More pics. Get used to it.

I'm supposed to be catching up on lesson programming, and I will. I promise. I'll just go to Picnik and play with some photos first.....

picnik rocks!!

Not the sort of picnic we had at Napa - although I love that kind too - but the fantastic photo site where you upload your own photos, use the marvellous tools , and come up with magic!

I had a demo. from the people at Blogher and used their gift certificate to join Picnik Premium. They should pay me, because I'll be singing their praises all over town.
Go to : http://www.picnik.com

Memories....

I only took 289 photos (!) - all for me to remember the atmosphere, the energy, the buzz. This one is an oasis of peace and calm in the Napa Valley, picnic from the deli and a bottle of local wine.

Only one week today - and here I am in cold, rainy weather, back at work with a million things to do. At least the weekend was warm and sunny for my "welcome home" lunch at Como. Sydney's beaches and waterways are the best in the world!

Perfect ending

A perfect end to a whirlwind holiday - hired bikes and rode along the waterfront, up a hill, then freewheeled over the Golden Gate Bridge. Oh what a feeling! - flying along on my bicycle, blue sky, beautiful views to the right, left, front and back.

Down a hill to cute little Sausalito, lunch by the water, ferry back to SF.
Holiday over :(

Hello Golden Gate Bridge

That's what I said this morning as we had lattes and almond croissants down at the ferry building. When Paull stopped laughing he told me that the bridge in question was just a "random" bridge. I finally found the correct bridge as we drove across it on the way to Wine Country, Napa Valley.

What a great day! Sunny, blue sky, rolling hills, wine tasting, picnic from the deli (with wine) and return trip by ferry past Alcatraz. Can I just keep travelling for ever? I need to make a million, fast!

Blogher08

How to describe Blogher08?

- intelligent
- powerful
- empathetic
- supportive
- moving
- funny
- thought provoking
- instructive
- inclusive
- empowering

Another Time Zone

I'm living the dream, baby, sitting up here in my white towelling robe, nibbling on a cheese platter and looking at the lights of San Francisco. Quite makes up for the delayed flight and the fact that it is 4am back in NYC where I had just acclimatised!

My last couple of hours in New York were spent browsing in the venerable Strand Bookshop on 14th, and brunching at Max Brenner's Chocolate Shop:

Croissant with fig jam and warm pouring chocolate;
Cappuccino in a Kangaroo (?) cup - it has an extra bit for some chocolate, no complaints from me at all.

Blogher 08

Farewell NYC, San Francisco here I come!
Actually I am attending the 08 conference for Women Bloggers, "Blogher" 08. Paull is working at the conference, and I am a delegate.

I'm really looking forward to exploring another city, as well as the intellectual stimulation of the conference - I've had a very laid-back, hedonistic time recently!

Au Revoir, NYC

My poor feet....

Hush, puppies! In this city you walk and walk and walk, more so if you are a tourist. Three blocks to the subway on 86th, then more at your destination, plus the museums and districts. Yesterday I took the subway to Washington Square and walked and walked and walked around Greenwich Village and Soho - funky!

I met Paull in a pub and we walked and walked and walked around Little Italy - great food and cannoli and nearly good coffee - still can't beat Sydney for good coffee!

Breakfast in a diner this morning run by gangster look-alikes:
"What is your accent?"
"Australian"
"Oh, I thought at first you was from Brooklyn. How are the kangaroos?"

Summer in the City

...is hot, hot, hot - but it becomes balmy and pleasant at night, and the sidewalk tables fill with people. I spent Friday walking the huge expanse that is the Metropolitan Museum. It was amazing, I've ticked off more of my "must see" artworks. Saturday, we wandered down to the West Village for brunch then to the Pier 4 football grounds for Paull's "seven-a-side" rugby competition. A great bunch of people, they made the semi-finals. I let them go celebrating at midnight and took a cab home!

Sunday - joined many other New Yorkers by relaxing in Central Park. The roller-blade disco, the solo opera singer "Thoth", a violinist and a saxophonist entertained us along the way.

Today - some rain, so I'll delay the Staten Island Ferry ride and go to the Guggenheim for some more sensory overload.............

New York moments

Now recovered from jetlag, I'm packing a lot into each day. For example:

• Visited the Empire State Building on a clear, blue day
• Queued for half-price tickets to "Chicago" - fantastic production!
• Meandered around the MoMA, then met Paull for jazz and wine in the Sculpture Garden
• Mastered the subway
• Took an early yoga class on the upper East Side
• Spent hours and hours in the Metropolitan Museum, saw paintings I've always dreamed of seeing
• Tonight - pizza in Brooklyn, then walking back over the bridge

- and still so much to do before heading off to San Francisco on Thursday. Oh, and spending time with Paull and his workmates, who are a great bunch of people. Meanwhile, my house and cat and dogs are being too well cared for by Anne and co., visiting from Hong Kong - thanks, Helen, Catie and Alec!

I'm here!

OK, I love NYC - already! I've taken it easy today after a loooooooooooooong flight, arriving last night. Paull and I had a delicious Italian pasta and chianti at a sidewalk table last night, then woke early to walk to the river and have coffee. After he left for work, I spent a few hours in Central Park, taking photos of everything. A wedding, a jazz band, an elderly busker playing Bob Dylan on harmonica, plus all the usual sights. I'll post some pics when I work out the technology side of using someone else's laptop!

Leaving, on a jet plane..

My next post will be from Manhattan - all I have to do is sit in a plane for 23 odd hours, easy!

The trouble with Australia is that we have to travel for hours just to leave the country. Still, a small price to pay for seeing more of this wonderful world. I'm excited about visiting the MoMA, the Guggenheim, the Met, a Broadway show, Grand Central Station (it's been on so many movies) Central Park, Times Square, Brooklyn, SoHo, the West Village, Greenwich Village - what a tourist! Ten days will fly. Then to San Francisco, where I get to attend the Blogher Conference.

Watch this space!

Birthday Lunch

Sunday was a perfect day to celebrate my sister's birthday at the Moonee Moonee River Markets. The markets themselves need developing, but they are only 3 months old and getting better each month. The setting can't be beaten, and there is music all day from a variety of performers, stilt walkers, and barefoot bowls. Oh, and a licenced club to have drinks, lunch or coffee, which we did! The kids had great fun playing barefoot bowls later, or as Tom (4) called it - "there's a ball game where you throw the ball under". Pat was throughly spoiled, as one should be on one's birthday!