Mumming in Melbourne

Whew.  That was the busiest two weeks I've had in a while.  Sorry about the no-blog situation.  This is what I've been up to: Working, working. Melbourne. Working, working. And today? Weekend!

 I
The Jetstar Airbus is a ginormous aircraft. And requires a long runway. At Mascot, this long runway is a good 15 minute drive from where you get on the plane, crossing over the freeway and heading out towards the refinery. So you're in this huge bus with wings, trundling along and along and starting to wonder if you are driving to Melbourne instead of flying.  Then you take off straight over the water.

And just over an hour later, you land in Melbourne. Then walk and walk and walk all the way through the gubbins of the terminal, heading gamely in the direction of civilization. Budget travel. But a step up from Tiger, where you have to follow the paw prints into what looks like a packing shed.

Staying with Lian and Matt, my daughter and her HUSBAND (giggles all round). She's not quite used to the whole "husband" thing yet. What is married life like? she was asked. Pretty much the same as unmarried life was the reply. This (above) is Suki, who is looking for Narnia. All cupboards represent a possible portal to another world for Suki.

 Lian has coloured her hair.  I love it but she's not too sure.

 On Friday night, Wim gazumped his sisters in the Favourite Child Mother's Day stakes by taking me for a surprise evening at the Opera.  We saw Puccini's Turandot, one of my all-time favourites. Lian handed me tissues on the way out the door. You'll need these, she said.  I did too.

Lian and I went shopping the next day. Increasingly, I recognise that I am turning into an silly old thing who knows nothing about what these young people get up to. Who knew that such a thing as a "vagazzle" existed? Apparently, this is the next phase after one subjects oneself to the "brazilian". Lian assures me she has no plans to get vagazzled.  But at least she knew what it was!

After learning about vagazzles, I was in need of some old fashioned sustenance, so we went to Babka's and had Lemon Tart. It is The. Best. Lemon. Tart. in the world. No argument.

This beauty adorning a wall in a lane in Fitzroy looks like she might be a vagazzle kinda girl. She was painted by Deb, a famous Melbourne street artist, the same one who did Akinyi's portrait that Wim commissioned for her Christmas present. Deb has now moved to New York, Wim says.

 My friend is Grant, the mascot/spruiker for the Rose Street Artist's Market in Fitzroy. Grant is like grand, he said.  I'm grand.

 Wim lives in Fitzroy now and Akinyi has stayed in Brunswick.  But they still go places together.

This is the courtyard of Wim's apartment. Complete with vegie garden, pool, gym, amenities room.

 Sunday, and the young marrieds took their Mums out to Yum Cha in Chinatown. Pam and I are wearing our gorgeous felted mother's day necklaces - handmade by Lian. Sweet of her and I love mine. Pam's Noah bought her red roses.

The other reason for my Melbourne visit was to attend a workshop in couple therapy by a visiting US professor of same.  It was pretty good.  Worth doing.  I do a lot of couples work at Intalink. Lian and Wim took me out for lunch on the second day. Here they are at Cafe Vue on Little Collins Street.

 Wednesday and I was on that train again. Check out the NSW Railway approach to specifying what's in your lunch.  That 6.25% of strawberry content? One strawberry.

Drove over to the house to see what progress in the week I was away. More on that in my next blog.