Final Two Days

After breakfast with a lounge full of tennis stars, we off to our final physio sessions with Morkul. We hope we can find a replacement back home.

Following our appointment, we walk to the Adelaide Central Market for a lunch of chicken, lamb and merguez Moroccan cous cous. Le Souk, the small restaurant stall next to the paella place we sampled earlier in the trip had been on our list since then.  We split the cous cous combo and its too much for the two of us. Le Souk wins over the paella place.

As we walk back to Rundle Mall, we pass Victoria Square which is ready for the Tour Down Under. The women's tour is this week and the men's next week.

Following lunch Carol's phone is rebooted by Telstra.  CJ is off to watch the Lady Strikers and cop a seat in the Bodyline Bar. Carol will join around six for the second half of the double header with the men.

Meredith, who we met at the last double header passes by with her daughter back from Towson State in Maryland.  She invites CJ to go golfing.  Fortunately for CJ since she is at Uni on a golf scholarship,  he can gracefully decline with our impending departure and his current back problems.

CJ's struck up conversations with other members.  By the time the innings break of the men's match occurs, we're ready to return to the room to watch the Strikers bat on TV.  Our ex-neighbor Steven passes by to say goodbye.  By coincidence, he vacationed last weekend on Kangaroo Island with the folks who've been sitting in front of us for hours.

As we all leave together, Carol apologizes to the couple sitting next to us for the circus we've been running next to them. Their response is that they can't believe two American's know anything about cricket let alone are members of SACA and know so many bloody people in Adelaide. For them its been a hoot to watch the show.

When the match lets out, there is a flood of humanity swarming across the footbridge. It's an impressive watch.

Final day breakfast is again in the company of cricket greats. Our guy, Tiafoe informs us that he lost.  The paper tells us The Bryans won so US success came down to our lead guy.  We forget to ask.

Our last day is actually quite boring.  We pack.  We rest in the room.  We have tea.  After two months of procrastination, CJ tries to take a tour of Adelaide Oval and the 1400 tours are booked out.  Seriously they can't fit in a single SACA member?

The best thing of the day is the arrival of Neil with our new Samsung A5 phones. We receive him in the concierge lounge.  Shortly after his son Tom arrives.  We have a fun discussion with the two of them until they must depart. Carol passes some bits of leftover food to Neil and CJ passes his transferrable guest SACA guest pass to Tom.

One indication of our enjoyment of our time with the Mullins and Hahn families is the lack of photos.  We have so much fun when we're with them, we simply don't think about photos and photo documenting.

Final packing in the room and a quick breakfast. It seemed a bit early for the tennis players to show until Henri Laconte and a couple others came early.  We are on our way home. See you on our next adventure.!

Lazy Last Monday

All the tennis guys are in attendance at brekkie. In early afternoon we take in the matinee of a movie Carol has selected.  Each time she picks a movie, CJ resolves that she is fired from picking movies.  At the end of this one his opening comment is, 'your record is still intact."

We return in time for afternoon tea at the hotel.

With the new rail construction, it's typically easier to walk across town. They tells us the most significant intersection in South Australia will be closed for two weeks to create the intersection of the new tram line with the old one. It's a mess, eye sore and has traffic buggered up about the entire city.

Realizing Carol's phone is not receiving emails, we try to get it fixed but the Telstra shop has a 45 minute wait.

This evening it's our intention to use our nearly $100 in free birthday drink credit at the Belgium bar. CJ has messed up.  He thought you had seven days to use the credit and he got his $50 gift the previous week. We can only use Carol's birthday gift card.

We have a fun evening with James and Jackie.  The food's not great but the beer and company more than make up for it.

The Move

A large van taxi arrives at the curb to move our ten pieces of large luggage and stuff quite literally across the street to the Intercontinental Hotel.  Since the Intercon entrance is a couple of stories above street level, pushing a luggage cart up to it is out of the question.

This time we have a room with a river view. There is a concert in Elder Park this evening and the crowds are beginning to arrive.  Apparently it's nonstop music from 1100-2300.

 Adelaide Oval, Adelaide Tennis Center, and the Torrens River footbridge.

 Looking down from our room is the Adelaide Festival Centre, Dunstan Playhouse, and Performing Arts Center along with the significant improvements being made to the Riverside district.

We've arrived in time for afternoon tea and a nap.

 

During the day we return to watching the fifth test from the SCG.  The fifth test is called the "pink ball test".  It's a bit confusing.  The Adelaide test was a pink ball test because they use a pink ball in day/night matches; the first in Ashes history and the only day/night of the Ashes.

The SCG test honors Jane McGrath who died of cancer.  She was, by all accounts, a marvelous woman and wife of one of Australia's all-time best bowlers. On the third day, everyone dresses in pink.  Both teams ceremoniously enter the field wearing pink hats and hand them to Glenn who auctions them off for the foundation.

 If you're not wearing pink; go home.

 Captain Steve Smith, the best cricketer in the world leads the Aussie parade of pink baggie greens.

 This is a huge banner being carried around the grounds.

We turn "dinner/cocktails" in the concierge lounge into dinner.  CJ had been planning to get tickets to the World Tennis Challenge event for Tuesday evening but at the last minute realized it conflicted with Strikers Twenty20 cricket at the Oval. Free cricket vs pay for tennis; no contest.

Looking around the lounge, we begin to recognize the athletes. The Bryans, the most famous men's doubles team in the world and representing the US at the WTC are at the table next to us. Mansour Bahrami, an Iranian trick shot artist and Mark Phillappoussis are across the room. Frances Tiafoe another American are also having dinner.

An Adelaide couple celebrating their 40th anniversary with a night in the hotel notice Carol talking with the Bryans.  In the course of asking us who they are, we invite them to sit and talk. When the lounge stops serving drinks at seven-thirty, they invite us to share an anniversary drink with them down in the bar.  The husband Ervin, is originally from Latvia. It's a very enjoyable end to a day with a very hectic morning.

