Birds at Balmoral...

Today my GG and I took a little trip to Balmoral and had lunch at the Bathers Pavilion, an iconic Sydney spot...at this time of the year, it's not crowded, parking isn't too difficult and the views are fabulous...As we were walking in, I spotted several of these sulphur crested cockatoos making light work of a whole section of the garden outside the restaurant. I know they are destructive & noisy creatures, wreak havoc in gardens and are unwelcome visitors in lots of places but I can't help having a soft spot for them. I remember when we first moved to Sydney and I saw these for the first time in their natural habitat....it was amazing...their raucous cry is a familiar Sydney sound and one which is so at odds with the soft sounds of the birds in an English garden.






This was the view out towards Sydney heads - the water looked so inviting and I was reminded of so many picnics on this beach..fish and chips from the 'Bottom of the Harbour' accompanied by a bottle of icy cold bubbly....

My time in Sydney is coming to an end and the familiar feelings of uncertainty are beginning to stir in my mind - I am going home but leaving a place which is just as much home to me and where I could happily stay a while longer. I am reminded of a wonderful post by Vicki Archer at French Essence when she returned to France after a visit to her native Australia...I think it may have been called 'Home & Away' and totally sums up my feelings at the moment. It seemed impossible to me today, looking out on the still clear water of Balmoral Beach that this was not my home; I wouldn't be driving up the highway and in through the familiar gates but instead, the task of getting organised for another long flight back to an old Mill House in the heart of England's countryside awaited........s