Sunday March 11, 2007
Great Barrier Reef
A picture perfect day has ended our sojourn. We left at 8:00 this morning and boarded the Wave Length for an hour and a half journey to Opal Reef on the Outer Barrier Reef. There were only 14 of us on the boat so it was comfortable and relaxed. The day was clear and sunny and the wind and sea was calm. The ship made three stops – Ray Ban, Turtle Bay, and a third I have forgotten the name of already : (
The snorkeling was amazing. The reef is famous for being home ot 1500 species of fish and 400 of coral. There was a marine biologist on board who briefed us at weach site on what to look for. I rented an underwater digital camera for the day. However, the monitor was about the size of my thumb so I pretty much was shooting blind – the true meaning of “point and shoot: They will download the photos and copy them to a disk and mail it to me so I have NO idea what I got – except for one shot – the money shot. NEMO !!!! Cute little guy just sat there and let me shoot and shoot. When I got into the boat, I had a look and there he was !! That’s it – I can go home now – I have seen Nemo and a kangaroo in the wild. Worth the price of admission. !!
On the boat, they served morning tea – fruit and cookies;
lunch – buffet of meats, cheeses, veggies- raw and cooked, boiled shrimp, deviled eggs, hard rolls, huumus – plus a completely redundant “vegetarian platter”: for me that included feta cheese, olives, grilled zucchini, a spinach- cheese filled thingy, and a piece of veggie cheese frittata
afternoon snack – fruit, cheese and crackers
I will be on the treadmill for the rest of the year !!
We are back at Thala and packing for our return to Sydney tomorrow. We will spend one more night and eat one more meal with the DeFrans and then we are off for Denver on Tuesday. We leave Sydney on Tuesday afternoon at three and arrive in Denver - about 24 hours later – and on the other side of the dateline - on Tuesday afternoon at four !
It has been a fabulous month. We have had a ball. I am ready to get back home now –sleep in my own bed, watch a little CSI : ) and find out how Merideth is doing on Gray’s Anatomy !
This will probably be the last post til I get home. Hope you have enjoyed the journey.
Sunday, March 11, 2007
Saturday March 10 Low Isles
Saturday, March 10
This morning we finally got to the Reef. We took a high speed boat called the Reef Sprinter to the Low Isles and snorkeled for a couple of hours. The clarity of the water here is not quite what it will be on the outer reef - because if the nearness of the land, it gets a little cloudy. However, we were thrilled. It was the most coral and fish we have ever seen. AND we saw a giant clam!!! Gorgeous !! It was an oval about 4 feet long, 2 feet deep. The valve looked like a fire hose. The wavy edges of the shell were a deep teal blue. Amazing!! Every kind of coral you can imagine – fans, brains, boulders, lettuce, staghorns in several colors, and a million others. We were surrounded by schools of fish in electric colors –didn’t see Nemo or Dory, though. Tomorrow we are taking a boat to the outer reef – maybe he will be there.
We had lunch in Port Douglas and then headed back to Thala. We spent a couple of hours at the pool and headed back to Port Douglas for dinner.
We are winding down on the adventure. Tomorrow is our last day at Thala. We head back to Sydney on Monday for a final night and dinner with the DeFrans. And fly home on Tuesday.
This morning we finally got to the Reef. We took a high speed boat called the Reef Sprinter to the Low Isles and snorkeled for a couple of hours. The clarity of the water here is not quite what it will be on the outer reef - because if the nearness of the land, it gets a little cloudy. However, we were thrilled. It was the most coral and fish we have ever seen. AND we saw a giant clam!!! Gorgeous !! It was an oval about 4 feet long, 2 feet deep. The valve looked like a fire hose. The wavy edges of the shell were a deep teal blue. Amazing!! Every kind of coral you can imagine – fans, brains, boulders, lettuce, staghorns in several colors, and a million others. We were surrounded by schools of fish in electric colors –didn’t see Nemo or Dory, though. Tomorrow we are taking a boat to the outer reef – maybe he will be there.
We had lunch in Port Douglas and then headed back to Thala. We spent a couple of hours at the pool and headed back to Port Douglas for dinner.
We are winding down on the adventure. Tomorrow is our last day at Thala. We head back to Sydney on Monday for a final night and dinner with the DeFrans. And fly home on Tuesday.
Friday March 9 Cooktown
Friday March 9
Dad’s 89th birthday is today. A bunch of kids and grandkids will be going up for a visit and a celebration.
Daintree, Cape Tribulation, and Cooktown
Our “vehicle” arrived at 8:00. It is a four wheel drive bus sort of thing that looks more like a small tank than anything. There are six others with us. We traveled the coast road all the way from Port Douglas to Cooktown – a total of EIGHT hours – OMIGOD !!! We traveled the dirt, mud, downed-tree strewn Broomfield track for about 69 km through the rainforest. We fjorded small streams, crossed a road that was covered with water from a sluice way, and climbed hills that were about 45 degrees and seemed even steeper ! Someday, I am going on a vacation where I just lie on a beach and have a cabana boy bring me drinks ; ) It was very beautiful but after awhile –truth ? boring.
Oue driver and guide, Sidney, was great. He was a wealth of information on the history of the area and the people, wildlife, and flora of the area. He narrated a great deal but gave us a rest from the patter sometimes too.
We stopped a few times for photo ops and food. Actually saw a kangaroo in the wild and got a photo !!! yea !!! Also stood on Cape Tribulation where the rainforest actually comes to the shore and meets the Great Barrier Reef – the only place on earth where two world heritage sites meet.
Cooktown was a HUGE yawn – absolutely nothing to see or do. Capt James Cook sailed up the East Coast of Australia and ran upon the Great Barrier Reef and blew a hole in his boat. That was at Cape Tribulation – where all the trouble began. He patched up the hole with pig and cow urine and mud and hay and wrapped his sail around it. Then he made his men row to the nearest harbor – which turned out to be a place that he called – what else? - Cooktown, where he stayed for 37 days while he made repairs. That is the Cliff notes version but you get the idea. This intrepid sailor and unbelievable navigator was incredibly unimaginative when it came to naming places. Tribulation for where he had trouble. – The low isles when he saw – you got it a low island…. Anyhow a four hour ride back by the highway in the dark ended our trip – thank God for ipod !!
