Winding Down...Almost Gone

Tick, tick....4 days left in Awesome Australia and then back to backpacking. We took a trip to Adelaide last week and stayed with friends, Sandy and Glenn, who we met on our Vietnam trip. Adelaide is approx. 1.3 million people but feels like a friendly small town. We tripped around the beaches which are different than Sydney's with long portruding jettys into the surf and miles of sand and rugged rock. Simply lovely. Sandy and Glenn treated us like family and we had lots of good conversation and scrumptious barbies. Thanks guys. We were there just in time for Fringe fest which is the second largest art fest in the world. Lots of things to do and see, artists, writers, musicians - a plethora of events to attend. Unfortunately we were only there for a few days and so were on the fringe of the Fringe but it was bustling. Most impressive was the art gallery in Adelaide where we saw amazing artworks by Van Dyck, Warhol, Rodin and other world famous painters and sculptors. I would have to say one of the most amazing galleries I have ever seen.

Sandy and Glenn took us out one day for a tour of their beloved Adelaide and surrounding country and we did a nice little tour of the wineries and vineyards. It was a blazing, sweet sunny day and it was so much fun talking to the winery folks, tasting the vintages and the cheeses and olive products of the area. Great day. They have a little dog named Zoey and we spent time cuddling and spoiling her - it was nice to be around a pet again.

Back to Sydney for my birthday. Ivan and Pat went shopping and bought lots of kebabs and goodies and the next day we went out on a party pontoon for the day. We met some very nice people and cruised around the different bays and had a barbie on the boat and it was a great way to spend a birthday. It's going to be so hard to leave here but on we must go - the world awaits.

We leave here next Thursday to Thailand for 16 days (we love Thailand)! And then on to India where life will be a challenge again. After a month in India we head to Turkey and into Europe to visit folks we've met along the way and to meet my relatives in Poland which I am really thrilled about - they've been sending emails and it's very exciting. We leave Europe on July 15 and home for a few months. Cheerio - pix to follow soon.