#I also found out his character is called Herman and that he's a baker who contracts Spanish Flu at some point

[saints-who-never-existed]

An extremely blessed Walmsley Wednesday to you all, my friends.

Guess who just found out that the play he's in is on at the theatre five minutes walk from their fucking house??!

[malgal7777]

Hiking with Tracy 2021:  Put it on the board...YES!

I did it!!!!   Woo-Hoo!  I walked 100 miles - almost in the whole month of April.  Since the last weekend of April was a bit of a snow bust, I had to finish my 100 miles this past weekend 5/1-5/2!  And what a way to finish...

I was feeling defeated last week when I wasn’t able to complete the 100 miles up in Tahoe.  I ended up being 17 miles short!  Can you believe that?  17 miles!! And I have a friend, let’s just call him “Barry” who was going to give me the whole $1000 if I was able to do it.  So I really felt down knowing I had blown it.  Blown all that training and blown it for the Ride4Reason fundraiser.  But “Barry” said hey, finish it up this weekend and you’re still in the running.  So I went back to the drawing board to find another route that would push me over the finish line.  But it was Bob who suggested I hike San Francisco.  AND, if I hiked SF, he would be encouraged to join me.  Bob’s a city slicker.  If he goes too far from being able to purchase a newspaper out of a metal box, he gets hives.  So, we mapped out a 10-12 mile route (I had to go easy on the guy) starting from the Ferry Building and walking the circumference of the SF peninsula to Ocean Beach.  It was FAN-TAS-TIC!  WOW.  Just WOW. 

We started at Justin Herman Plaza and since it was May Day we were hoping to find a rally or march happening.  And in perfect SF fashion, we were not disappointed!  Sure enough a large rally was gearing up to head down Market.  I’m going to assume the march was for workers rights, but it was actually unclear to us what their message was.  Not a good sign for a march/rally!

This first stretch of The Embarcadero was a bit sad.  Covid and the lockdowns have definitely taken their toll.  I know it was early and a weekend, but a lot of these businesses are still shuttered and closed.  And there’s a couple of homeless encampments taking over the street car kiosks.  The homeless.  Sooner or later I have to go there.  I can spout my love for California all I want, but it’s California’s biggest shame.  It’s no longer a skeleton in the closet, it’s all out in the open for all to see.  And I have no answer for it.  It’s always been here, since I’ve been here.  And it definitely has gotten A LOT worse within the past 10 years.  And it’s not just one issue, it’s the perfect storm of multiple issues coming together:  not enough affordable housing;  not enough livable wages; mental instability; drug addiction; nomad living lifestyle - yes that’s a thing.  I don’t think California is doing nothing.  There’s just too many people.  And you can’t just throw them in jail or put them onto a bus to make someone else’s problem - like other regional areas have done, there has to be some compassion and humanity.  But these encampments are not humane.  They are breeding grounds for disease and despair.  What does that say about you as you walk on by?  Trying to ignore the garbage and filth these people are living amongst.  But I have no answer.  I don’t even know where to begin to help these people.  So for the time being, I’m going to continue to stick my head in the sand and hope that California will rise to the challenge and find some solution, sooner rather than later. 

The Embarcadero curves around and leads you to the touristy part of the city...Fisherman’s Wharf.  I personally hate this part of town.  It’s just too much:  too many people; too many lame chain restaurants;  too many cheesy chotchkie stores.  My parents on the other hand love it.  When they come to town all they want to do is come to Pier 39 and Alcatraz.  My dad would live on Alcatraz if he could.  One of these days I just may lock him in one of the cells.  Today though, things were different.  I loved seeing that Alcatraz tours are once again up & running.  AND not a lot of people yet...wink wink wink...for those of you who've tried to go but weren’t able to get a reservation.  It was early, so the area was just coming alive. The street vendors setting up their wares or street performers getting into character. Then there’s the abundance of colors of all the flashy stores and restaurants.  The sounds of the sea lions barking at the tourists watching them.  The marina with the famous “Rocket Boat!”  I was digging it.  Fisherman’s Wharf also has some great views of Alcatraz and the Golden Gate Bridge.  It wasn’t so horrible.  Bob showed me Scoma’s restaurant, a tiny seafood restaurant that’s been here for years and is supposed to be pretty darn good.  There’s even a chapel for the local fishermen.  Then of course there’s Musee Mecanique.  A museum of antique slot machines, animations, coin operated pianos and the like.  It’s pretty cool and I believe most of the games are still functioning, so you can play.  Unfortunately it is also closed because of the pandemic.  You can donate to help keep it open though.  Just go to https://museemecanique.com.  

