Little Wandering Wren …. chats!

Hello, thanks for popping in! I had a quick dash back to Melbourne this week for our son’s 21st Birthday Party, giving me the opportunity to show you what’s up there! Politics: The upcoming people's vote on the same-sex marriage debate is big news.  When some idiot decked our former Prime Minister, Tony Abbott, a prominent No campaigner and AFL house had a bomb hoax after changing their logo to a YES, the stories ran and ran. You would have to be a keen news followers to have picked up that Donald Trump has declared war on North Korea (in their eyes) because all other news is about the sports! Sports: Australian Rules Football (AFL) dominates our Melbourne news. Yes, the only battle that gets a mention down here is this one on the footy field. AFL is huge in our State of Victoria and this year our local chances lie with the Richmond Tigers a suburb about 10 mins drive away. Of course, they have to beat, the Adelaide Crows from South Australia, a te...

Melbourne Australia  voted the World's Most Liveable City, 2017  by The Economist for a record seventh time.  I agree it is an awesome city to live. Here are ten reasons to love Melbourne with photos mostly taken from my recent trip, plus a few. You be the judge! 1. Cool Climate: After my humidity hair Bangkok life, I'm enjoying putting a coat on and walking in that cool, fresh non-polluted air... Ok, I was there in the middle of winter, but even in the heat of an Aussie summer, our weather changes. Melbourne is renown for four seasons in a day! It's never a relentless heat, nor the constant Sweaty Betty humidity.  Although, I'm not sure the Crazy Poodle was that happy with his rain coat...! 2. Coffee Culture:  Food is often the most missed thing when people travel, it is for me. I crave my favourite food, 'smashed avo' and look at this! No other country does coffee as well as Melbourne and not a Tim Tam biscuit in sight! 3. S...

Five Countries, two Kingdoms and a dog waiting in Melbourne. Here's my week in a nutshell. Cor Blimey, we've had it all this week weather-wise. All I can say is lucky that I am going on to an Aussie winter after this unscheduled visit to the United Kingdom . I have packed some winter woollies, so I'm fully equipped for a British Summer.  The United Kingdom is, after arriving on a scorcher on last week, currently sitting at wet and rainy, whilst the  Kingdom of Thailand  is pretty much the same, except it's the rainy season with 95% humidity. I love the weather reporters here with their cheery comments:   "There is no such thing as bad weather only inappropriate clothing!" Ha I have just realised I have swapped one Kingdom for another... What am I on? Don't worry I'm not getting any airs and graces, but really is it any wonder if I'm getting rather delirious? I met two ladies from Saudi Arabia waiting for the bus th...

I can't think of a better way of bowing out of Melbourne life, than waving goodbye to Roger Federer at Rod Laver arena at the Australian Open Men's final. Mr. Wren is now on a flight to Bangkok and I will join him in a couple of weeks. It was an amazing evening of tennis. My initial disappointment not to be cheering on Andy Murray having seen him lose in two previous finals was soon forgotten .  Melbourne knew it had a dream final with Federer and Nadal, and the players did not disappoint. I was going to say the eyes of the world were on  Melbourne, however, I know from the text messages that our friends and family in the UK had to make do with listening to the match live on the radio! Which was absolutely useless when we were saying look out for us in the crowd, our seats are brilliant! Melbournians, of course, in the self-proclaimed sporting capital of the world assume the whole world is watching and cram into the aptly named Fed Square to watc...

It's been a big week in our house as University is out, roll on Summer! Our kids have had a privileged, global education. For this we will be forever grateful. It is put in context through my work with refugees and people seeking asylum with no work or study rights. Education is truly a gift. We weren't sure Daughter Number Two would ever make it through school, let alone graduate with two degrees. You see she was expelled from her first school after only ten days. This week she graduates from the University of Melbourne  with a Masters degree. Melbourne University - Open Day. She's been to a few schools, way more than you can count on two hands, her education has been conducted on six continents. In her first twenty years of life, she had the opportunity to learn French at schools in Belgium and France, pick up Chinese in Hong Kong and to even get a smattering of Spanish in South America. She chose the International Baccalaureate at school in Australia and we...

Oh my golly gosh there is so much going on around here. I'm sorry I've not been around much except on my @LWWren Instagram.  I hope you've got time for a cuppa and I'll fill you in! Big news!  We've had our first day of warm, sunny weather. It is an absolutely glorious weekend for  the first start of  Melbourne Cup's Spring Racing Carnival. Phew, it's rather a relief as we wondered whether we were going to be stuck in Winter forever. Melbourne is looking lovely. Never better in fact. All that rain has left our parks and gardens looking unusually lush and green.  Oh Melbourne, you're making it tough to leave... It's been fabulous to take in a lungful of that Aussie fresh air and to ponder what's ahead. Next big news:   I've finished work!  I have for the past few months been in a temporary role with  Australia's largest provider of aid for people seeking asylum. I leave with very mixed feelings. ...

It's a big weekend here in Melbourne It's our Australian Football League Grand Final weekend. Melbourne Visitors Centre - Flinders Street Now our team Hawks (Hawthorn FC) were knocked out in a preliminary final  by everyone's second favourite team the Western Bulldogs  known locally as the Doggies! Footscray Bulldogs Street Art The Dogs have not made a Grand Final for fifty-five years. Their opposition the Sydney Swans are no strangers to a Grand Final  making for a fantastic Melbourne-Sydney tension. We love that rivalry! If ever there was the time to use the expression the underdogs,  it's this weekend. Go the Doggies! The Western Bulldogs herald from Footscray where I work It is such a great week to see the place decked in red, white and blue. We have had overseas visitors this weekend and after a hectic week of travel ourselves, we are all happy for Melbourne's  public holiday yesterday to celebrate Grand Final Eve....

I'm off on my travels again this week Hope you will join me Wren x Linking with My Sunday Photo Thanks to Darren at Photolife