Australia Part 1: Melbourne

Seventeen hours from Oregon to Melbourne. Thank you, Jan Harris for suggesting Qantas. When you sit on a plane that long you want to do it in comfort.

For three years now I've been dreaming of visiting and teaching in Melbourne. 

Thanks to a multitude of friends and helping hands my wish was finally granted.

The city was everything I'd hoped for. Sophisticated and people oriented, like any well designed city should be. Lots of sitting places, meeting places, galleries, museums and coffee and tea shops. A city for people.

My friend Jacky and I rode the train to Flinders Station and then walked to areas nearby to explore the city. The buildings are glorious, English-Victorian juxtaposed against the ultra-modern. 

Yes, I got to see the famous laneways filled with outdoor tables and chairs. Despite the rain people were everywhere, under awnings and umbrellas, lots of enthusiasm and friendliness.

Blissed out me.

This window is a water feature at the Natiional Gallery of Victoria where we went to see the Aboriginal art. I'll cover that in a later post.

Here are my angels, Ro Bruhn and Jacky Williams. We're sketching and eating lunch at the Olinda Tea House. We spent every day of our time together, making art, seeing the forests and city, talking, hugging, laughing. 

This is where Jacky lives and where I stayed. A serene and sacred place. Cows and kangaroos grazing together .

Tea time at the Lillico Glass Studio where Jacky and Ro are having a show together.

A tea shop in Sassafrass.

They've almost turned me into a tea drinker.

With every variety imaginable.

On Saturday and Sunday of my first week I taught a cold wax class in Ro's studio,

Ro's husband Steve cooked two marvelous meals for us. And Ro made all sorts of "biscuits" and cakes for our tea times.

That's home made bread. Whoa!

For dessert on one of the days he made Pavlova, an Australian dessert of baked meringue with whipped cream and fruit. Holy cow. On the 2nd day he served home made ice cream and raspberries. *sigh*

Thank you, Steve.
I wish I lived close enough to attend all of Ro's classes (and partake of Steve's cooking). 

Here are the happy cold wax people at the end of class. Credit goes to Steve for this photograph.

A few more photos of the city.

And the nearby Sherbrook Forest.

This young painter is Xavier, Ro's grandson.

He helped us paint a giant canvas along with Patsy Worledge.

When it was done we cut it up so each of us had evidence of our time together.

This was my view out the bedroom window every morning. Thank you, Jacky, for your love and trust. I hope to return. Saying good-bye was very difficult.

Finally a closing shot of Sherbrook Forest. This is just a handfull of over 1000 photos. But I've been at this all day now so I'll close on this segment. Thank you Jacky, Ro, Melbourne and the terrific students who came to class. You made my time in Melbourne a sweet dream.