Throw Your Arms Around Me - Saturday Song

Throw your arms around me, was written by Mark Seymour from the now defunct band, Hunters and Collectors. It has never been a top hit but has been picked up by many musicians and recorded on their albums. I heard the Irish Folk singer Luka Bloom saying that he was sent the song from a friend in Australia and decided to record it.
In a concert in Perth, he decided to put it in his list of songs not realising how popular it was here in Australia.
As he got to the chorus, the audience sang with him - he was gob-smacked.
On You Tube there are many versions.

This is the original Hunters and Collector's version from the 80s


Luka Bloom's version


Neil Finn from Crowded House pays tribute to Mark Seymour.

Funky Friday Foto

Driving home one Friday late in the arvo I quickly took this photo as I drove down the freeway over the city of Melbourne below. I'm not sure what the crooked arch means, and it seems to serve no real purpose. I'm not quite sure that I see it as decorative even, but there it is and I drive under it most days on the way home from work.

Sitting on my study desk is this model of a Citroen 2CV and a couple of cute racing cyclists. The 2CV may have been present from my daughter and the cyclists came home with me from Paris last year. I think we might just keep going back until I get a whole Tour de France field. Much more decorative than a crooked arch......

This Friday is the beginning of a long weekend in Melbourne - It is Labor Day. What's that you say, Labor day..... What's Labor Day.

Well, we have festivals, Moomba on the Yarra River. Folk Festivals in Port Fairy. Lot's of things happen.

Wikipedia

Celebrating the Australian labour movement, the Labour Day public holiday is fixed by the various state and territory governments, and so varies considerably. It is the first Monday in October in the Australian Capital Territory, New South Wales and South Australia. In both Victoria and Tasmania, it is the second Monday in March (though the latter calls it Eight Hours Day). In Western Australia, Labour Day is the first Monday in March. In both Queensland and the Northern Territory, it is the first Monday in May.

Looking forward to starting the weekend with a bottle of sparkling whatever tonight. Three days of rest coming up.

The Languedoc - returning to Saint Chinian

It was time to move on from Provence - We had seen some amazing sights and had some great experiences and we could have brought you more however due to our lost photo files, its really hard to explain these experiences.
It was time to return to the Languedoc region again. In 2006 we had a wonderful week in Saint Chinian and this time (2008) on our way to the Lot, Dordogne and the Loire, we wanted to renew our memories.
With only two nights in a very average "motel" the days were a delight. It was shame to spend the nights in this dreadful sub-standard accommodation. (Tell us what you really think Leon).....
The early mornings were delightful, crisp, clear and the start of spring. The terrain around Saint Chinian is both hilly and flat, full of vineyards and small if not minute villages. Larger cities are not far away such as Narbonne and Carcassonne.

Sue looks down the small channel that runs through Saint Chinian. We stayed further up the hill that leaves the village. Its not a place that we would recommend staying at, however there are some very delightful villas worth a week stay.



My early morning rides in the Saint Chinian area were memories I will always cherish. Clear blue skies, criss-crossed with the trails of international jets on far away destinations. Cycling allows you to be away on thoughts of your own. Its good for the soul.

Our first day was relaxing in Saint Chinian and revisiting familiar sights. Walking the streets and laneways was a little like walking back to your childhood past, except that in Saint Chinian, nothing had changed.



The wine growing district surrounding Saint Chinian is wide spreading with the variations being great.
We've tasted some lovely light Rose and also some very full bodied reds. Their not as well known as the wines of Burgundy, Bordeaux or Cahor. They are worth seeking out.

This is where we stayed in 2006 - lovely villa and great hosts. http://www.ownersdirect.co.uk/france/fr3342.htm
If ever you are there, I couldn't recommend a better place or better hosts.

We can't wait to talk to you next Wednesday and tell you about our day in Narbonne. Have any of you out there been there before?

As weekends go!!!!

Autumn knocked on our door this weekend. The leaves are still clinging to the trees but I don't know how long that will last. Our mornings are slightly cooler but then warming to very pleasant afternoons.

