"Normal" is a relative term ...
Well what a pathetic excuse for normality. It did FEEL normal at the time, I promise, but then the full swing of Summer holidays (five and a half weeks in total) hit, we went away - no computer - came back - computer spat the dummy, the dog ate my homework ... tick all of the above. Sorry to those few lovely souls who had the optimism (and the interest!) to expect better.
It's been a good few weeks though, despite bloggy and internet withdrawal symptoms. Our 17-year old was on tour in Europe for a month with her string orchestra (Poland, Greece, Italy, France and Austria; had a fabulous time with much "partying" between concerts), and the younger girls went on a Scout Jamboree camp; 14 days in a baking hot dustbowl outside Bendigo with 12,000 other scouts, which they loved (mad!), so Colin and I had almost two weeks to holiday ALONE for the first time in over seventeen years. (What decadence!) We did a sort of road trip through the parched but still beautiful Western District of Victoria, then over the South Australian border to the Coonawarra wine region. Lots of lovely food and wine all the way, exploring little country towns between those seemingly endless eucalypt-lined roads and many thousands of acres of hard-worked farming land in its Summer ochres and golds, and, well, general bliss all round.
Once we had Em and Soph back we tripped off to Sydney for a while, which was also great. The harbour really is just so beautiful, and you must also see it from the water itself. We took at jet-cat this time. It's magic going under that wonderful bridge span and alongside the opera house with those fabulous white sails. Alas, you'd need to be a millionaire several times over to live anywhere decent within view of either of them, but the harbour belongs to the city, and there are many parks and gardens along its banks where you can just sit and drink it in. I promise I did think of my European, Brit, Canadian and U.S. bloggy friends with your snow, rain and icy winds. Never mind, it will be my turn for all that soon enough.
Anyway, enough explanations and second-rate travelogues: I shall now complete my grovelling in verse:
There once was a blog which went quiet
Was its writer on some no-word diet?
Had she dropped off the perch?
Left her friends in the lurch?
(Think of any excuse and I'll try it!)
There now. Aren't you glad I stayed away so long?
M x
It's been a good few weeks though, despite bloggy and internet withdrawal symptoms. Our 17-year old was on tour in Europe for a month with her string orchestra (Poland, Greece, Italy, France and Austria; had a fabulous time with much "partying" between concerts), and the younger girls went on a Scout Jamboree camp; 14 days in a baking hot dustbowl outside Bendigo with 12,000 other scouts, which they loved (mad!), so Colin and I had almost two weeks to holiday ALONE for the first time in over seventeen years. (What decadence!) We did a sort of road trip through the parched but still beautiful Western District of Victoria, then over the South Australian border to the Coonawarra wine region. Lots of lovely food and wine all the way, exploring little country towns between those seemingly endless eucalypt-lined roads and many thousands of acres of hard-worked farming land in its Summer ochres and golds, and, well, general bliss all round.
Once we had Em and Soph back we tripped off to Sydney for a while, which was also great. The harbour really is just so beautiful, and you must also see it from the water itself. We took at jet-cat this time. It's magic going under that wonderful bridge span and alongside the opera house with those fabulous white sails. Alas, you'd need to be a millionaire several times over to live anywhere decent within view of either of them, but the harbour belongs to the city, and there are many parks and gardens along its banks where you can just sit and drink it in. I promise I did think of my European, Brit, Canadian and U.S. bloggy friends with your snow, rain and icy winds. Never mind, it will be my turn for all that soon enough.
Anyway, enough explanations and second-rate travelogues: I shall now complete my grovelling in verse:
There once was a blog which went quiet
Was its writer on some no-word diet?
Had she dropped off the perch?
Left her friends in the lurch?
(Think of any excuse and I'll try it!)
There now. Aren't you glad I stayed away so long?
M x
posted by MargieCM at 11:09 am
4 Comments:
Margie,
Glad to hear you had a great holiday! I'm due for about 2 weeks hols in about 4 weeks. It will be the first proper break/respite Ive had (longer than a weekend) in about 2 years! Will probably spend at least a week up in Rutherglen with my brother enjoying some of its wine and Murray River sunshine!
I still havent been able to nail the booze entirely. Though I have been fairly well behaved with it. When I have had a drink it's been social and on the weekends (apart from a couple of days here where it was over 40 c and all I could do was take refuge in the pub with a tall gin and tonic!)
We have just had a split system air conditioner installed which has made those stinking hot days a bit more bareable!
Neans
Neans, responsible drinking is good drinking; I am rather partial to a cooling G&T myself, and confess I mix them stronger than is usually considered necessary. Bombay Sapphire is nectar of the gods to me. None of this low-calorie tonic, either. Bleh! Only full-strength Schweppes will do.
I lust after your new air conditioner - we have only a piddling little portable Dalek thing at the moment; the wall one blew up a couple of years ago and I put a painting over the outlet and never got the aircon fixed. Art over comfort, see? Fool!
Hope you have a great holiday when it comes around. I must make a note in my diary to be envious of that too.
Cheers, M.
Hi Margie!
Your summer sounds fabulous...two weeks without kids? Unheard of around here...
My mum and dad often visit Australia, so some of the places you visited have a familiar ring.
My brother lives outside of Perth on the west coast, so they do a lot of traveling around that part of the country, too, but they have friends in the Sydney and Orange areas, too.
I am quite happy we have the great winter sport of skiing with which to while away our long, cold and dark months from Christmas till Easter.
It makes the cold much more bearable and, believe it or not, fun!
Then there's spring skiing - the reason we brave the cold months of winter!
I love a cool G&T, too!
MARGIE!!!! So glad to see you back, and to hear you've had such a wonderful summer. It must have been like being newly weds all over again ;-) Your travels sound superb, and give me quite the itch to seek the southern climes again.
I've never been to Australia, but I imagine that South Africa is rather similar but on a smaller scale...sigh...I do miss it!
Anyway, it's wonderful to see you back, even if it's not qutie so wonderful for you to be back..lol...
I would certainly love it if you felt up to reading my 'ways' ramblings, but please - no must about it! It's enough just to have you back on circuit ;-)
Post a Comment
<< Home