The Fleet's in

If you had to be somewhere yesterday, Sydney wasn't a bad place to be.  Naval ships and tall ships from around the world were here, Prince Harry was here, and so were we.

We were all gathered to witness the International Fleet Review in honour of the centenary of the Australian Navy.

Being up at the crack of dawn, our first stop was for a quiet cup of coffee and a pastry.

We were fortunate enough to secure an excellent spot at the Opera House and before long the fun began.  

These two helicopters virtually danced their way around the harbour, carrying out precise manoeuvres, much to the appreciation of the crowds below.

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The Governor General (she's the little dot in blue) came past us on the way to the review the fleet, but alas Prince Harry must have sneaked in while we were distracted by the events taking place on the harbour.  I was secretly hoping that he would make a grand entrance emulating his grandmother in the latest James Bond movie.

People filled all manner of craft on the water.

Some people will go to any lengths to get a better view.

There was as much activity overhead as there was on the water which distracted us from noticing just how sunburnt we were!

Slowly from the harbour entrance the Australian fleet came into view and sailed past the official party.

By now we realised that perhaps we had had a touch too much of the hot sun and when we abandoned our precious viewing spot and reached the top of the Opera House steps, we were amazed at the crowds below.

The British Royal Marines Band was performing as we made our way down the steps.

I felt so sorry for them wearing their heavy uniforms on a day when the temperatures reached 32 degrees celsius, but they played brilliantly.

Everyone appreciated the performance, even the fly taking a free ride on Mr Fudge's hat.

The fountain in the Opera House forecourt attracted the overheated crowds like Pooh Bear to honey.

On the trek up to the city we were astounded to find ourselves walking next to some dear friends from Brisbane, dressed up to the nines, who were here for a wedding and had no that they were going to land in the middle of such celebrations.

We were in need of (a) a cool oasis and (b) lunch - and the Art Gallery obliged on both counts.

The art continued with Art and About Sydney 2013 to make our walk to the train station more pleasant.

Spiderman had the right idea.

Well done Sydney - you put on a spectacular day.

Etsy Success Sydney

Etsy came to town yesterday and what a show it was.   It was one of those you-should-have-been-here-last-weekend sort of days, as the heavens opened up and the cold set in to chill the bones.

Still, with views like this from the roof deck of the Museum of Contemporary Art, no one was really complaining.

Chad Dickerson, the CEO of Etsy, came all the way from Brooklyn with his entourage for the occasion.

Etsy Success Sydney was part of the Vivid Sydney Festival, which itself is attracting huge crowds to  numerous events and displays.  Several weeks ago my lovely young friend Belinda Harris of BrisStyle advised that she was to be a key speaker at the event and asked me to hold her hand while she presented her workshop, Effective Etsy Team Management.  Bel and I were part of the original BrisStyle committee and we had seen it grow from 12 people meeting in a coffee shop in 2008 to its present membership of over 270.  It has been quite a journey.

We were fortunate to have a little calm time before the hoards arrived, so we grabbed a cup of coffee and took in the view from the museum's deck, along with a couple of early arrivals. 

The serenity was short-lived as the sell-out crowds started to arrive.

Before we could take time out for a quiet scream, they day had begun.  The first workshop was conducted by Etsy CEO Chad Dickerson.

Next up was Danielle Maveal, head of Etsy's Seller Education.  Bel and I had exchanged many emails with Danielle over the years, so it was good to finally put a face to the name.

Morning tea came with a rush - and a crush.  No matter where you turned, there was no avoiding that iconic bridge.

Our workshop was fast approaching.  The photographer took our pictures (mercifully my photo will not be shown in this blog).

We were fitted with microphones and launched onto the stage.

And there I sat, perched on a stool like a shag on a rock, while Bel worked her magic.  I did manage a few sentences as way of introduction, but it's all a blur.  By the time Bel had finished her wonderful presentation, it was time for questions and answers.  Of course, my mike died and I was left like a puffer fish gasping for air.  I secretly sent up a prayer of thanks that no one outside this venue would see me.  I did notice the cameramen at the back of the two function rooms, but their true purpose had not really occurred to me.

Imagine my horror when it was announced that all the sessions would be podcast.  To the World.  Noooooo!!  I have visions of someone posting me up on YouTube, where it will mercilessly go viral.  Mummy.  My only hope is that the kind cameraman concentrated solely on Bel.

The session following us was a lively panel discussion with top-selling Australians Lloyd (Tummy Mountain), Sam (Matou En Peluche) and BrisStyle member Jess (Epheriell).  

It was time for me to leave, as I had a very important event to attend - our youngest grandson's third birthday, with extra grandparents winging in from Melbourne.  What a day.

Emerald City

The one good thing (possibly the only good thing) about achieving a Significant Birthday is that the celebrations go on for at least a week, or they do within our circle.

After milking the event for all it was worth here in Brisbane, we flew south last Friday to continue the celebrations with the Sydney branch of the Fudge clan.  My brother had organised our return flights, plus a special treat a few nights later.

Our first stop on our arrival was casual lunch at the Boatshed Cafe at La Perouse.  We sat at our table overlooking Frenchmans Bay, a family-friendly beach with no scary waves to scare the children away.  What a perfect way to start Birthday Part II.

A professional photographer and his lovely assistant taking pictures of the wall.
I guess he had already seen the sea view.

Back at my brother's unit we noticed a new piece of electronic equipment - a projector.  I had not seen a home projector since the Seventies and naively thought we were in for a night of travel slides. 

Wrong.  Live Rugby.  All over the wall.  That's a grandfather clock to the left.  My.  It was big.  Later on we watched North by Northwest and I had a bout of vertigo during the Mount Rushmore scenes.  I was like Mr Toad when he saw his first automobile.  I think I want a projector, if only we had a huge blank wall, which we don't.

The next day was hot, humid and steamy, so it was a blessing that we once again had lunch by the water, this time with our oldest and dearest friends.

We sat on the cool veranda overlooking the Hawkesbury River and again seafood was on the menu.



The local bowlers don't stand on ceremony -
very sensibly dressed for the weather.



















Then it was back to our lovely friends' home for coffee and cake.

Sunday arrived and it was time for yet another lunch (told you the birthday was being milked for all it was worth), this time with our two daughters, spouses and grandchildren.  The venue was the Botanic Gardens Restaurant in a stunning garden setting a short walk from the Art Gallery.

My house model wore a Hot Fudge creation, of course

The company and the food were all delightful, and I probably took a couple of years off my life with the chocolate tart, but it was worth it.

And now for the Monday night treat my brother had organised a few weeks back - tickets to the Opera House to see Billy Connolly, who has a sell-out season in Sydney.

Where else would you want to have a pre-show drink?  Of course, daylight savings makes such a difference.  If the devil himself would run on a daylight savings ticket in Queensland, he'd have my vote in an instant.

Berthed at the overseas terminal was the latest word in designer cruise ships, the Crystal Serenity.  Now what sort of a name is that for a ship?  Maybe they called in Paris Hilton as a consultant.  Can you imagine it on the Bay of Biscay?  Lots of crystal but not much serenity.

Billy Connolly was in excellent form, even if he worked the third and sixth letters of the alphabet to death.

I don't believe I'm saying this, but I'm actually looking forward to the next Big Birthday.