Long walks viewing Store fronts, house fronts, cityscapes

There are so many amazing events
and already such full days!

I joined Helen, drama and media teacher, Christine, art teacher and
Ginny, my supervisor at the museum- AMAZING teachers. . .
and new friends

Turner from the Tate is in town, and a special night for teachers with the curator touring, was a treasured beginning to the week. His paintings are all about light- the most dramatic light imagined and in his late life masterpieces became frowned upon the more dramatic they became.  His scenes had a great clarity and lightness, rather like Australia in general.

The need for sunnies is real. No wonder it is the welcome gift to many newly arrived to the country. A Colorado sunset can be like Gardner- you blink and miss it, but here they seem to linger for hours, as if the shutter on the camera is stuck. Back to Turner- great exhibit and tons of Culture fills this city. Those who imagine AU to be a cultural backwash, think again.

Heather and I have begun a weekly ocean swim evening, Thursdays for now.  Heather doesn't much fancy the thought of sharks, but helicopters patrol and boaters tend to steer them back out to deep waters. While swimming on Thursday, a helicopter circled and hovered. Kate was pretty sure that there must have been a shark siting. Bob, Kate's dog, and Kate also joined us. Bob got a good swim in, but I am not sure that he is truly keen. Kate and I will again take Bob swimming tomorrow when we stop to boogie board on some beach in route to the Wooden Ship festival near Victor Harbor. We don't want Kate to hear it, but sharks prefer dogs over humans.

Here is my highly organized class (not) waiting for the bus after swimming.

My class is a little UN: These four, really keep me on my toes,
are from Portugal, Mexico, Thailand and the Philippines.

While rambling about swimming stories this was "Swim Week." During this month all students in Australian public schools take a week's worth of lessons. The busses run from school to swimming park about five times a day taking several classes at a time. Getting bags packed, applying sunscreen, counting children and recounting children, gathering lost goggles, snacks, and undies is all part of the action. My career of teaching remains unblemished- I have yet to lose a child.

It was amazing how the kids progressed throughout the week in skill levels. On Monday one little guy  stood on the second step shivering with blue lips was playing a game of splash and even smiling by Friday. The more advanced students were swimming laps and diving for toy fish and shells in a "corral reef" creatively made by the instructors.

City center and Victoria Square

 I have been doing some city walking. The Central market is opened late on Fridays. I leisurely walk around the city after food shopping. Photos of these long AU twilight nights give the city such a wholesome feel.

It is nice to see the whole sky. In the hills you look up
usually to a canopy of trees

iron aprons on  hotel pubs and
historic homes

The free tram takes you to Glenelg Beach

Hahndorf was settled by Prussian refugees in the 1830's. Next time I go I want to stop at the strawberry farm and the former home of artist Hans Heysen, a well respected Australian landscape artist. After a lazy day, I walked around Hahndorf, one of the hill villages and the oldest German settlement in Australia. Ironically, it was filled with Chinese and Indian eateries. Must give them credit for having the best claimed bakery and beer gardens.

The hill area in which I live is an interesting mix of bushland and European-style farmlands. The area is pretty known for the gourmet inclinations. The cellar doors are wineries that have tastings. I think that just in the Adelaide Hills you could go to one daily and not complete your visits in a year. Close by there are cheese centers, chocolate factories and flour mills featuring mouth watering baked goods.

February is known to be the hottest month of the year, but I am tolerating it pretty well. Perhaps better than the koalas:

Top of Mabel Street

And although it is in the high 30c and low 40c there are already signs of fall.  

At the round-about a block or two from the school 2 meter letters read "Forest of the Dreams".
I'll have to find out why. 

Sweet dreams- Hope that everyone at home is staying warm. 

Next week I hope to have some little penguin and wooden ship photos from Victor Harbor- Stay tuned.