Millie, as painted by Leon + Elaine's lilies
Bindi and Tasha - Vanessa and Leon's current dogsOn Sunday Vanessa drove us into the city centre so that we could go to Christ Church St. Laurence. Both Elaine and I had asked people in the UK where to worship in Sydney and we were both advised that this was the place to go. As it was a feast day – Christ the King – we got a procession as well as virtually everything else that you care to name, including white gloves for Crucifer and Acolytes and birettas for Sacred Ministers: very old fashioned catholic, but beautifully well ordered worship, enhanced by a wonderful choir who have sung in Westminster Abbey. ( Elaine: It was a long time since I had knelt for the incarnation bits in the creed, heard the gospel sung AND recited the Angelus at the end of mass. There were so many bells and smells that it was hard to take it all in but the overall effect was one of beautiful transcendence which is some thing we often lose in all our “nave friendly” worship.)
We, unwisely, went in to town by car so Vanessa only just made the service in time after searching for a parking space, then we had a very tedious drive and another long hunt for a parking spot so that we could get to the Rocks Market, but the wait was worth it. Not only had the morning rain finished by the time we arrived, but the market was full of all sorts of Australian made goods which could easily have tempted us to spend a fortune. Thankfully the weight restrictions on the plane tempered our buying, but that didn’t stop us trying yet another Australian ice cream at Manly later in the afternoon. Elaine has been very successfully operating a “never try the same flavour twice” policy. We were originally going to have tea and cake, but the shops we wanted to visit were all closed or full and then Leon rang to invite us out for a farewell evening meal, so no cake just ice cream (Elaine: Hazelnut and cappuccino flavours that time!).
Elaine writes: we went to an Indian Restaurant local to Vanessa and Leon in Seaforth but first we had to pack up as we were moving back to Ruth and Bob’s flat for the last few days. Vanessa’s house had some lovely mod cons, including the most spectacular bathroom designed by Leon, with walk in shower room and HUGE bath on a platform. The loo alone cost thousands of dollars and although as loos go it didn’t look very different from many others I’ve used, it was certainly one of the most comfortable!
Leon is a gardener designer and landscaper by trade and he does all the work from design to construction and planting himself. He has a great deal of creative talent and is in the process of designing a garden to go with a Frank Lloyd Wright style house that one of his clients is having built. We had great fun talking about plans for gardens. Their house is filled with all sorts of interesting decorative touches. Vanessa is not allowed to buy so much as a cushion without consultation. Leon also paints and you see a photo of one of his paintings of their dog Millie next to some lovely lilies that he bought me as a welcome present.
We had a good meal together, all ordering one dish then sharing. Stephen did not care for the seafood curries but enjoyed the other veggie and meat curries. Then we said goodbye to Leon and Vanessa and moved back to Roo’s flat. The one regret I have about our time with Vanessa and Leon is that I did not have a ride on his Harley Davidson
We, unwisely, went in to town by car so Vanessa only just made the service in time after searching for a parking space, then we had a very tedious drive and another long hunt for a parking spot so that we could get to the Rocks Market, but the wait was worth it. Not only had the morning rain finished by the time we arrived, but the market was full of all sorts of Australian made goods which could easily have tempted us to spend a fortune. Thankfully the weight restrictions on the plane tempered our buying, but that didn’t stop us trying yet another Australian ice cream at Manly later in the afternoon. Elaine has been very successfully operating a “never try the same flavour twice” policy. We were originally going to have tea and cake, but the shops we wanted to visit were all closed or full and then Leon rang to invite us out for a farewell evening meal, so no cake just ice cream (Elaine: Hazelnut and cappuccino flavours that time!).
Elaine writes: we went to an Indian Restaurant local to Vanessa and Leon in Seaforth but first we had to pack up as we were moving back to Ruth and Bob’s flat for the last few days. Vanessa’s house had some lovely mod cons, including the most spectacular bathroom designed by Leon, with walk in shower room and HUGE bath on a platform. The loo alone cost thousands of dollars and although as loos go it didn’t look very different from many others I’ve used, it was certainly one of the most comfortable!
Leon is a gardener designer and landscaper by trade and he does all the work from design to construction and planting himself. He has a great deal of creative talent and is in the process of designing a garden to go with a Frank Lloyd Wright style house that one of his clients is having built. We had great fun talking about plans for gardens. Their house is filled with all sorts of interesting decorative touches. Vanessa is not allowed to buy so much as a cushion without consultation. Leon also paints and you see a photo of one of his paintings of their dog Millie next to some lovely lilies that he bought me as a welcome present.
We had a good meal together, all ordering one dish then sharing. Stephen did not care for the seafood curries but enjoyed the other veggie and meat curries. Then we said goodbye to Leon and Vanessa and moved back to Roo’s flat. The one regret I have about our time with Vanessa and Leon is that I did not have a ride on his Harley Davidson
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