Home with lovely memories

I’ve been back from Australia a week now and it’s been hard adjusting t

o the chilly damp weather here in the UK.  Also missing my lovely family ‘down under’, but it has been good to be back with Brian and my own family here.

In my last post I wrote about the wonderful memorable day wine tasting in the Barossa Valley I had with my sister Pauline and her two friends (now mine as well I hope!).   

I also wrote that a new grandchild for my sister and her husband was due.  Archer Wayde duly arrived the following evening and very early the next morning we went to the hospital to meet the newest member of the family and congratulate the proud and very excited new parents.     A joyous time. 

 

As well as the new baby, I met two more members of the family I had not met before.  Since my last visit, my nephew Dale has married Wenny and they now have a two years old daughter, Nayla.  

I visited my eldest sister and her husband who live just outside Adelaide.  It was so good to see them both again.    They have just moved into a new unit and are very happy in their new home. 

Another trip made was to Sydney to meet up with our younger sister who made the trip into the city from near Newcastle.  Oh my, the three of us did have a fun time.    We walked and walked, chatted and laughed as if we had not been apart for seven years.  I hope it is not as long before we can get together again.

Emma had to leave early on our last day in Sydney, so after our sad farewells, Pauline and I took a ferry across the harbour out to Manly.  I've not been there before and it was a wonderful experience.   

 Our flight back to Adelaide did not leave until the evening,  but we got to the airport early having decided that we would have a meal there instead of in the city.  We had heard of the fires in the Blue Mountains but were shocked to see the smoke beginning to appear over the city.

More about my last weekend in my next post.

Arrived

I've been here a week now and just loving being with my sister Pauline and her family.  The journey was not too bad and as I 'don't do jetlag'l I immediately fell into family life here.  My sister has four children, all married, and they and their families have either visited or we've visited them.  Another grandchild is due imminently, and we are anxiously awaiting news of its arrival.

We've also visited a member of The South Australian Pelargonium Club, Roger and his wife Jenny, who grow pelargoniums. We had a nice morning browsing all the plants they grow.

Yesterday we went to the Barrossa Valley, the wine growing region. Needless to say, we tasted a few wines at various wineries. We went with the two friends of my sister who I met in Ireland last year when they were on their European trip.  From L to R: Carolyn, Pauline, me, Anne Marie

We went for lunch at Maggie Beers farmhouse restaurant. Maggie Beers is a well known Australian tv chef, and has written many cookery books.  Lunch was really good in a wonderful location overlooking a small lake.

We're having a quiet day at home today, but off to Victor Harbour tomorrow to visit friends.