Day 14

Spent the day at beautiful Bondi Beach, swimming in the surf and eating chocolate from San Charru with Marcel, Ilona, Abel, Axel and Huub. Super. We also had some impromptu champagne with Kathy, Mark and Ian at their groovy pad in Paddington before heading out to catch the NYE fireworks which apparently draws over a million Sydneysiders from various locations around the city.

And this year was even more special as it concides with a blue moon which well happens, once in a blue moon. And so it gave me a chance to take a moment, look up into the night sky and come up a new year's resolution- to celebrate life in the moment, what's wonderful and valuable at the time. No, not reading Eckhart Tolle just breathing in a little sea air, taking in an amazing view and sipping on a little Moet & Chandon.

Happy New Year!

Day 13

Kiddie cappucinos! I knew we were going to get along. Had a lovely breakfast at the Bather's Pavilion at Balmoral Beach on Sydney's North side with cousins Craig and Tracy and Lucas and Julia (the happy campers in this pic).

Bather's Pavilion has an amazing view and looks out towards the North Heads (entrance to Sydney harbour). The Pavilion itself was built in 1920s, has been fully restored and is now a contemporary restaurant owned by Serge Dansereau, an Aussie celebrity chef. The place reminds me a bit of the English Bay Bathhouse in Vancouver where the Annual Polar Bear Swim takes place every year to celebrate the new year.

Day 12

Yah! Arrived in Sydney and headed straight into town where we saw Sydney harbour, the Harbour bridge and the Sydney Opera House.

Huub worked at the Sydney Opera House ten years ago as a bartender and has memories of the flying cockroaches there. To me, it's a Sydney icon and looks particularly amazing today. Appparently, it's made of over 1 million Swedish tiles.

Comparisons have been made with Canada Place in Vancouver (where New Years Eve celebrations are often held).

Day 11

Another day at the pool. Oh boy. Learned something new today. Caprioska is a cousin of Caipirinha (replace rum with vodka). Yummy. Also managed a three hr hike from Tallow Beach to the Lighthouse and into Byron Bay where we sampled a few of the local brews at St. Elmo's. This is me in front of the Christmas tree. Surprise! No snow, just tropical heat.

Day 10

At the Byron at the Byron resort settling in well by the pool! Kookaburras and crickets everywhere. Rainforest all around. Rainforest walk to Tallow Beach in Arakwal National Park (amazing!) so will risk posting yet another jaw-dropping beach shot.

Day 9

Boogie boarding today at Main Beach, Byron. Weather beautiful- water is 24 degrees. Not without its hazards though- a few stingers (jellyfish)! We also saw Australian white ibis (birds), brush turkeys, water dragons (lizards) and salamanders. No sharks. Did you know that the chances are greater of being hit by a falling coconut than from being a shark attack victim (apparently 1 in 8 mill). Trees and vegetation along the beach also quite interesting. We managed to squeeze in a bit of shopping (Unplugged was great which is where this image comes from) and grabbing a bite at Fresh and Olivo- yum!

Day 8

Merry Christmas from Wategos Beach, Byron Bay! Blue skies and palm trees looking up from the patio at the Watermark. Spent the day in the sun and surf, climbed to the most easterly point of Australia, Cape Byron, to enjoy the amazing views and ended up with shrimp on the barbie.

"Shrimp on the barbie" is an often-quoted phrase to make reference to Australian culture. I wonder what the Canadian equivalent is, eh?

Day 7

This morning at Cumulus Inc in Melbourne, later this evening at Dish in Byron. The view from Wategos Beach, priceless.

Day 6

There was really so much we loved about Melbourne. This shot of the Architext store in CBD is one of many we stopped by. But really it seemed everywhere we went, we discovered cool shops, restaurants and fun people. Our fav hangouts were in Fitroy, Collingwood and Brunswick. How can you go wrong? Our last day in Melbourne we had a wonderful dinner w Meredith, Anil, Anita (and a hot Italian server) on Gertrude St. A very large fish indeed (excellent). And then to Polly for a night cap. Bye Melbin!

