40 pm. The upper decks were very attractive for a car ferry.

There were many different styles of space to appeal to different folks. Activities and movies were offered. Angus was amused at how busy my photography kept me. I was running around like a kid exploring the best 'spots' to  take pictures and fiddling with all my technology!

Finally we were underway. By now, the early morning colors had left the Melbourne skyline.

From here, there was little that I could photograph adequately, so I settled down to that old-fashioned practice of reading a book! That doesn't happen much in my life these days I'm sad to say. It was a pleasure to have some time of quietness, without wi-fi, to just be.

The day passed  pleasantly. Snacks, meals, walking around, chatting all helped time pass quickly. Fortunately the ocean was pretty calm - a very slight swell but nothing that required one's attention. I was surprised when land came into sight  as the day had not seemed long.

There is is, the north coast of Tasmania. It was also becoming sunny.

Our destination, Devonport is on the Mersey River and has a population of 30,000. It didn't look as if it has grown much since the last time I was there.

It still looks like a sleepy town. Not much in the way of high rise or other modernities.

This is looking to the east. This is the direction we will be heading in the next few days.

You can see the northern end of the Great Western Tiers mountains which are part of the  Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Site. 

You can see this is not a big city port...........

.............but it is very lovely. Once we docked, it took a while for us to leave, as the bigger vans and campers were unloaded first. Then we had to line up for a very disinterested quarantine inspection intended to stop people bringing fresh fruit, veggies and meat into Tasmania. They had already cleared us for that in Melbourne, so one would think it would be clear sailing, but much like airports, each jurisdiction had to do its own thing.

We were happy to finally get on the road to Launceston where were were to spend the night, a little more than an hour away. I was thrilled at the clarity of the air and the brilliance of the low light in the evening. It was a beautiful drive, but we were hungry and tired by the time we met up with Judy at our accommodation. It had been a marvellous day. 

Saturday, January 28th, 2017 - Far South!

After a long journey - two flights of 6+ hours from (London to Dubai, then Dubai to Brunei), and another 7+ hour flight, I was very happy to be greeted in Melbourne by my cousin Angus and his wife Judy on Friday 27th, January. My first day involved allowing my brain to catch up with my body and to get unpacked and settled into my space at their home in Blackburn. 

But, by Saturday 21st I was ready to rock & roll, so Judy and Angus devised a delightful excursion to the Mornington Peninsula, south-east of Melbourne, along the shore of Port Phillip Bay. It was a beautiful, sunny day. Here I was advised that I must wear hat, sunscreen and sunglasses, as the ozone layer is thinner than in other parts of the world and can do more damage.  

Our first stop was Frankston, the end of the train line from Melbourne. Our destination was a sand sculpture exhibit. It was carved by a group of gypsy's who go around the world creating such displays. We were a little disappointed that it was in a wire enclosure off the beach. We had imagined we would be on the beach, but in spite of that we thoroughly enjoyed the fantasy theme.

As I had referenced the White Rabbit from Alice in Wonderland just a few days ago in this blog, I was entertained to see him show up here!

One of our favorites represented a collection of Mother Goose stories, which we had fun trying to remember, but it was too hard to capture in its entirety in a photo, so you don't get to see it! Sorry!

The geologist in me really liked this one showing the passage of time with dinosaurs and crinoids and cities.

And this guy was poised, ready for flight................

....................whereas his modern descendent decided to rest a while!

A wander on the pier nearby was a hive of activity. Aussie's love the outdoors in spite of all the environmantal hazards. There were swimmers, fishermen, scuba divers, snorkelers, kids jumping off the pier and people learning to 'flyboard', which looked like fun once you got the hang of it.

You can see the pier on the left. Isn't it a beautiful day! It was a four day weekend for many, as Australia Day had been on the Thursday. It was very busy all along the coast.

Aussie fishermen don't always have to catch a big fish to be happy. My Dad used to catch garfish just like this. We'd fry it up for breakfast and eat it bones and all - very sweet tasting.

 
We were intrigued by the flyboarding lessons - I've never seen that before.

The fellow sitting on the back of the skidoo must have to watch the line connecting from the skidoo to the fly board, as he was always looking down at it.

The shoreline at Frankston.

I just liked this mosaic in the pavement at Frankston. The colors appealed to me.


Next we went on to Rye, where we ate at Judy and Angus's favorite noodle restaurant, followed by another pier ramble and a most delicious gelato to chase everything down.

Note the umbrella in the center with the Aussie flag on top (the one with the stars - it's the Southern Cross constellation).

Hub of activity at Rye.

And the fair was even there. Note the caravans close together on the right. There were miles of such campgrounds. Judy said the camp-sites will be passed on from one generation to the next!  

Sarah Lamp, this one is for you. This was in the gelato store after our walk on the pier. I couldn't figure out why there would be a syringe stuck in a cupcake! Perhaps for someone going into insulin reaction, or to cheer up a sick child? I was told it contains nutella and you can use the syringe to inject the nutella into the middle of the cupcake!

The day was capped off with a brief stop at Judy & Angus's son's house in Rye and a visit with Judy's brother and sister-in-lay in the very lovely Somers. It was a great way to 'land' and start to get re-oriented. 

First observations are that the vegetation is very different from what I'm used to now. Even different from that up on the north coast NSW where I usually visit. It emits lovely crisp smells - lemony, citrusy flavors that are very pleasant. The bird noises, especially at dawn and dusk are beautiful - magpies warbling and galahs cawing in flocks as they settle down for the night. 

