#hot water ballarat

[hitechhotwater]

Is a heat pump hot water system worth it for Ballarat homeowners? Learn how it provides cost savings, environmental benefits, and government rebates. Read blog!

[ecospreadmelbourne]

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[ballaratsolahart]

Professional Solar System Installation Services

Are you looking to reduce your energy bills and carbon footprint? Look no further than Solahart Ballarat! Our expert team specialises in solar system installations, providing you with reliable and efficient solar power solutions. We offer a range of services, including the installation of solar water heating systems and heat pump hot water systems, ensuring you get the best in renewable energy technology.

[solarbuildau]

Hot water systems are the backbone of modern plumbing and we, solar build manufacture a variety of solar hot water systems for various applications in Melbourne and other places in Australia.

[quickcarpetcleaningmelbourne]

Emergency carpet hot water extraction The act of mending and rebuilding wet floor and wet building elements after they have been inundated due to water loss is known as water and flood damage restoration. The specialists at Quick Carpet Cleaning Melbourne are IICRC certified and recognised in Water Restoration.

[cooljackwilson]

Tankless water heaters are better for the environment than traditional devices. Check out this infographic and read how you can go green with a tankless water heater.

[nicksmith9599]

Are you finding for the Blocked Drains in Bonshaw, then contact Ballarat Blockages & Plumbing. They specialise in drainage maintenance and repairs ... everything from a blocked sink to Rebuilding your sewer. http://www.ballaratblockagesplumbing.com.au/

[yesmadamepresident]

Jean and Lucien and #5

5. "Wait a minute. Are you Jealous?"

Thanks for the prompt! This is definitely way longer than I expected, but it was fun to write! Set sometime in season 5, consider this an AU where Joy McDonald didn't die, but went back to Melbourne, only to come back for the occasional visit to Ballarat...

“It really was lovely to see you again,” Joy was saying, eyes fixed on Lucien before they drifted over to Jean, almost as if by accident. “Both of you,” she added, but it felt like an afterthought.

“You too, Joy,” Lucien replied, as he rose from the table. Jean tipped back the last of her sherry before she followed suit. “And, please, if you’re ever in Ballarat again, pop over for dinner, won’t you?”

“Yes, do,” said Jean, though the words tasted false on her tongue.

“Well, I’ve got a bus to catch. Congratulations again on the engagement,” she said, and this time it was more directed at Jean. She imagined venom in her words, read envy between the lines, and chided herself for seeing what probably wasn’t there. Probably.

“Thank you, Joy,” she said, forcing her tired face into one last sweet smile, and then Joy was leaning in for a friendly hug, and Jean had to return it.

“Let me walk you to the door,” said Lucien, holding out his arm in the polite way he did, inviting Joy to walk with him. Jean liked that gesture. When he did it for her. She followed them to the door, feeling more foolish with every step—really, what did she think was going to happen?

Lucien helped Joy with her coat, telling her again how much he hoped to see her at the wedding, and his hands seemed to linger on her arms after they found their way into the sleeves. Joy’s expression was bright as they exchanged goodbyes, all blushing cheeks and flawless skin and smiling red lips.

The door closed with a decisive click and Jean turned instantly, heading back to the kitchen to take up their dirty dishes. She turned the water on, and so she didn’t hear Lucien come in until he was right behind her, arms sliding over her shoulders. Normally, she relished intimate moments like these; they made her feel special, and loved, and close to him in a way she hadn’t been to anyone for well over a decade. Tonight, she could only think of how he’d been in much the same position with Joy only a moment ago. Oh, she felt silly even to have such thoughts, but it did not make them go away.

“That was a treat, wasn’t it?” Lucien asked, in his regular cheery manner.

“Quite,” Jean said, setting a glass plate aside and reaching for another. As she did, Lucien released her shoulders and reached for a towel, stepping up beside her to dry the dishes as she washed, something he had been doing more and more lately.

He really was very sweet, most of the time. She just wished she could tell the difference between his natural sweetness and the sweetness that was all for her. There were moments when he looked at her and she felt like the only woman in the world. And then he looked at Joy with that same shining bright smile, and she was reminded that there were other women, and some of them were prettier, younger, more modern than Jean was. She let out a sigh, scrubbing harder than was strictly necessary at a bit of grease stuck on the pan she’d used a few hours ago.