Day 5

Wilsons Promontory ("The Prom") is a beautiful three hr drive from Melbourne to Australia's southernmost point. This shot of Squeaky Beach is my favourite and beats out the other shot I have of Santa on a motorcycle taken in Melbourne later that day!

Day 4

OK, well I don't really call this a wedding photo (although we did eat it the next day- yummy!) at another one of Meredith and Anil's lovely gatherings. Look at the cute, handsome couple. What's not to like?

Day 3

Wedding day! Lot's going on but I think Robyn, Huub and I did manage to get to Cutler And Co. on Gertrude Street for a great bottle of wine and few great snacks. The only pic that really can be posted today is a wedding photo. What a great job you guys!! Amazing venue (Abbotsford Convent) and food, great dancing and very special speeches (read bleary-eyed).

Day 2

With one day left before the wedding, we needed a few last minute wardrode updates. Meredith and Anil, aren't you glad Huub passed on this little number from Queen Victoria market?

But probably just fine at the caroling and pub crawl in Fitzoy later that evening which was a great time.

Singing yi yi yippie, yippie yi!

Day 1

Arrived in Melbourne to find this great mural in the airport of one of the city's streetcars. Oh what fun it is to ride... dashing off for a drink with cousin Robyn and then over the hill to Meredith & Anil's we go.

Last call

We're sitting in the Maple Leaf lounge right now thanks to Huub. The result of his many trips circumnavigating the globe. So Vancouver to Auckland, 14 hrs. Auckland to Melbourne 3.5 hrs. We arrive 2 days later.

Hard to imagine even a couple of generations ago how long it would take to travel this far. My grandfather, for example, came from Switzerland to Canada via England in 1926 by ship, a trip that lasted a week. I don't think air travel was really an option then.

I wonder what my ecological footprint is going to be for this trip? I'm posting this picture of a painting Huub brought back from Australia a number of years ago. It's hanging in my apartment now. I really like the contrast between the dark blue and white light. The artist is an Australian aborigine and the image is of the cosmos, somehow fitting as we head on our way.

No More Days to Go

As I head out, I'd thought I'd post this picture of my grandparents, Joy and Stephen Carre.

This picture was likely taken on their wedding day, February 24, 1937. I really like it because they look so handsome, happy and relaxed and it comes across as timeless (except for the car of course). And very Canadian. Look at the snow. Can you imagine February in Barkerville, BC? A tad different from what we'll be expecting for Meredith and Anil's wedding in Melbourne!

1 Day to Go

With 1 day to go, I've been doing some last minute scurrying around. But somewhere between meeting Greg for lunch at Italian Kitchen and dessert with colleagues at Vancouver Art Gallery Cafe, I stumbled across this poster of Rainbow War on the site of a new condo tower at Robson and Nicola (near my favs, Hapa Izakaya and Chocolate Mousse).

Now anyone else would have probably just walked by except I have the same poster hanging in my bathroom! Yes, back in 1986, for Vancouver's Expo '86, I was involved in Rainbow War, a 20 minute film that was shown at the Canadian Pacific Pavilion. What a surprise to see it posted nearly 24 years later on a construction site on Robson Street!

2 Days and Counting

Well, it's 2 days to go and I am looking forward to spending the last few days with family and friends before heading out. Ninu has organized a get-together at the Cascade Room on hip Main Street, Vancouver's SoMa (South of Main).

Main street is known for its hip, bohemian shops and cool vibe. Located in the Mount Pleasant area of Vancouver, I try and get there as often as I can. My favs are Gene coffee and Latitude.

Mount Pleasant is one of Vancouver's first suburbs and has retained alot of its original character. Creeks ran through the area (buried beneath the streets today) and as a result, a number of breweries were set up there. One of the original breweries opened in 1887 at 6th and Scotia and has been preserved, (Doering's Vancouver Brewery) Brewery Creek building.

