On Friday night after quite an extended planning meeting we came home and decided that we could manage little more than wandering down Elizabeth Street in North Hobart for a bit of window shopping and a meal.
We found a great bookstore attached to the State Cinema which is the equal of Avid Reader in West End. I found a Tasmanian detective called Pufferfish and bought a signed copy of the latest in the series. I have since discovered that David Owen, for that is the authors name, has written 13 in the series but has a chequered publishing history and many of them have gone out of print but there is a chance that they will be republished and if I enjoy the book I may be able to read the rest of the series.
We went again to the Turkish restaurant that we went to on our first night and once again the food was great. The poor lady who ran the place had two staff away and had to call on her mother, an ancient lady we saw walking slowly up and down the stairs, to help cut up vegetables. It was a long wait but the food was great, there was a fire going and a flamenco guitarist playing.
Saturday morning and we were all set for a seriously touristy day. We headed straight into Sweet Envy and bought potato sourdough bread, focaccia, cup cakes, fruit loaf and macaroons. Then off for a drive through Battery Point looking at both the architecture and the view. It was one of the few times that we didn’t mind that SIRI took us on a wild goose chase. It a lovely turn of events we have now spent so much time in the old part of Battery Point that eventually we found ourselves and parked and walked down towards Kelly Steps.
I love these steps. As we walked down them Heidi wondered aloud how many people had walked down these steps and worn them as they have. These steps beg that question and I propose another, how many people have wandered down these steps wondering how many people have walked down these steps. Or perhaps that way lies madness.
We entered into the maelstrom of the Salamanca market although we were well prepared as last time we were here was two weeks before Christmas and this was positively pedestrian in comparison. As always I wanted to buy anything handmade and woolen but was restrained and bought only a pair of Huon Pine cufflinks which I needed since one of my very limited number down here has French Cuffs and there is no rolling up the sleeves during winter in Hobart except for the metaphorical of course. I had a great conversation with a lady who was working with an older woman who had a collection of knitting machines that she was now using to make beautiful things. I really wanted to buy a scarf just because I had an idea of buying a knitting machine but of course it is not very useful for just yourself.
When we had finished at the market we return to Battery point and had a lovely Brunch at Jackson and McCross. While we waited for our coffee and food I found an article in the Hobart Mercury (a terrible Murdoch rag that isn’t worth it even with the tourist rose tinted glasses) about David Owen the author I had just bought. I felt very of the moment and read it and baited myself with looking forward to reading the book when I got home.
After a lovely breakfast with a particularly vivacious waitress we headed back down the Kelly steps to TMAG (Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery for you on the big island) to view more comprehensively The Tempest, the excellent exhibition. Of particular interest were the videos which were individually wondrous and which also brought a thoughtful context to the whole. We were also impressed by the cultural exhibition for the Tasmanian Aborigines who are the Muwinina, although this is a collective term since the tribes here were savagely attacked by the invading English and forced onto Barren and Flinders islands. I am pleased to say that the myth of their complete destruction, as in the ‘Death of the last Tasmanian Aborigine’ has been comprehensively debunked not least by the efforts of Michael Mansell. His daughter Nala is one of the workers at the Hobart Flexi and she brings a wealth of indigenous knowledge and perspective to the work.
On the way through Salamanca we saw a most impressively big navy ship the HMAS Adelaide, I subsequently discovered through the L01 emblazoned on it impossible tall, sheer side. This is the new amphibious landing ship and helicopter carrier. it completely dwarfed the French antarctic ice breaker that was also in port.
As we walked back to, you guessed it Kelly’s steps we noticed the starfish in the harbour. There were an impressive number of them and they were clearly of different types and sizes. The water was so clear that we could observe them as they clambered over things, arched up of their arms, and were generally interesting.
We left the harbour and went to MONA via officeworks where I picked up a whiteboard for the Claremont hall where we will be working. I mention it only because we might as well have walked into the officeworks at Milton, they were practically identical. This shouldn’t surprise me but it did.
MONA was great! I had seen it swiftly as I was following the young people from the flexi but it was good to have another look with time on my side and to discuss what interested us with Heidi. I particularly liked the sarcophagus that was scan with an MRI and a virtual image of the inside revealed layer by layer. Heidi was able to see the Cloaca fed and heard the attendant describe the process. I was amazed at the work of the texan who was looking at how Vemeer and the other photo real artist may have achieved their results. It was as much science and technology as it was art but i was fascinated. sadly Tim the tattooed guy wasn’t there. Tim has had his body tattooed by the artist and his skin purchased by an art collector and know is a living exhibit who sits as people look at him. Art is strange. There was a cascade of water that spelt a variety of words that plummeted through the gallery and disappeared into a drain. Fascinating! I want to be cynical about MONA but I’m just not. It has kookiness and seriousness and art wank and beautiful art. The fact that it is a beautiful spot doesn’t hurt either.
As they closed up MONA we headed home, tired but immensely satisfied for a great big day. We served up a big homestyle dinner knowing that tomorrow was going to also be big.
Text adventures in popular culture 