Brisbane

They say Brisbane is subtropical, but everywhere you look you're reminded of the tropics - fragrant plumeria, palms swaying among jacarandas (in full bloom right now) and gum trees, the fruit - mangoes, numerous types of bananas, pineapples, passion fruit, and the exotic birds - ibis, parrots, and of course, kookaburras. It's warm and humid and the atmosphere is full of summertime stuff. Hard to believe Christmas is a week from today. The festive spirit is so subdued - I love it. Even when you walk into shops you don't hear those annoying Christmas songs. I haven't seen a huge amount of decorations and lights and things. But there is a large Christmas tree in the square in front of the City Hall. It's beautifully trimmed and the lights are solar powered.

The Brisbane River meanders through the city center and on either side there are beautiful gardens, cafes, etc. Walking and cycling paths allow you to stroll alongside for miles and miles. Ferries get people to the suburbs lining the river.

Yesterday evening Daryl and I strolled along the river, starting at Riverside. This is an area of enormous, shiny skyscrapers. Gourmet restuarants and atmospheric bars out here provide gorgeous views of the river and its bridges. We walked to the Botanical Gardens which has some amazing trees and a few unusual pines and came to a very interesting mangrove swamp. There's a walkway that allows you to cross this swamp. We then went across a pedestrian bridge to the south side of the river. Here there are stunning landscaped gardens which lead to a beach area. An artificial lagoon filled with turquoise water and around it, fine beach sand, makes for a terrific place to cool down and hang out. Kids splash about in the water and adults relax on the beaches. What a concept - right in the city center.
We then strolled along a road running parallel to the river - Little Stanley Road - in search of beer. Didn't have to work very hard to find a place that suited out mood, of course.

We went back to our apartment for dinner. There was a fantastic farmer's market earlier in the day where I bought fruit and veggies, excellent multigrain bread, and some tapenades. So we ate well.

Tonight we'll be at the math conference dinner at the University of Queensland. So, I'm off to catch the train.