In 1904, Mount Pleasant was home to a tannery, two slaughter houses, four breweries and a train station. In 1912, Vancouver's first skyskraper (the Lee building) went up.

My great grandfather's brother, Georges Carre, lived in Mount Pleasant in the early 1900's. My great grandfather, Edward Carre, lived in Cedar Cottage, near Commercial Drive. The two areas were connected by electric streetcar (known as the Inter-Urban) and so the families would often meet, possibly for a drink at one of the local breweries. Several generations later, I guess I haven't ventured that far afield!

3 Days to Go

3 days to go! For a number of years now, I've joined my mom at the Jericho Tennis Club for their Christmas Jazz brunch. Jericho is right on the beach, and has beautiful views across Burrard Inlet towards the North Shore mountains. I particularly like the hot tub and pool. This year we were joined by a number of other family and friends which was great.

It's hard to believe that I've been a member there for over 30 years. The history of the site is of course much longer. The club started as a swimming club on the beach in 1916 and during WW1 was an air station site. It was a government reserve prior to that and in the 1870s was a whaling station. Jeremiah Rogers set up one of Vancouver's first logging camps there in 1865 clearing much of Kitsilano and West Point Grey. It was called "Jerry's Cove" after him. Spaniard Jose Narvaez and his crew "discovered" the area in 1791 and the next year, Valdez and Galiana ran into Captain George Vancouver off the same shore. Before that, the local Musqueam people lived there in a village site called Ee'yullmough. Suddenly I don't feel so old!

Now I know that Australia is a huge tennis country with players like Rod Laver and Evonne Goolagong, and is host to major events like the Australian Open. I don't think I'll get a chance to play while I'm there but I do hope to get to visit Birrarung Marr near Rod Laver arena. How cool is that?

4 More Days

With 4 days to go, Huub and I met Geoff and Joanne at Granville Island.

I like Granville Island for its industrial warehouse heritage architecture (most of the island's old industrial buildings have been retained). And for its location- underneath the Granville Street bridge on False Creek and close proximity to where I live (just down the hill). At Christmas time, there's lots going on. My fav spots there are Paper-Ya, Edible BC (did a great kayak trip through them a couple of years ago to Gulf Islands) and the many local arts and crafts studios. Fun to just walk around and explore.

Originally called Industrial Island, the island was reclaimed in 1915 to create an industrial area near the City. It consisted mainly of corrugated-tin factories serving the forest, mining, construction and shipping sectories. By 1920, over 1200 workers were employed on the island mostly arriving to work by street car.

For the Olympics, a streetcar has been brought in from Belgium (Bombardier) running from the Canada Line station at Olympic Village to Granville Island which will be great.

5 More Days to Go

Even with 5 days to go, I can't miss my morning cup o' jo with Ninu and Huub at 49th Parallel. I'm totally looking forward to checking out the great coffee joints in Melbourne known for its cool cafe culture.

49th Parallel is named after the dividing line between Canada and the U.S., the world's longest unprotected border. Did you know that roughly two-thirds of all Canadians live south of the 49th Parallel? Or that more than 90 percent of all Canadians live within 50 miles of the US border? Now that's something to ponder over an epic espresso.

I read this morning re: Copenhagen climate change conference that over 20,000 cups of organic coffee will be served to delegates. I guess at least it's organic.

6 and Counting

With 6 days before send-off, I'm getting pretty stoked and have been regularly checking my iPhone for weather reports. Super fun. Today, for example, Melbourne is 25, Byron Bay 31 and Sydney, 28. Vancouver, -5 and Whistler -18.