“Jean, are you alright?” Lucien asked her. She glanced up at his face, finding worry and a touch of confusion in his warm eyes, and almost laughed at how oblivious he could be.

“I’m fine,” she said, returning her attention to the dishes. Shortly, the dishes were clean and dry, and Jean sat with Lucien on the sofa as they did more nights than not, the wireless drifting through some soft, sweet tunes as he sipped his whiskey.

“Joy looked lovely tonight, don’t you think?” Jean asked, and hated herself for it. She had just poured salt in her own wounds, and all she could do was wait for Lucien to rub it in.

“She looked...how she always looked,” he said simply.

Oh, so he always thought she looked lovely, she thought. Maybe the second glass of sherry had been a mistake. “You were glad to see her, weren’t you?” she asked him. She didn’t know what it was she was searching for.

“Yes,” he said slowly, trying to read her face, “yes I was. She’s a good friend.”

Jean didn’t know what to say to that, didn’t know how to translate her childish thoughts into an adult conversation, and so she stared at the floor, letting Lucien make the choice to continue the conversation, or not.

“Wait a minute. Are you jealous?”

Her hands, resting in her lap, toyed with the fabric of her dress, and for a long moment she didn’t want to answer, and then she wanted to brush off his concerns, and then she wanted the earth to swallow her whole.

“Yes.” Jean was not a liar. “I feel very foolish, but…” her voice was so soft, she thought she felt him lean closer just to hear her. “Yes,” she said again.

“Jean,” he said, reaching for her hand. She let him take it. “I don’t-- how could you…” he struggled to find words, and so Jean spared him the work.

“She’s a very beautiful woman, Lucien, and I know she’s fond of you, respectful as she is. There’s a part of me…” she sighed. Marriage was built on trust, wasn’t it? Honesty. Vulnerability. Still, she did not look at him. “There’s a small, silly part of me that thinks the two of you would have been a better match, somehow. She’s brilliant, and independent, and the perfect modern woman. I’m a...farm girl.” Her voice broke under the weight of her words and her shame, and she cursed the tears that threatened to fall.

“Jean. Please, look at me.” She did, then, and the love written on his face was almost enough to break her. “Jean,” he said again, and she was reminded of how sweet her name was on his lips, “Joy McDonald is, is...she’s fine. She’s nice, she’s funny, she’s good company.”

“Thank you, that helps,” she said, harsher than was called for, but anger was easier than fear.

“But that is it,” he continued, unfazed. “And it is nothing compared to you. I don’t know how to make you…” he sighed, and she could see the effort he was putting into conveying this message. “I am hopelessly, desperately in love with you. You are the most beautiful woman I have ever seen. I think about you, constantly. I’ve hardly thought of Joy McDonald since she left, and it was only because you brought her up!”

A tear slipped out, trailing a hot line down her cheek; Lucien brushed it away with his fingertip. “No one holds a candle to you, my darling,” he said softly. “And nothing holds a candle to how I feel about you.”

Not trusting her voice to speak, she nodded quickly, and then reached for him, pressed her face into his neck, feeling his arms come up instantly around her. “I’m sorry,” she whispered into the fabric of his shirt. “I know I was being ridiculous.”

“Not ridiculous,” he assured her, rubbing a hand up and down her back. “Just human.”

[slashingdisneypasta]

So tell me: What is there to do in Australia?

I’ve never been, but have always wanted to go there.

Oh! Really?? Well we’d be happy to have you!! 

Hmmm, lemme try to do this without triangulating my location, haha XDD 

Okay, so, I’ve been to Queensland, Victoria and NSW- the rest of the country is a complete mystery to me XD Also, I think most of it is desert and, like, 3 people plus an echidna anyway so that’s okay! Haha. 

