Red van, red tape
The place It's hard to imagine Canberra without Lake Burley Griffin. It was the main feature of the winning entry in the competition for the design of the new capital city, but it took fifty years for it to become reality. For most of its existence, Canberra was a sleepy little country town with a provisional Parliament House in a sheep paddock, and roads leading down to wooden bridges spanning the slow-moving Molonglo River. Depression, World War Two and the fact that most of the public service remained in Melbourne and Sydney kept Canberra small, until the Sixties when rapid growth really ...
I found my heart in San Francisco
The song There are dozens of good songs about San Francisco. Haunting, evocative, meaningful golden hits. But there's not a one of them comes close to this one. Coupled with the beautiful dancing and the iconic backdrops of the video, this Australian's heart near breaks. I want to be back in San Francisco. The loveliness of Paris Seems somehow sadly gay The glory that was Rome Is of another day I've been terribly alone And forgotten in Manhattan I'm going home to my city by the bay. I left my heart in San Francisco High on a hill, it calls to me. To be where little cable cars Climb halfway to the ...
Song of America
The hook January. Midsummer in Canberra. Hot, dry. T-shirt, short pants and sandals. Relief comes in the long daylight saving evenings when the sun slides down behind the Brindabellas and the shadows of the gum trees lengthen out across the valley. My wife's sister arrived at the door with a bottle of champagne. I looked at it and at her. Blank. "Ah, happy birthday?" "Don't be silly. It's for Kerri." Oh yes. My wife. She was off to America in a couple of days. Some government conference. Every three months she was abroad. Stockholm, Berlin, Paris... I fetched flutes, poured the chilled wine, and we sat ...
The first three
I've been running this blog a week. And had an amazing amount of fun. Yeah, the three posts are rambling and long and repetitive. But I'm remembering so many of the things I love about America. The people, the places, the food. Happy times! I might slow down now. Maybe one post a week, drawing on the reserves. Mickey Mantle's in Manhattan from July. My first meal in America: its surprising location and the beginning of a five year friendship. The best breakfast I ever had. Lots of stuff. And by about April, I'll be back in America, having more fun and ...
Cheeseburger in Paradise
The meal Kansas City – in Kansas – on a Saturday night. We headed off to Legends, a vast shopping mall built around a racetrack and sportsfields. An island building in the huge carpark, Cheeseburger in Paradise was our destination. There were thirty hungry BookCrossers to be fed. Just one of those convention meals that arise. You know how it goes. "Say, where we all eating tonight?" "Anywhere you want, honey." "We thought we'd ask a local. Like you." "Well, there's this cheeseburger place that's kind of fun. There's a Books-A-Million branch nearby..." "I'm sold!" And before you know it, half the convention is joining you for ...
Books
Cheeseburger in ParadiseThe meal Kansas City – in Kansas – on a Saturday night. We headed off to Legends,...
Little House
The books The first edition of Little House on the Prairie The Little House on the...
Read more posts from Books
Music
I found my heart in San FranciscoThe song There are dozens of good songs about San Francisco. Haunting, evocative,...
Song of America
The hook January. Midsummer in Canberra. Hot, dry. T-shirt, short pants and sandals....
Cheeseburger in Paradise
The meal Kansas City – in Kansas – on a Saturday night. We headed off to Legends,...
Read more posts from Music
History
Song of AmericaThe hook January. Midsummer in Canberra. Hot, dry. T-shirt, short pants and sandals. Relief comes in the long daylight saving evenings when the sun slides down behind the Brindabellas and the shadows of the gum trees lengthen out across the valley. My wife’s sister arrived at the door with a bottle of champagne. I looked at it and at her. Blank. “Ah,... [Read more of this review]
Little House
The books The first edition of Little House on the Prairie The Little House on the Prairie books are well-beloved in America. And the world. Tales of family life and struggles on the frontier. Hazards of life and community that rarely touch the real lives of we children of later years, but were very real to the pioneers. They were hardy folk, not because... [Read more of this review]
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