Greetings kids,
I trust you got to Melboring safely and your having fun. Remember to look out for the trams!!
Best wishes,
Tiptoe
Hi TNT!
Sorry that I've not been in touch sooner. No excuses but plenty of reasons! My standard alibi!!! Had a wonderful time in Hong Kong. Will fill you in on details when we see you. Didn't do all that much in Sydney as Corinne's foot was sore and tired by time we left HK. Nevertheles, visited with friends and I swam everyday at my favourite pool, Victoria Park. Fairly easy flight to Melbourne and connection, via Airport Express and free shuttle, to Marriott, arriving as St Patrick's Day festivities were well underway! Imagine that there were plenty of hangovers today! We went out for a short stroll last evening to find a restaurant for dinner, around 8:00pm. Sarge was back from the Grand Prix at just before 7:00pm and Cora Lee and Flamin' had gone out to start exploring for shopping opportunities! We went downstairs to Gym/Pool facility and had a sauna. Pool is okay for a dip but not for laps. Fortunately, for me, Melbourne City Baths is just a 10 minute walk away. Closed at 6:00pm on wekends so couldn't squeeze in a swim yesterday but did today. At any rate, we passed an Irish pub on way to restaurant, huge lineup, mostly young people smoking and texting. Corinne chided me for shaking my head and harummphing about such behaviour. She reminded me that when I was their age I used to frequent similar establishments, although I never smoked. Music was so loud, even on sidewalk, one couldn't think. Too, too old for such places and scenes now. Nevertheless, really don't begrudge youth their chosen pastimes but I fear for their health with respect to tobacco. More people smoking here than I've seen in a long time, even more than in HK but that may just have been our experience. Still, it was a festive scene on many sidewalks with plenty of revellers decked out in leprechaun garb, huge hats and capes and green shirts, etc. Flamin' was pretty tired as it took her two 12 hour flights, via Shanghai first, to reach Melbourne, so we made our way back to hotel after a tasty meal, on the sidewalk, at an Italian spot. The place had gas heaters so The Sisterhood was happy. I sat as far away as possible from our stand and both Sarge and I were pleased when propane ran out! Took a bit of time to have it replaced. We had taken our light jackets off and were quite comfortable for the entire meal. Walked to Queen Victoria Market this morning. Flamin' and Sarge were up about 7:00am to head down to Gym. Corinne and I did a bit of unpacking and then she had a shower before treadmill people returned. Lovely walk, about 15 minutes to market. We'd been before so knew what to expect. Bit like Granville Island Market, as I'm sure you know, but many of the stalls are much more permanent structures. Not too busy when we arrived around 10:00am. Very colourful and lots of fun just wandering around, looking at the amazing arrays of foodstuffs, seafood, meats, etc. Didn't even pop into the fresh fruit and vegetable section. We all picked up our own tea/coffee and food, (bun, sandwhiches and chicken skewers, for Cora Lee's gluten-free diet), from a wide selection of takeaways, and sat in the morning sunshine, enjoying the fare. Made a few plans for rest of day. After our tasty breakfaast, Goils headed across the street to start power shopping. Sarge waas planning to stay with them for a bit before heading to race course, around Albert Park, about half an hour by tram from our hotel. I said goodbye as I was going to make for MCB for a swim. Only five minutes from QVM so I was in locker room by just before 11:00am. Fee is $5.50 plus $2.50 for a locker, so almost double what I was paying at VPP in Sydney. Not complaining but I think both places should have lockers that allow you to bring your own lock. Must say that it is a lovely pool. Apparently it is a heritage building so it has been maintained extremely well.Everything is in impeccable condition. Wonderful skylights so almost like swimming outside without having to worry, overmuch, about too much sun. Funny thing, however, is that it is a 30 metre pool! I just decided to think of it as a 25 metre pool and set off, hoping to do three miles. Only three, quite narrow lanes, so there was a bit of traffic at the start but shortly after noon, (had logged one mile by then), there were few people in the lane I was using, (SLow Lane, Dear Reader!), so it was very relaxing. I kept churning and chugging away and had made my goal of 210 lengths, (Have yet to figure out exact distance but I reckon it is about 3.5 miles/6K), so am very pleased as it betters my longest swim, (2.5 miles), at Victoria Park Pool earlier