Dad’s 89th birthday is today. A bunch of kids and grandkids will be going up for a visit and a celebration.
Daintree, Cape Tribulation, and Cooktown
Our “vehicle” arrived at 8:00. It is a four wheel drive bus sort of thing that looks more like a small tank than anything. There are six others with us. We traveled the coast road all the way from Port Douglas to Cooktown – a total of EIGHT hours – OMIGOD !!! We traveled the dirt, mud, downed-tree strewn Broomfield track for about 69 km through the rainforest. We fjorded small streams, crossed a road that was covered with water from a sluice way, and climbed hills that were about 45 degrees and seemed even steeper ! Someday, I am going on a vacation where I just lie on a beach and have a cabana boy bring me drinks ; ) It was very beautiful but after awhile –truth ? boring.
Oue driver and guide, Sidney, was great. He was a wealth of information on the history of the area and the people, wildlife, and flora of the area. He narrated a great deal but gave us a rest from the patter sometimes too.
We stopped a few times for photo ops and food. Actually saw a kangaroo in the wild and got a photo !!! yea !!! Also stood on Cape Tribulation where the rainforest actually comes to the shore and meets the Great Barrier Reef – the only place on earth where two world heritage sites meet.
Cooktown was a HUGE yawn – absolutely nothing to see or do. Capt James Cook sailed up the East Coast of Australia and ran upon the Great Barrier Reef and blew a hole in his boat. That was at Cape Tribulation – where all the trouble began. He patched up the hole with pig and cow urine and mud and hay and wrapped his sail around it. Then he made his men row to the nearest harbor – which turned out to be a place that he called – what else? - Cooktown, where he stayed for 37 days while he made repairs. That is the Cliff notes version but you get the idea. This intrepid sailor and unbelievable navigator was incredibly unimaginative when it came to naming places. Tribulation for where he had trouble. – The low isles when he saw – you got it a low island…. Anyhow a four hour ride back by the highway in the dark ended our trip – thank God for ipod !!
Thursday, March 8, 2007
Thursday, March 8
Thursday March 8
Pand at ‘em early this morning. We left the resort around 8:00 am for thr 45 minute drive to Cairns, where we took the Skyrail gondola over the rainforest to the village of Kuranda (tourist trap – aborigine style). The ride was spectacular, though – accomplished in three segments with things to stop and look at at each of the two stops. The whole ride takes about 40 minutes. Exactly like a ski gondola in design, it sails over the tree tops of the rainforest = so high above the forest and so dense the forest that you can’t see the ground. ‘what we did see were fernd growing out of dirt that had been blown into the tree limbs, cockatoos gliding above the treetops and perches on them, and butterflies the size of tea saucers. At one stop, we took a walk to a lookout and saw Barron;s Falls. I know htat in the rainy season they are a thundering cascade but we were impressed today, too.
Just as we neared the bottom in Cairns again, it started to rain, the first rain we have seen on the trip (except for a little when we were on the ship) For the most part it was just a shower with occasional bursts of downpour.
Next door to the Skyrail station was a Cable Ski park. Don saw water skiers and there was no way we weren’t going to have a look. So off we went. What this is (we have never heard of it before) is a good sized pond, rigged with a cable system that rings the lake. The cable pulls waterskiers in and oval around the pond. Well …… Don was all over this!! He was in his bathing suit and life jacket before I could say “Are you sure?” He did a pass on regular skis easily and then came out and put on a slalom ski. After two circuits on that, he came out again and wanted to try the wave board – which he had never done before - like a snowboard on water. Did I mention……. if you fall down, you have to swim to shore and walk back to get back on – no pick up boat !!! Don actually got up and off on the board easily three times but fell in each time before he got to the get-out point. SO he did a LOT of walking. He tried it three times and really had a ball. When he got up on the board on the first try and took off, the kid who was running the mechanism (about 20), turned to me and said, “He’s got some skills !” No kidding ! He has no idea ….
We stopped for a rest and a bottle of water and watched some hot doggers for a while. Then headed for back to the hotel. We were planning to go to Mossman Gorge later today but the weather is not great and the place won’t br fun in the rain. SO I decided to get caught up on the journals and get them posted.
Tonight dinner in Port Douglas and tomorrow a 4 WD tour of Daintree National Forest, Cape Tribulation, and Cooktown – a long day.
Pand at ‘em early this morning. We left the resort around 8:00 am for thr 45 minute drive to Cairns, where we took the Skyrail gondola over the rainforest to the village of Kuranda (tourist trap – aborigine style). The ride was spectacular, though – accomplished in three segments with things to stop and look at at each of the two stops. The whole ride takes about 40 minutes. Exactly like a ski gondola in design, it sails over the tree tops of the rainforest = so high above the forest and so dense the forest that you can’t see the ground. ‘what we did see were fernd growing out of dirt that had been blown into the tree limbs, cockatoos gliding above the treetops and perches on them, and butterflies the size of tea saucers. At one stop, we took a walk to a lookout and saw Barron;s Falls. I know htat in the rainy season they are a thundering cascade but we were impressed today, too.
Just as we neared the bottom in Cairns again, it started to rain, the first rain we have seen on the trip (except for a little when we were on the ship) For the most part it was just a shower with occasional bursts of downpour.
