Bags are packed, I'm ready to go (Mornington Peninsula)

It's true. We packed our bags early, not that we will be rushing to get away. As we left the unit for dinner, we were set to leave. Sadly.

So, potentially, this is my last holiday post for a while, unless I relent and write about the long, boring drive home. All 10 hours of it. Assuming the fires allow us to get through. The serious fires today were away from the Hume, but there has been fire activity by an arsonist/s in different areas alongside the freeway. Having watched the Blue Mountains fires late last year and seeing the TV footage of the fires down here, I do not understand how anyone could light a fire - let alone in the current heat wave.

As I tap away at the keys tonight, the cool change has finally arrived. It was like waiting for that visit from a special uncle when you were a child - you built up his arrival in your mind and you knew it was always going to be better than reality, but you did it anyway. And then ... either he didn't turn up or, when he did, you were over the wait and it was anti-climatic. Tonight's change was a far cry from the blustering southerlies of my childhood in the south-west of Sydney, and even of those that have ripped through Melbourne on previous visits, but we are on the Mornington Peninsula where life is a little more relaxed - and so the change in wind direction and the drop in heat has also been a tad more ... well,  casual. In all seriousness, the heat this week has been unrelenting. Everyone has been waiting for the weather change in the same way that the far north waits for the big wet to arrive. The build up was there, storm clouds, lightning strikes, the tension, but little rain and no change in temperature. Even this morning, and I was riding at 5:20 it was 23º and that is the coolest it has been by a long way.

Interstingly, I was reading in the SMH during the week - a newspaper that protests its independence, yet is becoming more and more right-wing like its only Sydney rival - and some climate-change denier was banging on about the the ship that got caught in the Antarctic ice. Apparently the fact that it was on a voyage to investigate the melting polar ice cap and that it got iced in means there is NO CLIMATE CHANGE. Of course! How stupid of me! Presently I'm sitting in Victoria where we have just recorded a series of major heat events and, yesterday, Adelaide was the hottest place on earth (please no jokes drawing parallels between Adelaide and hell, I have friends in hell and they would not be pleased with the comparison) and a ship stuck in ice means there is no climate change. I'm glad Tom Switzer has that sorted. Now if he could just explain all the other record breaking heat/cold/rain events around the planet I'll sleep easily.

It is easy to be critical of what people write from the safe distance of keyboard anonymity. Indeed, social media has encouraged keyboard-cowardice commentary. I'm not sure that Mr Switzer's master's degree in International Relations (got to love wikipedia) provides him any more of a solid basis to write about climate change than does my doctorate in Education. However, his political associations and resultant friendships, have perhaps, allowed him a forum that most of us can only envy. The SMH appears to value the 'opinion' piece or the 'comment' article, perhaps it's a form of cheap journalism. Curiously, many of these pieces "seem to be" (thank you Hamlet, I know not seems) of a right wing political bent. Ultimately, is it any differnt from reading the back of a toilet door? Or listening to talk-back radio? We all have opinions and as one wit remarked, they are like ... we don't need to plumb those depths. And yes, I understand that my blog has a readership of 2.27 people as opposed to the squillions that read the SMH, but, the little people need to feel that they are being heard too. Are you still listening? well reading? And as the media slides forward on its collective belly towards another Abbott government press conference that says, nothing, I'm reminded that it is January in Australia and we are on holiday and should not be disturbed by serious concerns. After all, in a few days it will be Australia Day, or Survival Day or Invasion Day depending on your perspective. Even after more than 200 years of white domination we still can't acknowledge our past and have a national day that celebrates who we all are and what we have achieved - I'm not sure that January 26 can ever be that day. One day, we'll be grown up enough to see that. Hopefully.

Anyway, this morning was very hazy after the smoke form the fires. Even at the half way point of my ride, the moon was more visible than the sun.

