Sunday, December 10, 2017

Sunday morning walk in Bowral ...

Dear Friends and Colleagues,

Whenever I go out on Sunday mornings for my walk in Bowral I invariably get an education, recreation and a small amount of exercise.  This time I passed the new “Home No 9” Thai restaurant opposite Coles and had memories of the previous night’s excellent dinner there.  I also went to their opening two weeks ago which was auspicious, noting several ‘colourful local identities’ (you know who you are!) also enjoying the brilliant and diverse Asian food on offer.  It is a branch of the Bangkok House Restaurant in Mittagong.  Highly recommended. 

After then walking through the aftermath of the tulip festival in Corbett Gardens I found myself in a crowd of happy, hungry Catholics.  The service at St Thomas Aquinas finishes dead on 10am most Sundays … not surprising when they have had 2000 years practice serving their parishioners and their deity.   Having looped past the bank and shopping arcades I found myself outside the Uniting Church, dismissing their congregants fully half an hour late.  Rev Harry Herbert had given the guest sermon on Reformation Sunday (don’t tell the Catholics, please).  He told me outside that this week is the 500th anniversary of Martin Luther’s famous thesis questioning Papal indulgences and starting the Protestant movement across northern Europe (and quite a lot of mischief since).  For once St Mary’s in Sydney has a service commemorating the event, something I find somewhat bizarre.  I am totally secular but respect people of all faiths and rather enjoy joining them, largely for the music, children, food and humour (and I include synagogues and mosques in my ‘rounds’). 
 
St Thomas Aquinas church and Mount Gibraltar.
 
My German forbears (there were Swiss Italian and Irish as well) were Lutheran but Bathurst did not have a Lutheran church in 1857 so they became Roman Catholic for 100 years or so.  [end of sermon]

For those into opera (and other things) the Bowral Empire Cinema complex has a round of excellent movies including the MetOpera HD broadcasts.  This time it was the season opening Norma by Bellini, my all time favourite opera with a dream cast including Maltese tenor Joseph Calleja.  Our friends just saw a disaster movie called Geostorm.  Good luck!  The trailer is shocking enough for me!  Galactic tsunamis!

I feel very happy that we have good produce, shopping, restaurants, professional services and even culture in the Southern Highlands.  Although I take the Xplorer train each week for part-time work in Sydney I do nearly all my commerce here in the Highlands. 

Best wishes from Burradoo, Andrew Byrne ..

Highlands hide-away Hunting Lodge: http://andrew-byrne.blogspot.com.au/