Another Day - Another Walk

The Blogger got me out of bed this morning and talked me into a morning walk. As we have lots of interesting paths in our area, we set off down the road and into the Springwood Conservation Park, climbing up very steep paths back onto the main road heading for home.

Another Bridge Too Far

Along some big rocks up a steep hill

The Blogger doesn't look happy bu she is

Sunday Afternoon at Another Lagoon

The Blogger dragged me away from the Telly as I was about to watch Manchester City play Sunderland. Oh well, so we drove to a newly discovered lagoon on the border of Logan City and Redlands. It took a bit of effort getting to the lagoon as there is no pathway yet and we had to fight our way through the jungle, but the end result was great anyway. I had my iPhone with me just in case.

Lots of Waterr Lillies

Happy Snapper

The newly discovered Lagoon (for us anyway)

Still caught the last few minutes of the match which was great.

(Pictures taken with Hipstamatic from my iPhone)

Photos from our Trip to Switzerland in 2009

My school friend Roland sent me these pictures he took of our traveling group in 2009 on the Lake of Thun in Switzerland. You might remember reading about it on Diane's blog after we returned to Oz.

They are great memory shots and I thank Roland for them.

So here they are:

We're disembarking from a trip on the famous Paddlesteamer DS Blümlisalp
where we had lunch during a cruise on the Lake of Thun.
To see more of the DS Blümlisalp, watch the video at the end.

While in Thun, Roland organised for us to climb into the Church Tower to
inspect the bells we used to ring on Sundays during our high school days.

Diane and friend Helen posed in the castle yard with the Aussie Flag.

This is the statue of Fuhlehung, the court jester who terrorises the
children of Thun during a weekend in September every year.
You need to be from Thun to appreciate that.

Diane and Paul waiting for dinner at the Hotel Seegarten in Spiez.

Paul

Carol

Helen

Roland organised a few of the other school mates to come and meet with us
while we were in Spiez.

Diane's late brother David and his wife Ann came over from London
so spend a week with us in Spiez on the Lake of Thun.

Helen and Carol during lunch on the DS Blümlisalp on the Lake of Thun.
Carol also flew in from London to be with us.

Paul, Carol and Bill admiring the steam engine on the DS Blümlisalp.
Roland even convinced the Captain of the vessel to let me go down
into the engine room to film, something which is not usually allowed.

Diane and Helen in the port of Interlaken on the DS Blümlisalp.

The traveling group: (f.l.t.r)
Helen, Diane, Paul, Bill and Carol
(All pictures by Roland)

To see more of this fabulous Paddlesteamer including the engine room, watch this short video below:

(Film by Bill Bohlen)

Quiet Reflection

I finally got myself an iPhone and I am getting to know the camera. Here's my first attempt, taking a picture of The Blogger in the house having a quiet cuppa.

Have a great weekend everyone.

The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (PG)

We were lucky enough to be invited to the Brisbane Preview of a delightfully funny movie last night.

The Most Exotic Marigold Hotel for the Elderly and Beautiful, is one of those feel-good movies the British are experts at producing. Directed by John Madden (Shakespeare In Love) it features a stellar cast, including two Dames, Judy Dench and Maggie Smith as well as Tom Wilkinson, who played Joe Kennedy in the TV Series The Kennedys, Penelope Wilton from such TV Series as Dr Who, Downton Abbey. Ceilia Imry from the TV Series Kingdom and Bill Nighy (The Constant Gardener). Ronald Pickup (The Worst Week of my Life) is brilliant as Norman.

The story tells of a group of retirees, who for various reasons, opt to take up a free offer to spend the rest of their lives in, what was described in the brochures as, an exotic hotel in India. Of course upon arrival, they discover that the hotel is in disrepair, run by an exuberant young Indian named Sonny (Dev Patel) who is excited to welcome new guests, any guests, into his run-down hotel.

It soon becomes clear what the new inhabitants want from their stay in their new home. Graham (Wilkinson), a former judge, is looking for his gay lover of years ago, Evelyn (Dench), left destitute by her recently deceased husband is looking for a job to keep the wolves from her door. Muriel (Smith) a racist Londoner, who is in India for a cheap hip replacement, and hates the place, is befriended by her carer and eventually comes to love the hotel. Madge (Imrie) is looking for a wealthy lover. Norman (Pickup) pretends to be a wealthy man and is also looking for a new partner.

There is a side-story going on when Sonny's mother suddenly turns up and is planning to sell the hotel, while Sonny is trying to win over his girlfriend Sunaine (Tena Desae). By this, he is not only battling his mother but also Sunaine's brother, both being against their relationship.

Marigold Hotel is a funny, well cast and directed and edited movie which will be released to the public, in Australia on March 22. I highly recommend it.

Evelyn (Dench) and Madge (Imrie) sight-seeing in India

Graham (Wilkinson) is looking for his lover

Cranky Muriel (Smith) in the bus to the hotel

Douglas the hen-pecked husband

Redcliffe Peninsula

We've just been to Scarborough on the Redcliffe Peninsula with our friends. No doubt you'll read more on Diane's blog, later.

Yesterday morning, Diane and I walked along the coastline for a short stroll before breakfast. I now know why the Peninsula is called Redcliffe.

Our Camera Club

Regular readers of this blog will know that Diane and I are tutors of the local U3A (University of the Third Age) Camera Club, where twice a month, a bunch of seniors  interested in photography and video get together at the local library for a couple of hours to compare cameras, photographs and videos and to learn more about these things. We've been doing that now for over twelve months and the club is going from strenth to strength. What started with a handful of members has blossomed into a sizeable crowd, with 40 people attending last Monday. In fact the staff at the library had to bring extra chairs into the meeting room.

Here are a couple of pics, taken with my little 'pont-and-shoot' camera so please excuse the bad quality.

Roy, our first speaker and a member of the club, told us all out flash photography and when and how to use it.

Then we had Gabriel, a TV producer, director and editior come along and told us how to shoot video with our digital still cameras. He also showed us a video he shot on his DSLR camera on a para-gliding trip in Switzerland.

Then the members got their cameras ready and started filming in and around the library which we quickly made into a little movie clip to show the group.