Day 77: An inspection of Adelaide (17/08/12)

We woke to more cold and wet. The storm had shifted to the south west and was battering us from the other side. A great soughing would be heard from the great gum trees in the park. Then a sharper sound from the small trees around the caravan and finally the caravan and awning would rock as the gust got down to ground level. We looked out at a wet world. I had put up the awning in an optimistic frame of mind last night, and had tied it down severely. It had survived the night and was still rock steady. Not so the bloke opposite’s awning which lay sprawled in the mud like a broken bird wing. Others had put their awning up for the night, probably a wise move.

After a wild and stormy night our caravan was still standing, the awning was still tight.

A visit to Adelaide was the order of the day. We decided to catch the bus, which conveniently stopped just outside the caravan park. 5 kms later we were in the middle of town and we set off on foot. Every now and then we would duck into a shop or an arcade just to get some respite from the arctic wind. Our course meandered towards the Central Markets where the sounds and sights and smells were great and where we were protected from the elements.

Coffee and card-writing at the Adelaide Central Markets.

Finally we made our way back to the bus stop and caught the bus back “home”. (It’s weird, that: after a couple of months on the road, “home” is not Launceston, but wherever the caravan happens to be).

At “home” the awning was still up, the wind had died down somewhat and the rain had generally stopped.

....but we were glad to step inside our comfortable little caravan!!!....

Using the word “weird” above: I was going to use “funny” instead, but this made me think of the many Dutch (and German and Scandinavian) tourists we have heard use the word “funny” (pronounced as in “ferny” without the “r”). Once I hear a word like that it sticks in my brain and I have to use it to pass and to unpass (to borrow another Dutch saying), until Joke gets sick of hearing it. The European usage does not have the meaning: “humorous”, occasionally the meaning “odd”, but usually a substitute for the noun “fun”. The best example I know is the Abba song (who at least pronounced it correctly): “Money money money / Must be funny / In a rich man’s world”