Author: TravellinPenguin

We have had shocking rain and strong winds here and I’m very tired of it. We finally had a break for a day so I decided I needed a little project. I grabbed my camera, jumped onto the bus to town and photographed a bit of Tasmania as if I was new to town.

The bus dropped me near the general post office in the middle of town.

I then crossed the street and walked through Franklin Square in my 10 min walk to the waterfront.

I got distracted by the Daci and Daci cafe that has the best pastries and decided to sit outdoors. I had a lovely Pain Chocolat Croissant and ate it before thinking of photographing it. 😀

Then I finished my walk down the street to see one of the two new Bass Strait ferries that will one day transport people between Tasmania and the mainland. Our wonderful government bought two of these boats before working out they don’t fit the port in Tasmania so are now rebuilding the port which could take two years before the ships can be used. Yup! That’s all I’ll say.

Off to historic Salamanca. A long street of sandstone buildings with cafes and shops. The buildings are from the 1800s.

Of course I had to stop and admire this lovely dog. He was incredibly laid back.

Next a peek into the Hobart Book Shop. I don’t get to it often as parking is a nuisance and I only drop in when on foot. Besides Fullers is my go to book shop.

Then I looked at the selection of 2026 calendars in the basket out front.

I always stop and look at these statues by an artist I don’t remember but these guys appear in several countries in various positions.

There is a games and puzzle shop that tracks people of all ages. It used to be called Platos then they may have changed hands or names but it is now called Socrates. This is their Halloween window. Yes, Australia is following America with more Halloween activities than in the past.

Next we have the laundry mat cafe. Sit outside while washing and tumble drying your clothes inside. I haven’t sat there for quite awhile butthe coffee was always good.

I decided to walk a circle from Salamanca Square that is behind the old buildings to the front of the buildings. I sat outdoors at long time running cafe called Retro. It is a good place to sit and people watch. My waiter was happy for a photo but I told him to look away and please don’t pose.

Then onto Norman and Dann, a premiere chocolate shop. They have many coffee beans too and other wonderful little food stuffs. I bought a small container of dark chocolate/chai powder to try at home. It looks quite decadent. I chatted to the woman running the shop and left when a bunch of “Other” tourists arrived.

Time to head home so a short cut across Parliament House lawns was in order. I stopped briefly to see a small meeting of a Greens Member of Parliament and some anti salmon farming protestors. Our salmon in Tasmania are crowded in pens off shore and are full of disease and anti biotics. Change is needed and many work on that change. Again our government is blind to what the people want. Sound familiar. Even the chefs in the restaurants in this tourist district won’t put salmon on the menu at the moment.

But never mind – I’m relaxing today. I’ve had a brilliant spring day and needed to get the bus home. Here I am back at Franklin Square at the stop.

Home Sweet Home. The bus stop is half a block from our front door.

As I write this now, there is yet another severe weather warning out for us and more rain. Typical Tassie spring weather. When you think there is no land mass between us and Antarctica to the south and South Africa to the west you can see why our weather gets so wild and wooly at times.

Have a good week and let me know something fun you’ve done or are planning this week.

…..that an hour’s reading did not relieve. (Montesquieu)

Here we go with another quick week.

BOOK

I am just about finished with a fun little book called A Beginners Guide to Japan: Observations and Provocations. Written by Pico Iyer.

I am enjoying this because it is not your regular Japanese tourist guide of all the must see places. He writes about very different places and how they relate to his life living in Kyoto.

I am going to Japan the end of October for about 2 weeks or so. I’m participating in a small photography tour beginning in Tokyo and heading north. I have been before and that was a fun cherry blossom tour and visiting many of the tourist destinations. This will be very different.

FILM

Well I pulled out the book of 1001 Movies you should see, etc. I decided I’d choose 2 with the random generator. The first one was Pan’s Labyrinth and the second one was The Usual Suspects. I’ve never seen Pan’s Labyrinth and I was tempted though it is not my type of go to movie. I saw the Usual Suspects years ago but only remembered bit parts. I decided to watch the Usual Suspects. I really enjoyed it and I watched it late enough in the evening where I didn’t have to get up and down to let the dogs in and out of the house.

I enjoyed it again but it is quote violent. I enjoyed the story. Lots of twists and turns.

PHOTOGRAPHY

Not much happened on that front but I did get a couple from a lunch I attended yesterday with my seniors group. The photos came out okay but the lunch was a disaster. Twelve women all over the age of 70 had lunch at an historic pub in Richmond Tasmania. It was established in 1827. I have had several lovely meals there but yesterday it all went belly up. As coffee was being served at the end of lunch two of our 80+ yr old members became violently sick. It was very strange how they both became so sick at the same time. We had to call an ambulance about 90 minutes later which did not show. We had them lying on the floor with blankets and pillows. Family members were called. We had to transport their cars home by sharing the load. Some had car pooled so we had to get them home. One went straight to hospital and she is still there , more than 24 hrs later. The other is recovering at home, feeling better today but in bed.

I didn’t get home until 5 pm. What a day!

But (laugh) the place does have nice flower arrangements on the tables.

The flowering cherry tree is lovely too outside of the pub.

