Plan A and Plan B

Hi Gang!
This Sat was supposed to be an outing to the Cleland Wildlife Park to feed koalas and wallaby's. I was too hot. Plan B was a tour of Adelaide with my new friend Julia. Julia is a cousin of my friend John Redmond. This is my second outing with Julia and we had a wonderful time visiting downtown Adelaide. We started at the central market. This market was similar to the Byward Market in Ottawa. It had lots of things I have seen before and many I haven't. There was a Kangaroo Meat shop that sold Roo sausages, Roo meatballs and Roo tenderloin and other parts of the Roo too. We had lunch at a place called the Big Table and I had the BEST sandwhich ever. Ok it was almost as good as your Martina Navratalova one Gord. It had tandori chicken, mango chutney(with a bit of bite) fresh cucumber and fresh cilantro. Yummy! Check out the muffin sign Mandy-I am telling you they are all sweet cakey muffins. I think we could corner the market with my banana flax seed choc chip muffins or my date bran muffins and make our fortunes! After the market we drove around to see some of the sites. We ended up on North Terrace-where the art gallery and museums are. I wanted to check them out for when Amelia comes. We also made a stop at the festival Arts center. I hope to get to see something there.
We stopped at Henley Beach for a coldie-actually I had a lovely red wine that Julia not only recommended but she treated me to. Henley is a very trendy spot and very busy. It was nice to walk out on the jetty and look over at Glenelg. I will put more pictures up later. Right now I have to go get ready for another busy week at school. It's hard work trying to teach all those little possums how to say their vowels properly!
G'day eh!
love,
Bern

Oh yes Mandy can you check with Barb(I may be old but I am not dead yet) McIntyre to make sure she sees the picture of the hottie in the blue bathers-I thought she might enjoy that.

Another wonderful day in Oz

Hi Gang,
Well I had a wonderful first day with my new class. It's so cute to hear these little bunnies speaking with an Aussie accent. Or perhaps I should call them possums. We had some interesting discussions and questions including, "what language do you speak in Canada?" The reply was "what language am I speaking now?" They also wanted to know if I had grizzly bears in my backyard. So I asked them if they had kangaroos in their backyard. Then we had some confusion over the bitumen-yes the pavement- I had heard the word but it was out of context, as conversations often are when six year olds are involved. This promises to be a great learning experience for all involved. They wanted to see a photo of the rink at Fallingbrook and thanks to google maps I was able to not only find the school but drop the little man down in front of the school. We could see the boards for the rink but the picture was taken in the spring-no snow or ice. So one boy figured that when the ice rink melted it must turn into a pool like they have.(yes Pam my school has a pool) Can you imagine? Perhaps I can persuade one of my Fallingbrook friends to take a picture of the rink with children skating.

It's hard to think about rinks and snow when the temp remains above 30. I am on a quest to photo the perfect sunset. See me there with my Sobey's bag looking for treasures. I am sure my dad is looking down and smiling. Back in my university days he used to call my Sobey's bags "matching luggage." I think the poor man moved me 4 times in my last year of university and mostly I packed in Sobey's bags. Isn't it comforting to know that some things never change?

I hope you are all staying warm and looking after each other. I miss and love you all and will send you some of my sunshine!
G'day eh!
love,
Bern

oops I forgot the pics....

Wooosh....

Hi Everyone!
Well I went downtown to see the last race of the Tour Down Under. It was AMAZING. Those guys were flying. They did 20 laps of the course. OK Jacob-why do they shave their legs???? I walked the course backwards(I am down under) and took pics from different vantage points. The bikes were so close I could have reached out and touched them. All I heard was a woosh as they flew by. I tried to use the sports setting on my camera. Lance is #11-see if you can spot him-I couldn't. Apparently he is wearing black socks and a red/grey/black outfit. Oh well his loss-he didn't get to see me either. There were 3 guys well in the lead but at the end the gap was closed and I don't even know who won-except it was an Aussi and the hometown crowd were happy. What a neat event.

Not be be outdone by sports I had my first Aussie lamb BBQ at my new friends Shelley and Tony's place. I followed Tony around hoping to discover his cooking secrets. Well for starters he walked over to the neighbors and cut a chunk of rosemary from their bush. Gord do you have a Rosemary bush? The lamb was exquiste. Shelley out did herself with a beautiful pavlova for dessert. I was a little confused by the bowls of what I thought were Olives and cheese that came out with the dessert. It was noughat and chocolate covered fruit-appricots I think! What a treat! There were 11 of us at dinner-extended family and friends and I felt like I was at the Paquet's household. Shelley's mom Ailene is a former quilter turned dollmaker. I managed to get a personal trunk show and went home with some fabric and quilt magazines and an invitation back. What a wonderful day! I wonder what tomorrow will bring...
G'Day eh!
love and hugs to all,
Bern

Paradise

Hey Mates!
How are you going? I am not slacking off but this working for a living is interfering with my blog time. I have been in school all week trying to get organized for the first day-next Wed. These are some random pictures. The first one is of a native Aussie on the beach. Apparently they drink beer everywhere and anywhere here-because they can! Imagine that. I have seen guys with a beer in their hand walking their dog, driving their cars and just hanging out. The younger gentleman is my new friend Adam. He is a year 6 student who was spending the afternoon with his grand dad and they were looking for bait to go fishing. He showed me all the best places to find sand crabs. Too bad they were so small-no good eating there. The windswept girl on the cliff is me-I haven't got that one handed picture taking thing figured out yet. I was hoping that the height of the cliff would show. Perhaps I needed to back up a little......

