Can it be June already?

Received some sad news last week about a work colleague who passed away suddenly from a massive heart attack.   Over all those shared kms of travel we often discussed how she was really trying hard to get the work/life balance right so that she could enjoy many years of retirement. She was very involved in the local music and craft scene too, very sad.  Still, I don't think she would have enjoyed a life of confinement either so perhaps it is all for the best. What it brings home to us most clearly, is you never know when your time is up, so make the most of it while you are here.
In light of that sombre opening we head to Turkey next Monday.  So looking forward to it. At the same time I am conscious that I don't usually enjoy being in an organised group for too long   Thing about this trip is that there is one company doing the overall coordination but at each different location we are picked up by a small local operator so will be travelling with different people and I think that will help.  Eric is on the couch thinking out loud about the fact that this time last year we had just spent a weekend in Lucca and were on our way to Cinque Terre.  How lucky are we?  Sadly, with carbon pricing and other factors, I'm not sure future generations are going to have the travel opportunities we currently enjoy. Meanwhile, we'll make the most of it and they can look at our pics!
We received some mail through the week from Luke and Tahlia.  Some bills and late notices but most exciting were the pics from the wedding. If we haven't shared the picassa webalbum with you and you would like to see just let us know.

Some of our NT friends went to the Kimberley Moon Experience in Kunnanurra last weekend. We did this a couple of  times from Katherine and once from Darwin, but the long drive home from there killed off thoughts of any further trips. It was a wonderful experience sitting on the lawns beside the lake with a full moon listening to the Darwin Symphony Orchestra and others including Richard Clapton and Wendy Matthews.  Casey Chambers, The Black Sorrows and Paul Kelly are performing this year so would have been a good show.
On Monday our walking group met at The Chinese Gardens at Jurong, the MRT station right across the road from the condo where Crisps lived 10 yrs ago. From the entrance, guarded by a pair of Chinese Lions, we headed straight to the 7-storey Pagoda to tackle the steps.

Then we wandered the meandering footpaths which weave between ponds and streams, rocks and bridges, courtyards and structures including pavilions, the Twin Pagodas, and a Stone Boat.  All very harmonious and tranquil. The Bonsai Garden has more than 1,000 bonsai trees imported from China but is being renovated at the moment so the entire collection is not on view.

This combination of symbols means something like eternal love, I think!

The newest addition is the Garden of Abundance. It consists of 100 year old  pomegranate trees imported from China, planted alongside  rocks engraved with symbols that carry the meanings of longevity, abundance and fulfilment. The cleaver design in accordance with Chinese tradition and folk culture includes the 12 Chinese Zodiac Animal sculptures. The gardens are connected to the nearby Japanese Garden by the White Rainbow Bridge, built in the style of the 17-Arch Bridge at the Summer Palace in Beijing. So we continued our looping walk through them.

It was a lovely walk and by far the gentlest we have done. We all followed Bev and Steve home to their place in Jurong for a cuppa and some Aussie treats.  Steve, who has a job with a tour company in The Grampians, Vic,  has just returned to Singapore so he and Bev can take a cruise through the Carribean over the mid-year break. He shared snowballs, licorice allsorts, jaffas, fantails............all the things you cant get here (but actually we haven't been missing). We showed plenty of appreciation and ate our fare share and more, so much for the benefits of these walks. Am reconsidering the possibility of trekking Nepal, I'm now on the lookout for hiking poles.  Guess what, the brands sold here are all too short!  Might get the next lot of visitors to bring me a pair from the NT General Store.