Back Safe and Sound

I was tempted to book to stay another night, but decided against it; so, after booking out, I went and heard Mass at Our Lady of the Southern Cross, then had a rather good breakfast at the same local cafe as yesterday - coffee, plus french toast with banana, bacon and maple syrup; a combination which I hadn't had since my trip to Lismore for Bp Jarrett's consecration eight years ago.  Memories...

(Oh, and BTW last night's meal at the wine bar turned out not to be drawn from among various tapas - which are available on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays - but from a fine menu: so I had roasted artichoke and mushroom soup, followed by crispy skin duck confit on brussels sprouts with pancetta and green beans.  I went to bed fairly early, but read until late about the disasters awaiting us with global warming: it's a genre called "climate p__n", you know the word I mean.) 

Leaving Dunsborough, I drove up to Cape Naturaliste lighthouse, in the national park, and took an hour's circuit around the windswept headland, including a peek from the whale lookout (alas, none, though blue, humpback and southern right whales all rest on their migrations in Geographe Bay).  The low colourful vegetation was in flower, with a pronounced scent, and the sand grading to eroded limestone underfoot was unusual to walk on.  Quite pleasant to get some sun, of which I now feel the effects!

By the time I drove away it was lunchtime, so I headed off down many a country road toward Yahava, a local coffee roaster that had been recommended to me; to be honest, having got there, I thought it nice enough but a bit overrated.  Far more to my taste was Knotting Hill vineyard opposite it, where I met some fine people - retired wheatbelt farmers having a tree-change (as they say nowadays) by moving down South and establishing a very pleasant and successful winemaking estate around an artificial lake.  Their wine I found very passable indeed, and bought some, plus a "vineyard platter" for my late lunch.  A walk around the lake did me the world of good, and it was really nice to meet such down-to-earth, goodhearted people - and their very cute pet dogs!

Finally I turned for home, but not without stopping off at Gelorup outside Bunbury, to catch up on my prayers at the Carmel there, and to spare a prayer for Br Peter, late of Bunbury, now with the Carmelite Monks over in the States.  Since I decided to detour to the coalmining town of Collie - very clean and tidy, even with a great big coal train going through the middle of the place when I arrived - I therefore added another 70 km onto the return trip, meaning that the last hour and a half was in darkness.

What have I been listening to in the car as I drive?  Some ABC radio, but mostly some CD's I brought along:

• Music for a Hidden Chapel (Byrd's Marian anthems and polyphonic Propers for Easter and the Assumption, sung by Chanticleer: the wordpainting is stunning, as in the Easter Sequence Victimæ paschali and the former Assumption Introit Gaudeamus omnes, and it was well worth a second listening);
• Sing to God (gadzooks! Taize! - an old gift to me of nice muzak, giving something of the psalms and other Scriptures in easily digestible form);
• Tafelmusik (4 CD's of Telemann, played by Musica Antiqua Köln; this great set came to me free, from an old priest who was retiring - ora pro eo).

It was good to get home at 7.45 pm, unpack, and share a good roast dinner with my mates, who'd thoughtfully organized a proper meal for us all.

And now, to bed.

(Of your charity, prayers, please, for a certain vital intention.)