I crossed the Bay Bridge one more time en route to SF airport and my flight to Sydney. The BA lounge looked identical to all their others in UK airports –they clearly bulk buy china, furniture and refreshments. The one exception was the direct entry onto the plane which meant I was quickly settled into seat 1K on the 747, filling in my breakfast menu card and choosing a bedtime movie. The Lovely Bones was so disappointing, after a few hours comfy sleep I then watched Its Complicated with the wonderful Meryl Streep -did I laugh silently enough not wake my fellow travellers? Time for a third movie after more sleep: a subtitled Iranian production about an actress trying to flee the rigours of the Islamic state with its government of the lives of women by emigrating to Australia. Great cinematography and so wonderful to hear Farsi again and watch scenes in places I saw on my visit to Tehran last year. We crossed the date line during the 14 hour flight so I missed Easter Sunday completely but Quantas thoughtfully offered Easter eggs before take off.
Sydney was warm when I arrived this morning –the last time I was in this city I was 12 years old! My family had a brief holiday here before embarking on our return journey by ship to England after three years in New Zealand. Liz, my roommate at the Novotel Many Pacific, arrived last night, 12 hours ahead of me and we’ve met other colleagues here for the conference during the day. A long walk seemed a good idea after we’d both spent so many hours on a plane so we joined the Easter Monday crowds out on Manly beach. Ours was the gentlest activity: cycling, snorkelling, swimming, volleyball, and most of all surfing, were all happening up and down the bay.
Spectacular waves and some very competent surfing provided us with lots to watch as we paddled in the shoreline along the whole of the beach.
The sand is impressively clean and architecturally pleasing and no doubt very expensive apartment blocks line the shore road. We queued with the locals for a lunch of octopus salad and guava juice.
Back at the hotel, and many more colleagues arriving from all parts of the globe. We then changed rooms swapping a view of a concrete wall for one with a view of the Many suburbs -four churches, lots of flat roofs and steep hills going west lit up at the end of the day by a fiery sunset.
Travellers tiredness finally caught up with me after a meal and some good conversation with new and not so new colleagues all here in pursuit of All Together Better Health.
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