Nos and Nots

Going over some old holiday snaps from last year's visit to Recife in Brazil. I found this picture from a Monastery (Museo Franciscano de Arte Sacra) that we visited.

At the Museum we found this quite impressive list of Nos and Nots.

Drive By Photography

I love taking photos when we are travelling along various highways and byways and Mr Geniaus likes to drive along making minimal stops. If we stopped every time I wanted to take a photo we'd probably never get where we are going.

On our trip from Sydney to Wagga Wagga via Canberra yesterday I took more than a few snaps from the car; many of them were actually in focus but they are definitely snapshots not beautifully composed compositions. They are, however, great reminders for me of the various trips we take.

Here's some drive by photography from yesterday.

There is wattle everywhere - no wonder I sneezed so much

Hope the Esky was still  there when these folk stopped for lunch

We only saw one Police Car on the trip

Why do road signs get in the way of my photos?

It was the coldest weather we've experienced all winter

The sun was shining and the skies were blue

Lake George was dry as usual

Another street sign at The Australian War Memorial

Clouds are gathering

So many big transports - why can't we use more trains  for transporting goods?

And the rain came down

On the road at Gundagai

An Aussie farmhouse 

Birthday Present Done and Dusted

I quite enjoyed reading a book I got for my birthday. Reminiscent of Downwton Abbey Habits of the House by Fay Weldon was the first in the Love & Inheritance Trilogy. It's the first book by Fay Weldon that I have read.

If I am lucky (and some family members read this post) I might score books 2 and 3 at some later date.

You can see how I rated this work on my Librarything account.

A Perennial Problem...

...Remembering Passwords.

Thanks to my mate Chris Betcher (aka Betchaboy) for sharing the link to this video via Google+

Best Mates

Taken fifty years ago this is a picture of me with my two best friends from school on a picnic. The image is not so good but my camera wasn't too good in those days either.

3 School Friends 1963 (I'm on the left)

A few times a year we get together in the City to see a movie or visit an attraction and have a bite to eat while we chat. Yesterday we were in the City bright and early to see the 10:00am session of  Behind the Candelabra  a movie about Liberace that we all thoroughly enjoyed. I had seen Liberace when he visited Australia in the early 80s so was keen to see how he was protrayed by Michael Douglas.

 After the movie we wandered around to Circular Quay where we found a restaurant with a sheltered spot in the sun. We ate and we talked and talked. Thankfully the restaurant people didn't move us on so we were able to engage in a 2 1/2 talkfest.

I love these get togethers with my old friends who, like me, just can't work out where those 50 years have gone.

Trees by a Riverbank

Mr Geniaus has terrible trouble finding birthday presents for this girl who "has everything". I didn't expect a gift this year as I considered that my recent trip to Europe with my daughter was more than enough.

But I do like surprises so I was more than delighted when Mr Geniaus yesterday gave me a large parcel that had arrived from England. After I finally removed the surprise from the metres of bubble wrap that were protecting it I found something that I wasn't expecting at all; it was Trees by a River Bank.

Trees by A River Bank

It's a painting by Australian artist Jamie Boyd, son of Arthur, and member of the family that includes a few other prominent Australian painters.

What is surprising is that we're not really into art and don't collect paintings but I guess that we do now. Mr Geniaus found this one on a UK auction site while looking for something else, bought it and had it shipped to Australia.

I was quite floored by this lovely surprise. Thank you Mr Geniaus.

Windows

Whilst I take lots of Door photos I have sometimes strayed and taken some Window pictures. Europe with its historic buildings provides so many interesting Doors and Windows for a girl from downunder who is only used to 19th century and younger architecture.

Perusing the photos from my recent holiday I found these windows.

Prague

Kutna Hora

Kostnice

Kutna Hora

Dresden

Terezin

Vienna

Vienna

Vienna

 Bratislava

Bratislava

Munich