End of 2004
The end of 2004 was marked by a great difference for me since for the first time in almost 4 years I was to go back to Perth for the four months of the European winter. No struggling with the cold, snow, ice, driving sleet or fogs. No struggling with French conversation but also, no choir and the contact with many generous and friendly locals in the community. However there are compensations - sparkling white beaches; clear, fresh, clean oceans, Rottnest Island, crayfish (lobsters), fishing, the south-west wine areas, Aussie friends, BBQs, Australian wine, and, our families.
Our son Sean has announced we are to be Grandparents - I am not too sure how I feel about this as I am sure I am not old enough to be a >Grandfather=. He and partner Lisa are expecting in February so the timing is perfect as we will be in Perth until the end of March. Time enough to get clucky I suppose. We will also see his Sean=s younger brother, our second son, Simon and his girlfriend Jacinta as we are sponsoring their return to Perth from Melbourne for the Christmas season. With Maureen=s parents and brothers and my sisters we will have a full time job just catching up with them, let alone all our friends.
So, preparation time between the end of the cruising season, basically the end of October and our departure date 25 November - our wedding anniversary date ! Must be auspicious. We have booked to stay at the Hotel St Jacques on the left bank in Peris as our plane leaves too early on the 25th to get from Cambrai to Paris and make the 3 hour anti terrorist check-in.
Winterising the boat took several days and had to be carefully planned so that we ran out of water in the tanks on the day of departure so they would not freeze. We had a specialist change the water in the central heating system to antifreeze and to do several other small maintenance jobs. The engines required fresh cooling water to be drained and anti freeze exchanged with the Holt=s Block Soudure in the main engine cooling system. Seacocks all to be closed, batteries to be topped up and electrical systems to be closed down except for the battery charger and the central heating system switched to its antifreeze mode.
Many parties and drinks sessions before leaving with the crew here in port. Tam and Di, Tag, John and Valerie, Alastair, Bill and Sylvia, Tam and Di, John and Marietta and our boat guardian while we are away - Bob Smalldon. And then it was time to go.
Departure day was marked by Bob driving us to the station and just after he left us, Maureen discovering she had left her make-up case on the boat. Hurried phone calls and Bob arriving back with the case minutes before the train departed. Arrival in Paris and time to wander familiar streets before taking the metro to Rue Mouffetard for dinner and then sleep before the RER trek to the airport the next day and, after some discussion with the Singapore Airlines seating supervisor, getting our favourite seats unblocked for us for the flight to Singapore. Extra leg room for the first leg but disappointment on entering the Boeing 777 for Perth to find we are up the back. Oh well - it was only 6 hours !
We have taken to taking sleeping pills in order to get sleep on the long leg from Paris to Singapore so after a movie and a meal, pop the pill and settle into the seat to sleep. 30 minutes, 45, 60 - no sleep. OK pop another sleeping pill - still nothing. Damn. More movies and very scratchy eyes on arrival. Oh well, all the best plans .......
Arrival in Perth, family at the airport, hellos and arrangements made to meet later and then off with Sean to his townhouse in Subiaco to stay with he and Lisa for some bonding time before moving into the house that Peter Livingstone had generously loaned to us for the entire 4 months. Some shopping to do at both houses as there was a shortage of tables (we bought three, chairs, we bought 10, and barbecues, we bought two.
So many things to do and see, so many friends to catch up with - and the plan to do some work as well. Meetings with Rotarian friends to arrange meetings with potential contractors and Maureen off to work with the youth environmental group >Millennium Kids=. I to the Police Union and the Australian Opera Studio to propose profile and fund raising ideas - one contract - to arrange a large opera spectacular at Royal Freshwater Bay Yacht Club for a year hence.
Christmas. The boys and their ladies at our bungalow. Heaps of presents and wines. Good times and hot days. After Christmas off to Rottnest Island for a week. James boat and the boys not too keen in the early mornings to go out to pull the pots for the crayfish that had probably been raided by the earlier and not so legal kids from the main bay.
New Years eve on Rotto with the younger team creating a fairyland setting on the front lawn (sand) of the cottage and several roast legs of lamb with lots of Veuve Cliquot and Margaret River Chardonnay. Back to the mainland for meetings with the Opera and trips out to the Airport at Jandakot to brush up my flying skills and to take my Bi-annual Flight review and to start my endorsement of retractable undercarriage and constant speed propellor units on the Cessna 182 at the Royal Aero Club. Fights with the new instructress - finally agreeing to change her for a more understanding senior instructor. And finally, passes in both.
Transport was made simple by us having bought a Ford Fairmont Ghia (1989 version) that mostly worked but proved cheap transport for the period since we sold it the day before we left for $ 1,000 less than we bought it. $ 250 per month or about $ 40 per week for a big car that took us all over the south of the state in comfort and safety. I also bought a Yamaha Virago 250cc motorbike which gave me great service for the 4 months and so much pleasure I decided to keep it.
January, February and March - busy with constant social engagements, trips south to Eagle Bay for a Grande Bouche dinner with ten friends at Ian and Helen Palmer=s grand seaside castle and for the final dinner of the Golden Wing sailing fraternity - a group of geriatric Laser sailors. In March a flight south with Adrian and Leslie in their Cessna 182 and a stay at Vancouver Guest house - reminiscent of my many sojourns there doing the Centenary of Federation Festival and ANZAC Dawn Service.
The big event of course was the arrival of Elle Alexandra McDaniell on 26 February 2005. 6lbs and 13ozs and 51cm long - 20 inches. Perfect little girl since she was delivered by Caesarian section as Lisa had a placenta previa problem - not even a vague resemblance to Winston Churchill to be seen !
We were there in strength of course - Judy and Keith (Lisa=s parents), Sean (in the delivery theatre) and us, all with cameras, video and digital, the official photographer took one look, shrugged and departed without a word. Within an hour both Mum and baby were in the private room with us, Elle having had a battery of tests and being pronounced perfect.
Besotted grandparents were now in great profusion for the next X weeks before Keith departed back to Queensland. Judy to stay on until after the day we left on March 27.
During the whole period in Perth we had about 4 nights >at home= with the chance to just have left overs and stare vaguely at the TV. Especially towards the end of the period as dinner engagement dates filled completely and breakfasts and lunches were then booked in order to get through the lists.
Some more work consulting for the Altzheimer=s Association but a shock as the Opera company announced that it could not continue the negotiations for the gala in March 2005 since it would have to contract the orchestra immediately and if the concert was cancelled would stand the risk of having to pay out the entire orchestra, even though they would not play. Ah well, these things sometimes happen and at least I do not have the worry of the event clouding the 2005 cruising season.
Our plans for the forthcoming year include travelling up through Belgium to the Netherlands - first to Rotterdam to have the boat painted and some work done to the stern gland and rudder post and to enable us to thoroughly research the history of Van Nelle since the Van Nelle Museum is in Rotterdam as is the ship registry ! We also have two very good friends living 30 minutes from the centre of Rotterdam, Marcus and Els Leguijt, who we met on our first journey from Amsterdam to St Jean de Losne in 2001. It seems right to have them as part of our 2005 and possibly final season.
So, all we have to do is navigate our way through the amazing maze of canals and rivers to Rotterdam, then on to Amsterdam, north to Friesland, east to Germany and finally back into Burgundy - hopefully through Strasbourg before a busy period of cruises in Burgundy, Champagne, possibly Paris and back to St Jean de Losne.
Who knows what the year may hold ?