Mel has some time off now, and as today is normally my day off anyway, we went into the city and played at being retired, for when that happens (not this year). Took the tram to Federation Square, had an icy cold pilsner, and then boarded the new shuttle ferry which takes a leisurely 40 minutes along the river to go from Fed Square to New Quay, with various stops in between. Lunch at New Quay, a look at the whale-saving ship the Farley Mowat of the Sea Shepherd Organization which was docked there, and then a tram back to Federation Square for an ice cream, ending with a walk through the Fitzroy Gardens before heading home.
It was interesting to be at leisure on a working day in a bustling city, to see people (younger people) dressed in their business suits and corporate get up (high heels with pointy toes, for cryin' out loud!), while we were comfortably dressed for the warm weather, and strolled or rode public transport from place to place. The other thing to notice was that we were only one of many couples of similar age who were enjoying their leisure time, and it was lovely to observe the warmth between them, and the obvious ease they felt being in each others' company. This is something to treasure, and I am lucky to have found my soulmate too. Yep, I can see us spending lots of these days of leisure in retirement, there's still plenty to do to keep busy and to learn, even about the city we've been living in for all these decades.
3 comments:
Well before you retire, I just replied to a comment of yours on my blog re training librarians! Wasnt sure if you would find it! Its cold here in UK, heavy frosts every morning, brrrr.
Val - I actually accessed your blog via Takoma Gardener, whereas I couldn't get on to it via your direct link. Strange!
Enjoyed your post about 'practising for retirement'. It would be a worthwhile exercise for many couples. Unfortunately, many may find that once they retire they have little in common, eg. no work (or stress) to talk about. Your comment about couples enjoying each others company was interesting. Richard and I have been retired for about 3 years now, and we get along better now than ever before - largely due to the lack of workday stresses. We are also passionately keen on gardening and share similar tastes in movies, TV and music, but we also have our own interests.
By the way, where is New Quay? Is it Williamstown/Altona way, or up river from the city?
New Quay is in the Docklands area, just behind Spencer St Station and Telstra Dome. Great place for eating, with a view back to the city. Magic!
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