and so in melbourne we arrived....

  

... and upon our arrival, i found this wonderful book, a gift from vanessa cullen of perth college waiting for me (there she is, to the left, modeling the necklace she made in my stone soup workshop).  so, an arrival with the arrival - i suggest you all check out the phenomenal australian illustrator shaun tan, who created the arrival and won numerous national literary awards and nominations for his efforts.

 

melbourne is enormous - sprawling - bustling - a metropolis in every sense of the word.  (brian, if you'll look really closely and squint, you'll see not one but two church crosses atop those steeples.  and i don't want to hear one single word from anyone about that damned sex and the city billboard.  not my favorite show by any stretch of the imagination).  this small town girl was in contant awe, walking and riding around with my mouth hanging open, taking in all the sights, the smells, the sounds.  

 

and so.  the retreat began, with misty's and my greeting our apartment roommate, traci bautista, with much excitement and laughter. traci is an incredible teacher and savvy business person, beautiful, and just as good natured, funny and sweet as she can be - how can all of that be possible in a single petite little gal?!

all too soon, after not enough sleep, our first morning of teaching arrived.  the apartment where we were staying was far from the retreat, and the van taxi that was summoned for us and all our teaching gear never arrived.  so, here came another, small sedan taxi, after we had spent nearly an hour standing at the side of the road.  i wish i had a copy of the photograph that traci took of the open trunk, all our gear stacked to the top, with bungee cords holding it all in!  (thanks, misty, for sending it in!  LOL!)

 

morning rush hour made getting there quite the challenge, but thanks to our calm, collected taxi driver, we landed at the swinburne university, where the retreat was being held, without further ado.

my students were phenomenal - absolutely lovely and talented and plain old happy to be there, things that made me realize that the long trek across the states, then the ocean, then across great big old australia itself was well worth the effort.  i've never had such good natured students as a whole as did this time in melbourne (and that is saying a lot, believe me!); in spite of the hustle and confusion of first day's arrival, and steady bone chilling rain on sunday, everyone remained in high, enthusiastic spirits for the entire three days.  i'll have a photo album (i keep saying that, and i promise i will) that features some of the shining faces and creations that i had the pleasure of being with for the retreat; but for now, let me share with you some things of beauty:  artists' hands holding their own work.

 

all good things, as they say, must come to an end, but before we left melbourne for new zealand and america, misty and i were escorted throughout downtown our final day there.  we'd also wandered around downtown a couple of nights before, when we fell upon some strange and mysterious creatures that added to the magic of the evening.  has anyone ever come across a buddha statue that appeared to be watching football on an enormous two story high tv?

 

 

 

so melbourne, then, came to an end.  it was breathtaking, exhausting, glorious, frustrating, incredibly stimulating, highly rewarding and alive - all of the things an experience with art and emotion and creativity in a big beautiful city should be  (and then some).

  when strolling across the bridge that final night, it occurred to me that it had been a decade since i spent as much time walking a big city's streets and enjoying it as much as i did.  (new york, i still maintain that central park remains the loveliest sanctuary of all).  goodbye, sweet city, goodbye beloved australia.  i hope to come back and call you my dear friend once again, once again.

 

 

 

 

Comments

[inge Bekaert]

hello Nina,

i probably never travel to Australia, but you let me experience some of it... I enjoyed reading and watching the photo's: I love the yawning ladies !!! :)

greetings
Inge ( from Belgium)

[Cindy Ericsson]

I love how you see (and share) the beauty and mystery in all the people and places you visit.

[Erin Gergen Halls]

And so it was, and so it is, and here you are now, back at your home, thick with the experience. Doesnt it always feels like things at home have oddly remained unmoved, the same...yet now you never will be? Travel changes a person. I can sense in your words an appreciation for that.Your circle has grown, and thanks to your unbelievable spirit of generosity, so has all of ours, vicariously.
Now create, Create! And send the mingling of your soul and Australia out into the ether!

[m]

hard to believe it was all just a month ago i was getting ready to this...and now it's a dreamy & wonderful collection of memories to keep tucked away for days like these and those.
it's so good to come here and read these passages from our trip, thank you so much for taking the time to write them with such great photos..love them! ;-) ...looking forward to the next chapter! xxxxxxxxxxxxxxoooooooooooooo

[m]

hard to believe it was all just a month ago i was getting ready to this...and now it's a dreamy & wonderful collection of memories to keep tucked away for days like these and those.
it's so good to come here and read these passages from our trip, thank you so much for taking the time to write them with such great photos..love them! ;-) ...looking forward to the next chapter! xxxxxxxxxxxxxxoooooooooooooo

[Ariane]

Oooooohhh.. love the ferris wheel/water photo. Totally cool. Looks like a painting. Sounds like a wonderful trip.

[Judi]

Almost makes me feel that I was there. Your photos are wonderful. I love your "salt shaker" necklace - really lovely.
I agree with you on the book. I got mine in Seattle after Artfest and could not believe how inventive, engrossing and moving it is. It reminded me of "The Cabinet of Hugo Cabret", though much deeper.

[Tina]

I love the photo of the bridge with the ferris wheel in the background. I'll be back to look at it again and again as it launches some lovely daydreaming for me.

[Jo Wholohan]

loving your retelling of our time in Melbourne Nina, such a magical experience for me personally so its like im re living it :))

Tickled you put my Wee book on your blog (the aqua biridie one) ive since being home, taken the fabric off and aged it a little but still playing with the pages some more :))

[Jo Wholohan]

ohhh PS love the new banner :))

[Dawn Smith]

Nina, I have throughly enjoyed this vicarious trip you have shared of Australia through your eyes. Thank you for taking the time and effort. I have dial-up (slow dial-up), so I know what a sacrifice of time ad energy it can be to post image intensive blog entries.

You mentioned putting up a photo album of your students and their work. Have you considered flickr? I have found it to be the easiest way to share lots of photos.

[samm]

i love what you've done with our Yarra River Melbourne skyline... and the yawning ladies.... imagine having to wait for a taxi that long??? oh and i can't believe you posted the photo of your cab driver!!!! you are funny nina bagley! xoxoxo

[robruhn]

I look forward to walking that bridge again with you and Misty, I hope it's not too far away.
Ro
xo

[Shirley]

Thanks Nina for taking us along on your trips.Always have dreamed of Australia and New Zealand and now have seen some of it through your eyes.
Love the skyline with the ferris wheel...what a special sight.
And the legs with the horizontal stripes--they look like fairy leggins.
And that last shot that looks like it was taken from a tour bus or from the parked plane ...love it's misty, painterly quality. Yum.
Also LOVED your graffiti man. HA! Such fun you girls had.
And now it's back to this reality. (sigh) :))
Peace,
Sassi

[Chris Meissner]

Fabulous!!

[Candace]

Perfect little (not so little) post. Perfect photos. Perfect All and so it goes... thank you so very much for this adventure (it continues, as all real adventures do).

A bushel and a peck and a hug around the neck.
Candace