Following the ride we did the obligatory 6k walk and had breakfast at Biscottini. It was then back home to get ready for another lunch at Yabby Lake. The food is excellent. The wine is good, but the food is something else. As you may recall, we had lunch there yesterday and were so impressed with the menu we thought we would  return today.

Despite vowing to bring the camera and take some shots of the vines, I left the camera at home. The vines are interesting. They are the tallest vines I've ever seen - here in Australia (across 5 states and at least 1 territory) or overseas. So, imagine a vista looking down hill across some tall grape vines, row upon row, to dust-dry brown paddocks and gum trees. The latter being moved in place through a heat haze. It was pleasant, but not, if that makes sense. The green of the vines contrasted with backdrop of the cliched Australian sun-burnt country, but it was not a partnershp, more of a contrast or at best a juxtaposition of opposites. I always get the feeling that this continent of ours merely tolerates us and at any moment can and will turn. The fires and the heat this week have made that point. Emphatically.

Lunch was delightful, as expected. It was around 45º when we left mid-afternoon. The roads, once again, were melting. We headed for the coast road seeking relief. Not so much. The temperature dropped to 38º. We drove down the Espie and checked out some possible accommodation for 2015, but decided that where we are is probably a better position.

Back at home the air-con went on and we divided our time between the cricket, tennis, a novel and a nanna nap. Really we were just killing time before our final pizza at DOC.

The final pizza has been devoured as the cool change made its presence felt. DOC, as usual, was crowded. Great pizza. The salads are pretty good too. No more until next year.

We had decided that this would be our last trip to Morinngton for a while - 2 years in a row was enough to see what we wanted to see. The heat this time around altered things for us and we didn't get to do a number of things because of the extreme heat. On a positive note, Mornington forces us both to relax like no other place I can think of - and that must be a good thing. So, as I finalise my words for the day, it is safe to assume that we will be back here next year, looking forward to an unchanged menu at DOC. Seriously, their pizzas are the some of the very best I've ever had - in Australia or Italy or France - come on, pizza is the international food.

I'm happy to report - it's raining.

And we won the cricket ... yes, it's a one day game, but we beat England.

The heat goes on ... (Mornington Peninsula)

OK, I know it's the 'beat' goes on, but I'm a dad so I can do dad-style puns.

Today commenced as it has for the last week, I got up before dawn to get ready for a ride only to discover ... a gear malfunction, bugger. I've been using my phone as a personal hotpsot to access the internet and I forgot to turn the app off last night when I went to bed. The result was a completely dead phone this morning. No phone, no ride - yes, I'm a coward, but I like the security of being able to call for car support. I plugged the phone in to charge and then promptly went back to sleep. I blame the heat. While we have a split-system in the living area, there is no air-conditioning in the bedroom.

It was already 30º by the time I re-surfaced and given that it was time to walk with Jayne that meant it became a cycling lay day. I thought about riding in the afternoon, but the temperature was expected to max out around 38º and while I have ridden in temperatures that high before, I am on holidays and I would like the ride to be enjoyable. So, no riding today.

And the temperature continued to climb as the precious overpaid tennis players prancing around in Melbourne continued to complain about the heat and the conditions. Hint: if it's too hot for you, don't front up, you won't really be missed because there will always be others to take your place - it's important to remember what you do for a living, you play a game and that game is dependent on people turning up/tuning in to watch you. If you can't handle the heat ... um, get a job, might be one response. (Insert generic scream from female tennis player here). BTW Rafa did not complain about playing in the heat.

After much discussion we decided that we might venture out into direct sunlight and head for Yabby Lake, a winery not too far away that also has a restaurant/cafe. Yes, a number of the wineries have restaurant/cafes attached, but the menus of many them were just too daunting to contemplate. It's not that we don't understand the concept of fine dining and we certainly enjoy it, but there is a time and a place for everything and you don't need to have lunch at a hatted restaurant every day of the week. Especially at a cellar door where all you really want is a light snack to compliment the wine they are selling. Perhaps the whining tennis queens might have better served (see what I did there?) lunching down on the Peninsula in air-conditioned comfort instead of doing what they are supposedly paid to do for a living - sweat and chase a little yellow ball in front of a fawning crowd.

