I ended up having to rewind the cotton by hand because the original ball started to collapse and tangle. I do love Bendigo's bigger balls (hehehehe) but I find that if I knit from the centre I always have to rewind them, which is kinda annoying.
On the subject of balls, our first stop, the National Gallery of Australia, had balls everywhere! There was one hanging over the entrance...
..and another just to the right..
I don't understand why there was a group of pear sculptures also on the lawn but I did like them.
The gallery has an excellent broad collection that includes Impressionists...
..and modern art that really resonated with me. This is part of Josef Alber's series Homage to a Square and I really loved it (not surprising given my previous display of modular art). This was also the part where the security guard nicely told me that photography is not allowed at the NGA and I promptly put away my camera.
There was a bunch of other really cool art like Salvador Dali's lobster phone and the full set of Warhol soup cans along with Warhol's really creepy electric chair print. The only bad thing about the NGA is that it's in Canberra and Canberra may actually be the most boring and cold place in Australia. There was no temptation to move to Canberra after spending the day there!
We drove past Old Parliament House...
..and new Parliament House.
It's not very clear in this photo but this building is covered by lawn. It's crazy! I'm not sure if it's a good thing or a bad thing that the seat of our nation's power can be walked on. It's certainly a wacky thing. I guess if you have to attend a building in Canberra as part of running the country, it may as well be a quirky building.
Then back on the road and more time with my blanket.
The Hume Highway has a reputation as being one of the most boring roads in Australia. However, the sun setting can make even the most boring vista spectacular.
We stopped at Gundagai for dinner at an awesome old country pub called the Family Hotel (again, no website. These businesses are really missing out.) It has been owned by the same family for like a hundred years and the decor hasn't changed much in that time. Compare this photo to the painting hanging on the wall of the same room 100 years ago.
How kitschy is that lamp! I want.
The food was excellent and cheap and the atmosphere was wonderful (except for the pokies. I really hate pokies). There's just something so honest and Australian about country pubs where the parmas are made from real chicken and the beer still costs $2 a pot.
Then back in the car for the long drive home. I arrived home to a happy pussy cat who missed me lots and purred so hard I thought she'd hurt herself and my own bed. All in all it was a good holiday and lovely to get away. I think I need to start scheduling more regular minibreaks because, after just three short days away, I feel more relaxed, more alert and more ready to get back to work.
Holidays are the best.
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