On The Streets and In The Gallary

I went for a little wander this afternoon and found myself at the National Art Gallary of Victoria. I couldn’t see the German modanists as that paid exhibition hasn’t opened yet..

I did spend a couple of hours observing the regular collection of European masters and others. So a couple of observations.

I really, really liked one called Lost by Frederick McCubbin. It had a boy sitting in the middle of a forest crying into his arm. I am pretty lousy at describing paintings, but he painted a very bucolic forest and the boy had a more real feel to the place in the painting.

Next to it was another large canvas, where would you hang them if you owned them I don’t know, of some ladies picking potatoes. They we were really real.

Some of the art I could see were well done, others meh.

There was this painting called The Triumph of Faith that was really skillfully painted but I didn’t see really what it had to do with faith. Ok I do but it’s stretching. The composition was of two nubile nude Christian girls stepping with arms across each other while chained outside a lions cage waiting for their turn in the arena. Hmmmm. I loved the comment on the description saying that the attest seemed to like to paint nude young girls in chains

Watching the World Go By and Instant Pancakes

Looking out the window at the cars driving past this morning I realised I hadn’t been outside the hotel centre since Sunday lunch. I may have to correct that soon and go for a morning walk.

The hotel buffet breakfast has a pancake machine which I tried this morning. You press a button and twenty seconds later a pancake pops out onto your plate. They are more like pikelets though.

Dinner last night wasn’t to bad. The food was good, though I didn’t talk much as my voice is still gone. They had a standup comic for the entertainment, which was a first for me. He was not bad.

Feeling Better

Day two and I am feeling a lot better… Which is good as the program looks quite full on today…

I was up early as with all the sleeping and time diffnces my internal clock is out of whack… But have head a good breakfast, which of course you wanted to know

A Tale of Woe and Foodpoisoning

The welcome function was going well. I had met some folks, and may have been co-opted into the organizing committee for next years New Zealand leg to be held at Vic. I was drinking water as I was feeling dodgy. I had one sip of a beer and passed it back.

Heading back to my room at 8 I thought a nice early night would do. No such luck.

I seem to have either picked up a tummy bug or a case of Foodpoisoning as for the rest of the night I spent talking to the white porcelain throne.

So now I haven’t really slept in two days, I ache, my tummy feels queer, and I am really, really tired. Sigh.

The bright spots being free wifi in the conference, and I have kept down the three spoons of breakfast.

Mothers, Hotels And A Trip

So the excitement continues. Here are some photos!

 

The fancy Hotel

 

More Posh Living

 

 

 

The Transport

 

 

And for random picture here is mother

 

Mother is our yeast mother. From her we bake lovely sour dough bread….

Highlights And Pictures From Melbourne

The E.I.C. read my last post and cried out in protest. Stuff the chips she says, what about the baby elephant!

So here are highlights, pictures, and other random stuff from Melbourne

Now I must say we took two cameras on the trip, and managed to only take a couple of photos at Wellington Airport and the hotel, we are such failures when it comes to pictures! I might need a fancy phone which takes photos before I remember to take more photos.

Anyway highlights.

There was The Lord OF The Fries also Victoria Markets were really cool. I could see wanting to do a regular shop there if I was resident in Melbourne. Also regular would be visits to the Zoo.  We saw the new baby elephant, so cute, and a bear eating a chicken. It had turned it upside down and was eating the bird from it’s bottom. Sort of like eating a watermelon. The reptile house was neat, and so was the wombat.

The Science Works Museum was really cool. We saw the lightning show, and the Planetarium as well there and they were really amazing.

Also we visited a really neat Teddy Bear shop, where we found a heatable Bagpuss. Our littlest loves it!

We walked the streets of Melbourne at 6.30 in the morning and they were empty, but we ended up by the river front and it was beautiful. There were people rowing and over head in the clear sky’s were a number of hot air balloons.

Another highlight was taking the Eldest to a movie picture, and finding an old fashioned multiplex, and watching the movie with just us and one other family. We saw Despicable Me, which despite my misgivings was actually really good

 

The Shower

 

 

The Toilet

 

 

 

 

Between the toilet and the shower

 

 

The sleeping arrangements

 

The Lord Of The Fries And Other Stuff

Now that our insides have settled down, I can bring myself to write about one of our discoveries in Melbourne. Mainly The Lord Of The Fries! Just down the road from our hotel was this cool hole-in-the-wall take-away joint, called Lord of The Fries, and seriously they are the Lords of The Fries! They made the best chips I have had in ages. If a franchise opened up across from where I work, our bank balance, and my tummy would be in serious danger! If I had any money or interest in running a business, I would consider buying the Franchise rights for New Zealand and bring the out fit here. Nom Nom Nom.

In other news, my partial success on the agent front, turned into a full no. But we are not disheartened, the search for representation, and or publication will continue. I will see a work in dead tree format!

There is an opportunity on the work front for a new direction as a professional librarian. Can’t say much now, but we are quite excited if it comes to fruit. It will mean a few changes in our lifestyle, which will make life really interesting

For now though, more writing, reading and thinking.

Back And The Return Trip From Hell!

We are back… The return trip however was a tad hellish!

It started when the shuttle failed to pick us up! We had not been told where to wait, and waiting in the logical place was not right… Then followed a mad dash by taxi and bus to arrive at the airport only twenty minutes late… Luckily we were still on time to check in

Then the real fun started! The Eldest T.B.T. after a great holiday was sick as a dog for the whole trip back. It might be TMI, but he was going from both ends… Poor sausage…

So landing into a good rain laden southerly at Wellington at midnight, we managed to wrangle him through customs and into the car. Four hours later we arrived home, with only a few stops and one more throw up! Crawling into bed at 4.15 we gratefully fell asleep. Off course the youngest woke up at 5.30 and was so happy to see the parents

Luckily the grandparent distracted him long enough for herself to stay in bed till 7. I managed till 10.30, and we are taking turns between supervision and power naps!

Boy are we glad to be home though!

Last Day And Impressions Of Melbourne

I am sitting in what appears to be the Central Library for Melbourne City Libraries in Flinders Lane… And it is tiny… I must be mistaken, but I can’t believe this library services so many people…

Anyway impressions of Melbourne from on our last day!

It’s a great city, the public transport system is fantastic and so cheap!

We have encountered lots of really friendly sales people, and some real clunkers… If the E.I.C. gets snubbed one more time! Also everyone on the street is so rude. I can’t believe how many times we have nearly been trodden on. We were out in the thunder and lightning storm the other night, which wa spectacular, and both herself and the eldest got stabbed by so many umbrellas it wasn’t funny…

More impressions. Every block seems to have a 7eleven, and a subway, every second a MacDonald’s, Hungry Jacks or KFC, and every third a Adult show, which thankfully the Eldest hasn’t asked about! Also the number of smokers in the city is amazing… Everywhere there are people smoking and cigarette butts dumped in bins.

Otherwise we have had a fantastic time. We went to the Science Works Museum and saw the Lightening show and the Planatorium. Fantastic! The shopping is amazing, even though it is more expensive here after taking into account the exchange rate! we went to a fabulous old movie theatre and saw Despicable Me which was really good!

Ready to ccome home now though!  

Melbourne Is Rather Nice

So far Melbourne is rather nice…

The plane trip over was good, and the Eldest was a stirling wee lad!

We have done some shopping, although  to our disappointment Myers was under redevelopment. We have been to the zoo and seen the new baby elephant which was cool!

Our room is interesting. The shower is separated by a curtain! Luckily the toilet is separate, although there is a roll holder..

Our feet have been worn ragged with walking, but it is all good!