New architecture and civic art has a very blocky, angular, almost industrial look to it.........often brightly colored, and sometimes amusing, but I haven't seen anything newly built so far that I would describe as soft or pretty.

I am gradually getting settled. Sunday will be another day at home getting packed up and then Monday will see Angus and I going across the Bass Strait to Tasmania with the car on the Spirit of Tasmania (a 10-hour journey). Judy has the good sense to fly and we will meet up with her in Launceston

Wedneday, January 25th, 2017 - Arrived in Sunshine, Left in Fog

My last morning in London was shrouded in fog. Ah, that is more like I expected! After getting packed, I headed out for a stroll on Hampstead Heath, as it was right around the corner from my place. In spite of the fog, there were many people out and about. It was an uneventful trip, except when I returned and discovered I had trekked some of London's clay into the house! Not quite what I needed as I prepared to leave for the airport!

But what a delightful stroll it was in spite of the mud and fog. I just thought you might enjoy a few photos - no need to narrate them, as they speak for themselves.

After my walk, cleaned up the mud and headed off to the Heathrow to catch my flight to Melbourne, Australia. It'll be a few days before you hear from me again.

Tuesday, January 23rd, 2017 - From Lowbrow to Highbrow

Tuesday was my last day to explore London further, which led to me feeling like a version of Lewis Carroll's White Rabbit (Not enough time!..... Not enough time!..... What to do.......? What to do......?) My AirBNB host, Jason, mentioned that St. Pancras and Kings Cross Stations had been re-furbished and also told me of the British Library with it's Treasures Collection. I was scheduled to be in Covent Garden in the evening, so I decided to check out his suggestions, as they were relatively close to my evening venue and were also new sights for me.

It became a day in which I came to appreciate the benefits when public institutions make beauty in everyday places which can be accessed by all. You'll see what I mean.

First of all, St. Pancras Station.....

From the outside, the facade of St. Pancras looks about the same as ever - but is definitely clean and sweeping. The size of the building defies the technical limitations of both my camera and photography. The morning sun gave it a wonderful vibrancy. The impact of the £800 million renovation can be seen inside however.

I love the vast sweep of the arched roof, the way the light filters through the translucent roof covering and the interplay of light, metal glass, concrete and brick. The lower levels are bustling with movement through stores, restaurants, supermarkets, information displays and ticket booths.

The platforms themselves are at the higher level and bespoke gleaming efficiency and modernity. These are the platforms where the bullet trains leave for Europe.

Then on to King's Cross Station which is right over the street - here is the view from St. Pancras.

It also looks nicely cleaned up and gleaming. But the real treat is in the back in a new addition...............

........not so impressive yet.........looks somewhat like a cheap canvas tent type thing.........or football stadium.......






........but when one steps inside.... it is a thing of soaring beauty!

This renovation came with a £500 million price tag! There is a wonderful simplicity to it. Is it a tree or a soaring Gothic ceiling? Without the blue lighting, it might be ordinary, but instead the color and shading caps the whole thing off..........and the rounded, organic flow of the upper terrace adds an element of grace and interest. I was really impressed by the space. Again it was bustling with people shopping, eating and many watching the notice boards to see the platform posting for the train they want.

From here it was a short walk to the British Library. I was interested in the exhibit called the Treasures collection. It contained many historic documents including one of the four existing copies of the Magna Carta. I was most impressed with the journals that Jane Austin had written as a young girl and the many copies of ancient sacred books - Bibles, Torah's, Korans and scripts from other religions written and decorated with loving care. The exhibit did not allow photography, so you just have to believe me on that one......! But here's a picture of the library.

Not a very attractive building in my opinion. But the lovely surprise was downstairs, near the bathroom. A little display entitled 'Housing is Not Enough' with these lovely ceramic creations.

 

The explanation tells us that these are finials which had been placed at the top of the laundry lines in the St. Pancras House Improvement Society - a slum clean-up project in this area in the 1920's. The inspiration was that of Father Basil Jellicoe who wanted to demonstrate that even the poorest tenants could have high quality homes. It included a picture of the finials in place!

You can see the sailing ship on the left post. It would be a pleasure to hang laundry here! My heart loved the idea of using public spaces to display art work. Feeding the spirit and heart as we go about our daily lives is something I really appreciated seeing here. In my world today it is more probable that commerce and corporations decide on these elements around us. I liked seeing them incorporated in public works - uplifting the 'commons'. Hence my comment about 'creating beauty in everyday moments which can be accessed by all'. No entry fee required!

From here, it was a walk on to Covent Garden.

Those red British phone boxes add just enough highlight to make pictures interesting.........I think this is St. George's Garden.

And the red of the buses........on Bow St (I think).



However when I arrived at Covent Garden Opera House, I was underwhelmed! It had a ballerina spinning around in the plastic bubble that sticks out of the building and it looks more like a ship!

 At least from the back it looked more like the structure I had seen in movies. 

There was lots of bustle around Covent Garden Markets.........and how beautiful it was to see the last rays of the sun in the wan winter sky.

Then it was off to the opera (after a cup of tea!) to see Der Rosenkavelier at the Covent Garden Opera House. More beauty for me - excellent singing, excellent surroundings, but not 'common'. It came with a price tag, but one I was happy to pay for the experience.

Again, it had been a wonderful day of wandering and discovery. How fortunate I have been to enjoy these sunny and energetic days in a city that has grown and transformed since I was last there. The population is far more mixed, the food is much better, there is a much more European 'feel' with street cafes and there is much more color around. I remember armies of suits, derby hats and brollies dominating the streets of the city. I didn't see a single brolly the whole time I was there and I left hoping that I will get back again before too many more years go by,