Ah, holidays
Back to Melbourne and Tasmania, to visit family and friends. Both are as lovely in autumn as they are in spring. For some reason, the camellias were in full bloom in Melbourne, as were the rhododendrons and azaleas. In Battery Point I saw two persimmon trees covered in fruit, which caught the last light of the evening and shone like gold.
As I've mentioned before, both Melbourne and Hobart are well supplied with excellent second-hand bookshops and op-shops (opportunity shops, what I would call a thrift shop or a charity shop). I picked up a lot of books, some nice vintage lace trim, some beautiful linen damask tablecloths, a set of linen napkins, a Clarice Cliff bowl (A$8), a mink jacket (Autumn Haze, bishop sleeves) for A$100, and a darling ranch mink hat from the 60s with a quilted pink lining trimmed with lace; from the inside it looks like a tea-cosy. I was told by the furrier who cleaned my purchases that the label was that of a rather famous Melbourne milliner of the 50s and 60s. Also that chinchilla is very fragile and easily damaged, and not worth the money except in items that don't receive a lot of stress, like stoles or collars. And that the possums introduced into New Zealand are reproducing faster than they can be killed (for fur, cat-food etc), even after the New Zealanders opened processing facilities in China to speed things up. One learns so many interesting things just by talking to people.
I highly recommend Pennecott Wilderness Journeys, the efficient and amiable tour company that took me to see basking harbour seals, three different species of albatross and many interesting geological features along the east coast of the Tasman Peninsula (I did not get seasick, but it was a close thing; the Southern Ocean swells as winter approaches are no joke), and then to the Tasmanian Devil Un-Zoo, a charming establishment for Tasmanian Devils retired from the national Devil breeding programme, and other cute and exotic native fauna (quolls, I really like quolls). The star Devil, who gets to chomp his way through a whole leg of wallaby, bones and all, in twenty minutes while his keeper is telling us about his species, is called Creature, a reflection of his temperament.
Hobart is a very pleasant town; were it not for Australia's restrictions on foreigners owning real estate I would be very tempted to buy a flat on Secheron Point and visit every spring and autumn.
I also brought home a large box of chocolate covered ginger, quinces, and lemons from my relatives' tree, and some kangaroo meat, of which I am fond. The quinces have become cotignac and quince crumble and will shortly be quince and kangaroo stew in the Iranian style. The lemons have become candied peel, lemonade, Moroccan-style salted lemons, and when the last of them turn yellow, will be added to some grappa that I have to hand to make limoncello.
Fly Singapore Airlines. As I settled back with my champagne and the video of "Journey To The West: The Demons Strike Back", I spared a moment of appreciation and gratitude that I was on SIA and not on other airlines that might come to mind.
As I've mentioned before, both Melbourne and Hobart are well supplied with excellent second-hand bookshops and op-shops (opportunity shops, what I would call a thrift shop or a charity shop). I picked up a lot of books, some nice vintage lace trim, some beautiful linen damask tablecloths, a set of linen napkins, a Clarice Cliff bowl (A$8), a mink jacket (Autumn Haze, bishop sleeves) for A$100, and a darling ranch mink hat from the 60s with a quilted pink lining trimmed with lace; from the inside it looks like a tea-cosy. I was told by the furrier who cleaned my purchases that the label was that of a rather famous Melbourne milliner of the 50s and 60s. Also that chinchilla is very fragile and easily damaged, and not worth the money except in items that don't receive a lot of stress, like stoles or collars. And that the possums introduced into New Zealand are reproducing faster than they can be killed (for fur, cat-food etc), even after the New Zealanders opened processing facilities in China to speed things up. One learns so many interesting things just by talking to people.
I highly recommend Pennecott Wilderness Journeys, the efficient and amiable tour company that took me to see basking harbour seals, three different species of albatross and many interesting geological features along the east coast of the Tasman Peninsula (I did not get seasick, but it was a close thing; the Southern Ocean swells as winter approaches are no joke), and then to the Tasmanian Devil Un-Zoo, a charming establishment for Tasmanian Devils retired from the national Devil breeding programme, and other cute and exotic native fauna (quolls, I really like quolls). The star Devil, who gets to chomp his way through a whole leg of wallaby, bones and all, in twenty minutes while his keeper is telling us about his species, is called Creature, a reflection of his temperament.
Hobart is a very pleasant town; were it not for Australia's restrictions on foreigners owning real estate I would be very tempted to buy a flat on Secheron Point and visit every spring and autumn.
I also brought home a large box of chocolate covered ginger, quinces, and lemons from my relatives' tree, and some kangaroo meat, of which I am fond. The quinces have become cotignac and quince crumble and will shortly be quince and kangaroo stew in the Iranian style. The lemons have become candied peel, lemonade, Moroccan-style salted lemons, and when the last of them turn yellow, will be added to some grappa that I have to hand to make limoncello.
Fly Singapore Airlines. As I settled back with my champagne and the video of "Journey To The West: The Demons Strike Back", I spared a moment of appreciation and gratitude that I was on SIA and not on other airlines that might come to mind.