Then we hit Aquatic Park. An interesting cove at the West end of Fisherman’s Wharf.  This is where crazy people swim in the freezing waters of the bay, most without wet suits.  On this cold, windy morning we found a group of children being taught how to acclimate their bodies to the water so they can grow up to be crazy people.  Horrible way to spend a Saturday if you ask me!  

We continued to go around Aquatic Park and up and around to Fort Mason. There’s a great trail that we’ve never taken that gives you an even better view of the GG bridge and Fort Mason below.  And once you get on the other side, you’re in local land of OZ!  Where the curtain is pulled back and the locals are enjoying the real SF.  Now for those tourists who spend their whole time at Fisherman’s Wharf and The Embarcadero, more power to you.  Just don’t say you’ve been to San Francisco.  Because you haven’t.  Once you get over the hump, one of my favorite scenes of SF...the buildings.  Squat, square homes of multiple pastel colors rolling like waves along the hills of San Francisco.  In other areas of the city, the hills are rolling with colorful victorians.  The colors are what I love best about San Francisco.  

It was here that I realized I was hiking with Cher.  We had to make yet another stop so Bob could make a wardrobe change.  It’s also kind of a production with him narrating what he’s doing.  I got to hear all about the ins and outs of why he rolls his flannel rather than fold.  Why he’ll wait to take off the thermal leggings.   Where to put his first UO sticker. Yada, Yada, Yada.  Good thing he’s pretty cute.  As he was changing, we noticed a statue of an older man in a suit but no plaque telling visitors who he is.  I thought he looked like Rodney Dangerfield.  But why would anyone put up a statue of Rodney Dangerfield in SF?  That would be the ultimate “no respect” though, a statue but no plaque.  Ends up it’s a guy named Phil Burton.  He was a US Congressman from California who is responsible for 87,000 acres of the SF Bay Area being designated as a National Park. I was basically ending my hike in a National Park thanks to this man.  He deserves a plaque god damnit!

So once you pass Fort Mason, you are now in the Marina district.  It’s where Cal Berkeley students go after they graduate. They mutate here on the hollowed grounds of Crissy Field.  Like yuppy gremlins. Working out or drinking Philz Coffee.  The homes along Crissy Field are gorgeous. Huge picture windows with a front row seat to the Golden Gate Bridge.  Each one is architecturally different and once again, the colors!  Beautiful. The only downside was the wind.  It was pretty darn windy along this stretch.  But Bob had his windbreaker and I had my knit cap.  I can endure the wind if I have my ears covered. 

It’s a long stretch from Crissy Field to the Presidio.  The old barracks of the Presidio on one side and the entrance of the Bay on the other.  The GG Bridge is the main attraction here.  It’s majestic. Great time to get over there.  Parking was plenty and not a bad way to have a picnic. There’s a climbing gym, a trampoline park and under the bridge is Fort Point.  I have been here before, took my parents.  I was able to slyly divert their attention from the bells and whistles of Fisherman’s Wharf with the chance to view history!  They are suckers for historical buildings.  And Fort Point is a National Historical Site.  It was built during the Civil War in 1861.  It’s been awhile so I don’t remember too many of the details, but definitely worth a visit.  

Now we began our assent to the Jewel of this hike...The Golden Gate Bridge.  It’s a National Icon and San Francisco’s mascot.  As you climb the hill and get closer to the bridge there are a bunch of tunnels and “hide outs” along the way.  Remnants of the military presence that once dominated San Francisco.  But the absolutely coolest thing about this hike was I had NO IDEA you can actually walk underneath the bridge itself...like right below the huge steel red frame!!  It’s literally a wind tunnel, so hold onto your hat!  But super duper cool!!  If you have any engineers or construction people in your circle, this would be a great spot to bring them.  