this week. Felt pretty good. Hope to return tomorow morning. Pool opens at 6:00am so if we are not too late, I'll try to be there by 6:30am-7:00am to get a good start to day. Locker room and showers are very modern so I guess I shouldn't whinge about entrance fee! I "stole" a towel from pool at Marriott and used the complimentary shampoo and conditioner from the Y in HK so I was all set. Walked back to the hotel, enjoying the afternoon's warmth and visited the pool ther, once again, to exchange my wet towel for a dry one for tomorrow. Wanted to have a cup of coffee before heading out again so thought I'd send a few messages. I'm charged with picking up the hootch for the next few evenings and plan to go the Dan Murphy's, a large discount wine chain, (Do you have it in SA?), with an incredible selection. Concierge told me there is one but a few blocks away. While Cora Lee has had her troubles with her foot but it seems to be improving slowly. When she and Flamin' returned to the room they both plopped down on their repsective beds, exhausted by all the walking and buying! I picked up a nifty freezer pack, at a corner store, before returning to hotel, for Her Majesty's Royal Foot, and she has her leg elevated and is icing as I speak, reading Death Comes to Pemberley, PD James' latest, on her iPad. I've just started The Blind Spy by Alex Dryden but was too tired to read more than a few pages last night. Gather is has to do with current day Russia/Ukraine military threats involving CIA, MI6 and ex-KGB agents. Felt like a kid in a candy store at Dan Murphy's. Spent about an hour simply browsing the shelves. Clean Skins are truly unbelievable, apart from prices for all the labels we see in Vancouver. Looked for a collapsable "eski" at Woolies but will wait until tomorrow to look at a few other stores before deciding. Will be good to have a cooler to keep our picnic fixings in when in the car. Back to hotel to find The Babes in withdrawal. Had hardly taken off my backpack when they insisted on chilled wine but I had to try to calm them down as wine wasn't at right temperature. Put it in the icebox, risking bottle shock, for about 20 minutes while they grizzled. Finally, could stand it no longer, The Sisterhood wailing like banshees, complaining about the terrible room service, so I opened a Deakin Estate, Victoria, 2009 Viognier, $7.99, and the wild beasts were tamed! Sarge returned about 7:00pm and said the Grand Priix Final was the most exciting live sporting event that he has ever attended! We enjoyed chatting about everyone's day and when we had changed strolled but a few steps from the hotel to have a wonderful dinner at Trunk, a very pleasant restaurant in a building that was originally a synagogue in the mid 1850's. I had a haloumi/zthinly sliced zucchini/mint salad which was divine, along with pesto gnocci and fresh green beans, delicioso. back to the room, others to read and watch TV while I scribe.
Will be here until Tuesday morning when we head to Harcourt North, about half an hour south of Bendigo to stay with friends Kathleen and Steve. Will be in touch from there about when to expect us knocking on your door! Will say goodbye for now. Hello and best wishes from Flamin'/Sarge and Cora Lee to you both. Fondestos and Cheers, Patrizzio!
Hi Laura and James:
Your Mom gave us 011-61413 595 915 as your cell but it doesn't connect! We are at the Marriott until Tuesday morning, in room 611. You can leave a message at the hotel or call us at 420 719 122, a cell Michele bought upon arrival. We'd like to see you both and congratulate you on your engagement. We are off shortly for dinner but should be back by 10:30pm or so. Hope to hear from you. Cheers, Corinne and Patrick!
Hi Whirlygig!
Sorry that I've not been in touch sooner! No excuses but plenty of reasons! My standard alibi!!! That is why I sent the last message five times! As I may have mentioned, some problem/confusion about Outgoing Mail Server. I'm sure you were surprised to get a message, more than text length, from Cora Lee.
Thanks for NRBC warning but I really don't think I need to worry about any sanctions from that gang if they can barely think about thinking about reading the book! Please send your cyber alert app in next email. I might use it to slap Cora Lee and/or Flamin' when they snore!!! Life with The Sisterhood continues to be trying as Flamin' keeps using everyone's iPad plugs. This is an issue as we need adapters and they end up all over the room, under piles if old newspapers, dirty laundry or overflowing suitcases! Another excuse for my garbled messages!
Hello and best wishes from Flamin'/Sarge and Cora Lee to you and Kerry and Tia Maria. Fondestos and Cheers, Patrizzio!
Hi Elaine!
