Final Day in Melbourne.

Our final day in Melbourne!  It was quite a cool day yesterday and as it is the equivalent of our Octber, I thought winter had finally arrived! However, this morning dawned bright and sunny once again - max of 30’ We Met J for lunch. 

Melbourne is now the fastest growing city in Australia. It is multi cultural.  It is a very wealthy city as is exhibited by the number of designer shops in the city. It is definitely a young person’s city and one can see how is has attracted some of our brightest and best. The quality of life is exceptional - the numerous restaurants, the concerts and the festivals make for a vibrant city. 

We saw the Town Hall, which we had missed earlier. 

We looked down lanes  and saw coffee shops

and saw the graffiti artist at work. 

and saw one of the many arcades with upmarket shops 

and finally 

the pub with the Irish flag outside - the significance of which I do not know? 

We’re now in Tullarmarine Airport  awaiting our flight to Dublin via Doha - c 22/23 hours - maybe more......

Til the next trip - thank you dear reader for your indulgence.....

Wellington

Brunch at Pondoro on Willis and Bond. Eggs Benedict and tea $21(€15) . The  restaurant is only open for breakfast and lunch but the fare was excellent. 

Our next port of call was Isite , where we booked a shuttle to take us from the Railway Station at Auckland to the airport - an hour' s journey. 

Subsequently, we visited Civic Square, it is such a beautiful concept: 

   The Old Library now The Art Museum 

            The modern Library. 

and 

                   The Civic Offices

We entered the library- what an impressive place - three floors beautifully laid out with plenty of seating - from cosy arm chairs to desks with internet access. 

The Mezzanine entrance was guarded by a sculpture made from a World War 1 tank that took part in the Battle of the Somme. 

The Kiwis lost heavily in the two WWs and continue to remember their dead. In each and every town is a memorial inscribed with the names of those who died in the service of their country. 

We quittedthe Library and went to visit the former bank now arcades of specialist shops. 

I then wished to get z last view of Wellington Harbour. The harbour was deserted as the wind was blowing s gale - not unusual in our experience of Wellington. 

The waterfront has been transformed as the old warehouses have been converted sympathetically into apartments, restaurants ( it is said Wellington has more restaurants per head of population than NYC) and shops. 

Along the harbour are plaques commemorating various facets of NZ history, including a plaque commemorating the Irish contribution to Wellington. 

On I ploughed , holding the railing in case Mary Poppins like I rose into the sky!!  

All the shops were closed and the restaurants wore an abandoned aspect.  

 I arrived at Te Papa and from there retraced my steps back over the unusual bridge 

that crosses the motorway and into the Civic Square again   From there I returned to the hotel.  

With a 755am start tomorrow, we're eating locally tonight - back to the Belgium pub we ate in on the first night here.......

NYC - Washington DC

Last night we went to a Chinese restaurant nearby to celebrate CC's birthday. It came highly recommended by a Chinese girl and it didn't disappoint. 

Prior to dinner, we went for an aperatif to Foleys, an Irish pub with a baseball theme!! There we met an Irish bartender from Co. Down. 

This morning, we wake to discover that a pressure cooker bomb had detonated in Chelsea, not 10 blocks from our hotel. Thankfully, there were no fatalities but 29 people were injured. 

We breakfasted at Andrews, a real American diner - so difficult to find in the US today. I cannot abide the polystyrene plates and cups that replaced the good old fashioned diner. We went to Macy's to collect our purchases and check out any other bargains. Afterwards we repaired back to the said diner-I had to have a piece of NY cheesecake before I left NYC. 

Train anoraks be warned that a senior ticket from NYC to Washington DC cost $149.00 for a 3 and 1/2 hour one way journey. Iarnrod  Eireann appear inexpensive by these standards! 

The train was 30 minutes late - not unusual by American rail standards! When I came here as a student in the 1970s, we were advised not to take a train as they frequently broke down! The oil crisis resulted in investment being put into the railways so the service has improved. 

As we boarded train 613, no seats appeared to be available - even at this price! We left our luggage in the first carriage and walked about 10 carriages to find seats but not two together. 

I sat beside an elderly lady from Baltimore. She had been to NYC to see her grand daughter, who was visiting from Israel. Though she visits Israel twice a year, she told me she was broken hearted when her daughter departed for Israel in 1976. Her other two daughters live in NYC. 

She was a very interesting lady, who had seen the world on cruise ships, while teaching Bridge aboard. Bridge buddies take note: she gave me some  good tips!! 

We discussed American politics. She is neither a supporter of Trump or Clinton but feels she must vote for Clinton to keep Trump out. Interesting!

We arrived at NYC about 15 minutes late. We had made up some time. A half an hour later we had checked in at the Holiday Inn on Eisenhower Drive.  It is outside Washington but reasonably priced at €200 per night and the Metro line to the city was 300 yards away. There was a free shuttle bus from hotel to Metro - the Americans don't walk! The hotels in W ran from €500 per night upwards! 

More to-morrow!

Bwejuu Beach, Zanzibar

Last night. We took a stroll on the beach at sunset. As this is a public beach,  a policy with which I agree, we were accosted by young tauts trying to drum up business for particular beach restaurants. In the past, much of the Zanzibarean coast was purchased cheaply by foreigners, who privatised many of the beaches.

We walked up as far as Indigo,where we stayed on the first night. Looking at the bungalows from the seaside, they appeared  incongruous; too modern as set against the African landscape. The interior however did reflect the location. 

On our return journey, we fell into conversation with a gentleman. He is a teacher in the local primary school comprising c. 700 pupils. Education is free in Zanzibar. He said he had recently been to Swansea (Wales), as his school is twinned with a school there. 

Dinner followed - a fish feast - although the teacher told us that the best catch is around Christmas - the high season - when the dhows can sail to the reef. Now however, as the sea is being whipped up by the winds, very welcome to us, it is too dangerous for the dhows to venture out to the reef. Dhows, he informed us are made from mango trees. They are not  dissimilar to curraghs. 

At this time of year, some fish are washed up on the shore and the women put down nets on the shallow waters and catch the fifth for the family.

The population of Zanzibar is two million at present and growing - the average family size is 7 - five children. 

This morning, I am here swinging on a hammock, looking out at the multiple shades of blue of the Indian Ocean. 

The Germans are here and have hogged the beach chairs early. Thankfully, there are plenty to go around! In Spain, many beaches are confiscating unattended beach accoutrements and the culprits must pay a fine or they will be sold for charity. In the article, I read surprise, surprise that the main culprits were German. It reminded me of a holiday in Kenya in 1983, when we endured such conduct and more at German hands.....

I hear the children from the local school at play. The children are in Muslim dress.  While Tasmania is Christian, 95% of Zanzibar is Muslim, though there is a growing Muslim population on the mainland!

We are leaving tomorrow for the capital, Stone Town - a brief glance at Stonetown as we journeyed to Bwejuu, didn't inspire! We must take the return ferry to Dar on Friday morning and then battle the horrendous traffic jams to arrive at the airport for our late evening flight.

Dusk fell and  after a relaxing day reading, we once again returned to our room to pack.  

What a surprise, they must think we're on honeymoon.!!!