As you continue around the bend, you come to Baker’s Beach.  Not sure if it’s still a nude beach, but it used to be.  The unfortunate thing about nude beaches is the people who SHOULDN’T be nude are the first ones to get into their birthday suit. But that’s my problem, not theirs!  Some nice trails along this stretch, but nothing too exciting to report.

We soon came upon the neighborhood Sea Cliff.  Now this is where the really rich people live.  Like Robin Williams had a home here;  Nancy Pelosi I think lives here.  Mansions with a view of the Pacific.  Bob & I had to walk through right?  I am happy to report the other half live very well.  I stopped to smell the roses (literally) but I noticed that all the gardens actually smelled horrible.  The fertilizer was strong here.  Bob & I laughed that that was how they kept the riff-raff away, by surrounding their homes with a shit moat.  Worked for us!  We high tailed it out of there.  

Now we came to our last stretch...Land’s End.  A labyrinth of trails along the coastal edge.  We needed to stop for another wardrobe change.  This time his leggings were going back on.  Which meant he needed to get down to his underwear.  Let’s just say a whole group of people got a little more than they were expecting that day!

Finally we made it to Sutro Baths and the Cliff House!  Fantastic!  Unfortunately the Cliff House closed due to the pandemic and is not reopening.  I cannot imagine this space will be closed for long.  Fingers crossed.  We decided to head down to Ocean Beach and end our hike by having lunch at the Park Chalet.  We were both famished and Bob was getting cranky.  Needed to feed him STAT.  I have more to report here but Bob might get mad at me, so if you see him again, just ask him about our new friend Franklin!  

BTW, Sunday I did my final 4-5 miles back at my MacArthur Trail.  I brought Stella this time and she loved it.  It was as fabulous as ever!

I’m still going to hike y’all and write about it.  So check in to see where I go next.  I enjoyed writing my thoughts and feelings down.  Even if nobody reads it, it’s my journal to this wonderful life I’ve been blessed with.  Why not tell the world!

Thank You to all who have donated to the Ride4Reason fundraiser and have endured reading these ramblings.  But, That’s All Folks!  (for now).  xoxox

[jeremystrele]

This Mid ’60s Sibbel Home In Healesville Is A True Family Legacy

This Mid ’60s Sibbel Home In Healesville Is A True Family Legacy

Stays

by Sally Tabart

The lovingly-restored living room at Fleur Sibbel’s Healesville home. Photo – Mike Baker.

When Fleur removed plaster over the ceiling beams, it revealed a fantastic original cork ceiling! Photo – Mike Baker.

Impeccable detail and craftsmanship is a trademark of Sibbel homes.Photo – Mike Baker.

It was super important to Fleur to maintain the original kitchen. Cabinet makers at Zuster built new internal drawers and cupboards and re-attached the original door and drawer faces. Photo – Mike Baker.

Among the few updates that Fleur made was new wallpaper on every wall. Photo – Mike Baker.

A grand, green bedroom. Photo – Mike Baker.

Impeccable detail in the bedroom and en suite. Photo – Mike Baker.

One of Fleur’s favourite features of the home is the signature Sibbel front door! Photo – Mike Baker.

When Fleur Sibbel, Managing Director of furniture and design business Zuster, first came across this home in Healesville in 2017, a part of her knew it was meant to be. But the connection ran deeper for Fleur than just falling in love with the place: ‘It’s a home built by my father, Meyer Sibbel, and designed by my grandfather Herman Sibbel, in 1968, so it has so much history for our family’ Fleur explains.

Many of the most significant mid-century homes built between the 1960s – 1980s in Melbourne were by Sibbel Builders, a third-generation family business brought to Australia by Fleur’s grandfather Herman and his brother Martin in the 1950s, later taken over by her father Meyer until the mid 1990s. Bringing over modern design sensibilities to Australia from Herman’s training as an architect in Holland, Sibbel Builders were instrumental in creating the vernacular for great home design in Melbourne that is still referenced and celebrated today.

