Hobart holiday snaps

Don't you hate it when the IT man takes down the internet server on your scheduled blogging night? So sorry for the delay in proceedings with this post.

In actual fact, I started my homecoming experience with a trip down to Tassie for Carrrmen's wedding - it's just so lovely down there and I did feel a special little zing as I wandered down to Salamanca Place on market day - think it may have been my first trip back since 2001, far too long in between.


Market Day

The wedding was delightful, and Carmen and Marcus were obviously very happy and relaxed on the day, everything went off without a hitch. Although I must say that the dancefloor was -as usual- over-populated by women, whilst elbow-space at the bar was over-populated by men. I tried to do my bit, but come on you Aussie boys - lift your game already! I even managed to con Carmen's brother into being a stand-in date (well, at least for the photo) ...


My wedding date

... and the three girls from the College (of Surgeons) were reunited again.


General Surgery and the SuperUser

I spent the rest of my time in Hobart catching up with as many people as I could, Stuie and Kylie and Suzanne and I managed a night out at Marque IV, and we decided the tonka bean crème brulée had to be sampled ... especially since we spent most of the '90s eating crème brulées at various Hobart establishments (thankyou, thankyou, thankyou Syrup!).


Tonka bean brulée - get this Doyley!

I did an impromptu departmental drop in - sat in the tearoom for an hour or so catching up on the gossip. And happily I ran into Dr Duffett whose news I haven't heard for years - once I caught up with the important stuff (kids, Catherine, the life of an academic geophysicist), he did tell me the most important thing of all - the Kia Sportage is still going strong although all those years in the Territory have faded it's once lustrous shiny black - who'd have thought!?! And Nilar - freshly arrived back in the department, hit me up for Paris tips and shoe stories - yep, kindred spirits she and I.

I only had a short time unfortunately, and many of the people I would have liked to have said hello to were off teaching field trips or resting up before the onslaught of students - but I did see a few familiar faces at least, and that was very cool indeed!

I had some time to play tourist again, so I drove up the mountain with Clare and Bella, it's so stunning it's hard to imagine why you'd want to be anywhere else really.


Mount Wellington summit rocks

And of course, I did my obligatoire pilgrimage to my favourite bakery ...


Jackman and McRoss

... it's nice that some things don't change - isn't it!