It's been a long day and I need to go wash the sand off before I hit the hay. I hope you are all doing well. How are those New Year's resolutions going? Mine is to see a sunset on the beach everynight for the next year. So far so good. Actually it is much better than good-it is AMAZING. Pinch me-I am in Australia!
G'Day eh!
Bern

Silver Sands Beach

Hi Mates!
I never grow tired of exploring the beaches here-each and everyone of them is beautiful. I spent 5 hours today on Seaview Beach. I was mostly watching the wind surfers and the ones with the kites. There was one guy who was a real hotdog-he flipped and flew and was having such a grand time. I laughed out loud just watching him. I also met a gentleman with his 2 grandsons out looking for worms and other bait. We combed the beach together and they showed me the best places to find sand crabs. I grew tired of walking-the wind was brisk today and so I sat down for a rest. A rogue wave got me. Once again I am thankful for the quick dry canoe pants I purchased at Black Water Design. I walked to Brighton Jetty and before I reached it I was dry! The boys helped me find pieces of natural sponge and of course a few new shells will be added to my collection. I have a new quest-to find a shark's tooth for Brendan. Not sure how that will pan out buddy, but I will do my best. Well today I am wind burned and beat-too tired to even download my pics-see what you will have to look forward to?
G'day eh!
Bern

PS I am going in to school tomorrow to get my new class ready for my new students! It IS the most wonderful time of the year!

This Sat

I just heard on the radio that Lance Armstrong will be biking around Adelaide and eveyone who wants to is invited to come ride with him. Do you think he would like my pink bike from Kmart????? I could wear my CANUCK t-shirt from the Bay!!!

Thought you all might like to see some of my pics. Enjoy!
G'Day eh!
Bern

Borassa Valley Wine Tour

So it's the hottest day of the summer(so far) at 43 degrees, the perfect day to do a wine tour of the Barassa Valley! The coach drive is very nice(complete with AC and a front seat view) up the senic route along little Para Road. Along the way we pass several bike enthusiasts on their way down the hills. The Tour Down Under(similar to the Tour d'France) will be starting in a couple of weeks and teams of bikers are training all over Adelaide and the surrounding area. Many of them are riding on bikes that cost more than my car. They also wear real pretty outfits. Our first stop of the day is at a family winery in Lyndoch called the Kies Winery. We start off with cake and tea. The owner is a tea lover and has special blends-I try one called "Billy Tea" and true to it's name it tastes like ashes and burned branches. I needed to clense my palate after that with some nice white and red wines. Lovely. The next stop was just outside of the town of Tununda at the Langmiel Winery. This very historic area was settled in the 1840's and there are some very old Shiraz vines that date back 167 years. They are still producing grapes but at a much lower yield. It was here that I tried a red bubbly-made in the champagne style but with red wine.(Sparkling Shiraz Cuvee) The tour guide assured us that this fun wine was a breakfast wine meant to serve with bacon and eggs. It was nicely chilled and did go down rather well. Our next stop was for lunch at the Kaesler Vineyards. Here I had the opportunity to try some very well prepared kangaroo. It was a bit gamey but absolutely fabulous! Now I guess I can buy some at the grocery store to prepare myself-anyone want to come for dinner? The last stop of the day was at Wolf Blass. I imediately thought of my Bunkos Buddy Sue Thompson-this would be her favourite winery as Wolf Blass is one of her favourite wines. This winery was very commercial compared to the family run establishments, producing millions of litres of wine. I tasted and bought some Green Label White 2008 and some Green Label Cabernet Shiraz 2008 in the new shatterproof plastic bottles. I also had the chance to purchase and try a glass of the Black Label Shiraz and the Premium Label Shiraz as well. If I remember correctly(this was the last stop of several wine tastings) The Black Label retailed for $160/bottle and the Premium was either $200 or $500. No matter, I prefered the Black label. The more expensive wine was too "chunky" for my taste buds.It was an amazing day trip. The conclusion I have come to is that all the wine in Australia is wonderful. I would like to do the Clare Valley wine region next. My next quest however, is to taste and try as many varieties of Tim Tams as possible to determine my favourite. I will keep you posted on that.....til next time,
G'day eh!
Bern

PS sorry about the pictures-I am doing well to get them on let alone right side up!
PPS Hey Sue see me sharing the expensive wine with Wolf Blass?Come on over and I will share some with you too!

Jan 8 Port Adelaide

Hi mates!

Just another hot hot hot day here in Oz. I managed to bike over to my school today before it got over 40 and the ride took about 20 minutes. It's only a 15 minute ride to the beach at Glenelg.Hmmmm......