I’m no tour guide, and my family always stuck to camping out in the bush when we were vacationing so I know next to nothing about mainstream Australia hah XD *Sweat drop*. Of course, I recommend the obvious ones- the Sydney Opera House, Sea World and Movie World in Queensland, Luna Park either in Sydney or Melbourne, Q1, Australia Zoo (Fun Fact: My family visited there THE DAY that Steve Irwin died. ... yeah. Not so fun, but there you go. Scary coincidence that plagues me everyday that I live in a world without that man), Uluru, The Great Ocean Road and the Great Barrier Reef, Sydney Harbour Bridge, Melbourne for a culture boost, etc. I would also list the Blue Mountains but all our mountains basically look the same, so. And I’m not even gonna attempt to list any beaches cuz, well you’ll find plenty on your journey and they’re all basically the same. Not to say they aren't great though! I’ve grown up around beaches and they’re beautiful ^^ I could stand with my feet buried under water and sand for hours, in cold or hot weather and its always nice. 

If you like more populated, normal society kinda areas, those are the places ^^ Lost of shopping, cultural enlightenment and beaches. 

Now, stuff I know XD CAMPING, ROADTRIPS AND SMALL TOWNS. Okay okay okay, XD Its been forever since I’ve camped but as soon as I rope a friend who can drive in, I’m going. I love the bush, and I think everyone who likes fresh air, and wild life, and nature will too of course (And, I know people worry about this so just saying- I used to camp all the time and I’ve only come upon one snake. No sweat. You’re far more likely to get attacked by a giant freaken kangaroo or pecked by an emu then bitten by a snake or spider. My Dad made up this campfire horror story about the ‘Ghost Kangaroo’ that makes a ‘Shhh-THUMP’ sound because it had to replace one of its legs with a mop, and THAT scared us more then the possibility of a snake). 

I bet you’ve heard of the Big Apple... but have you heard of the Big Pineapple? Probably not. Well its a thing we have in Woombye, Queensland and its just pineapple building thing that you can go inside, but is a fun touristy thing to do XD I think its reopening? Or its been reopened? I dunno. 

My BIGGEST recommendation is Beechworth. This is a town in Victoria that is Ned Kelly crazy. My mum’ll deny it now but honestly I think she had a bit of obsession with the famous Bushranger when I was little but she totally was. He kinda dominates my childhood memories. Documentaries, the Old Melbourne Jail where he was hung, his armour... and this town. This is where he was caught with Harry Power and there’s a whole walk you can go on that follows his run from the police, including a little statue of him shot and all (This tour is one of the most memorable tours I’ve ever been on. Right next the one I went on with a bunch of other kids where they taught us how to identify animal poop). There's also a museum, of course (If you want to see his famous tin can armour, though, you’ll have to visit the State Library in Melbourne), the Beechworth Gaol, and giant motherfucking statue of the guy. Yeah... as a country we tend to romanticise him a bit. I even have a picture of little me and my brother grinning ear to ear at his huge boots.

Beechworth also has the b e s t Bee Stings you’ll ever find, and a good Gold Rush tour. 

OH MY GOD SPEAKING OF THE GOLD RUSH. You MUST visit Sovereign Hill in Ballarat. Omg, I love that place so much. Its basically this town full of paid roll players like Disney Land where you can pretend you’re in the Gold Rush times and explore all the old fashioned shops and buildings (The Dentist is nightmare fuel), get dressed up in old fashioned clothes and get your picture taken, have high tea or, you know, pan for gold at the lake. I’ve been picked on by a roll players (A policeman. Both times.) both times I’ve been but its easy to avoid them if you aren't comfortable with that kinda thing ^^

Also- Food! Another recommendation for if you go to Australia? Go to a Bunnings if you’re hungry. They’ll likely have a sausage sizzle going and you can get a cheap, delicious lunch!! Plus the proceeds are usually for a charity, which is always good. I love sausage sizzles so much, haha XD 

Oh, if you aren't in to camping out in the bush, or at all, then I toooootally recommend any Big 4 holiday park you find. They always have giant pillows (The trampoline things, not the bedding XD) and- come on. How can you say no to that? Haha. 

Aussie movies to watch: Kangaroo Jack, Red Dog (Muahaha), Rogue, Crocodile Dundee and Nim’s Island.

We call our Prime Minister (Scott Morrison) ‘ScoMo’. 

Enjoy the fun facts written on pad wrappers! (If you get periods, or your have a friend who gets periods)

And uhhhh... I think that’s all I can think of? XD Thanks for allowing me to rattle on about home! ^^ 

Parting advice: DO NOT besmirch milo. You’ll promptly be fed to the dingo’s, and there is nothing I can do to save you. 

