A tale of two Cities... Part One

The next two blogs takes me to two differennt countries, Australia and Poland.... well it is actually three but I'm only in Kharkiv for a few days so i'll see if there is anything worth warranting a blog while I'm here

Melbourne, Australia!

The first thing I did after 4 plane rides and two taxi's, well I dont consider Inna a taxi, so lets make it one taxi, is to go and see Mum and Dad. Followed very closely with a visit to my babies at their holiday hotel. I was so worried that they wouldnt recognise me or wouldnt want to talk to me... but.... I was totally wrong...

The moment I was left alone with them, they just came to me as nothing had ever changed... so differernt from the last time I came home & Middy just didnt want know me.

Bella & I just enjoying each others company in the first bedroom

I cant thank Jarom and staff at Catnap enough for taking my babies on board... I know it was a bit hard for the first three months, but I trusted you completely and look how they have come out of their shell !

As usual, I caught up with family & friends. Lunch with Bob, Gayle and Kim from PM. A trip to Essa Hairdressing to see Luciana and newborn Annaliese

A few Chardys & dinner with Naomi and Tristan to catch up on all the gossip & of course mum, dad Ian and Lynda.  I went into the city one Saturday afternoon to meet my best mate, Lisa (nickname, George). We have known each other for years and when we do catch up, which is not often enough, we carry on the conversation as if we had seen each ther an hour ago. Lisa lives in Leopold near Geelong, which is a city around the bay, about an hours drive from the CBD.

We met at Flinders St railway station, which is an icon in Melbourne and the bigest station servicing the Melbourne CBD.

Flinders St station

Southbank for lunch, a really good area for food, arts and leisure along the Yarra River, that runs through Melbourne , strolled along Southbank, ate ice cream and people watched. Had a look at the Polly Woodside,a British built, three-masted, iron-hulled barque, preserved in Melbourne,  and forming the central feature of the Melbourne Maritime Museum.The weather was just perfect, around 25 degrees and we just relaxed and talked. Must do this more often George

Southbank at night

The Polly Woodside
















Of course, no visit home goes without a lunch at Georges, (the restaurant) in Croydon, with mum and dad. I think we had two meals there and the food is great. With a glass of wine and beaut weather, what more could you ask for?

Eating at Georges.... again

Dad & Mum

I must admit, I love going to mum & dads place when the weather is so good as the sun sits on the back verandah & we just sit there and chew the fat and look at the wonderful view they have of the Dandenong ranges. Mount Dandenong, originally known as Corhanwarrabul  is also a mountain which is 633 metres tall,  and which lends its name to the entire mountain range of which it is a part, the Dandenong Ranges. The peak of the mountain, at 633 m above sea level, is also the site of the television signal towers for the City of Melbourne, which range in height from 72 m to 180 m. These towers are visible from quite a distance and distinguish Mount Dandenong from others in the Dandenong Ranges. On a clear day, and because Melbourne is very flat, it is possible to see across the metropolitan area to the You Yangs and Mount Macedon, the Melbourne Central Business District and Port Phillip Bay

Dandenong Ranges

me on the Verandah eating again!

A week before I went home, Melbourne experienced its worst storm in centuries with flooding and huge hail in pockets of the suburbs. Nunawading, where I live, copped some hail and here is the result.

http://www.theage.com.au/photogallery/victoria/wild-weather-hits-melbourne/20100306-pph5.html?selectedImage=5   Click on the link to see more pics of the storm

Now I have ventilation in my Verandah roof !

I am now back in Kharkiv after four plane rides and am definately feeling the jet lag. Woke up at three am this morning and couldnt get back to sleep, so it made for a very hard day at the office. I'm finding it takes a good three days to get over the 28 hours of flying, 9 hours time difference and settling into routine again. I hope this episode goes quickly as I am off to Poland in three days. It is only two plane rides and not long, but I am dreading hoping into a plane again...... Frequent flyer miles are adding up and I have already upgraded to first class on my final journey home. Never flown first class before , so it will be a bit of a treat after nine months away from home.

You will be pleased to know that the ICE has almost dissapeared. I did threaten not to come back if the ICE was still around, so I think my friends must have all pulled out their hair dryers and gone into bat for me, so I would come back...... such nice people they are.

Get blogging Mishka..... weekend away must have some blog worthy news ?

PS, The Gravox, snakes and Pepermint crisps made it through all security checks and customs..... now I have treats from home that will be savoured

xm