Ironic

When we first moved to Australia a lot of people warned us of all the dangerous snakes and other animals, like sharks and crocodiles and jelly fish and spiders, that we might run into. It is true that Australia is home to many dangerous animals but I haven't seen any yet and we have been here now over eight years. 

That is why I was quite surprised to see my next-door neighbour  in Sweden come running across the field and telling me that she had been bitten by a viper while picking cranberries. Her arm and hand were swelling up as we spoke so we hopped in the car and drove to the local medical centre. They gave her cortisone but didn't have any serum available, so they decided to call an ambulance and take her to the closest hospital which is in Kungälv (whose facilities I enjoyed in early June) where she was kept for two days. She seems fine now even though the swelling has still not gone down completely.

Hello again dear readers,

That first part was written before I left Sweden in September. I have now been back in Australia for a month and have had the pleasure of catching up with family and friends. My painting lessons are on hold for the school holidays but I had time to get one lesson in before that happened and it was great to see everybody there as well.

One of the first friends I met up with was A who had just arrived in Australia to visit her son and his family. We had lunch in a restaurant in Circular Quay and her son B also came later on. We got to know each other in Grenoble but we don't see each other very often especially since they don't live in Grenoble any more so even when we go back there we don't see them.

Yesterday I had lunch with another A, a friend who lives in the city quite near IKEA and Decathlon the French sport store, so every time we meet up there is also a bit of shopping involved on the way home. We got to know each other many years ago in Grenoble. She had also been overseas for a few months so we had lots of catching up to do. The Italian restaurant where we had lunch was in a place called Hunters Hill, where I had never been before. It was very nice with big old houses all with a view of the water. There are so many nice suburbs in Sydney but you have to have the cash, lots of it.

Last week end was labour-day week end so people who work were off work on Monday. The weather was gorgeous so on Sunday hubby and I took the train into town and the ferry to Manly to enjoy the yearly jazz festival. It was fun with a lot of great bands, but very crowded.

This was the first band that met us when we got off the ferry
and even though we listened to many other  groups that day
it was still the most endearing one with a real good stomp.

Time to go now dear friends and get another day started. It is a bit lonely right now with hubby having just left for France. We have finally sold our house there and he has to get papers signed plus he is also going for work. I don't want to dwell too long on the sadness of selling the house where the kids grew up and where we had such a happy life. It had to be done to enable us to buy something here in Australia.

View from our former house in France of the
Dent de Crolles

The big debate right now is yes or no to letting
companies advertise at night on the Sydney Opera
House. Just for the record, my vote is on NO.

Take care and watch out for snakes!!!