Next door to the Skyrail station was a Cable Ski park. Don saw water skiers and there was no way we weren’t going to have a look. So off we went. What this is (we have never heard of it before) is a good sized pond, rigged with a cable system that rings the lake. The cable pulls waterskiers in and oval around the pond. Well …… Don was all over this!! He was in his bathing suit and life jacket before I could say “Are you sure?” He did a pass on regular skis easily and then came out and put on a slalom ski. After two circuits on that, he came out again and wanted to try the wave board – which he had never done before - like a snowboard on water. Did I mention……. if you fall down, you have to swim to shore and walk back to get back on – no pick up boat !!! Don actually got up and off on the board easily three times but fell in each time before he got to the get-out point. SO he did a LOT of walking. He tried it three times and really had a ball. When he got up on the board on the first try and took off, the kid who was running the mechanism (about 20), turned to me and said, “He’s got some skills !” No kidding ! He has no idea ….
We stopped for a rest and a bottle of water and watched some hot doggers for a while. Then headed for back to the hotel. We were planning to go to Mossman Gorge later today but the weather is not great and the place won’t br fun in the rain. SO I decided to get caught up on the journals and get them posted.
Tonight dinner in Port Douglas and tomorrow a 4 WD tour of Daintree National Forest, Cape Tribulation, and Cooktown – a long day.
Tuesday March 6 - to Great Barrier Reef
Tuesday, March 6 Cairns and Port Douglas
To Port Douglas
Thala Beach Lodge (pronounced Tahla) is amazing. We are soooo happy.
Bungalows perched on stilts in the canopy of the rainforest. Some have views of the Coral sea but not ours - we are in the low rent district : ) The pools look like lagoons in the forest. We unpacked, put on swim suits and headed for the pool. We read, sqam, relaxed and napped. Thios evening we had a beautiful dinner in the restaurant here. Went with another couple to sit down near the beach and star gaze. The hotel has a woman who comes with a laser pointer and points out all the constellations and tells you all about them. There is no light pollution here – except for the moon. Beautiful !! The beach is gorgeous but no swimming allowed this time of year –the box jelly fish is here and dangerous. Don asked if we could just wade along the edge – NO NO NO !! The jelly fish shed their tentacles and if you step on one, you could still be stung. The sting is not fatal but very very painful. There are beaches (not at the resort) where they have nets up to keep out the jelly fish – but sometimes the shed tentacles still get through.
There are times of the year when you can swim but the weather isn’t as nice then, Sooo…. I think I got it.. If you want to swim, you can’t; if you don’t want to, you can.
Ya………me for the pool : )
Wednesday, March 7, 2007
Port Douglas
This morning we had breakfast at the hotel ($48. – eek !!) and then headed for Port Douglas – just 20 minutes north. Don is doing all the driving (on the left side of the road) He is doing just great and is very confident but I can’t help but be nervous.
Port Douglas is a small village – cute , clean, easy to walk about and get to know. There is asmall harbour here where many of the tour boatws put out because this is the closest shore point t the Great Barreir Reef. We shopped a little, had an ice cream for lunch – not even an attempt at control any more – and headed back to the hotel, where I had booked through the hotel, a private lesson with a travel photographer named Paul Dymond.
What an amazing three hours. We went for a walk to the beach and then around some of the hotel grounds. Paul is a young man – but has many awards and credits to his name. Check him and his photos out at http://www.dymond.com.au/
He spent three hours, helping to get more comfortable with the decision making process using the digital camera. He helped me to undersand some things that I have struggled with for years. I fell like I made significant progress in my knowledge. BUT , Now I sort of feel paralyzed every time I start ot shoot – so much more to think about !!
Years ago I had a Garfield cartoon on my desk. In the first fram, Garfield was walking along. In the second, John say to him, “ Garfield, when you walk on four feet, do you put your left front foot forward and hten your right rear or….. In the third fram Garfield is just staring out at us. In the fourth, he says, “I’ll never walk again” : ) That’s how I feel now.
During our walk we saw an enormous Lacey Monitor Lizard. (not sure of the spelling). He was up a tree and moving so I didn’t get much of a shot at him but I have posted it here. He is a out three feet long.
While I tramped and learned, Don spent some time at he pool and read. Then we showered and dined at the hotel restaurant. After dinner Paul did a slide presentation of some of his photos of the area, and discussed some travel photo tips and tricks. (That was why he was at the hotel and available for the tutoring session)
By the time the slide presentation was over, I was nodding off (I had the same problem in Art 101 at UCONN : )
To Port Douglas
Thala Beach Lodge (pronounced Tahla) is amazing. We are soooo happy.
Bungalows perched on stilts in the canopy of the rainforest. Some have views of the Coral sea but not ours - we are in the low rent district : ) The pools look like lagoons in the forest. We unpacked, put on swim suits and headed for the pool. We read, sqam, relaxed and napped. Thios evening we had a beautiful dinner in the restaurant here. Went with another couple to sit down near the beach and star gaze. The hotel has a woman who comes with a laser pointer and points out all the constellations and tells you all about them. There is no light pollution here – except for the moon. Beautiful !! The beach is gorgeous but no swimming allowed this time of year –the box jelly fish is here and dangerous. Don asked if we could just wade along the edge – NO NO NO !! The jelly fish shed their tentacles and if you step on one, you could still be stung. The sting is not fatal but very very painful. There are beaches (not at the resort) where they have nets up to keep out the jelly fish – but sometimes the shed tentacles still get through.
There are times of the year when you can swim but the weather isn’t as nice then, Sooo…. I think I got it.. If you want to swim, you can’t; if you don’t want to, you can.
Ya………me for the pool : )
Wednesday, March 7, 2007
Port Douglas
This morning we had breakfast at the hotel ($48. – eek !!) and then headed for Port Douglas – just 20 minutes north. Don is doing all the driving (on the left side of the road) He is doing just great and is very confident but I can’t help but be nervous.
Port Douglas is a small village – cute , clean, easy to walk about and get to know. There is asmall harbour here where many of the tour boatws put out because this is the closest shore point t the Great Barreir Reef. We shopped a little, had an ice cream for lunch – not even an attempt at control any more – and headed back to the hotel, where I had booked through the hotel, a private lesson with a travel photographer named Paul Dymond.