Also don’t talk shit about vegemite either, but that's mostly because you’ll be branded as an out-of-nation-er (?? Pft, haha) for the rest of your trip. Its hard to come back from that XD 

[ahamiltongarden]

MAKING FRESH TOMATO SAUCE WITH ROMA TOMATOES

Although we have tomatoes growing they are not as suitable for sauce as the Roma tomatoes. We discovered we could get boxes or parts of boxes of the latter at an Italian greengrocer’s in Warrnambool at $1.50 per kilo. Now this is a shop we sort of knew of but hadn’t gone there, preferring to buy vegetables in Mt Gambier at She’s Apples or in Ballarat at Wilson’s. Now we have discovered this shop we will be frequenting it more for certain things such as good eggplant.

But back to the tomatoes. We have all used the tinned Romas and the bottled pasta for years but I have never been really happy with the flavour of both of these. Real fresh tomato sauce is heaven and conjures up our travels in Italy over the years and our memories of pasta there with real tomato sauce. These tomatoes here are the second lot we have purchased from the Warrnambool shop. There are nearly six kilos so we should get quite a few containers for freezing. The last batch only made five containers but I think we should manage at least eight with the second lot.

The sauce is quick to make. First take the tops off the tomatoes and gouge out the core with the tip of a kitchen knife. Pour boiling hot water over them to cover to loosen their skins. Leave for five minutes then slip their skins off. The tomatoes need to be rather ripe to achieve this. Peel lots of new garlic (one clove per kilo say) and slice finely, gather a handful of basil leaves from the garden and wash well. Pour some olive oil into a very big deep pot and add a knob of butter, a big pinch of dried chilies, a spoonful of salt for every kilo, lots of ground black pepper and a few teaspoons of raw sugar. Slice the Romas crosswise about half a centimetre thick and throw the wonderful circles into the pot with the basil. Do not add a lid. Set the heat on high and boil vigorously for five to ten minutes, stirring now and then, and then reduce the heat. The tomatoes will break down very quickly, especially if you stir them a few times more. I would then cook them for a further half an hour or more but not too long as you will loose their fresh taste.

 For this second batch I am going to reduce the tomato liquid more than I did the first time so the flavour will be highly concentrated. We will freeze this sauce and defrost it to make various Italian dishes such as eggplant parmigiana using our south west white buffalo mozzarella, lasagne, meatballs in tomato sauce using pork, parmesan, and mortadella, tomato, caper and tuna sauce, ragu meat sauce and tomato sauce with basil. I got from Nigella the idea of using the Magi-mix to grind onion, carrot and celery to a paste and cooking that in some oil before adding the tomato pulp instead of finely chopping the vegetables. You will get a wonderfully textured and thicker sauce with a good mouth feel.

[jh815]

How to clean furniture, sofas, and carpets with a steam cleaner?

Now let's look at the detailed cleaning instructions: Today the carpet steam cleaner has gained immense popularity. This is due to the fact that with the help of this device, you can significantly simplify the cleaning process inside the house. It is great for both furniture and tiled floors.

Caring for upholstered furniture is not an easy procedure. It is especially difficult to clean woven upholstery using conventional methods. How is a sofa and other upholstered furniture cleaned? What is the device, how does this device work? This article will provide answers to these questions.

What is a steam cleaner?

Steamers or steam generators are devices that are designed to clean, disinfest various materials on their surfaces. The device works silently. It copes with dust mites without any problems, but at the same time is safe to use.

The most popular household steam generator manufacturers are Karcher, Ariete and Delonghi. These are the companies that manufacture cleaning equipment. Therefore, when buying devices from these manufacturers, you can be sure of the quality and a long service life.

Types of steam cleaner

A steam cleaner is a device that allows you too effectively and thoroughly clean and disinfect various interior elements.

There are three types of this "wonderful helper":

·        Manual. This species is small in size.

·        Compact. The device is of medium size. A small vacuum cleaner is available.

·        Stationary steam cleaner. The device is large, powerful and efficient.

The most popular manufacturers of steam cleaners are Karcher, Clatronic, ARIETE. The set of each type of device additionally includes multifunctional attachments that make cleaning even easier. Each attachment or accessory has its own application.