With 28 days of rain in November, I fully admit to not being a happy camper but cousin Meredith reminded me how lovely Vancouver can be when the sun eventually does come out. Like today. So I had to take a shot of this view from my cube at work in downtown Vancouver. Blue skies and condos. Vancouver has been called the City of Glass (coined by Vancouver author Douglas Coupland of Generation X fame) for its glass condominium towers which dominate the skyline. Not a bad view but I certainly won't mind trading it for the view from any one of the fine beaches at Byron Bay for a few days over Christmas.

Back to my book on Deciphering Australian Colloquialisms for the Canadian English Speaker.

7 More to Go

In keeping with the countdown theme and seeing as the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics are right around the corner, I thought I'd post a pic of the official Olympic Timekeeper clock at the Vancouver Art Gallery. 66 days until the Olympics; 7 more days until Australia.

Did you know that the clock was installed 3 years ago and has been defaced several times? I am going to the Olympics to several of the events, including luge and ski jumping at Whistler, speed skating at the Richmond Olympic Oval and hockey at UBC Thunderbird Arena. Will be great (went to World Speed Skating Championships last year with Huub, Geoff and Joanne- super!). But apparently no one will be able to get around the city. A student at UBC even wrote a musical composition called 2010 Traffic Jam. But we did get the Canada Line- 20 minutes to the airport by train.

Now I know the Aussies are a great sports loving nation. Cricket, rugby, Aussie rules "footy" and women's lacrosse!

8 Days Now

With 8 days to go, it's beginning to look alot like Christmas everywhere you go, including the South Granville area where I live. Check out this display at Bacci's at Home at 12th and Granville. Love the blankless faces with Rudolph! Other favs include 18 Karat, Winsor Gallery, Pottery Barn Kids (kidding!), Rangoli (yummy modern Indian food) and the Stanley Theatre (Vancouver landmark and heritage site and main venue for Arts Club Theatre Company). I recently saw Irving Berlin's White Christmas there.

Speaking of White Christmases, Vancouver rarely gets them. Chance of a White Christmas in Vancouver, 11%. Other Canadian cities fare better. You are pretty much guaranteed a White Christmas in Quebec City, for example. In Australia, not so good. With temperatures in the high 30s, you've got a snowball's chance.

Looking forward to celebrating Christmas this year Aussie-style- on the beach!

9 Days and Counting

9 Days to go but I can still find time for Little Nest, one of my fav places period. Lucky me I was there today with Dad and Kira who gave this impromptu toast to the Carre clan down under. Little Nest is on Commercial Drive in Vancouver, near my others favs like Bump N Grind Cafe and Dutch Girl Chocolates.

I guess every city has its own Commercial Drive, like what Brunswick Street is to Melbourne. Brunswick Street is the main artery in Fitzroy, a hip Melbourne neighbourhood where I hope to spend a bit of time, and the neighbourhood where cousins Meredith and Andrew live. Super excited to check it out and keen to meet the newest addition to the Carre clan, young Tasman.

Abel Janszoon Tasman was a Dutch explorer (note Dutch connection) and it's where the Tasmanian devil gots its name. People say I can be bit of a Tasmanian devil but I just don't see it.

Anyway, hope to get to Little Nest at least one more time before hitting the road.

10 Days to Go

The final countdown and with 10 days to go, everything I see is Australian. For example, the round Australian Flag on the sidewalk in South Granville (part of FlagWalk for the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics), the Aussie Boot Company on W4th near coffee fav 49th Parallel, and even one of the cashiers from Capers, my local store, just happens to be from Byron, Australia's easternmost point.

Byron Bay was named by Captian Cook after John Byron (grandfather of poet Lord Byron). The same Captain Cook who sailed with Captain George Vancouver who "discovered" my hometown, Vancouver. Vancouver, apparently, is derived from the word van Coevorden, meaning "from Coevorden", a city in the northeast of the Netherlands.

Which brings me to the Dutch guy in the pic with a mango. Huub was at Stella's on the Drive last night having Belgium beer. This morning, it's Australian mangos.