While I've always enjoyed being here in Melbourne I've not been its greatest fan, probably because most trips always involve the iconic Sydney, or the slightly Mancunian weather! However, that's all changed. We are staying on St Kilda beach, think Cannes or Malibu and you get the picture. It is high summer here with temperatures a very uncomfortable 40C+ the day before we arrived. However, we bought some cloud with us which meant our stay was high 20s!
I'm trying to spend as much one on one one time with the family members. Big group get togethers, no matter how enjoyable, mean you don't really get to learn a lot more about our kindred spirits than we didn't already know. No need to go into specifics but, many breakfasts, brunches, lunches, dinners, gigs, golf and BBQs later, job done and I'm very lucky to have such a marvellous extended family that I'm thrilled to be a part of.
Angelka's quest to attend her final Grand Slam tennis event could not have gone better. She got to enjoy a Serbian Sunday served up by Anna Ivanovic and, in what turned out to be the match of the tournament, Djorkovic take 5 hours to overcome his opponent. The match finished at 1.41 am and she got back the hotel at 2.30, wired, exhausted and a very happy lady. We also spent a day at the tennis together. It's much more relaxed than Wimbledon and, apart from being in the sun, a great day was had. It's impossible not to get sunburnt. Despite 50+ sun factor my arms were getting toasted, more like a BBQ than a centre court, and in moving them in to all sorts of positions to avoid more sun I must have looked like someone practicing morse code!
It's great to be able to run, walk along the beach, Melbournians are very active which involves bikes, wheelchairs, surf boards, volleyball, power walks etc which makes it quite difficult to nurse a drink surrounded by such endeavour!
So, we head to Adelaide, getting back into the voyage of discovery with the Philippines now very much on the horizon. It was wonderful to catch up with family and friends. My 85 year old aunt and uncle were in great form. Harry still runs a farm, drives, imparts the world according to Harry. He, like me, wears hearing aids and, between the eh, what and pardons there's an interesting diatribe to be had, especially if I agree with him. Kate is a talented artiste and is getting back to normality after 10 weeks in hospital. She was the Fanny Craddock of Canada, when they lived there, having her own cookery TV show! It's never a dull, quiet moment Aussie Parsons style and I look forward to my children enjoying some time down here with them, it's good to be close!