Using attachments

·        Each nozzle is used for a specific purpose:

·        Floor nozzle (tiled, stone).

·        Another nozzle is used for cleaning glass surfaces (window, mirror).

·        A nozzle with a brush head. Used for cleaning chrome-plated elements and sanitary fittings.

·        Great power nozzle. It is used for cleaning sewer drains.

·        Spray. Thanks to this nozzle, plants can be processed.

  As you can see, the steam cleaner attachments can be used in various fields, which greatly simplifies the overall cleaning and carpet steam cleaning bradford procedure.

How the steam cleaner works

Hot steam is the basis of this device. Hot steam, in turn, is supplied by pressure from the container of the device. Steam can penetrate into various places, including hard-to-reach places. So dirt dissolves and furniture surface cleaned. No additional use of chemical cleaning agents is required.

The principle of operation is that the water inside the tank begins to heat up, turning into steam, and then goes out into the pipe. This is a real miracle, because the dirt from the upholstered furniture disappears right before your eyes, and it is transformed. The result of this work is huge popularity.

The advantages of a steam cleaner

The steam generator has many positive aspects. This device has excellent maneuverability. The main distinguishing feature of a steam generator in comparison with a vacuum cleaner is that, thanks to special attachments, processing can be carried out in hard-to-reach places.

Thanks to steam, cleaning of upholstered furniture with a home & carpet steam cleaning Ballarat is gentle, so this treatment can be carried out for almost all types of materials. The steam penetrates deeply into the fibers of the fabric, eliminating various impurities that have eaten heavily, while no damage appears on the material.

The steam flow not only removes dust and various traces, but is also a "killer" of harmful microorganisms. Dust mites that breed in the fabric of upholstered furniture are afraid of hot steam. You can pay attention to some models of these devices, which are additionally equipped with reservoirs for cleaning agents - this makes it possible to perform cleaning more efficiently. By Using steam flow cleaning device, you can achieve:

·        Effective cleaning of the upholstery from stubborn stains and marks.

·        Disinfection of upholstered furniture surfaces.

· ��      Disinfection of tissue fibers.

·        Cleansing shiny stains.

·        Straightening folds and creases that appear on fabric covers. Ruffles and other decorative elements can also have such folds and creases.

The main thing is that after using this device, no traces remain on the surface of furniture or other interior elements.

The device is absolutely safe to use, since the use of chemicals is not required. This apparatus has a simple structure, so its operation is easy and convenient.

·        So, briefly about the benefits:

·        Easy cleaning;

·        saving time;

·        no streaks or marks;

·        elimination of unpleasant odor;

·        cleaning in hard-to-reach areas of the room and furniture;

·        elimination of harmful microorganisms;

·        elimination of dust mites and allergens;

·        Unnecessary chemical cleaning agents.

Steam generator cleaning 

1.      Cleaning of upholstered furniture with a steam cleaner is simple. Let's look at the rules for cleaning with this device:

2.      At the very beginning, it is necessary to carry out preliminary preparation of one or another surface of the decorative element. This includes removing debris and various debris found in the corners and between the upholstery. To do this, you can simply use a vacuum cleaner.

3.      If the upholstered furniture has separate parts, such as pillows, they can be removed. The components of these individual parts can be machine washed if permitted by the manufacturers.

4.      Next, you need to select the necessary attachments for work. As attachments, brushes are used, which have a conical, round shape. They need to be used depending on the availability of a particular location.

5.      Next, you need napkins or cloths made of a special material that absorb moisture perfectly. This will help you clean more efficiently. Microfiber can be used as such a fabric.

6.      Start with small spots on the surface. In parallel, use wipes that will help remove dissolved dirt.

7.      In case of Serous, greasy stains on the surface and in order to get rid of them, you need to use Carpet Steam Cleaning Ballarat. Not necessarily chemical, you can use ordinary shampoo. There is a specially designed cleaner for upholstery. Before using such a tool, check it on an inconspicuous place and only then use it to the fullest.

Now let's look at the detailed cleaning instructions:

1.      First, clean water must be poured into the container. If the fabric you want to process has a light shade, then it is important to use water that has settled before. Additional detergent can be added to the container with water.

