Florida Coalcracker Chronicles: 45 of 45 - Monday - The Longest Day

Australia has lots of dangerous animals

Last night in Sydney
Dinner Cruise

We swam on the
Great Barrier Reef

Saint Mary's Cathedral
Sydney

Australia Museum
Sydney

We just spent 45 glorious days in the Land of the Down Under - Australia. We have returned home throughly overwhelmed by the size of our earth - and the culture of Australia. From our hotel door in Sydney to our front porch in Tallahassee - it took 27 hours - all on Monday. It was roughly 11,000 miles and about 14 time zones. When we were there - we had to figure that the USA East Coast was 14 hours behind us. When the FSU Seminoles were playing a football game on Saturday night back in Tallahassee - it was already Sunday morning in Australia - the next day.

We left our hotel in Sydney at 8 am Monday morning. We took an Uber car to the airport. We sat in the airport lounge having breakfast - waiting to fly at 10 am. The longest flight was in an Airbus 350 for 13 hours and 7000 miles to Los Angeles. Lulu and I had window seats - but we were one row apart. I sat next to another guy - and we barely spoke a word - except to ask to go to the bathroom 3 times. I got very little sleep. I watched 3 movies including Elvis Presley and Tonya Harding. I was lucky our plane had the Internet - I could post stuff on Facebook and email my friends.

It was around 6 am when we arrived in Los Angeles - but because we crossed the International Dateline - it was still Monday - October 10. Going thru customs was easy - all we did is scan our passport - no one asked us any questions. We hurried to the Delta Lounge where we had another nice meal - after getting 3 meals on the jet. I love getting a shower in the lounge - it is like generating my battery. After about 5 hours of lounging - we got on our plane to Atlanta. Again we were separate - Lulu was one cabin category in front of me. No first class - but comfort plus. I think I got a little sleep on this 4 hour leg.

After 2 hours of layover in Atlanta - we hopped on a plane to Tallahassee and home. It only took an hour. Our friends Joel and George dependably picked us up at the airport. We normally do not check luggage - but we had extra bags for our friend Joan that she sent home - so we checked 4 bags for free. No need for us to carry bags onto the plane. We arrived in Tallahassee about 8:30 - our bags were fast - the Dawsons were there - they had us home by 9 pm.

Joan is staying on for another month. She has a 3 week guided tour of New Zealand coming up. Joan is a nurse and we love to bounce any ailments off her. She has visited with us in London - Berlin - and now Australia.

WORK TRIP - this was a work trip for Lulu. She was doing special research at the Australian National Library. She went through bins and bins of private papers of a famed scholar. We eventually visited his school and grave in Melbourne. But almost every day she spent 4 hours at the library. After that we could tour around. That is why we stayed in Canberra - the capital - for the full month of September. After that we toured around to - Sydney - Melbourne - Batmans Beach - Bungoladore - Goulburn - Braidwood - Bowral and many national parks and museums.

Lulu also taught 2 grad classes for FSU every week. Over here classes were 6 pm on Tuesday and Wednesday. Over there - the time was Wednesday and Thursday at 8 am. Lulu liked getting up early and teaching the 8 am classes. She works better in the morning.

In the beginning of the trip we were a bit homesick - for friends - family and our home in the USA. Australia is a very nice place - the people are very friendly - and they admire everything USA. Once you start talking they do not let you go. As you might say - they don't get far from home much.

Australia is a country of 25 million people but it is as big as the 48 USA states in size. Melbourne and Sydney are in competition to see who is top dog. Each city has 5 million people. This is why they chose to build a new city - Canberra - between them to be capital. The country seems to have an inferiority complex about their little capital of 150,000 people. It is very modern - a planned community. It is 2000 feet above sea level - making it one of the colder places in the country. I really enjoyed living there - great shopping - lots of good places to eat. I liked the parks - museums - animals - and mountains. They call it the Outback Capital.

Canberra - at night got down to 40s - in the days sometimes up to the 70s. I could get along with a light jacket and a sweatshirt. I had a pair of jeans and a tie for dressing "up." But mostly I wore shorts and t-shirts and button down shirts. I never felt underdressed.

APARTMENT - we had an airbnb apartment right downtown next to a big mall. It cost about $100 a night. The mall was top drawer with Tesla and Apple stores. Our apartment had 2 bedrooms and 2 baths. It was 2 years old with 3 floors of underground parking. We parked our rental white Kia there. The airbnb was completely furnished - dishes - cooking utensils - linens - towels - curtains - appliances - iron - washer - dryer - dishwasher - microwave - flat top stove - frig - AC. It had good Internet and TV - although we bought Fubo TV to watch FSU sporting events.

It is Tuesday night at midnight as I type this and select pictures at home. I slept on and off today for 16 hours. Lulu seems better adjusted than I am - she already taught her Tuesday night class at home.

While we were there - we were so glad that Melissa and Joan - two of our best friends - came to stay. They love to travel and knew we would have extra room. Melissa came first - and was in Canberra with us. Joan came later - and was in Canberra a week - then she traveled with us to other cities. The best time was when they were both with us. Nancy loved having shopping partners. When I go shopping with her - I sit on a mall bench or in the car. These two love shopping - lunching - pubbing - trying to new foods - as much as Lulu. When they were together - I could tour grittier museums - and parts of my misery tour. The ladies really provided a lift for Lulu and me. We all loved swimming at the Great Barrier Reef - you really felt far away from home there.

I do not know if she means it - but Lulu said this was her last working trip. She would rather travel leisurely with me. But it is hard to pass up the opportunities. While we were over there - our son video chatted with us from London at the queen's funeral - and then later from Cyprus - where he was working with that country on their energy plans. He is just like his Mom. Meanwhile our other son and his son video chatted from an FSU football game in Raleigh. Again just like Lulu - they are big Seminole fans.

On this trip - I was able to spend frequent flyer miles for my plane ticket. Lulu's expenses were covered by the project. We ate quite a few meals out - but we also cooked many in the apartment. We stayed in 3 Hilton Hotels that had executive lounges - but we also cooked lots of meals. I left home at 238 pounds- and came back home at 239 pounds . My next project is to whittle that down to 200.

Lulu did get a cold while we were in Canberra. I remained healthy except for a loose constitution a couple times. No signs of covid. This trip was delayed for 2 years - because Australia was completely closed to visitors. We waited it out and had to use it or lose it - so we had to act fast.

We really appreciate that we can do things like this thanks to Lulu's job. I am retired 20 years after 33 years of being a public school teacher - and I just get to go along as a gofer. I am truly a trailing spouse. I have to watch that I do not sound too much like a bragger - I did nothing to earn this opportunity. I always loved Show and Tell in the classroom when I was a teacher. It is so long ago - many people do not recall me ever working. I look at this blog and my pictures as Show and Tell. It is like a dream and I pinch myself regularly.