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Nov. 19th, 2018 08:05 amLast day in Melbourne... it's been a good week, but now I'm looking forward to being home. Proper tea, and family, and work, and our own bed, and the little hill up the road on which one can eat breakfast when it's fine: this travelling is all very well, says the little voice in my head, but that's what one needs.
Spent yesterday morning in the botanical gardens. Wonderful flowers, and birds, and trees. A wetland down by the Yarra with coots and swamp hens and lots and lots of rainbow lorakeets all singing the same note through the trees. Moreton bay figs taller than I knew they grew. Ravens squabbling with a magpie and a brave pigeon. Two women who smiled at me. (Here less smiles, more stares.) Walking back home by the Yarra, 28°, sun coming straight down and no shade, no hat though new sunglasses, just like sitting in front of a bonfire, or like I was a lizard, or bread toaster defrosting.
Slept most of the afternoon. Tried going off ibuprofin, that was a mistake. In the evening Sam took me to an Italian place and made me take a tablet with my green tea, so I could eat my linguini by the time it arrived. The man who hooked us in off the street, after the place we'd been aiming for wasn't there because it had just closed down, he asked us if were enjoying our meal, we were, good, he said the word "good" like our enjoyment was inevitable and simultaneously like it was a great source joy to him. And he said it very quickly as he whirled on to the next table. Later we met a huge number of bats and several possums in a park.
The day before yesterday we visited Sam's aunt Helen and uncle Chris and cousins. They're a lovely family. Helen and Sam did most of the talking, they had a lot to talk about. I was having rather an air-headed day. I'm afraid they must think me an odd choice for Sam. But after dinner Helen took me through old family photo albums.
Today we are going Ferris Wheeling, and up onto a skyscraper observation deck, and maybe to the immigration museum. And we are going to clean the apartment, and pack, and get an early night, and tomorrow home.
Spent yesterday morning in the botanical gardens. Wonderful flowers, and birds, and trees. A wetland down by the Yarra with coots and swamp hens and lots and lots of rainbow lorakeets all singing the same note through the trees. Moreton bay figs taller than I knew they grew. Ravens squabbling with a magpie and a brave pigeon. Two women who smiled at me. (Here less smiles, more stares.) Walking back home by the Yarra, 28°, sun coming straight down and no shade, no hat though new sunglasses, just like sitting in front of a bonfire, or like I was a lizard, or bread toaster defrosting.
Slept most of the afternoon. Tried going off ibuprofin, that was a mistake. In the evening Sam took me to an Italian place and made me take a tablet with my green tea, so I could eat my linguini by the time it arrived. The man who hooked us in off the street, after the place we'd been aiming for wasn't there because it had just closed down, he asked us if were enjoying our meal, we were, good, he said the word "good" like our enjoyment was inevitable and simultaneously like it was a great source joy to him. And he said it very quickly as he whirled on to the next table. Later we met a huge number of bats and several possums in a park.
The day before yesterday we visited Sam's aunt Helen and uncle Chris and cousins. They're a lovely family. Helen and Sam did most of the talking, they had a lot to talk about. I was having rather an air-headed day. I'm afraid they must think me an odd choice for Sam. But after dinner Helen took me through old family photo albums.
Today we are going Ferris Wheeling, and up onto a skyscraper observation deck, and maybe to the immigration museum. And we are going to clean the apartment, and pack, and get an early night, and tomorrow home.
