27.02.2016
Dear Omi,
First, we arrived - but that feels like quite a long time ago now really... we have been so incredibly busy setting things up here that time has been moving at an unusual pace.
In the last few weeks things have really been coming together. We moved into our beautiful four-storey home, right in the centre of town and facing the original facade (now rear) of the Theatre Royal. At my desk right now I look to my right and I see passers by strolling across the 12-pane window I look through, I see a member of staff or two having a break at the back door of the theatre across the Square from us - Beauford Square is in fact a rectangular patch of green grass which is fenced off with a classic black-painted wrought iron fence that looks like a row of upside down arrows stuck in a base of sandstone.
Our large black door seals as it shuts and it is lovely and warm in here despite the chill in the air outside. It is still around 5 degrees celsius most days. There have been peaks of Spring through, with one day this past week surprising us with hours of sunshine and surprisingly little wind or rain. Overall, I don’t really mind the weather, and winter fashion is a favourite anyway.
Day to day we are beginning to establish a routine. J is in care two days a week at a fantastic daycare, and I is enjoying school, making new friends, playing a lot of football. I have begun to make some acquaintances. K is a girl a bit younger than me that reminds me quite a bit of my sister, and G is a vibrant and fun kindred spirit with whom I share quite a bit in common. I’ve also managed to somehow come across two other Australian women who I am looking forward to meeting up with. One i introduced myself to in a cafe, the other is a mutual friend on social media. Yet a third I found randomly on Twitter of all places!
The town is a great one to explore,.. yesterday my friend K and I went for a stroll through Sydney Gardens and along the canal. I’ll put some pictures here below so you can see what I saw. It is so beautiful, the gardens are beautifully manicured and the old wrought iron work over bridges and around gates is quite decorative and made with such skill. The canal is I suppose my new water element, quite a contrast to the eastern seaboard of Australia. I do find myself missing the anchor and the aroma that the ocean consistently provided me for so many years in my many beachside homes in Sydney. Next week we will travel an hour and forty minutes to the nearest decent beach in Dorset. I can’t wait to sniff the air and get gritty feet as well as explore a new ocean and a new seaside vista.
I guess one of the most amazing things about this adventure is that I can step out my front door, walk in any direction, and genuinely find myself somewhere I have absolutely never been before. Same with restaurants, of which there are many fine and varied ones in this town.
Last weekend we went to stay with friends in and around London. On Saturday we had a huge lunch with 23 of us sitting around a big table and eating fancy pizza. There were 11 kids! After that we went for a walk in the grounds of an old castle which is being restored by the National Trust. The park around it is so big it takes hours to walk around it. The kids played in the windy cole weather climbing on old trees and running around, then we all went back to a friends place for wine and cheese and stayed the night. It was really nice to see Rich’s old friends and catch up with all the kids.
Not much more to report for now. Will write more again soon,
Love, Alena xo