Moving on.

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Saturday, 24 March, morning time
(see below for explanation of time confusion)

Decision: Adelaide is my favourite city on this trip.

Virgin Blue experience yesterday much less traumatic than Sunday flight. However, flight was late due to ill passenger on previous flight. Hope was not sitting in her seat on the way to Adelaide. Will not think of this. Collected at airport by Driver. This is my first time to have descended escalator to find someone with my surname on a sign awaiting my arrival. Ought to have worn sunglasses and perhaps subtle headscarf so as to appear more glamorous. Visited two universities (and also had second Driver!) and attempted to pull intelligent and observant conversation out of insufficiently caffeinated brain. At least I have a nice smile. And a generally good personality.

Adelaide has less severe drought (although there are water restrictions and there is a drought definitely) and the city is greener than Canberra, Sydney or Melbourne. Am not sure of my prior awareness of the fact that, similar to Tornado Season or Hurricane Season – and perhaps Duck Season – in Louisiana, there is actually a Fire Season in dry places in the world! This is interesting. It is good to notice what different things there are to worry about in different locales.

Yesterday, the rain came with me to Adelaide and it rained all afternoon. Once I managed to get inside and out of completely drenched clothes and heels, this was marvelous. Prior to this, while amusing in a way, I had been slightly concerned about the health of my new cute heels, which are, after all, only less than two weeks old since they were part of my jetlagged shopping expedition finds.

Unfortunately, I am unable to recommend the Mercure Grosvenor Hotel as a suitable lodging. Since my room was located on the second floor, down several shady turns of halls, THROUGH a door and stairwell of what was obviously another building, and down some even dodgier hallways, smelling strongly of paint, dust, and humankind in general – ick (let us keep in mind that I was hauling, in addition to my attire and electrical equipment, at least 20 lbs. of brochures), this displeased me. I did not bathe there and am now waiting for my room at my new hotel to be ready so as to remove myself from current membership status amongst The Great Unwashed. After mentally steeling myself from skin crawling sensation (this could have been less my psychic fortitude than pure exhaustion), I did manage to pass out for a two-hour nap in the rainy afternoon, and that was lovely.

At darkish, ventured out in search of food. Turned wrong way down main street (directional skills impaired by dodgy hallway traversing and solely rain-washed hair), it began to rain. Walked approx. 15 minutes in wrong direction, partly not wanting to turn around and walk back past a loiterer dressed in black gangsta clothes, but finally was forced to as it was spitting down pretty fairly by that point. Managed to locate really yummy Thai place – Mekong Thai Restaurant – and had enjoyable seafood Phad Thai noodles (mussels, squid, prawns, plus tofu since I requested it), followed by dessert of palm seeds and coconut milk with basil in it. Could not taste basil, but it was an interesting concoction – v. good before sleep. V. attentive service, magnanimous variety, and magazines for sole diners (such as moi).

This morning, was up literally at crack of dawn to move to Hilton. Hoorah! As well, this fitted neatly into plan to breakfast at Central Market, since market is RIGHT BEHIND hotel! Much amusement has been afforded various male handlers of my luggage this morning. Had best taxi driver, Jonas, who told me that I ought to go and see The Old Gumtree on my expedition to Glenelg (beach) this afternoon. This is where The Proclamation was signed, in 1939 I think, and is where Adelaide history begins. Adelaide is the only planned city in Australia (although I thought Canberra claimed that, too, but could be wrong) and is set out on fantabulous grid system – grids make me happy. As well, this is the only Free City in Australia (not settled by convicts).

Interesting thing about roofs in Oz, which have maybe forgotten to mention before – there are very few shingled houses here. Most roofs are slate, or terra cotta tiles, or corrugated tin. Roof lines are diversely textured and make for a lovely compliment to unique blends of architecture.

Here is another mind-stretching fact about Adelaide… it is in a different time zone from Sydney and Melbourne. Okay, fair enough. But the time difference is HALF an hour behind! Do What? Tonight is Daylight Savings Time and they are falling back an hour. Hoorah for more sleep!

Am sitting in Central Market amusing self with: people-watching; food and flat white (yummy coffee) consumption; postcard writing; playing on computer like complete American; and IFSS: Intriguing-Food Sight-Seeing. Have consumed half of delectable Russian Omelette accompanied by three Russian salads. One salad is made of beet root. It took me about 10 minutes to overcome marvel at Russian omelette possessing texture of pancake – thought, ‘Wow! They must do something really interesting to make the egg so fluffy on the bottom’. This was, in fact, because there WAS a pancake underneath the omelette. I should drink more coffee now.