That said, today's lunch was delightful. While not fully booked, they were close to it and we were thankful to get a table. Jayne had a bacon and red pepper tart that looked suspiciously like a quiche lorraine with dressed leaves (thankfully they weren't naked, although I'm not sure if I would have recognised them if they were) and I had satay prawns with coconut rice and tomato and chilli relish. Just delightful. The view over the vines was lovely and it certainly looked hot outside. The food was lovely and we enjoyed it so much that we are going back there tomorrow for our final lunch on the peninsula - there is still plenty to explore on the menu and the wine was quite pleasant as well. A bonus form Jayne's point of view, they make a very tidy rosé.

Post lunch, it was back to Mornington and the 41º temperature and the shelter of the air-con and the tennis on TV ... or a book ... or a nap ... or a few words on the blog ... or all of the preceeding options. As we were driving down the main road it appeared that there were puddles of water on it - not possible in this heat. We looked at each other, the wheels slowly turning in our brains and it dawned simultaneously, melted tar! OMG! The roads were melting and there were puddles of molten tar in places. Worse, sections of road were adhering to the wheels of the cars. Local council patrols will have some work to do because we brought a substantial amount of the road home with us. I know where it is, in case they are interested in restoration.

And so another day ends, almost, preparations are under way for tomorrow, although the temperature will ultimately determine where we go and what we do. I will ride in the morning and we will walk following that, but after that ... well ... we are on a holiday that is supposed to deliver nothing but relaxation. So far we've managed to do that despite the extreme heat (insert generic scream by overpaid female tennis player).

Until tomorrow ... keep cool, or complain endlessly about the heat. If you happen to come across a tennis player from the Australian Open, the correct greeting is, "hot enough for you?"

Hot in the city (Mornington Peninsula)

Again with the heat! What's with Victoria? Hot in the city tonight and in the morning too.

I rolled out of bed early this morning so that we could walk even earlier than yesterday because of the forecast high temperatures. I hit the road around 5:30am when it was 31º. It was still so dark that I actually used one of my lights as a 'light' (novel, I know) - not as a strobe to say 'I'm coming, please beware'. At least I wouldn't be concerned about the anti-social beahviour of riders down here - so few people actually wave. In fact, they go out of their way to ignore you so they don't have to wave. Any rider getting close to genuine eye-contact and it's head down, stare at the road. What the ...? I don't get it. In NSW if you don't wave or nod or acknowledge another rider in some way it's considered rude. 

Last year I had my old bike and wore matching colours in blue/white/black and I thought it was me because everyone else seemed to be in red/black/white - it is St. Kilda territory. This year, with a different bike and a colour set of gear in red/black/white I thought I'd be welcomed to the Peninsula. Not so. About one in ten waves. Undeterred, I continue to nod and wave. Anyway, this morning was too dark to see what any other cyclist was doing. Waves and politeness not required.

After a 30km roll to Mt Martha and back - twice - I was back home changing from lycra into boardies and a t-shirt for our obligatory 6-7km walk along the espie. Just to prove how accurate and faultless a GPS system can be, Jayne and I both tracked our walk through Strava. Despite the fact that we walk side-by-side, this morning Jayne recorded an extra 0.5km! No idea.

Back to Cafe Biscottini for breakfast and then through the street stalls to Coles. The Mornington street markets (Wednesdays) are not much to get excited about, unless you get your thrills from fresh fruit and vege. And yes, I know this can be really cool, but DOC have the most beautiful fresh fruit and veges everyday, you don't need to wait till Wedneday. Coles? I hear you ask gentle reader. Well, for some reason I cannot fathom, in the last two days, the flies have come from nowhere and they are particularly annoying. In fact, they are generally the topic of conversation as we pass other walkers of a morning. Tomorrow, we will be prepared with Aeroguard, the switches of broken branch proving unsuccessful this morning.

