Reflections of Venice from a few years ago

Beautiful Venice, La Serenissima is in big trouble right now.  Acqua Alta


Venice Biennale-Architecture 2  - Australia

So we're peering into the architectural drawings, the footprints, the photos, the models and the tiny, tiny font to read the information from each country's interpretation of From The Edge. Brilliant stuff, Europe is concerned with housing millions of refugees, there are some brilliant, intelligent solutions , short medium and long term.  This is earnest stuff.

Then we walked into the new Australian Pavillion, it's a dark, plain even severe building.  I read somewhere that the architects wanted the art to speak, more than the building. It was a hot day. So what's in the building.......  the Australian Pavillion has a swimming pool.  Nothing to read, no drawings, no photos no tiny, tiny font to read. I flopped into one of the cool deck chairs on pool deck and listened to the voices. recognized the voices. We've been away a while so that was nice. I chuckled to myself thinking how lightweight Australia was..

I watched the reflections of the water.  Then the voice of Anna Funder talked about how important the pool was to all Australians finding a cool spot on a hot day,such fun for kids.  It means summer and freedom to kids. Yeah
Tim Flannery talked about what a waste a pool was, effectively, poisoning water with chlorine, just so we could swim in it.  Yeah.
Hetti Perkins talked about her dad, Charlie and the freedom rides in NSW in the late '60s. She said how pools outwest didnt allow indigenous people in.  Now the pools outwest, not only welcome all children, but the pool access has resulted in fewer ear infections, - This means better attention in schools, actually better hearing in schools, so children learn better.
They had a cute sign "AQUA PROFUNDA" up on the back wall.  Tbis was a nod to the Fitzroy pool, where there was a big Italian migrant population. The pool manager was so sick of fishing people out of the deep end that he put up sign in "Italian" aqua profunda, (spelt incorrectly in Italian hehe)

Public pools ARE big for Australians a serious cultural icon, a slice of our former lives, and really delicious on a hot day.

Clem Jones Class Morning Tea

Morning Tea 10th December at 11.00am 

Attention those happy folk and fellow athletes who attend Clem Jones Healthy Active class on Tuesdays -

A picnic table has been booked in the pool precinct for Tuesday 10th December, at 11.00am

I will bring Tea, Coffee Milk Sugar, Spoons.

Could you bring:-
A small plate to share
Your own mug.

Meanwhile see you in class

Class Details and dates

Ann Lear  Ph: 0431 223 190 

Email: annlear1@gmail.com

Blog:  annlearfitness.blogspot.com.au

NUNDAH
Mondays 8.00am               
 Nundah Activity Centre, Jenner Street, Nundah  4012

Lots of men are coming to the Nundah Class. There is always some H.I.I.T which is the fountain of youth for our mitochondria.

Aspley
Mondays 9.40am                 
Strong Bones Fusion, Aerobic Exercise, Yoga Strength, Weights, Pilates, Stretching, Balance            
Aspley Uniting Church, 748 Robinson Rd, Aspley. Qld  4034

Sandgate
Tuesdays 9.30am                Sandgate Town Hall

STRONG BONES, Fusion of Aerobic Exercise, Yoga Strength, Weights, Pilates, Stretching, Balance
Sandgate Town Hall, Brighton Road, Sandgate.  Qld. 4017  

Carina
Tuesdays 12 noon                         Clem Jones Centre,

STRONG BONES Light paced exercise, strength training in the gym, pilates, Yoga Stretching Clem Jones Centre, Zahel Street, Carina.  Qld.  4152  

Broccoli Leaves... Who knew?

My sister, Mary,  lives in San Diego.  She went to dinner to a Thai restaurant for her birthday.  She talked about a"roll up" dish which had broccoli  leaves as the outer wrap.  She said it was crunchy and delicious.   She referred me to this link- https://www.plantsmartliving.com/blog/top-10-reasons-why-you-should-eat-broccoli-leaves

There's a video clip of farmer Fred and some text listing the 10 reasons to eat broccoli leaves. The surprise for me was they are good for eye health.
It's well worth a look -

thanks Mary.

It's also thanks to Mary that I am growing pansies to eat.  At her daughter's wedding they served Vietnamese rice paper rolls that were wrapped to show the pansy flower inside..   talk about wow factor.

where is your head?

The Guardian , 25th November 2014 had a great article Homa Khaleeli:- " Tech Neck,  How smart phones are damaging our spines".

Here's the graphic from the article that I  have been talking about.

Eungella National Park.

We've  been camping at Broken River Bush Camp and we have seen platypus every time we've gone to the river.... every time.  From the bridge get a clear view of a large lagoon in the river.  It is, thus, easy to spot concentric ripples in the water, and if we keep looking,  sure enough, we see a platypus.    Parks and Wildlife have done a great job with the bridge, too. They've  included a boardwalk for pedestrians to which they have added soundproofing material.

"how's the serenity!"
By the way "Bush camping" means no power, no water, no flushing toilets.  It's been pretty cold, too.  However there are compensations.  The brilliant night sky, the campfire, the peace and quiet......

While we were at Carnavon Gorge there is a magnificent rock formation called the amphitheatre. It's like a tall cave with no roof.  Incredible acoustics!  We had the place to ourselves so I sang Ave Verum to the spirits.

A little further north

We're in Townsville  for 5 days. 

We've had a good look around the family haunts in Railway Estate and of course Castle Hill and Paleranda.  We took in the Jezzine War museum at Kissing Point.  There were lovely old guys who volunteer there and tell interesting stories. 

Townsville is unrecognizable.   The city streets seem much more open, more planting, well landscaped. The Strand is gorgeous and getting better, lots more cafes and bars and eateries. But the parkland and generous wide walkways really impress me. well lit at night too.

It's  been a pleasure to walk along the Strand in the morning and the evening.  It is a masterpiece in town planning. The proof of the pudding is in the use of the wide pedestrian boulevard, which are wide enough to take bicycles AND pedestrians. There are so many opportunities for physical activity.  So, there are people  of all ages making use of this space.  Wow.  A "cool" place to go in a tropical city.

We are situated next to the new Marina, in Mariners Drive. 9th floor. Fantastic views of Magnetic Island and Rowes Bay.

it is a nice change of pace from camping.