Fleur and her husband Simon were mid-way through the renovation of their family home (also a Sibbel home) in Balwyn North when they first came across the Healesville house, but they weren’t really in the position to buy at the time ‘Two years later we were chatting and I said, “I still think about that Sibbel house in Healesville”. I searched [online] and it was back on the market – it hadn’t sold in 2017 and was back on the market in later 2019, just when we were ready!’ says Fleur.

After finding the home in its near-original condition, Fleur and Simon have made some careful updates with the help of builder Peter Cann, who started as an apprentice with Fleur’s Dad! ‘He did an amazing job on this house under the supervision of my Dad – it was just like the old days!’ She says.

We spoke with Fleur to learn a little more about this significant piece of personal and architectural history!

Hey Fleur! Can you tell us a little about your family history, and how it relates to your Healesville home?

I grew up in a Sibbel house in South Warrandyte on 5 acres, designed by my father- Meyer Sibbel. I’m one of four girls, and we all grew up in the family business, with Dad’s office at home and design all around us. We were constantly reminded that there wasn’t a son to take over Sibbel Buiders – already a four-generation old business, migrating from Holland in 1954. I was always so proud, and still am, of the houses Dad designed and built through the 70’s 80’s and 90’s.

As a family, we grew up discussing good design, quality and craftsmanship. It was just normal to us, but looking back it was probably quite different to other families. We loved visiting the building sites, the cabinet making factory and viewing plans of new house designs and projects of dads.

What condition was the home in when you purchased it?

We were lucky to find the house in its original state. They had painted beams and bathrooms, however there weren’t too many alterations. They had plastered over the beams in the kitchen, which was odd, making the ceilings lower. We removed the plaster and found the original cork ceiling lining, which I love.

It was super important for us to keep the original kitchen. I had our cabinet makers at Zuster build new internal drawers and cupboards and re-attach the original door and drawer faces. We also updated the bench tops to Fashion Granite and added a dishwasher and Miele appliances.

What other bits did you update?

We updated the bathrooms, with the Issy by Zuster bathrooms from Reece. It’s a bathroom collaboration Zuster designs and manufactures for Reece nationally. We also updated the flooring to terrazzo throughout and added wallpaper to every wall. I love the warmth and texture of wallpaper. We also re-instated the underfloor heating, which had broken 15 years earlier. The home is super toasty through the cold Yarra Valley mornings in winter. 

How important was it to you to stay true to the original style/character of the home?

It was incredibly important to maintain the true beauty of this house and design integrity of the era. It’s like being in a time capsule, where life was simpler, houses were smaller and design was paramount.

What ended up happening to Sibbel Builders? Is your business, Zuster, a bit of an homage to the craftsmanship that runs deep in your family history?

My dad wound up Sibbel Builders in about 1995, when there was so much pressure on ‘price per square metre’ and builders changed from doing everything in house, like frames and cabinets, to outsourcing. It was really sad to close up, but really hard at the time to convince people to pay for the long lasting quality of Sibbel. If we only knew then – it would all turn around!

 My sister Wilhelmina studied Furniture Design at RMIT and started designing furniture in 1994 at Dad’s factory. Dad closed Sibbel and helped in the furniture business (which was called Sibbel Furniture), then I joined 1996 to run the business side. We changed our name to Zuster in 2000 – meaning sister in Dutch. Dad retired about ten years ago, but has helped at Zuster so much over the years with construction, quality and manufacturing. 

What are some of your favourite parts of the home?

There’s so much I love about the house, from the signature Sibbel front door to the timber cladding and warm materials and textures throughout the home. I love that the windows face north, looking out onto Mount Riddle and the garden. I love the bedrooms, the rich textures and the feeling of luxury on our weekend stays.

I especially love the link to my family heritage and knowing I will pass the house onto my children and grandchildren to enjoy.

When Fleur and her family aren’t using their Healesville home as a getaway from the city, The Sibbel House is available for short term accommodation! Book it here.