So I did the tourist thing today and went up to a section of Adelaide called Port Adelaide. It is another beautiful beach area. There were lots and lots of sail boats out today. I am going to post a pic of boats to make my brother in law Todd drool. Enjoy. The Port is a working port and there was a cruise ship at dock. Wow.

I am also posting a pic of yesterday's lunch-I had salt and pepper crocodile for lunch! Which I decided is much better than the other way around. Amelia I am not sure if it was a freshie or a saltie but it tasted right some good! I think my next culinary delight will be kangaroo. It is sold in the grocery stores here but I want to see how a professional chef prepares it before I attempt to. I have discovered that a can of coke is $3.20 and a bottle of Lindeman's Cabernet Merlot is $4.99.Now I know why the Aussie's are so laid back-they don't drink coke! Tomorrow I am going on my first wine tour. I booked through the RAA (Royal Auto Ass) they let me use my CAA card for discounts-so remember that if you come to visit and you are a CAA member-bring your card! The tour is in the Borassa Valley region.I have to be downtown early to catch the tour so I will shove off now.
G'day eh!
love,
Bernadine

The Adventure begins......

Hi Gang,

I was met at the airport by Edie's 2 lovely daughters, her charming grandson Drew and a teaching colleague Kerry. Yes Amelia they did have signs. I was brain dead at this point after 29 hours of flying and time spent in airports. I walked out into the 39 degree noon day sun. YIKES. Talk about personal summer. Not to worry Sue I am not homesick yet-even though I miss you all, and yes I will suck it up. So I drove by my new school-WOW then off to my new home. I tried to stay awake until after supper-it was brutal. Jocey you will be happy to know I was my cheerful happy morning person at 4am.... everyday for almost a week. It has been hard to get over the jet lag and climate change but I am giving it my best shot. I am just about adjusted now. I had a call from my mentor from the Exchange Teachers League. She invited me to see the fireworks at the beach on New Year's Eve. Like I needed an excuse to go to the beach. We picked up one of her friends on the way. We hit it off really well. I was delighted to find out that she was a library teacher at one of the high schools. I think I should always have a library tech for a friend no matter what continent you are on-right Jane? There are fish and chip shops everywhere here and to my delight the fish is fresh and delish. I have been grocery shopping a few times and was shocked at the $5 toothpaste, coffee in MacDonalds is cheap at $3-I bought 2 coffees and a cookie for $15. I think I can make my fortune while I am here-muffins (when you can find them) are $3-5 each!!!!!!!!!(and frankly are not as good as mine). They have Kmart here and I bought myself a beautiful pink bike. I rode it to the beach at Glenelg and it took me 15 minutes. Walking in this heat is really not an option-I tried and just about kissed the pavement. I walk too fast-but am learning to slow down(or fall down). It has been above 40 for several days. Then the temp dropped into the 20's and then went back up to the high 30's. In spite of my dilligent application of sunscreen I have managed to get 2 sunburns. I am now using SPF 60 and wearing longer sleeves. I am never without my Tilly hat and I am thinking of taking an umbrella with me as I have seen the locals do. The UV index here is EXTREME because of the hole in the ozone. It is a dry heat and feels just like being in an oven. Yes I am getting cooked.

I have managed to get to the beach just about everyday. The beaches are glorious. I have never felt such warm water. Folks are on summer holiday mode here and everyone is so friendly. Feels like I am in the maritimes only much warmer and at times I don't understand the accent. Thank god Jane gave me the Aussie Dictionary for North Americans. Thank you all for your emails. No worries mates I am getting settled. I still have 2 weeks before school resumes so I am going to do some more exploring. Take care all! I miss and love you!
G'day eh!
Bern

Happy New Year!

Hi Gang!

After a very very long flight I arrived in Oz on Dec 30. The time leading up to my big adventure was as crazy/buzy as you can all imagine. My exchange partner Edie arrived on Dec.14th to be greeted by a cold snap. Welcome to Ottawa Edie! So I told her about the furnace, how to check the kids and herself for frostbite and suited her up in my down filled coat, snowpants and Sorells. I can tell by her adventurous streak that we are kindred spirits. I know all my very good friends in Ottawa will help her and look out for her. Gord the snow angel initiation was a good idea. You might want to show her how to start the snowblower too.

My darling offspring saw me off at the airport bright and early on Monday Dec 28th. The security was a bit intense but my flight was delayed by an hour because of crew change. The "hurry up and wait" thing was the order of the day. I sat beside a delightful lady from Ottawa on the way to Vancouver to meet her first grandchild. We were excited to hear about each others adventures and the flight "flew" by in short order. The journey from Vancouver to Hong Kong was the longest part of the journey. I flew Cathay Pacific and the service was wonderful. I managed to watch Finding Nemo.(yes it was the first time I saw it) I was thinking of my friend Pam Sorenson and tried to watch Bad Santa. Sorry Pam but Billy Bob just didn't do it for me and I slept. I then watched something called 500 days of Summer. Slow but OK. So Maddison I have now had my movie fix for 2009. We will have to see what 2010 brings.