Somewhere in Spain...

Hayley has sent me some photos which I will share.

She met up with Backpacker Boy somewhere in Spain, she tells me it was hot & they had fun scrambling over rocks & discovering waterfalls. The water was refreshingly cold in the heat and she really enjoyed this time together.

Who wouldn't enjoy this view?

I got quite a newsy email with details about the fire festival, maraca concert and this rock climbing expedition. Easier for her to type & upload photos from his laptop while they were together. She has gone back to the family & he to the farm for a few more weeks. Things can be a bit mundane between outings.


Back at home, we have begun our half marathon training. No languishing & enjoying the moment post Run Melbourne, just hard slog for the next 10 weeks. I tried a swim yesterday on my day off to stretch out some different muscles. It was lovely day off yesterday and I felt very productive after my swim & did housework & baking after that.

I have a few ideas for layouts with Erin's school photos in and now updates from Hayley. If she can tell me where these places are the pages will come together nicely

I got my racquet restrung with the 'big banger' strings & played with it last night. Well worth the $50 it cost, I played really well after I adapted to the increased power. Watch out girls (& boys) here I come!

Run Melbourne...

Today was race day.

Running Buddy & I have had haphazard training for this event. Training that was interrupted by her wedding & moving houses. Interrupted for me by Hayley's departure, a sore hip and bad weather (who wants to run in the rain?). Nevertheless our sporadic training culminated in a fantastic day.

I wasn't terribly excited by the forecast and yesterday was freezing cold and rained all day. But this morning it was clear, nary a cloud in sight, very little wind but still cold.

I drove into the city and into my pre booked Wilson parking space at Eureka, very close to the start area. As you know parking is a great source of stress for me, so when I stumbled upon this Book a Bay facility I was both excited and relieved. You can go on line, pick the carpark you need, put in your enter & exit times and pay. For today's parking in a guaranteed spot I only paid $5.50. I will do this again, it was brilliant. Not only the price but the surety of a place was so good.


 The race itself was a fabulous course around Melbourne, part of it past the Shrine of Remembrance, the Tan, along the Yarra and past the MCG to finish at Birrarung Mar. Running Buddy had a goal of doing the 10km in 60 mins (well we both did) but she managed it and I was a few minutes behind her, finishing in 1:04:30. I was happy with that result, I'm not sure I can go any faster and also not sure if I want to. My hip doesn't want to.

 We both finished up with a medal that very nicely sums up the day.

Remember this moment 

You've earned it

Our next goal is the half marathon in mid October. I keep reminding her that I will be 50 at that time so am not looking to set any pace records. Just finishing that will be my goal. We have to put lots more k's on our legs before then.

But for now I am going to revel in the achievement of today.

Coffee anyone?...

My new Pixie coffee machine is da bomb! We have been enjoying cappuccinos & lattes everyday. They turn out really well and taste great, the little machine has been a wonderful addition to the kitchen. We have been going through the pods and litres of milk at a great rate but I am a happy girl.

Saying goodbye...

to a local identity.

The large funeral gathering was studded with local names in a tribute to a man who had lived for 89 years in the district.

The service was a history lesson on Bacchus Marsh and very interesting.

Max had also served in RAAF during WW2, flying 30 missions as Skipper of a 6 man crew in a Lancaster Bomber and received a Distinguished Flying Cross. All this at just age 20.






A life of an orchardist growing apples in Bacchus Marsh probably seemed a bit tame after that.

His legacy lives on his family, who did themselves proud today, giving Max a tribute befitting the honourable gentleman he was.

Baby its cold...

on this side of the world anyway.

We have had very chilly mornings and days. If you find a nice spot in the sun out of the wind you can warm your bones, otherwise the heater has been cranked up.

Hayley has been telling me she is warm, spending time in the Spanish sun. The family she is staying with have been very good to her and when they picked her up from the Reus airport they spent the weekend at a local resort.



her accommodation looks very much like this



and she has been finding funny things like this



I have been chatting to her everyday on Viber. She has been telling me how Carme (the host mother) has included her in family outings to the grandparents home, trips to the beach to see fireworks and a confetti festival. She has been earning a little money teaching English to some adults. She is yet to meet up with Backpacker Boy in Spain, he is about an hour away on a farm and his duties there have prevented them from exploring Spain together but Carme is doing a good job.

Meanwhile at home we have been doing very mundane things while Erin has been on holidays. 3 weeks is nearly up. We did manage a trip to the Melbourne Zoo and saw some changes since the last visit. We saw the baby elephant tentatively making his way around their enclosure with the other elephants. And it was the first time we had seen the new seal/fairy penguin enclosure. If we had waited a day we could have been at the Zoo coinciding with Chris' charter.

Other than some trips to the shops and training for Run Melbourne, we have been doing a whole lot of nothing, which is nice way to spend a holiday.

Hola!...

thats hello to you in Spanish.

Hayley has made it to the town of Vila-seca, Tarragona, Spain. She is set up with the Spanish family and each side is struggling with their English/Spanish. A bit like that movie 'Spanglish' except Hayley tells me that they speak Catalan as she is smack in the middle of Catalonia. Her Spanish lessons aren't helping that much. Chris knows about that because they have a GP there as well as a MotoGP and some cycling events as well.

thanks Google maps for showing me where Hayley is now