Back to the unit and a quick change into clothes that are more appropriate for wine tasting. The talk then moved to lunch/dinner possibilities. We had decided, long ago, to eat at Ten Minutes by Tractor, a hatted restaurant at the winery of the same name. However, the heat, the fancy menus and a few other factors saw us explore other options, and then other options and then still other options. As we drove off toward Dromana we still had no idea where we were going to eat.

To get to Stonier Estate I decided to go the long way and drive up Arthur's Seat Road. It is an incredible climb straight up the mountain side. Yes, I was thinking of having a shot at riding it - I still am, as I sit here and write this. It is incredibly steep and there are no flat sections, just steep and steeper. The original thought was to ride half-way up and take a shot of the scenery with my bike in the fore-ground. Now? I'll just settle for the coast road and Mt Martha. If I lived down here, or if Dan was with me, well, that would alter things, but on my own ... there is no one to share the experience with and telling Jayne when I get back isn't enough.

The wine at Stonier was as good as we'd remembered and Rob (behind the bar) remembered Jayne! Amazing! How unforgettable is my wife? We haven't been there for 12 months, almost to the day. After some discussion on cycling, Rob rides too, and wine, we had a tour of the facility, as they say, and then back to tasting. Rob also doesn't understand why Peninsula riders don't acknowledge each other. Given the heat we didn't risk going for lunch and leaving wine we'd purchased in a hot car - even at 6pm it is still 38º in Mornington.

New lunch plans were required. Somewhere air-conditioned and close to home. The Bay Hotel proved to be the winner. Not so Frank's Bakery where they had sold out of baguettes! Mon Dieu! A problem discussed from the depths of the hotel while waiting for lunch. The answer, as it often is here in Mornington, was DOC. More cheese was procured and an experimental purchase of their version of a baguette. We'll see.

After lunch it was time for novels, tennis on the TV and a nanna nap. Nice. And then more tennis and air conditioning. 

Finally, the temperature began to fall, unlike last evening. By 8pm it was very pleasant on the balcony with a glass of Stonier Pinot Noir. It is quite interesting sitting out there because snatches of conversaton from the disembodied voices of passers-by float up to us. A more diligent student of human nature might record the snippets of these people's lives and do something with them - free verse perhaps, Ern Malley style. Mostly, it just makes me laugh - arguments, apologies, random statements - the lives of the Peninsula people.

Tomorrow promises to be similar to today, so there will be need to be discussion about what time we are walking. I will ride of course, sometime around sunrise. There was no Facebook photo of my bike leaning against a railing overlooking the bay this morning because it was too dark - that should be remedied tomorrow. It's a tough life: ride, walk, breakfast, read the paper, tourist activity, lunch, relax, read, dinner. A pity it doesn't pay.

PS. My parents called from the mid-north coast of NSW to see if we were safe from the bushfire on the Morning Peninsula. Easy answer. What fire? It didn't make the news broadcast that we saw, so I'm still not sure where the fire is/was.

It's a heatwave (Mornington Peninsula)

And thanks to Linda Rondstadt from 1976 for that reference, although there were plenty of others from which to choose.

Assuming the forecasters were correct, I decided to hit the road early this morning so that Jayne and I could walk before the heat. I was on my bike by 5:45am and did a 30km loop toward Dromana and then back home to Mornington. That meant we were walking by 7:30am.

As usual we finished the walk at Biscottini where I had breakfast and Jayne had a coffee. We discovered it all too late last year, so I was happy to renew acquaintances this time around. They have great coffee which is where I always begin - it is the deal breaker. The clincher is fresh orange juice - the whipped kind. Yum! And their fruit toast, sourdough and homemade muffins are also noteworthy. We haven't been anywhere else for breakfast this week and it is unlikely that we will stray.

