So, what to do on Thursday?

We had considered the possibility of going to Phillip Island, but it's quite a long way and we had covered quite a distance on Wednesday.  We postponed Phillip Island until February, and rethought.

I quite fancied a wander around the boardwalk.  We didn't do it last time we were here, and I like to keep an eye on  what they're up to. So Tony, The Builder and I took ourselves down to the Balcombe Estuary and went for a potter about.  It was lovely.  There were lots of birds.  And a tree covered in cormorants.

Then we went back to the house and collected Stella and made our way across the peninsula to Red Hill to La Petanque restaurant where we had a truly sumptuous lunch.  (You can read about it here)

And that more or less accounted for the afternoon.  Tony went to choir practice and popped into the community centre later in the evening to see what the mahjong people were up to.  We had cheese on toast for tea, and went to bed extremely replete!

Today we went with Stella to admire a greengrocer/deli/butcher place out towards Mornington, and then pootled into Mornington for a bit of shopping and a mooch around.  We had sandwiches back at the house, and then came back to Melbourne - this time along the new East Link (which was being built the last time we were here and which Lindsey's sat nav doesn't know about).  I remembered to come off onto the Monash Freeway and we got back to the flat in considerably less time than it took to get to Mount Martha on Tuesday going up through Springvale!!

On Wednesday evening the phone rang at Mount Martha.  Rather to my surprise - it was for me!!  But who knew I was there?  Family did, of course, but they would have skyped me.  Who else?

It was Rod Mummery, a long standing friend who I think I have known since I was about 18, who had noticed on the blog that I had gone to Mount Martha and had, through a fine piece of detective work, found Stella and Tony's phone number.  We met him this afternoon downstairs, outside the IGA and had a glass of wine or two in one of the wine bars downstairs.  It was good to catch up.  He "retired" in January (what is it with all these youngsters that they decide they can afford to amble away from employment much, much too early?  Snot fair!!!!!!!!!!!) and seems to be keeping busy with Church activities and various other things.  Another one who wonders just how he managed to find time to go to work!!

Right.  Better get on.  I seem to have organised a party for tonight.  A Steak and Salad night.  I wonder how well we will go at fitting 14 people into the flat