What an amazing three hours. We went for a walk to the beach and then around some of the hotel grounds. Paul is a young man – but has many awards and credits to his name. Check him and his photos out at http://www.dymond.com.au/
He spent three hours, helping to get more comfortable with the decision making process using the digital camera. He helped me to undersand some things that I have struggled with for years. I fell like I made significant progress in my knowledge. BUT , Now I sort of feel paralyzed every time I start ot shoot – so much more to think about !!
Years ago I had a Garfield cartoon on my desk. In the first fram, Garfield was walking along. In the second, John say to him, “ Garfield, when you walk on four feet, do you put your left front foot forward and hten your right rear or….. In the third fram Garfield is just staring out at us. In the fourth, he says, “I’ll never walk again” : ) That’s how I feel now.
During our walk we saw an enormous Lacey Monitor Lizard. (not sure of the spelling). He was up a tree and moving so I didn’t get much of a shot at him but I have posted it here. He is a out three feet long.
While I tramped and learned, Don spent some time at he pool and read. Then we showered and dined at the hotel restaurant. After dinner Paul did a slide presentation of some of his photos of the area, and discussed some travel photo tips and tricks. (That was why he was at the hotel and available for the tutoring session)
By the time the slide presentation was over, I was nodding off (I had the same problem in Art 101 at UCONN : )
Monday March 5
Monday, March 5
A relatively quite day, we breakfasted at home – we are getting VERY attached to that espresso machine.
We went to a mall just to wander around for a while, then to lunch at a little café.
I did some laundry and a bit of ironing this afternoon. We are packing our summer clothes for our next week at the Great Barrier Reef and leaving two suitcases of the warm clothes we wore in New Zealand and the dressy clothes we wore on the ship here. Antonio will drop us at the airport in the morning for our flight to Cairns.
A relatively quite day, we breakfasted at home – we are getting VERY attached to that espresso machine.
We went to a mall just to wander around for a while, then to lunch at a little café.
I did some laundry and a bit of ironing this afternoon. We are packing our summer clothes for our next week at the Great Barrier Reef and leaving two suitcases of the warm clothes we wore in New Zealand and the dressy clothes we wore on the ship here. Antonio will drop us at the airport in the morning for our flight to Cairns.
Sunday March 4
Sunday, March 4
Happy Birthday Julia !!
Julia is 4 today !!! Oh my gosh, it seems just yesterday. We called to sing Happy Birthday and talk to her. She sounds so grown up all of a sudden! We are having the most fabulous vacation – we feel like we’ve been gone for a year – a completely different world. And then the sound of her voice makes me so homesick.
This morning, we went with Antonio to his condo (he calls it his “unit” to pick up his mail and check in. He has been staying here with us this week. His condo is in a small – 9 unit – loft space in a converted warehouse building. Very modern and very nice.
Antonio is on the board of the coop and they are buying new teak furniture for the outdoor common area so we went along to have a look. I could have done some serious damage in that place !! Acres of gorgeous teak tables, chairs, lounges, doors, beds, etc etc etc… from Indonesia.
We stopped at the grocery store on the way back to pick up some things for dinner. Lina is making pizza. Angelo and the family are coming for dinner in the garden. They grow fruit trees, vegetables, herbs, and flowers. It is so pretty. They are going to put a wood burning pizza oven into the garden this year. THAT sounds fun!!
While Lina was making the dough and preparing the toppings – mushrooms, bacon, sun-dried tomatoes, black Sicilian olives, onions, anchovies, peppers, home made tomato sauce, and shredded mozzarella – Orazio and Lina shared their recipes with me for their own sundried tomatoes and sundried pickled eggplant. I am going to try to make them at home even though I won’t have my own vegetables from my own garden as they do. There is absolutely no comparison to the products we buy in jars.
The pizza (she made six or seven - each with different assortments of toppings – was fabulous. The company and the environment couldn’t be better. Another great meal with great people.
Happy Birthday Julia !!
Julia is 4 today !!! Oh my gosh, it seems just yesterday. We called to sing Happy Birthday and talk to her. She sounds so grown up all of a sudden! We are having the most fabulous vacation – we feel like we’ve been gone for a year – a completely different world. And then the sound of her voice makes me so homesick.
This morning, we went with Antonio to his condo (he calls it his “unit” to pick up his mail and check in. He has been staying here with us this week. His condo is in a small – 9 unit – loft space in a converted warehouse building. Very modern and very nice.
Antonio is on the board of the coop and they are buying new teak furniture for the outdoor common area so we went along to have a look. I could have done some serious damage in that place !! Acres of gorgeous teak tables, chairs, lounges, doors, beds, etc etc etc… from Indonesia.
We stopped at the grocery store on the way back to pick up some things for dinner. Lina is making pizza. Angelo and the family are coming for dinner in the garden. They grow fruit trees, vegetables, herbs, and flowers. It is so pretty. They are going to put a wood burning pizza oven into the garden this year. THAT sounds fun!!
While Lina was making the dough and preparing the toppings – mushrooms, bacon, sun-dried tomatoes, black Sicilian olives, onions, anchovies, peppers, home made tomato sauce, and shredded mozzarella – Orazio and Lina shared their recipes with me for their own sundried tomatoes and sundried pickled eggplant. I am going to try to make them at home even though I won’t have my own vegetables from my own garden as they do. There is absolutely no comparison to the products we buy in jars.
The pizza (she made six or seven - each with different assortments of toppings – was fabulous. The company and the environment couldn’t be better. Another great meal with great people.
Wednesday, March 7, 2007
Saturday March 3 The Blue Mountains
Saturday, March 3
Up and out again this morning. We set off for a two hour drive to the Blue Mountains and to see the Three Sisters. In a relatively short time we are out of the city and into the foothills – a lot like driving from Denver to Vail. We arrived at a trailhead with an overlook from which we can see the vistas of the blue mountains and also the Three sisters formations. There are three huge rock formations that sit majestically overlooking a huge canyon filled with eucalyptus trees and a vista that of mountains beyond mountains into the distance – gorgeous!