Back home to the mundane chore of washing my bike gear and some clothes. Given the rising temperatures they were always going to dry quickly. By 10:30, the imitation timber balcony was too hot to walk on in bare feet. Planning ahead, we meandered up to the bottleshop to purchase a couple of bottles of local wine. To this we added some fresh tomato, ham and gruyere cheese form the deli downstairs. This is dinner, French style, with a baguette for the 5th generation baker in Main Street. I haven't had anything even coming close to a French baguette outside of France, so tonight's experiment will be interesting.

As the temperature climbed it became apparent that people watching form the balcony would not be advisable until later afternoon, so we headed to the teeming beachside haunt of the rich and famous - Sorrento. If ever you felt lonely or isolated and wanted to feel overwhelmed by a seething, sweating population of scanitly clad holiday makers, then Sorrento is for you. If you are lucky enough to jag a table at an outdoor eatery on the main strip, sit back and enjoy. Good taste and libel laws preclude from describing too many of the 'sights' today, but 'guess that gender' proved popular, particularly now that tattoos, bad hair cuts, shorts and T-shirts have become unisex. A most fascinating hour or so.

Time for some shopping for obligatory presents we seem to need to take home. A productive time. we just have the grandchildren to buy for now.

By 3pm as we were heading back to the quiet and solitude of Mornington, the temperature hit 40 degress. It is still too hot to sit on the balcony at present, but I'm sure that is temporary. In the meantime, it's book time. I'm reading last year's Miles Frankiln award winner, Questions of Travel by Michelle de Krester. I was determined not to like it, but she writes so beautifully. It is well worth a read.

Hot, hot hot ... yes, this came form the net.

And so we wait for the heat to subside, reading and watching the tennis ... C'MON! According to the app on my phone, it was 42º at 4pm and it eventually maxed out at 43º. This kept our people watching indoors and restricted to Lleyton and other blokes in shorts and caps.

Food update: The French bread stick we purchased at Frank's Bakery in Main Street was the best thing I've had since France! The bread, coupled with Swiss Gruyere cheese from DOC as well as Adelaide tomatoes and local ham was ... the best. It was just like dinner after a day's sight seeing in Paris. Seriously, I've tried bread with the tags, 'French' 'baguette' and I'd given up. It has been a source of amazement to me that we can't do bread like they do in France. I still don't get it. And now, in Mornington, I find what I've been looking for ... I wonder if he'll take me on as an apprentice? Not to make light of the expertise of the baker, he is 5th generation, obviously the old skills are still there, we just need to find them amongst the fast-everything generation.

oh la la

The conundrum: We hadn't actually discussed it, but we had commenced discussions about where we might holiday next year in January prior to work recommencing. It's not that we don't enjoy it in Mornington, it's more a case of, well, we've done that for two years, where might we explore. But ... Mornington has a lot to offer. It's quiet, despite the crowds further south. The roads are great for cycling. There are plenty of good cafes and restaurants. Tourist attractions abound, including the wineries. There are other reasonably local attractions too, like the sand sculptures at Frankston. (OK<,we haven't been to those. I didn't want my car stolen). And then there is Frank's bakery and the DOC deli. Wow. January 2015 is still undecided. Maybe one more visit to Mornington.

It is 7:30pm as I write this and my temperature app still has it at 40º+ outside. Tomorrow's plans are up in the air. If I ride I'll need to leave at 5:30am so we can be walking by 7am. At least I'm not playing tennis in this heat. Glad not to be Bernard Tomic. Go Rafa!

Until tomorrow ... unless we melt before then ...

It's always darkest before the dawn (Mornington Peninsula)

It's darker down here of a morning in comparison to Sydney. I was prepared to ride at 5am, but it's just a little too dark, so I settled for a 6am start, despite the fact that the sea gulls had been whingeing for hours. It's also a tad cooler down here of a morning. I wore my undershirt yesterday and deliberately didn't this morning because of the increase in temperature - hmmm, it took a while to warm up.