2.      After each steam treatment of a certain area, it must be wiped with a cloth made of special fabric (microfiber).

3.      Do not wet the upholstery. For this, it is necessary to monitor the flow of steam.

4.      If processing is carried out near decorative elements made of metal or wood, it is important to act carefully and carefully. If a stream of hot steam does hit the surface of objects made of these materials, then it is important to urgently wipe them.

5.      It is important to divide the surface into sections. This will allow you to steam process consistently . Only then proceed to places that are hard to reach. For hard-to-reach areas, use the point attachment. During processing, you need to change the angle for optimal harvesting. If there are frills and ruffles, then the processing should be done from top to bottom. In this case, the fabric must be slightly pulled. It is important to carry out this procedure carefully, otherwise you can get your hand burned.

6.      Carpets and upholstered furniture should be cleaned from time to time. Serious spots just won't have time to appear. If children live in the room besides you, then pest control should be carried out even for children's toys.

This manual is easy to understand and understandable. Thanks to this device, you can easily and quickly clean upholstered furniture and carpets in your home. But in order not to damage the furniture, you must follow the directions provided by the manufacturer.

[ecospreadmelbourne]

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✉️ Email: Info@ecospread.com.au

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[seven-dragons]

Drabble Challenge: Call Me Señorita

@it-is-bugs gave us the topic “with a song in my heart.”  This is inspired by this song: https://youtu.be/OgiJhMTGDkQ

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox

It was hot.  Hotter than Lucien could remember, even back home, and made the worse for being near midnight.  A breeze off the water only added moisture and did nothing to alleviate the heat.   Lucien wondered how he had got into this mess.  It was supposed to be a simple liaison mission to the States.  He would meet with American and English colleagues to exchange information and plan a training mission.  Now he was stuck in Mexico, trying to wade through a morass of stolen gems, gun smuggling, and cash headed further south to fund a revolution in South America.  Months after he should have gone back to Hong Kong he found himself in a dilapidated fishing village, waiting for a contact that seemed determined not to show.  

The town, if you could call it that, was a small collection of tin and plywood buildings.  A small collection of wooden boats, seemingly held together by the tears of the Virgin Mary the locals painted on every wall bobbed with the tide while moored to tires or hunks of cement along a dirty beach.  There was one hotel, of sorts, a few rooms above the only shop.  The only other store in town was the local cantina where Lucien was waiting.  Lucien looked out from the crooked patio out onto the Pacific Ocean and wondered if he squinted hard enough if he could see Australia.  All he could make put were the lights of a steamer in the distance.  For the first time, in a long time, Lucien wanted to go home.  It was a strange sensation, he wasn't even sure where home was anymore.

The cantina was no more than a rickety wooden shed with three walls and a crumbling thatched roof.  Most of the town was there, at least what was left of them.  The waitresses were either far too old to be working or too young to be out of school.  Any woman young enough to work in the city or marry left town as soon as she could.  The same went for the young men, except for the few that could make a living on boats off a dwindling catch.  The smell of fish and sweat and stale beer was nearly overwhelming.  Two old men with weathered faces sat in a corner with guitars and sang for the crowd.  Lucien couldn’t understand most of what they said but he didn't need to.  They were sad songs, songs of loss, songs of pain.  Lucien thought it takes one to know one.  The proprietor was a short fat man with a thick black mustache and thinning hair.  Lucien thought he looked like a man out of those American western adventures - perhaps a bandito or a mission priest.  He came over to take Lucien’s order.

“Whiskey.”

The man stared at Lucien for a moment in confusion before disappearing behind the bar and coming back with a small glass and setting it down roughly in front of him.  Lucien knocked the whole thing back and nearly spit it out.

“Bloody hell.  Oi!”

Lucien waved the attention of the proprietor.

“What is this?”

Lucien pointed at the glass when the man didn’t respond.

“¿Que es?”

“Tequila.”

Lucien slumped down in dismay.  Unconcerned, the proprietor handed him another.  Lucien sighed.

“Tequila it is.”

Lucien downed the next drink and winced in disgust.  His time was being wasted.  The locals were getting rowdy as the night wore on.  Some getting into shoving matches, others slumped against a woman near the music in an approximation of dancing.  Things were only going to get worse from here and Lucien stuck out like a sore thumb.  It was time to move on.  The thought of his hotel room, cramped in the heat and stinking of the tamales that were steamed all day in the shop below did not appeal to him, but at least he could be alone to decide his next move.  