Before the lunch three of us did a little walk over to the jig saw puzzle shop. I took a photo of the massive jigsaw that is on the wall. Something like 32,000 pieces? There is a plastic covering over it so hard to see the pieces but you get the drift.

I thought you might enjoy seeing one of the historic cottages in this lovely town too.

Well I guess this brings you up to date with life in Tasmania as I know it.

I’ll end this post with one of our lovelies. It is always fun coming home to their wiggles and waggles.

Peanny has been playing in the garden.

NOTE: follow up to restaurant. Three public health departments rang me for details and the hospital contacted the environmental branch of the City Council and it is a mandatory follow up investigation. It’s always good to report situations like this . Even if it is a bother. There will now be an investigation.

Ralph Waldo Emerson

Another week is speeding by. So much political stuff happening in the U.S. Tired of all the news about it. Australia has their own drama.

READING….

Have begun a new book of short stories. I casually mentioned it last week. Winner of the 2025 International Booker Prize. It is Heart Lamp by Banu Mushtaq, translated by Deepa Bhasthi.

Good Reads description:

In the twelve stories of Heart Lamp, Banu Mushtaq exquisitely captures the everyday lives of women and girls in Muslim communities in southern India. Published originally in the Kannada language between 1990 and 2023, praised for their dry and gentle humour, these portraits of family and community tensions testify to Mushtaq’s years as a journalist and lawyer, in which she tirelessly championed women’s rights and protested all forms of caste and religious oppression. Written in a style at once witty, vivid, colloquial, moving and excoriating, it’s in her characters – the sparky children, the audacious grandmothers, the buffoonish maulvis and thug brothers, the oft-hapless husbands, and the mothers above all, surviving their feelings at great cost – that Mushtaq emerges as an astonishing writer and observer of human nature, building disconcerting emotional heights out of a rich spoken style. Her opus has garnered both censure from conservative quarters as well India’s most prestigious literary awards; this is a collection sure to be read for years to come.

I have read the first two stories and the writing is very good of course. But the themes are very much about the oppression of women, the lack of opportunity for women, domestic violence, polygamy and on and on it goes. 

I really do miss just a good story for entertainment though two stories out of 12 does not make a book and this book is for our reading group so I will persevere. I think it is probably an excellent book but gloomy. 

TAKING PICTURES…

On a brighter note three of my fellow photography women friends and I went in to the city last week and spent a couple of hours photographing people. As part of doing street photography there is plenty of opportunity to meet people and hear their stories. I will share a couple of the photos here.

I love photographing people reading instead of being glued to their phone.

Last night the Canon representatives were in town from New Zealand to share their newest camera gear. A small group of us met in town and did a walk around the water front for sunset. However the mountain was in cloud and the sky colours never eventuated. A few in the group tried out the latest camera equipment, lenses and made a couple of Nikon jokes for my friend who was with us. She had a Nikon of course.😍

Canon and Nikon people are great sparring partners though both cameras are wonderful.  Don’t get me started on Sony users.

Looking down an alleyway.

Reflections of the city.

Another little project I have decided to start is related to the book:  1001 Movies You Should See Before You Die.

Ollie says hello ‼️

I have watched so many 6 part or 8 part series that take days or one very long day, I have decided to catch up with some films I have wanted to see but haven’t. Or those films that I saw a long time ago. With the sad death of Robert Redford I really wanted to go back and revisit some of his films. Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, The Way We Were (one of my top 5 of all time), his first directorial position in Ordinary People.

I haven’t seen a real movie in a long time. Though I must see the final film of Downton Abbey. It just opened here and I feel must be seen on a large screen. I might sneak off one afternoon to see that.

Anyway- back to the big book of movies. I have decided I am going to focus on the movies in the book from the 1940s to 2020. I think that is when the book information ends. My mother watched old films for years and what she didn’t know about the 40s and 50s films wasn’t worth knowing. I remember sitting up with her after coming home from a date with Mr P or my friends and watching the late movie on tv that began at 11:30. Those are nice memories. She’d tell me all about the film stars of the 40s.

I am going to use a random selector to choose a film for me. If I can find it streaming somewhere or maybe available for rental I will look at it.

I am also going to do a random selection on another book called 1001 Albums You Must Listen to Before You Die.  That could be anything from years ago to rap, pop or jazz. Who knows. I don’t listen to enough music. It might be fun. Will aim for one of each weekly or so.

I just need some new motivation as we come out of winter. September in Tasmania is probably the worst month of the year and melancholy and lethargy sets in. Wanting spring- not yet available except for one or two days that tease one. Strong winds- winds on Mt Wellington a couple days ago over 100 km/hr (60+ miles per hour). The noise of the wind is stressful. 

So I thought I’d disappear in not only a few books but a film or an album. I’ll let you know how I go next time. I still need to do my gym work and my walks. It is the best thing I know for a low mood. 

On that note I will leave you all with one more Hobart street photo.

This man paints tiny pictures and sells them for $5.00 a pop. I have a little magpie and a little wren. 1×2 inches.

I hope you all have a good weekend.

Question of the week: What do you do to motivate yourself into action when your mood falls short?