I had no particular plan this morning other than to ride. As I headed up the road toward Dromana I was met with the sun, blindingly sitting on the road at the crest of the headland. This hadn't been an issue yesterday because of the cloud cover, but today it made me wonder whether I would be visible to any cars coming from behind me. So, I stopped at a section of road where motorists view the scene and had a drink and headed back to Mornington determined to ride a few of the headlands on the other side of the main street.

This was my last stop before home. It's on the headland next to Mornington Park at the end of Main Street. As you can see, it was a beautiful morning. Yesterday's cloud is well and truly gone and we are expecting the temperatures to begin climbing today.

After getting home and a quick change of clothes, it was time to walk with Jayne for an hour or so prior to breakfast. We walk along the coast road for 30 minutes and then back and then up Main Street to the other end of town to Biscottini for breakfast. Great coffee, freshly squeezed juice and all the usual trappings. Then home to read the paper and clear the email and the usual domestic chores before venturing out again.

The next walk took us down to the pier to check out the restaurants. Much like last year, we read the menus, wandered around and headed home. When it comes to seafood, my grandfather taught me, let the seafood speak for itself. It doesn't need fancy presentation or sauces. So, we won't be eating at The Rock. As for the kiosk, we did that last year and it was nothing to get excited about.

Back home for a while to read more tourist brochures, we decided to stay close by and walked up the the Grand Hotel for lunch. 'Twas a touch grand, or perhaps over stated on the website. The food was OK, but ... if you talk yourself up you need to be able to hit the mark. Anyway, it was a pleasant way to spend the afternoon before wandering back home to watch the tennis and the passing parade beneath our balcony.

Last evening Jayne noticed that the fridge had some dents in the door. Today, while viewing it from the balcony it became visible for what it really is - there is an alien life form trapped in the fridge. The face of the alien is quite clear - Mulder would be excited!!!

Who put this sticker on my head?

So, after a cruisey afternoon of watching the tennis and reading (and cheese, olives, sun-dried tomatoes and crackers and maybe a glass of wine) I thought we might walk down to the park and take a few sunset shots. There wasn't a lot of cloud, so there isn't a lot of colour. It is still quite a moment watching the sun sink below the horizon and then turn around and see the purple shadow of the planet on the other horizon.

Going ...

... going ...

... gone.

Arty shot through the trees - Jayne's idea.

One perfect day ... or three (Mornington Peninsula)

Yes, holiday lovers, we are back. Apologies for my tardiness in getting the blog back to real time but I was busy doing nothing.

Today is our first day in Mornington - different accommodation this year, new and lovely and just off Main Street. But more of that later.

We broke the journey to Mornington the same way we did last year - with a stop at Beechworth, at Albertine's B&B. The difference this time was that we stayed for two nights. Such a beautiful place to relax and unwind. Beechworth and Albertine's. We have stayed at many B&Bs, but this place is the pick of the crop. The accommodation is beautiful, the hosts are like long friends and the breakfast is sumptuous. And then there are all the little extras, fresh fruit, bottled water, biscuits, tea and coffee. Time spent on this verandah is well wasted.

A lazy afternoon on the verandah and then dinner at Tanswell's Hotel. The verandah was the better option. Dinner was OK, but nothing to get excited about. The bonus, of course, is that everything is within walking distance to our accommodation.

The next morning we did a 7km walk through Beechworth before our delectable breakfast. Fresh, home made muffins, bacon, eggs, tomatoes, fresh juice, coffee, toast ... it was seriousy too much. Then after that I thought it would be a good idea to ride into Bright and meet Jayne at the Velo Cafe. The old train line has been converted into a cycleway/pedestrian pathway and they are encouraging 'bike tourism'. Perhaps they might delineate between the various branches of the cycle kingdom - a road bike does not enjoy the same terrain as a mountain bike or even a hybrid. Needless to say the track was not made for road bikes. The 75km took me 3 hours, a little longer than anticipated. It was hot, 34 degrees when I reached my destination. The beer at the Velo Cafe was very nice.