Across the room something caught his eye.  A woman was briskly bussing tables.  She was wearing the same traditional ruffled red and white skirt as the other waitresses but she could not have been more different.  Most of the local girls walked around with their eyes to the ground, beaten down by life at an early age.  This woman, tall with auburn curls, walked gracefully with her head held high.  She could not stand out more yet she moved among the patrons largely ignored.  Lucien wondered if he were seeing an apparition.

The proprietor must have caught him staring and bellowed “Juanita!” while gesturing for the woman to see to Lucien.  He handed her another shot of tequila on the way over to Lucien’s table.  The woman placed the drink in front of him, but not before taking a sip for herself and sitting down across from Lucien, smiling benignly.  Lucien downed his drink quickly to avoid having to actually taste it.  He wondered briefly why the proprietor was suddenly so generous with his staff’s time but he didn't care.  He just gazed at the vision before him.

The singers struck up a livelier tune and several couples streamed onto the dance floor, or what little there was of it.  Suddenly Lucien was on his feet.  Maybe it was the tequila or maybe it was because he had nothing to lose, but he was not going to let this one chance to dance with a pretty girl pass him by.  Suddenly he felt at a loss and cursed his superiors for sending an agent to Mexico who spoke six Asian languages plus French, but no Spanish.

“Ballo with me?  Bailar me?  Oh bugger this.  Dance with me, señorita? ¿Por favor?”

To her shock the woman graciously accepted his hand and led him out onto the dance floor.  She casually folded himself into his arms and if it were anywhere else but here on this night, Lucien would have considered them alarmingly close for strangers.

“Actually it’s señora.  Señora Jean Beazley.”

Lucien was stunned.  Not only did she speak English but it was his English.  He would recognize that accent anywhere.

“Bloody hell.  You sound like you’re from my neck of the woods.”

“Ballarat, Australia.  It’s in Victoria.”

“I know that.  It’s where I was born! Though I haven’t been back in a long while.”

“Neither have I.  What a coincidence.”

“I am supposed to meet someone here tonight señorita...um, señora.  I don’t suppose that’s you, is it?”

“Not me, I just work here.”

“How on earth did you wind up so far from home?”

“Well I lived on a farm in Ballarat.  I lost my husband during the war.  I had always wanted to see the world, so when my boys were grown I decided to make a go of it.  I made it pretty far but eventually I ran out of money, so I found work here.”

“So you’re saving up money to go back to Australia?”

“Not really.  I meant to.  Rodrigo, he’s the owner, lets me stay in a room out back for next to nothing.  But the longer I stayed, the more I seemed to my lose myself.  Eventually I stopped thinking about it.”   

Lucien looked around at the night pressing in on a town that the world seemed to have left behind.

“Yes, I could see how that might happen.”

The music slowed again to another forlorn love song.  Jean lay her head gently on Lucien’s chest.  Suddenly he felt dizzy.  He did not know if it was from the heat, or the drink, or the heady sense of want that was rapidly filling his body and pushing out all common sense.  Jean sighed in his arms.

“It is nice to meet someone from home though.”

“Jean?”

“Mmm?”

“Are you sure you are not here to meet me?”

Jean looked into his eyes, still swaying with the music.

“I’m not so sure anymore.  You haven’t told me what you are doing here.”

“Señora that’s a very long story.  Lets go someplace quiet and I’ll tell you all about it.”

Jean nodded in agreement.  Lucien took Jean’s hand and lead her out of the cantina.  On the way out he snatched a bottle of tequila off a nearby table.  The sound of incomprehensible curses eventually receded as they headed down the beach and into the darkness.

[brodabroad]

I was booked to do an all day group tour of the winelands so was a little taken aback to find out I was the only person on this particular one, thinking “poor guy having to amuse me all day”. However it turned out perfectly, even if I did feel uncomfortable sipping wines on my own. Wine tasting is big business here and done quite differently to Tas. You sit in comfort in beautiful surroundings and can spend about an hour tasting five varieties. Mark was very good company and shared a lot of information with me that he wouldn’t have done in a group.

