Perth – Cottesloe

Cottesloe Beach

Trip Day – 29

March 7, 2010

Sunday. Have been here a week already. (Ander and the hairy old guy).Time is flying by. Mornings filled with early swims that start slowly but leave me exhilarated. Took a bike ride today on my loaner. A good workout that worked up a bit of a sweat even in the dry climate.

The week started very hot, then morphed into milder and more seasonable temperatures [the a/c's been off most of the week and I've needed a blanket at night]. But with lower temps came wind. The Tuesday trip to Rottnest was the first indication of it, but Wednesday's sail on the Swan River with Murray and his brother Robin in their little 55 year old wooden sailboat (20' or so) proved it was WINDY. I liked to use the term 'sporting' when people asked me about landings in wind. Well, sporting it was on the Swan. a broad and heavily trafficked estuary. The wind hit 38 knots and, thoroughly soaked after turning upwind, we abandoned the race we were in. Skipper Rob started the cranky little diesel and we headed back to safe harbor. The engine quit of course, but not before it had helped us out of the one-meter waves and nasty gusts into calmer waters. The brothers, sailors since they could walk, said later at the bar that it was the heaviest weather they'd had the boat in. Swell (pun not intended).

We were all wet, but happy. I got happier when Murray saw me shaking, declared me hypothermic and gave me a fleece. All this happened at the Royal Fresh Water Bay Yacht Club and acquainted me with the world of sailing Down Under. [As well as to the local gripes about the use of the word 'Royal' in the club's name. Tradition rules for now, but there is pressure to eliminate it.]

After a couple (ok, four) of glasses of Shiraz at the bar, Murray invited me to his home for dinner. It was impromptu and one of the great highlights of the whole trip. He, his wife Shelly and daughter Helen live in a beautiful home close by. Murray called Shelly on his 'mobile' and said he was bringing me, a friend of Barney's, home and would she wave her magic wand over their dinner so there'd be enough. We had some of the lobster from the Rottnest trip in a light tomato sauce over linguine. There was plenty and it was delicious. Helen was there, too. She spent a semester at U of ME and had enjoyed a weekend in Boston. We had great conversation. Murray is a geologist and has a small collection of very old aboriginal artifacts that he's found while on expeditions in the bush.

The day and evening with Murray, his brother and family were purely wonderful. Here's this guy from the States who shows up on holiday and is embraced with warmth, acceptance and good cheer. He's invited into their home, and fed and watered (with great Australian wines). Wow. I'd be hard pressed to say I'd be comfortable doing the same.

The sailing meant that I missed one of the Schrauth kids' first big athletic events. It was the first rugby practice for Ander where he was going to be allowed to 'smash' some people. It was a big deal for him and he'd been looking forward to it for weeks. Ted said later that the whole scene was kind of crazy and that doing the sailing had been a better option.

Friday night I went with Ted and the girls to their basketball 'grading' session where their teams will be decided. The venue, built in the late 60's is due to be demolished soon. A brand new facility across the street is ready, but political issues persist and it isn't open yet. The old complex was hopping with hundreds of children and young adults practicing on perhaps 10 courts, another sign of the important role physical fitness plays in this culture. Madeleine has her choice of playing with her own age group or playing up with some older girls. Samantha will play with the under 14 group. I watched them both and was impressed. Maddie is a terrific ball handler and has deceptively quick moves. Sam is fast and quick. Both have great confidence with the ball and will be leaders on their respective teams.

I got a bit of an education about aboriginal students, too. A group of them play in this league. They're distinctive, of course, because they're about the only dark skinned people around. They're clannish, not surprisingly, and some come from hundreds of kilometers away for school. Broom, for instance is a seacoast village north of here that Ted would like me to see. 24 hours by car through the bush. Not this trip. Some of the girls are from Broom and other remote villages. They leave their families and villages for an education and then return. The politics and social issues surrounding the aboriginal people are ever present and complex. Two of the girls playing with Madeleine were superior athletes. One, a pretty, rail thin guard was everywhere on the floor. Her companion, heavier but quick and fast, was a great playmaker and shooter. Maddy wants them on her team and hopes for a third girl who I didn't see. Others, who were older, showed tell tale signs of having been seduced by a western high fat, fast food diet. Rolls of fat on 16-18 year old girls tell that story, but their smiles, attitudes and love of basketball offer another lesson in the role of sport as a great leveler.

Yesterday morning Ted, Ander and I went to a local farmers' market in the neighboring town. My request, of course, and it made me smile from the moment I set foot in the place. It looks very familiar. Even about the same size and composition as our Hingham market. We were there a little too late to pick up the lamb Ted wanted, but we brought home fresh plums, good lettuces, [think people worldwide aren't paying attention to what they eat? This is the queue for fresh, locally produced greens.] croissants, sauces, spices, leavened bread and Ander got some homemade ice cream. I told the croissant-folk that I wanted them to come to Boston. They're ready! So, too, was the Indian woman who sold me her curry sauce and told me how to prepare chicken. That's for Wednesday night. The conversations with the vendors were exactly the same kinds of conversations I have with most every vendor I've ever talked with: educational, optimistic, sincere and wonderful. If I'm in search of meaning during this trip I learned, again, how much I like this farmers' market business.

I'm sitting in the same café that I wrote at a couple of days ago. Sunday, approaching noon, the place is packed. The Sculptures by the Sea exhibition is drawing people to the beach by the thousands. I've had the opportunity to walk amongst the pieces now all week and watch adults and children alike looking and interacting with the sculptures. I can't imagine the organizers not thinking that they've had a tremendously successful show by the size of the crowds yesterday and today. Now it's off to lunch with the Schrauths and Jane's parents. They leave for a couple of weeks in Africa tomorrow and are taking the flock out. I'm invited.

Ted's got a full week planned for me coming up. He's been hitting work hard so he'd have some time this second week to play. We may take a road trip down south or he may have something else up his sleeve. One thing I've noted is that I really haven't gotten a sense of just how big this place is. I expect I will when I fly to Melbourne and go to Stephanie Speakman's farm a week from tomorrow, but would like to get a taste of it while I'm here. That may happen either by plane or by car this coming week. We'll see.

Next post will be concentrate on the sculptures exhibition.