Trying to mix morning rides with house chores is always a struggle. Rides with friends is always a joy, especially when the sun rises over Port Phillip bay. The enthusiastic chatter between our group of riders is always a delight to hear, only overshadowed by the end of ride coffee or in my case a chinotto.

Our ride takes us to the end of Beach Road to Mordialloc. I've blogged Mordy before but on the weekend I found some great old piccies of Mordy - Sue and I have recently toyed with the idea of down-sizing in the future and maybe, just maybe, Mordy could be considered.

Years ago it was a holiday area, just 20 plus kms from the Melbourne CBD, but today is just another eastern suburb.

Sit in the sun but don't expect to catch any fish - not true, today people sit on the pier and catch fish.



The last of the indigenous inhabitants of Mordialloc were Jimmy and lubra (wife)





The Bridge Hotel has been part of the Mordialloc community since its inception - Its seen many transformations over its long history. Its patrons enjoy the outdoor decking looking out over the creek and the Bay on days like this weekend. Don't you love the old cars and the Bedford bus to the left?



It had fairgrounds, fishing and horse racing as its main attractions over the years. Today it has a real village atmosphere with cafes, wine bars and local shops that you don't see so much of these days. There's a creek that runs into the bay at Mordy and on the banks there was a boat builder that started his business there.

On the other side of the creek is a hotel - the Bridge Hotel that has morphed from a country pub to a place where the trendy now dine - that's not a bad thing as we can enjoy a few drinks and admire the view from its decking on a sunny afternoon.

Sunday came with a chilly morning of around 12 but as I was doing the lawns, it rose to 29. There were a few yard chores to be done but my rewards came mid afternoon as Sue brought out a chilled Rose, a Banrock Station and not too shabby. I'm impressed with this winemaker's philosophy. They care for our environment and portion of their sales are invested in the needs throughout the world.



Rosita and Rose on an Autumn afternoon.



http://www.banrockstation.com.au/

If you're interested, here's their website.

I must have worked very hard in the yard today because Sue rewarded me with a delightful dinner that was washed down with a Chilean Pinot Noir. Yes, we do have many fine Australian wines but it's nice to try wines from around the world, and besides, this one had a bike on the label.

Chicken breast pieces (I had to cut them because the whole ones were huge) marinated in salt, pepper, oil, fresh thyme, lemon rind and bay leaves.

Cooked in a pan till the skin was golden then popped in the oven for a few minutes.The pan juices made a tasty sauce.

Served with boiled little new potatoes with a little butter and parsley and my favourite salad (this week any way)

Different types of tomatoes cut up, a bit of red capsicum, spring onion, cucumber and basil. Hunks of sourdough bread, sprinkled with sea salt, fennel seeds and oil then crisped and browned in the oven. Mix it all up with the tomatoes and then add red wine vinegar and extra virgin olive oil and smush up. Yummy.

A nice, ripe piece of brie served with figs drizzled with runny honey. Served of course with Leon's coffee and a glass of muscat. A nice way to end the weekend.

As weekends go, this was a boomer..................

I Was Only Nineteen - Saturday Song

Red Gum, an Australian folk band came out with a song called "I was only nineteen" dealing with a young man who was called up for service in Vietnam. It was a number one national hit. The Liberal Government at the time introduced conscription and many 18 year olds were sent to fight with the American forces - "All the Way with LBJ" was the Government's catch-cry during the late 60s.

I had friends that went and some that didn't come back. Conscription wasn't for all - it was amarble pulled out of the bucket with your birthdate on it. Mine wasn't pulled out and sometimes I wonder if it ever went in! You see, I was born on April 1, April Fools Day.

The Labor Government siezed power and under Gough Whitlam, conscription was abolished. I remember having a party when the election was on and I can imagine many 18 year olds breathing a sigh of relief.
Like many countries around the world and not only by the youth, but people of many ages marched in moritoriums denouncing involvement in the Vietnam war.
It's hard to know if we should have been there or not, but those who were, despite either wanting or not wanting to be there should be respected for their commitment.

Back to Red Gum. They were out of Adelaide and gained national fame and travelled overseas. Their songs have been recorded by many other international singers, even Joan Baez.