Thanks for phone numbers and email addresses. Cora Lee will phone shortly. Had a wonderful time in Hong Kong. Didn't do all that much in Sydney as Corinne's foot was sore and tired by time we left HK. Nevertheless visited with friends and I swam everyday at my favourite pool, Victoria Park.
Fairly easy flight to Melbourne and connection, via Airport Express and free shuttle to Marriott, arriving as St Patrick's Day festivities were well underway! Imagine that there were plenty of hangovers today! We went out for a short stroll last evening to find a restaurant for dinner, around 8:00pm. Sarge was back from the Grand Prix at just before 7:00pm and Cora Lee and Flamin' had gone out to start exploring for shopping opportunities! We went downstairs to Gym/Pool facility and had a sauna. Pool is okay for a dip but not for laps. Fortunately, for me, Melbourne City Baths is just a 10 minute walk away. Closed at 6:00pm on wekends so couldn't squeeze in a swim yesterday but did today. At any rate, we passed an Irish pub on way to restaurant, huge lineup, mostly young people smoking and texting. Corinne chided me for shaking my head and harummphing about such behaviour. She reminded me that when I was their age I used to frequent similar establishments, although I never smoked. Music was so loud, even on sidewalk, one couldn't think. Too, too old for such places and scenes now. Nevertheless, really don't begrudge youth their chosen pastimes but I fear for their health with respect to tobacco. More people smoking here than I've seen in a long time, even more than in HK but that may just have been our experience.
Still, it was a festive scene on many sidewalks with plenty of revellers decked out in leprechaun garb, huge hats and capes and green shirts, etc. Flamin' was pretty tired as it took her two 12 hour flights, via Shanghai first, to reach Melbourne, so we made our way back to hotel after a tasty meal, on the sidewalk, at an Italian spot. The place had gas heaters so The Sisterhood was happy. I sat as far away as possible from our stand and both Sarge and I were pleased when propane ran out! Took a bit of time to have it replaced. We had taken our light jackets off and were quite comfortable for the entire meal.
Walked to Queen Victoria Market this morning. Flamin' and Sarge were up about 7:00am to head down to Gym. Corinne and I did a bit of unpacking and then she had a shower before treadmill people returned. Lovely walk, about 15 minutes to market. We'd been before so knew what to expect. Bit like Granville Island Market, as I'm sure you know, but many of the stalls are much more permanent structures. Not too busy when we arrived around 10:00am. Very colourful and lots of fun just wandering around, looking at the amazing arrays of foodstuffs, seafood, meats, etc. Didn't even pop into the fresh fruit and vegetable section.
We all picked up our own tea/coffee and food, (bun, sandwhiches and chicken skewers, for Cora Lee gluten-free diet), from a wide selection of takeaways, and sat in the morning sunshine, enjoying the fare. Made a few plans for rest of day. After our tasty breakfaast, Goils headed across the street to start power shopping. Sarge waas planning to stay with them for a bit before heading to race course, around Albert Park, about half an hour by tram from our hotel. I said goodbye as I was going to make for MCB for a swim. Only five minutes from QVM so I was in locker room by just before 11:00am. Fee is $5.50 plus $2.50 for a locker, so almost double what I was paying at VPP in Sydney. Not complaining but I think both places should have lockers that allow you to bring your own lock.
Must say that it is a lovely pool. Apparently it is a heritage building so it has been maintained extremely well.Everything is in impeccable condition. Wonderful skylights so almost like swimming outside without having to worry, overmuch, about too much sun. Funny thing, however, is that it is a 30 metre pool! I just decided to think of it as a 25 metre pool and set off, hoping to do three miles. Only three, quite narrow lanes, so there was a bit of traffic at the start but shortly after noon, (had logged one mile by then), there were few people in the lane I was using, (SLow Lane, Dear Reader!), so it was very relaxing.
I kept churning and chugging away and had made my goal of 210 lengths, (Have yet to figure out exact distance but I reckon it is about 3.5 miles/6K), so am very pleased as it betters my longest swim, (2.5 miles), at Victoria Park Pool earlier this week. Felt pretty good. Hope to return tomorow morning. Pool opens at 6:00am so if we are not too late, I'll try to be there by 6:30am-7:00am to get a good start to day.
