No Worries

Dear Family and Friends, 

“Jelena’s Dream Over” screamed the front page headline of the Melbourne Herald Sun. Jelena Dokic, ex Serbian now Australian, had just lost her match in the round of sixteen at the Australian Open Tennis Championship, and with it Australia lost its hope for a ‘home grown’ champ in this year’s event. Jelena bowed out to Russian Diana Safina, who in turn, lost in the final to Serena-does-my-ass-look-big-in-this-outfit Williams. Oops.

Australia is the only place I know where the prime space in newspapers is reserved for sporting news. Not just some days, but pretty much every day The Australian, The Age, and other national newspapers reserve space on their first page for sports, whether it be ‘footy’, Australian rules, cricket, golf or any other sport followed by sports mad Australians. News of lesser import, turmoil in the mid-East, the global economic meltdown, domestic woes, and national politics etc. find space on inside pages.

Well, g'day folks, I'm traveling again. 

What the devil is happening in Tasmania?

Dear Family and Friends,

What the devil is happening in Tasmania you asked? Well, to begin with, Errol Flynn, Hollywood Idol of thirties, forties, and fifties is still commemorated in a small restaurant in Hobart where he was born. And Crown Princess Mary of Denmark, also born in Hobart, is revered. In a country that has sought to throw off the vestiges of the British Crown, Mary, their home grown Royal, has captivated them. Somehow Princess Mary came up in a conversation we had with a local young lady (I think because Mary just gave birth to an heir to the Danish throne). When we asked who she was, the woman was honestly flabbergasted. She truly thought we were kidding her, having her on.

Bridestove Estate Lavender Farm