The aborigine legend goes that here were three sisters in one tribe and three brothers in another. The tribes were not allowed to intermarry. But the brothers were determined to have the three sisters and so they attacked the other tribe and a war began. The medicine man of the sisters’ tribe cast a spell on them and turned them to stone so that they could not be stolen away during the war. After the war when they were safe, he would remove the spell. Unfortunately, the medicine man was killed during the war and so the sisters are still under the spell !!
This is a beautiful area. There are a tram ride down into the gorge and the forest and also a sort of gondola that traverses a part of the gorge. There are trails all over the place. One could spend days hiking and exploring . Angelo and Dominique and the boys are with us today (in two cars) and so we head out to lunch. We stopped at a wonderful little place called the Swiss Cottage and had an outstanding al fresco meal. Monique and her husband are the owners and only employees. He cooks and she waits on table.
We returned to Sydney in the afternoon and went to Angelo and Dominique’s home. Don and I have not been online since we left the ship and the mortgage is due : ) I want to update the blog, too, but just didn’t have the time.
We returned home to dinner of stuffed calamari, grilled shrimp, and an assortment of cheeses and antipasti.
Antonio and Rosa, friends of the DeFran’s came over for a visit. Antonio was born in Castanea and knew of my father and grandfather. Rosa is from Puglia.
The DeFrans call Antonio and his wife compare and comare - godfather and godmother.
Antonio was the sponsor of Orazio’s brother Battista at his confirmation. and so he and his family are forever related. Anthony explained that copare and comare are a connection through a religious ceremony – baptism, confirmation, wedding. This is similar to the “madrina and padrino de battisma” – godparents - when we baptize a baby but sort of an exrtended idea. I don’t know if this is a Sicilian thing ? or an Italian thing? I do remember my mother calling some people comare but I never really knew that they had a significant connection. I always sort of thought it was like calling a close family friend “auntie”.
Any way, the history and the culture of the family and of Castanea is alive and well in Sydney, Australia.
Copare Antonio came here to Sydney with Orazio’s father after WWII to work in the cane fields up north. There was devastation and great poverty in Italy in post WWII and many Italians emigrated to other places in search of work and life. Orazio followed his brother in 1950 but never worked in the cane. Antonio explained that cutting the cane was back-breaking work but that he made much more money doing it than he could make doing anything else – about $15. a day rather than a week! So he did it for five years, saved everything he could, and then moved to Sydney to live.
This entire area of Sydney is very Italian. The shops are Italian, all the Italian foods are everywhere. The grocery has about 40 kinds of olives in the deli. It’s fabulous.
Everybody speaks Italian – often as their first and sometimes as their only language. The DeFrans speak Italian almost exclusively at home, although they do speak English also. Having a conversation with Lina is fun and interesting. She mingles Sicilian dialect, Italian, and English all together in the same sentence! And with both Italian and Australian accents! It’s hilarious. We are having a ball together.
They have a very real connection still to Sicily and to Castanea. They still have relatives there whom they speak to several times a week. The history and the memory of the place and the people is still very much alive. Antonio has explained to me that the village is so small that everyone knows everyone and they all tell all their stories over and over again.
So everyone knows everyone and they all know all about everything and everyone in their families. The other night Lina called Orazio’s sister, Nicolina, in Castanea. Nicolina’s husband passed away a month ago. Lina put me on the phone with her. I began to explain who I was and she said, “Oh, I know who you are. Orazio told me all about you and your husband. You live in Colorado” Then she said, “When your father came her, he brought me a gift of a black mantilla (shawl). I never wore it because it is black, but now my husband has died, I am wearing it every day” How amazing is that!!!! My father was there probably 20 years ago !!!!
Basta…. sono stanca
(Enough… I am tired)
Up and out again this morning. We set off for a two hour drive to the Blue Mountains and to see the Three Sisters. In a relatively short time we are out of the city and into the foothills – a lot like driving from Denver to Vail. We arrived at a trailhead with an overlook from which we can see the vistas of the blue mountains and also the Three sisters formations. There are three huge rock formations that sit majestically overlooking a huge canyon filled with eucalyptus trees and a vista that of mountains beyond mountains into the distance – gorgeous!
The aborigine legend goes that here were three sisters in one tribe and three brothers in another. The tribes were not allowed to intermarry. But the brothers were determined to have the three sisters and so they attacked the other tribe and a war began. The medicine man of the sisters’ tribe cast a spell on them and turned them to stone so that they could not be stolen away during the war. After the war when they were safe, he would remove the spell. Unfortunately, the medicine man was killed during the war and so the sisters are still under the spell !!
This is a beautiful area. There are a tram ride down into the gorge and the forest and also a sort of gondola that traverses a part of the gorge. There are trails all over the place. One could spend days hiking and exploring . Angelo and Dominique and the boys are with us today (in two cars) and so we head out to lunch. We stopped at a wonderful little place called the Swiss Cottage and had an outstanding al fresco meal. Monique and her husband are the owners and only employees. He cooks and she waits on table.
We returned to Sydney in the afternoon and went to Angelo and Dominique’s home. Don and I have not been online since we left the ship and the mortgage is due : ) I want to update the blog, too, but just didn’t have the time.
We returned home to dinner of stuffed calamari, grilled shrimp, and an assortment of cheeses and antipasti.
Antonio and Rosa, friends of the DeFran’s came over for a visit. Antonio was born in Castanea and knew of my father and grandfather. Rosa is from Puglia.
The DeFrans call Antonio and his wife compare and comare - godfather and godmother.