Locker room and showers are very modern so I guess I shouldn't whinge about entrance fee! I "stole" a towel from pool at Marriott and used the complimentary shampoo and conditioner from the Y in HK so I was all set. Walked back to the hotel, enjoying the afternoon's warmth and visited the pool ther, once again, to exchange my wet towel for a dry one for tomorrow. Wanted to have a cup of coffee before heading out again so thought I'd send a few messages. I'm charged with picking up the hootch for the next few evenings and plan to go the dan Murphy's, a large discount wine chain with an incredible selection. Concierge told me there is one but a few blocks away.
While Cora Lee has had her troubles with her foot but it seems to be improving slowly. When she and Flamin' returned to the room they both plopped down on their repsective beds, exhausted by all the walking and buying! I picked up a nifty freezer pack, at a corner store, before returning to hotel, for Her Majesty's Royal Foot, and she has her leg elevated and is icing as I speak, reading Death Comes to Pemberley, PD James' latest, on her iPad. I've just started The Blind Spy by Alex Dryden but was too tired to read more than a few pages last night. Gather is has to do with current day Russia/Ukraine military threats involving CIA, MI6 and ex-KGB agents.
Time to open a Viognier, $7.99, at Dan Murphy's, The Sisterhood are wailing like banshees, complaining about the terrible room service, so will say goodbye for now. Want to download latest pictures when I returrn so will send along some snaps once I've done that. Hello and best wishes from Flamin'/Sarge and Cora Lee to you and Theodore. (Sarge said the Grand Priix Final was the most exciting live sporting event that he has ever attended!) Fondestos and Cheers, Patrizzio!
PD: Sarge said it will be 80F today and tomorrow. That should melt some Vancouver snow!!!
Hi Patrick and Corinne
Thanks heaps for your email. So pleased to hear about your travels. I sure hope Corinne's rash improves and that she starts to feel a bit better. So bizarre and really a nuisance. Take care and try to stay positive.
Maybe dipping the foot in the salty Pacific may help it?? Bondi Beach spa treatment?
We soon will be on our way to Paris--leave on Tuesday.
I actually feel excited and I am actually looking forward to seeing Eric in his environs.
Cool here and only the snowdrops and a few crocuses are out. Sadly no daffodils or tulips yet. Spring is here though as the buds are out. More snow on Grouse--love it--535 cm base. Pretty terrific for this time of the year.
Went to BC Ballet and their performance was excellent. The company has improved and I always find it hard to believe just what talent comes from Arts Umbrella. Vancouver Playhouse has closed it doors--very much in debt and gone. I only attended on play this year so I guess there subscriptions were down and they simply couldn't function anymore.
Reid Mitchell died two weeks ago. I didn't attend his funeral but I was sorry to hear about his death. I always liked him and he was a character.
I am not sure if you heard as well that Rick Welch died. This was sometime ago now--but he had just retired and then learned that he had cancer. Then gone!
As you have always reminded me. Life is short. So enjoy enjoy enjoy and remember me when you drink a great cabernet sauvignon! Australia is a beautify country and Sydney especially spectacular--love the Manley ferry and the University of Sydney. Our former Dean Rob Tierney is the Dean of Education there. Jo-Anne Chilton's daughter is doing a term there as well.
Take care warmest wishes and lots of love Jo-Anne and Colin
G & P,
Patriçio, I echo G's concerns for Corinne's foot, however I am confident that a shopping extravaganza will do wonders for her.
George,
did you not get your honorary membership to the HKSC? Mine arrived
yesterday, along with an invite for a Vet's Doubles Tournament. All
expenses paid of course. Just need to choose a partner.
Did a ride today - in the a.m. with Balaclava Juanito and Pierre el Cocinero,
… good ride except: it turned out to be the worst part of the day
weather wise, we had to stop for Peter to blow his nose, and of course
the infernal lunch stop. Still, ~30K, 950 calories burned, 1050 eaten
at lunch.
Guiness called today. Have an interview next week.
Watched
the NBA game today, then flipped through the channels. There was some
awesome stuff on. Did you know that there are not only "Walking Dead"
but also "Talking Dead"? I guess once you are dead it's hard to do both
at the same time. Then, the movie of the century, "Lesbian Vampire
Killers". I kid you not. Could I make this up? The big question is,
is it about lesbians killing vampires, or killing vampires that are
lesbians? I don't need to know.
Not much more to report. Is TV in Australia as good as here?
___________________________
Branko Peric
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