Thursday, October 27, Brisbane

Brisbane has one major problem for us: It's quite hilly, and most of the sidewalks slant rather steeply toward the street, which means that Paula spends most of her attention on keeping her balance on the scooter. Also, it's still pretty warm for walking up hills. I do not think this is a city we will want to revisit.

On the plus side, Brisbane is full of jacaranda trees, which have been imported from South America and have become something of a hallmark of the city. The foliage is not green--it's a lovely purple!

View from apartment
  
View from balcony

We've been getting apartments with a washer and dryer, which we've been using, and a kitchenette, so we can eat in the room when desired. Naturally, that means we've been buying groceries, "as and when they becomes available" (to quote Granny Weatherwax). So Paula and I went off to find a supermarket. Google sent us to an "MM Supermarket" which not only does not exist, but no one at its purported location has ever heard of it. We did, after some effort, locate a Woolworths, which in Australia is a grocery store.

There are three free bus loops around the city, which Steve and I went off to explore. Steve now has a pretty good grasp of how to use them to get from one place to another; I have a somewhat shakier grasp. The buses are quite accessible, and we have been using them. When we want to go somewhere more directly, we've been using Uber a lot.

One key thing that has been affecting all our planning is that the Phillies made it to the World Series, and I'm the only non-baseball-fan in the group. (Not a complaint--more time to myself!). When Steve and I went exploring, he encountered someone wearing a baseball shirt, so they spent some time talking and Steve got some pointers to sports bars, including the "Pig & Whistle" (one of three), which he and I went off to find. We found it, but I guess none of the sports bars here are interested in American baseball. They're watching baseball on TV as I write this, using Steve's phone near the door to serve as a hot spot. Paula has rescheduled our visit to Hobbiton.

We visited the pedestrian mall, and had dinner at the Pig & Whistle at the mall. There only two ways to get food--either stand at the bar and order it, or order it through the app. Likewise, the only way to see the menu. Despite poor connectivity, Paula succeeded in ordering, after a couple of tries. The food was good--I had a spinach and pumpkin pizza--and all went well until Paula ordered bread pudding for dessert, which they apparently forgot. After 20 minutes I went up to complain, and we got it within two minutes.

I serious dislike the modern trend of not being able to do anything without a smartphone, which is infecting Australia about as much as it is the US. On the other hand, I like the fact that Australia is basically cashless--everything is paid for by tapping a credit card. We got a couple hundred dollars in cash when we first got here; we should find something to do with it before we leave.

For the most part I prefer pictures as the only souvenirs, but I found a series of "Green Guides," slim and lightweight nature volumes. I bought the ones on fish, mammals, and birds.


Art
  
Steve and his baseball buddy


An interesting design for a bench
  
Not a pigeon


In the mall
  
Pig & Whistle



Table 28 -- Tap, order & pay

  
At the Pig & Whistle



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