Antonio was the sponsor of Orazio’s brother Battista at his confirmation. and so he and his family are forever related. Anthony explained that copare and comare are a connection through a religious ceremony – baptism, confirmation, wedding. This is similar to the “madrina and padrino de battisma” – godparents - when we baptize a baby but sort of an exrtended idea. I don’t know if this is a Sicilian thing ? or an Italian thing? I do remember my mother calling some people comare but I never really knew that they had a significant connection. I always sort of thought it was like calling a close family friend “auntie”.
Any way, the history and the culture of the family and of Castanea is alive and well in Sydney, Australia.
Copare Antonio came here to Sydney with Orazio’s father after WWII to work in the cane fields up north. There was devastation and great poverty in Italy in post WWII and many Italians emigrated to other places in search of work and life. Orazio followed his brother in 1950 but never worked in the cane. Antonio explained that cutting the cane was back-breaking work but that he made much more money doing it than he could make doing anything else – about $15. a day rather than a week! So he did it for five years, saved everything he could, and then moved to Sydney to live.
This entire area of Sydney is very Italian. The shops are Italian, all the Italian foods are everywhere. The grocery has about 40 kinds of olives in the deli. It’s fabulous.
Everybody speaks Italian – often as their first and sometimes as their only language. The DeFrans speak Italian almost exclusively at home, although they do speak English also. Having a conversation with Lina is fun and interesting. She mingles Sicilian dialect, Italian, and English all together in the same sentence! And with both Italian and Australian accents! It’s hilarious. We are having a ball together.
They have a very real connection still to Sicily and to Castanea. They still have relatives there whom they speak to several times a week. The history and the memory of the place and the people is still very much alive. Antonio has explained to me that the village is so small that everyone knows everyone and they all tell all their stories over and over again.
So everyone knows everyone and they all know all about everything and everyone in their families. The other night Lina called Orazio’s sister, Nicolina, in Castanea. Nicolina’s husband passed away a month ago. Lina put me on the phone with her. I began to explain who I was and she said, “Oh, I know who you are. Orazio told me all about you and your husband. You live in Colorado” Then she said, “When your father came her, he brought me a gift of a black mantilla (shawl). I never wore it because it is black, but now my husband has died, I am wearing it every day” How amazing is that!!!! My father was there probably 20 years ago !!!!
Basta…. sono stanca
(Enough… I am tired)
Friday, March 2 Sydney Harbor Bridge Climb
Friday, March 2
What a day !
This morning we set out with Antonio after coffee at home for the prime adventure
planned adventure of this visit – to climb the Sydney Harbor Bridge !
Near the Bridge is “the Rocks”- an ”old town” area – one of the first areas of Sydney to be settled. It sits directly next to the Harbor where the original ships berthed. Today it is a trendy mix of shops, restaurants and business and residential – with a healthy dose of history thrown in.
We arrived at the Bridge with only a few minutes to wait for our climb. We were brought I nto a preparation and training area first. First we signed releases (I guess incase we fell off), certificates that we were healthy Iin case we fainted and fell off..) and took a breathalyzer test. (I passed).
We put all of our personal items in lockers and were issued a sort of flight suit to change into. That part was pretty amazing actually. This young Asian guy just stood us all in a circle and looked at usd. Then he went and brought back a pile of suirs. And everybody’s fit perfectly !!! I asked him if he could go shopping with me later but…..
But I digress… We were allowed to take no personal items at all – not even a cough drop. They want to be sure that nothing drops from the span onto the roadbed 60 meters below.
Next we were equipped with an equipment belt. The belt is a heavy webbing with a ring in front into which is secured a connector to a cable system that attaches one to the Bridge along the entire climb route. Then we were given lanyards for our glasses, a hat with a clip attached to a ring on the flight suit; Handkerchief that attaches to your wrist with elastic bands, a radio pack on the back of the belt that hooks into headphones so that you can hear the guide as you climb.
At this point we all pretty much lookerd like a bunch of oompa-lompas : )
Then you are taken to a practice section so that you can get the feel of the areas that you will negotiate and also how to manage the cable system – which really manages itself – all pretty simple really – Xavier our guide was fun and funny. Our group included only one other American, from Orleans, New York. One group of six were from somewhere in Australia. A honeymoon couple from India rounded out our dozen.
At some (of the more dangerous) points in the climb, there are aides to make sure that everyone is executing properly. One of them told me that he had had a woman from Colorado Springs about two hours before !! Small world!
Starting out was a tad freaky - A 24 inch wide wood planked catwalk that traversed the bridge over the roadbed and then headed out along the lower level of the span. I thought “OMIGOD” IT was much narrower than I had expected. Next we arrived at a series of four ladders and platforms that were straight up for about 50 feet. We negotiated these to get from the bottom arch to the top arch. This was not difficult but a little freaky if you look down (which I only did once : ) Once at the top, we set out along the top of the span on a climb that is more like a shallow stairway and the path is much wider up there – maybe 8 feet – so you do not feel like you are hanging onto the edge. It is actually pretty easy and the view is fabuous. You can see the entire city and all the surrounding bays and inlets and islands – faboulous !!
At the top we spent about half an hour taking a series of photos. Noone is allowed to take his own camera so the guides take individual and group shots for everyone with the bay, the city, and the opera house in the background. They give you a photo of the group as a part of the cost of the climb and then the others are available for purchase when you get back down.
We had climbed the East side of the Span to the pinnacle and after we crossed over to the other side we returned on the West side of the span. The descent is of course much easier but the ladders are daunting. It was a memorable and exciting few hours.
We stopped for a pub lunch a nearby rooftop garden nearby and then returned to pick up our photos. Then headed to the South Bridge Pylon which has an observation deck where we were allowed to use our cameras. – another several hundred steps to climb, I might add. After the bridge climb, the view from the pylom didn’t seem so spectacular : ) We took our photos and headed out for a walk to Darling Harbor – another harbor area that has been reclaimed from port activity to residential condos and lofts and trendy shops and restaurants. By now, I was falling down dead, so we grabbed a cab and headed for Five Dock and home.
