WYSIWYG

What You See Is What You Get. This is a journal blog, an explore-blog, a bit of this and that blog. Sharing where the mood takes me. Perhaps it will take you too.

Menologue; The OZ Venture

Wednesday dawned bright and even had a hint of decent warmth about it - still needed my cardigan, but on the whole quite good! Remus was not impressed that I was going out and was asking him to come to his 'guarding house' spot (penned area).



As the train rumbled down the track from Mt Colah towards the city, though, there was promise of sunshine. Passing the suburb of Wollstonecraft, this very fleeting glimpse of early summer colour was captured (hastily) by the Fudge.

The lilac/lavender blooming tree is a jacaranda.

The red one is a coral tree.

The purple is a swathe of bougainvillea from someone's garden.

Not at all a great photograph, but the colour makes up for much of the damage!!! It's a wonder I got anything worth showing at all, for there was no sign of it till we were almost past it.  Anyway - I gloried in the sight. I got off the train at Town Hall Station.

I was meeting up with Merle!!! I had hoped to meet her two years previously, when I was between the ashram and shifting over to Scotland, but it just didn't happen. This time, though, we were determined to meet. Sure enough, there she was, sitting at the feet of Queen Victoria - the monument outside Queen Victoria Building, into which we were headed for a cup of coffee.

Needless to say, we hit it off and coffee turned into lunch...



...which turned into a full afternoon! We were in the bistro for the best part of three hours (quiet, out of the way of the hustle and bustle of the shops pre-christmas and very comfy); then we went on a tour of the above-ground floors of the QVB (there's a basement level also). It is lovely in the sense that many of the shops are one-off, designer outlets.... so quite different from the bully boy Westfield wonders' offerings. Window-shopping is a great pastime!!!

The main attraction, though, is the building itself. The Victorians sure knew how to leave a mark on history... I shall hold back a couple of the decorative shots to add to next Tuesday's Me-Now-Views - but some teasers here...




































Merle very kindly saw me back to the station as she was also catching a train (other direction) and we made a tentative arrangement for me to go visit her home in a couple of weeks... that didn't eventuate for reasons which will become clear - but I am taking a 'rain check' for my next visit to the Great Downunderparts!!! It is just so wonderful to connect with new folk all over the world...


10 comments:

  1. The QVB does look a fine building.
    Cheers, Gail.

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  2. That is one heck of a pepper mill! The colours in your pictures are fantastic!

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  3. Okay, next time I is coming wiv you….you find the bestest places to visit!
    Loves and licky kisses
    Princess Leah xxxx

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  4. Mum used to work in the basement of the QVB before it was renovated. It is indeed a beautiful building.
    You got to meet Merle!!!!! How good was that? Did she have Drummy with her? I don't s'pose they'd let Drummy into the QVB. They would have when Mum worked there. It was pretty grotty inside in those days.

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  5. OH the BEAUTIFUL FLOWERS.... the MIX of colors makes them the PERFECT Planting.... Someone KNEW what HE/SHE was doing when they were Planned and Planted...
    What a GORGEOUS Post... You get some FABULOUS Pictures... you have a photographic EYE fur color and composition. LOVE THIS SERIES...

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  6. I love that picture of Remus with shadows cast across his face ...really lovely.

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  7. What lovely color! How wonderful to meet new friends!!

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  8. All so exciting and wonderful to catch up and spend time with a friend. Thanks for sharing it all with us. xx

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  9. I love this building, I'm anyway a fan of things of the time of Queen Victoria... think I would sit there for hours, dreaming about a long forgotten time :o)

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  10. Wow, what candy for the eyes!! We would have loved exploring with so much to see. And your visit with Merle sounds like it made the day!

    Keep Calm & Bark On!

    Murphy & Stanley

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