Last week in Sydney and I cannot believe that I will be flying home tomorrow. Not looking forward to the journey at all and of course dreading saying goodbye to Kathryn. She is doing well, is happy here and has a good future ahead of her but oh I do wish she were a little, just a little, closer. She is coming to the UK in September for Beatrice's first birthday so only five months until I see her again, but I am going to feel terrible tomorrow when I say goodbye. We have not spent so much time together in years and it has been Such Fun (!) and we have laughed at the same stupid things, talked about all the daft things we have done in the past and just enjoyed spending hours relaxing in each other's company. We have managed to spend six weeks together without any falling out or arguments though pretty sure I have probably driven her up the wall on occasions.
The autumn has arrived now and it has been pretty wet and rainy all week with the kind of torrential rain you just don't get in the UK. One minute of walking in it and you look as if you have taken a bath. So our last weekend and yesterday evening we went to the theatre to see the National Theatre production of One Man, two Guvnors which is doing an Australian tour at the moment. Absolutely brilliant and had the audition howling with laughter. My mascara was all washed away within half an hour of the first act and my ribs are still recovering. Wonderful.
And then when we left the theatre we walked under the bridge and round the harbour and there were the lights and it was all quite marvellous.
Then today, up and out and decided to catch the ferry across to Manly for a final look at the harbour. This ferry trip is really wonderful, much cheaper than the touristy cruises and the views to and from Circular Quay quite marvellous. We had lunch at Hugo's on the Wharf and had one of the best pizzas I have ever had. Kathryn had one with figs and blue cheese but could not quite manage that, glass of Pinot Grigiot each and I was full but K managed a tiramisu.
After that decided to go for a walk. By now the sun was out and it was a mild, balmy day, simply gorgous - the Aussies would probably think it was pretty cool, we would think it was high summer. Went and sat on the beach and just watched and I became increasingly melancholy at the thought that I was leaving this behind. We are now back home and having a Skype session with James, Helen and the children in an hour which I am looking forward to and will be able to tell Florence that Grandma will be seeing her very soon.
I have yet to put up my pics of Carmen by the harbour or my visit to the Kapoor exhibition at the Museum of Contemporary Art and I think these will now have to wait until I get home as I have so much to do. Until then, my thanks, once again to those of you who have visited and left comments on Random in Oz. I have enjoyed sharing my travels with you all and hope to be back in about eighteen months with my next trip.....