Lina awaited with yet another wonderful dinner – fresh steamed mussels – and Anthony made Spaghetti Aglio e olio and pesto. (spaghetti tossed with garlic, olive oil, and pesto)
We slept well…………
What a day !
This morning we set out with Antonio after coffee at home for the prime adventure
planned adventure of this visit – to climb the Sydney Harbor Bridge !
Near the Bridge is “the Rocks”- an ”old town” area – one of the first areas of Sydney to be settled. It sits directly next to the Harbor where the original ships berthed. Today it is a trendy mix of shops, restaurants and business and residential – with a healthy dose of history thrown in.
We arrived at the Bridge with only a few minutes to wait for our climb. We were brought I nto a preparation and training area first. First we signed releases (I guess incase we fell off), certificates that we were healthy Iin case we fainted and fell off..) and took a breathalyzer test. (I passed).
We put all of our personal items in lockers and were issued a sort of flight suit to change into. That part was pretty amazing actually. This young Asian guy just stood us all in a circle and looked at usd. Then he went and brought back a pile of suirs. And everybody’s fit perfectly !!! I asked him if he could go shopping with me later but…..
But I digress… We were allowed to take no personal items at all – not even a cough drop. They want to be sure that nothing drops from the span onto the roadbed 60 meters below.
Next we were equipped with an equipment belt. The belt is a heavy webbing with a ring in front into which is secured a connector to a cable system that attaches one to the Bridge along the entire climb route. Then we were given lanyards for our glasses, a hat with a clip attached to a ring on the flight suit; Handkerchief that attaches to your wrist with elastic bands, a radio pack on the back of the belt that hooks into headphones so that you can hear the guide as you climb.
At this point we all pretty much lookerd like a bunch of oompa-lompas : )
Then you are taken to a practice section so that you can get the feel of the areas that you will negotiate and also how to manage the cable system – which really manages itself – all pretty simple really – Xavier our guide was fun and funny. Our group included only one other American, from Orleans, New York. One group of six were from somewhere in Australia. A honeymoon couple from India rounded out our dozen.
At some (of the more dangerous) points in the climb, there are aides to make sure that everyone is executing properly. One of them told me that he had had a woman from Colorado Springs about two hours before !! Small world!
Starting out was a tad freaky - A 24 inch wide wood planked catwalk that traversed the bridge over the roadbed and then headed out along the lower level of the span. I thought “OMIGOD” IT was much narrower than I had expected. Next we arrived at a series of four ladders and platforms that were straight up for about 50 feet. We negotiated these to get from the bottom arch to the top arch. This was not difficult but a little freaky if you look down (which I only did once : ) Once at the top, we set out along the top of the span on a climb that is more like a shallow stairway and the path is much wider up there – maybe 8 feet – so you do not feel like you are hanging onto the edge. It is actually pretty easy and the view is fabuous. You can see the entire city and all the surrounding bays and inlets and islands – faboulous !!
At the top we spent about half an hour taking a series of photos. Noone is allowed to take his own camera so the guides take individual and group shots for everyone with the bay, the city, and the opera house in the background. They give you a photo of the group as a part of the cost of the climb and then the others are available for purchase when you get back down.
We had climbed the East side of the Span to the pinnacle and after we crossed over to the other side we returned on the West side of the span. The descent is of course much easier but the ladders are daunting. It was a memorable and exciting few hours.
We stopped for a pub lunch a nearby rooftop garden nearby and then returned to pick up our photos. Then headed to the South Bridge Pylon which has an observation deck where we were allowed to use our cameras. – another several hundred steps to climb, I might add. After the bridge climb, the view from the pylom didn’t seem so spectacular : ) We took our photos and headed out for a walk to Darling Harbor – another harbor area that has been reclaimed from port activity to residential condos and lofts and trendy shops and restaurants. By now, I was falling down dead, so we grabbed a cab and headed for Five Dock and home.
Lina awaited with yet another wonderful dinner – fresh steamed mussels – and Anthony made Spaghetti Aglio e olio and pesto. (spaghetti tossed with garlic, olive oil, and pesto)
We slept well…………
Thursday, March 1 Sydney & Manly
Thursday March 1
This morning we headed to the Central Business district and the Opera House. The Opera house is the second most recognizable building in the world (I am told) second only to the Taj Mahal. Don’t know about hat but it certainly is the instantly recognizable symbol of the city of Sydney. Is a beautiful and amazing sight and sits in a beuatiful location overlooking the bay and surrounded by parks, walks, docks, eateries, shopping….. We spent an hour wandering around while Antonio checked in at his office.
After he rejoined us, we took a ferry across the bay (about 15 minutes) to Manly – another Sydney suburb to the north. Another beautiful beach, lots of sand volleyball and surfing but also a nice green walk – seems more a family area than the other beaches we’ve seen.
Lots of shopping here, too. Don bought an Aussie hat today and we had pizza for lunch from a wood fire oven – yummy.
We returned by ferry and bus to the De Fran’s. Still full of pizza we decided to “eat light” - heh heh heh -s and went to a great Thai restaurant and stuffed ourselves. OMIGOD, we are SO out of control !!!
This morning we headed to the Central Business district and the Opera House. The Opera house is the second most recognizable building in the world (I am told) second only to the Taj Mahal. Don’t know about hat but it certainly is the instantly recognizable symbol of the city of Sydney. Is a beautiful and amazing sight and sits in a beuatiful location overlooking the bay and surrounded by parks, walks, docks, eateries, shopping….. We spent an hour wandering around while Antonio checked in at his office.
After he rejoined us, we took a ferry across the bay (about 15 minutes) to Manly – another Sydney suburb to the north. Another beautiful beach, lots of sand volleyball and surfing but also a nice green walk – seems more a family area than the other beaches we’ve seen.
Lots of shopping here, too. Don bought an Aussie hat today and we had pizza for lunch from a wood fire oven – yummy.