Returning to the room, the FOMO concert is still in full swing down in Elder Park which is just below our room.  Booming bass rocks us to sleep.

 

Our final weekend

Summer temperatures have returned.  We have to walk to physical therapy and Carol must deal with her banking issue and walk into the business district. The Friday temps top 100F.  Fortunately, Day 2 of the fifth test from the SCG and the need to begin organizing packing for the return trip allow us to stay in most of the day.

Two cases of wine is bubble-wrapped and readied for the return home. The test match is followed by Brisbane playing Perth from the Gabba.  Our day ends with Monty Python's search for the Holy Grail.

Saturday temperatures top 106F.  Staying indoors is a necessity. Packing a welcome relief from outdoors.  CJ's short walk to get a newspaper and milk is about all that's possible.  While the East Coast of US is suffering with sub zero temps, we have the opposite problem; over 100 temps.

It's a busy Sunday.  James and Jackie drop by to gather up the food we have left over.  Today we must perform final cleaning of our apartment.  And today is the day we have to move more than eight suitcases and boxes to our hotel up the block and across the street.

Beginning of the End

It's our last full Thursday in Australia.  The fifth Ashes test from the SCG (Sydney Cricket Ground) is upon us. Squaring away our banking woes is also on the agenda as is preliminary packing for the return trip.

We dine with the Mullins at The Lion in North Adelaide. CJ has the Scotch Filet, Carol and Neil have the barramundi in a Thai coconut soup which is delicious and Bronwyn a pasta dish

 

 

As always its a great evening.  We always have such a good time with them.

Into the Home Stretch

It's nearly impossible to believe we're entering our last week. 'Eight Days a Week' to go.

We walk the length of North Terrace, around the detour which is the debacle tram line modification.  South Australia is up in arms.  The government has deemed an "all turns" approach to the tram extension at the intersection of King William and North Terrace a no go .  The current government says the logical approach is too expensive which is total bull.  Adelaide got it right in the early 1900's.  Over a hundred years of improved technology later it is too hard. Seriously? Do they honestly believe anyone is buying this crap. A fortnight of disruption for a dumb half-assed solution. You just can't escape stupid politicians.

 

We arrive with no time to spare at the assembly point for the guided tour of the Adelaide Botanical Gardens.  Peter is a wonderful guide.  It's an interesting tour.  We'd expected an overview of the gardens sections.  Instead Peter walked us from one tree he wanted to discuss to the next tree or plant. We covered about two-thirds of the Gardens. The primary architectural feature of the International Garden is a Muslim-like water feature. We've seen flowing water in the palaces of Turkey and Spain.

This river gum is a very old tree planted early in the Garden's history. It was started from a desert plain in 1857.

CJ photographed this sculpture last week on a cloudy day.  He had no idea it was translucent.

There is a dahlia garden with many colors and huge flowers.

During the walk about, a cockatoo is observed overhead.

The tour ends at noon.  The return route begins with a beer at The Belgium.  Carol has her usual, the passion fruit beer and CJ his usual, Leffe Bruin.

We lunch up the street at what is supposed to be one of the premier burger joints in the city, Burger Theory.

We spit up for in-city shopping on the return walk.  Destiny delivers us to each other on the walk home.

New Year's Day & CJ's Birthday

We pick up a rental car for a day trip to Bronwyn and Neil's place in Clayton. The drive to Clayton is a little over an hour and a half.

The New Year and Birthday celebration begins with champagne. Of course it does.

The Clayton property is waterfront and located where the Finniss River meets the great River Murray.  The property includes the main house which is a spectacular huge modern house with a gorgeous pool, a second "shack" and two out-buildings set on 40 acres.

 

 

The plan for lunch has been derailed by bats and bugs.  They haven't been to the house in some time and bats have taken up residence in the sail (sun cover) where Bronwyn had intended to have lunch and lunch preparations have been derailed by the need to spray for a bug infestation.  It's just what happens in the country. 

To reach Goolwa and the Aquacat Gourmet Café a circuitous route around two rivers (Finniss River and Currency Creek) is required. The restaurant is located on the beach in Goolwa.

CJ has burger which although appearing overcooked is delicious.  It's loaded with beef and ham. Bronwyn has a fish pasty (fish in pastry); the dish that looks like an omelet. She's pleased with it.  Carol and Neil select the grilled garfish special.  It is also delicious.

 

 

CJ is not the only person celebrating their birthday at the restaurant.

A driving tour begins after lunch.  First destination is Hindmarsh Island and a look at the confluence of the River Murray and the Southern Ocean.

Next we drive through Middletown (half way between Goolwa and Victor Harbor).  There are steep cliffs at this point of the beach.

Next stop is in Port Elliot to view Horseshoe Bay. There are  rocks and islands just offshore.  There is a large metal testimonial relating the location of shipwrecks in and around the bay.

 

On our arrival, we rousted out two kangaroos.  The camera was in the boot (trunk) and by the time CJ retrieved it there was no sign of them.  On this return he had the camera at the ready and is rewarded. They are hiding in the tall grass in the sheep paddock.

 

With driving tour ended we return to Clayton to get down to serious birthday celebrating. After another bottle of bubbly, the red's come out to play while the pork roast and veggies are cooking.  It's a Langmeil evening with their GSM satisfying pre and post dinner duties and a magnum of Orphan Bank performing dinner honors.

Yet another evening to 1AM with the Mullins. With early morning physio appointments we must get up and out early.  Neil has brekkie on the barbie well underway by the time we arrive at the table.  Huge egg and ham muffins await.

It is always so much fun being with Neil and Bronwyn.