That night we opted for the Bridge Road Brewery for dinner. They also do pizza and wine. It was a lovely sunny evening in the courtyard, although a tad too crowded with little children. Dinner was lovely and again just a stroll back home.

No riding Saturday morning, although we did walk. This time we walked a different route and ventured through the Beechworth Historic Park. A more difficult walk because of the hills and the varying surfaces under foot but the views and wildlife were more than adequate compensation.

After another sumptuous breakfast we said goodbye to Owen and Judy and headed towards Melbourne and Libby and Steve's place. The drive was uneventful and we arrived within the precicted 3 hours. Still not hungry after breakfast, we passed on lunch and sat in the afternoon sun just chatting - until I realised that it was nealry 6pm and we needed to be on the road again.

An hour's drive saw us at Mornington. We knew the building we were staying in so there were no difficulties finding it, just locating parking nearby to retrieve the keys and divine the curiousities of the underground parking.  We located the foyer, but not the key safe. It would have been handy for the instructions to point out that the key safe lay hidden behind a handle-less cupboard in the foyer.

First world problems. All safely negotiated, we unpacked and headed out for dinner. Saturday night in Mornington on the last 'big' weekend of the holidays meant many restaurants were already packed. We opted for the Bay Hotel and enjoyed a surprsingly tasty meal. Jayne was so impressed that I know we will be returning.

The first full day in Mornington dawned grey and unimpressive, but that meant good cycling weather - aside from the slight breeze. Last year the road between Mornington and Dromana was closed so I could only ride so far before turning back towards home looking for extra kms. Road works complete, I rode just a little beyond Dromana this moring before taking the B110 home, including the climg up Mt Martha. I chalked up just less than 40km on my morning ride and then went for a 6km walk with Jayne, all before breakfast.

The day's adventure was to drive to the Mornington markets. Today they were at the race course. Despite the fact that we knew where the race course was, there were no directions as to where to enter. As a result, we missed the markets, wrong street and too much traffic to go back. Instead we headed for Tyabb, the antique district. We went there last year but it wasn't on the weekend so most of the shops were closed. Not so today. It is a bit scary when things you recognised from your childhood were being sold as antiques. BUT, the find of the day, Stylus' album, The Best Kept Secret. So excited to finally own it. It also made me realise how much our record collection is worth. Some of the same LPs we have at home were on the shelf for $45. There is a lesson in this, children, cherish your parents' record collection, it could buy you a house.

Once my new record was safely stowed back at home, we headed down to the Information Centre to collect some new brochures and refresh our memories.  The lady there told us she spoken to so many people from Sydney today - yew! I hope it's no-one we know. I love anonymity.

Then to lunch/dinner at DOC, the best pizzas in Australia. We scored an outside table and enjoyed the afternoon sun and a bottle of wine with our salad and pizza. From there we went to the DOC deli and purchased our survival supplies: kalamata olives, sun-dried tomatoes and gruyere cheese (Swiss, not French, but close).

As I write this, we are sitting on our balcony enjoying the cheese, olives, sun-dried tomatoes and local wine and watching a beautful young couple argue in the street below. He is seriously not happy and has referred to her in some very unattractive ways. Even from this distance, I can see she is not a 'dog', although I'm not sure he said that loud enough for her to hear. He even phoned her after she left and told her to apologise. That didn't go well either. She hung up on him. So, like the man he isn't, he eventually followed her, swearing and muttering under his breath. A life of servitude awaits.

When he parked his car I thought it was all going to be "it's hip to be square" as he held a baby in one arm and wrestled the pram from the boot with the other. But, no. He had to put the baby down on the ground to get the pram set up. I should've realised, he was driving a Mazda 626, not a Toyota Camry. He ddn't win the fight, but he has the better car.

I'm sitting on the balcony waiting for the return bout. Sadly it didn't happen. They returned reconciled. A delightful evening and a nice view from the balcony.