We returned by ferry and bus to the De Fran’s. Still full of pizza we decided to “eat light” - heh heh heh -s and went to a great Thai restaurant and stuffed ourselves. OMIGOD, we are SO out of control !!!
Wednesday Feb 28
Sunday March 4 Sydney
I am sitting in the dining room at the De Francesco’s. Lina is making pizza for dinner and I am trying to catch up on the journal for the last four spectacular days!
These people are so amazing. I will need every superlative in my vocabulary to share with you how incredible is the hospitality and love we have experienced here. Lina and Orazio have installed us in their own bedroom (NO argument ! – they will not have it any other way).Their lovely house is in Five Dock, about 15 minutes from the Sydney Central Business District. Five minutes away are Antonio’s apartment and Angelo’s house.
But first……. Our arrival in Sydney.
Wednesday February 28
Having been told that we would dock in Sydney around six am, I decided that I wanted to be at the prow when we entered the harbor, hoping to see the Opera House up close and personal – although I knew also that it would be before sunrise and that I might see nothing. So I set the alarm for 5:00. I awoke at 4:00 and could see lights out of our window. I stayed in bed a few more minutes, thinking that it was still way too early, but I couldn’t stand it, so I threw my warm-ups on over my pjs, grabbed my camera and headed for the prow. The picture above is what I saw as I got to the prow. If I had stayed in bed two more minutes I would have missed it : ) Even though I have taken 4000 more pictures of the Opera House since : ), this one is still my favorite – sooo spectacular !!
We dressed, had coffee and headed for the disembarkation area, expecting it to take an hour. We were on the street in ten minutes with three “R U there ?” text messages from Antonio. Five minutes later the DeFrancescos arrived en force – all of them –Lina, Orazio, Antonio and Angelo in two cars. They scooped us up and we headed for home – 9 Erina Ave in Five Dock.
Quickly installed and unpacked, we had coffee and toast and headed out to explore with Antonio as our guide.
On Wednesday we spent some time just driving around the area and acquainting ourselves. Sydney is a huge city by an even more enormous bay, reminiscent in many ways of San Francisco.
There are bays and inlets and islands and beaches at every turn – and one more beautiful than the other.
We drove the North Head area - to the Gap where we overlooked the bay and the ocean from wild and rocky cliffs which are the entrance to the complex Sydney Harbor. We stopped for a gelato – real Italian gelato – huzzah!! I love it here !
I am sitting in the dining room at the De Francesco’s. Lina is making pizza for dinner and I am trying to catch up on the journal for the last four spectacular days!
These people are so amazing. I will need every superlative in my vocabulary to share with you how incredible is the hospitality and love we have experienced here. Lina and Orazio have installed us in their own bedroom (NO argument ! – they will not have it any other way).Their lovely house is in Five Dock, about 15 minutes from the Sydney Central Business District. Five minutes away are Antonio’s apartment and Angelo’s house.
But first……. Our arrival in Sydney.
Wednesday February 28
Having been told that we would dock in Sydney around six am, I decided that I wanted to be at the prow when we entered the harbor, hoping to see the Opera House up close and personal – although I knew also that it would be before sunrise and that I might see nothing. So I set the alarm for 5:00. I awoke at 4:00 and could see lights out of our window. I stayed in bed a few more minutes, thinking that it was still way too early, but I couldn’t stand it, so I threw my warm-ups on over my pjs, grabbed my camera and headed for the prow. The picture above is what I saw as I got to the prow. If I had stayed in bed two more minutes I would have missed it : ) Even though I have taken 4000 more pictures of the Opera House since : ), this one is still my favorite – sooo spectacular !!
We dressed, had coffee and headed for the disembarkation area, expecting it to take an hour. We were on the street in ten minutes with three “R U there ?” text messages from Antonio. Five minutes later the DeFrancescos arrived en force – all of them –Lina, Orazio, Antonio and Angelo in two cars. They scooped us up and we headed for home – 9 Erina Ave in Five Dock.
Quickly installed and unpacked, we had coffee and toast and headed out to explore with Antonio as our guide.
On Wednesday we spent some time just driving around the area and acquainting ourselves. Sydney is a huge city by an even more enormous bay, reminiscent in many ways of San Francisco.
There are bays and inlets and islands and beaches at every turn – and one more beautiful than the other.
We drove the North Head area - to the Gap where we overlooked the bay and the ocean from wild and rocky cliffs which are the entrance to the complex Sydney Harbor. We stopped for a gelato – real Italian gelato – huzzah!! I love it here !
We spent an hour at the famous Bondi Beach (photo)– a couple of miles of gorgeous beachfront – wall to wall sunbathers and surfers.
We went Dawson Bay, home of the famous Doyle’s Fish and Chips Pub. I had never heard of it but Don was thrilled and to Coogee Beach.
We returned home for dinner with Angelo and Dominique and the two bambinos – Oliver, 3 and Lucien, 1. Lina is a fabuolous cook. Her kitchen sports an espresso machine that looks like the one in Starbucks and no microwave ! We had an Italian family festa (and feast ! ) antipasto, lasagna, insalata, bracciolini topped off by a gelato cake – sponge layers with chocolate and vanilla gelato layers frosted with dark chocolate candy icing and decorated with “Welcome to Sydney, Don and Carmelina” !! No guest ever felt more welcome.
Tuesday Feb 27
Tuesday, Feb 27
We were looking forward to another day of sun and pool but it is cold and raining like crazy. So today we just relaxed and read and watched a little TV. Had one last wonderful meal at Sabatini’s, packed and prepared to leave the Sapphire in the morning. We will be docked by 6:00 am in Sydney harbor right next to the Opera House.
We were looking forward to another day of sun and pool but it is cold and raining like crazy. So today we just relaxed and read and watched a little TV. Had one last wonderful meal at Sabatini’s, packed and prepared to leave the Sapphire in the morning. We will be docked by 6:00 am in Sydney harbor right next to the Opera House.
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