Season's Greetings

Christmas Day is almost over for us and we want to share what we did today. It wasn't much: in fact, it was the quietest Christmas that we've had for a while - very cruisy!

We had a late lunch and dined al fresco on Tasmanian oysters, South Australian crayfish, Moreton Bay bugs, Queensland mudcrab, fresh crunchy salad and soft French bread - all washed down with Moët and sparkling water. There was so much food that we ended up bailing out on the crayfish and having it for dinner with the leftover salad!

Early tomorrow we leave for New Zealand to visit my folks.

See you in 2008!

Balloons over Melbourne

On any calm and clear morning, Melbourne is treated to the sight of hot air balloons travelling across the skies. Balloon safari companies such as FreemanX, Balloon Sunrise, Global Ballooning and Adrenalin launch their balloons from various points around the city, dependent on the direction of whatever light breeze there might be.

At this time of year, ascent takes place between 5:30am and 5:45am. Behind our apartment lies Port Melbourne and the suburb of Williamstown which is one of the launch sites.

This morning as I rose to attend the early morning gym class, I was treated to the amazing sight of 7 balloons being carried on the zephyr from Williamstown and over our apartment, before sailing across the city towards the Yarra Valley.


It was touch and go for the 3 yellow balloons which seemed to make heavy going of getting airborne. They cruised very low past the apartments on the shoreline before popping over the tops of the buildings.


1st Note to self: when you go on a balloon safari, don't get into a yellow balloon because they have a propensity to be yellow submarines.


2nd Note to self: from now on before you pull open the window blinds, make sure that you have clothes on, because you never know when there's going to be a balloon basketful of people staring back at you.

Oy vey.