On arrival at the first winery shortly after 9am, two other groups arrived, one containing two people from my safari, so we all did the cellar tour, then wine and cheese tasting together. This particular winery grows all its own grapes, does the majority of work by hand, thereby providing employment, and makes 1.8million litres a year.

As we drove through the magnificent scenery, we discussed the country’s history, how it started, the Dutch and French connections, the beginning of the wine industry in the 1600s (Napoleon Bonaparte liked one of these wines so much that he had caseloads sent to him via the trading ships), politics and the poverty which go hand in hand.

After the second winery we stopped at a town with very strong French connections and styling. This is usually the lunch stop and Mark would have made a reservation for me but instead I preferred to spend the hour wandering the streets and the true African markets, forgoing lunch if needed. It’s a beautiful little town, Franscchoek and I really enjoyed it. Spent a bit of money at the markets, of course, and just before I was due to meet up with Mark, I came across a stall with a lady selling the best samosas in the world. Samosas are popular all over Africa, and were often served to us for sundowners, but these were delightful: very fresh, hot and tasty, I only bought two, for the grand sum of .20c but if I’d known how good they’d be, I might have exhausted her supply.

Franscchoek has a great innovation that could work well for people doing the Tamar River wine tours. People buy a ticket and it runs them around the wine route, stopping at each place hourly for pick ups and drop offs, selectively, as there are 522 wineries in area.

Instead of going to a place he’d previously planned, Mark decided to take up a colleague’s suggestion and try a new one for our third stop, one that does wine and chocolate pairing. As we parked the car, a little golf buggy arrived to drive us the very short distance to the building, the same as we were leaving. Nice service.

All the wines are divine. Very soft, mild, tasty and easy to drink. And about $8-9 a bottle. Yes people, there were a few that cost more, but on the whole $8 buys you a superb bottle of wine. Well, what’s a girl to do?

Mark told me about the shanty towns that we would be driving past on our return journey. They are no stop zones. They are lawless areas where paramedics and emergency services will not attend due to the high crime rate. Some have been killed and/or raped when attending. Recently a friend of his broke down while travelling past there, and within minutes he’d been robbed of his phone and wallet at gunpoint. Mark said if his vehicle got a flat tyre in the area he’d keep driving. They are either side of the highway, and there are fences. You don’t actually drive through them, but can see them of course. About a million people live there; the buildings are touching each other, it’s so crowded, and on first appearance one would feel sorry for them. However they are given money by the government, free electricity, solar hot water units, and funding for each child. They are given free housing, but sometimes they have to wait a while for it. Work is available but why do it when you can get so much for doing nothing. This culture is passed down from one generation to the next. Sound familiar so far?

Then, on closer inspection, you see up to three satellite dishes per residence, and many fancy flash cars. They have flat screen TVs and many wear beautiful clothes when they go out. Often when people are given their govt housing, they rent the house out and continue to live in the shanty town with other family members, thereby accumulating more money. People are angry with the government for allowing all this to happen but their constitution states that everybody has a right to be housed.

Over a million people come from Zimbabwe each year to try for a better life. The unemployment rate in Zim is about 90%. They want to work and as soon as they arrive in SA they get work. Another political issue: “they’re taking our jobs”. But the South Africans won’t do some of those jobs. Again, thinking of Australia’s regional work such as fruit picking, sound familiar?

Practically anybody in SA who wants to go to University can. Fees are means tested so not many pay, but those who do, pay about $2000 pa. General nursing is a 4yr course but generally they stay another two years and train to be a staff nurse, sister, midwife etc. Their qualifications are recognised in other countries like Zimbabwe, Namibia etc.

We went through a varsity city, Stellenbosch. It’s a lovely looking city, established in the 1700s, is clean, with fresh bright white buildings, car yards with expensive vehicles, and looks trendy to accomodate fee paying students who come from far and wide because of the uni’s good reputation. However even here the crime rate is high. Outside of the city, in the hills, is a very low socio economic area and the residents there know that the students who’ve come from all over the country are “from the other side of the tracks”, that they’ve lived in comfort, drive nice cars and are not street wise, so are easy targets for theft and rape.

So today, Sunday, I start the long trek home, via Dubai, but I have the majority of the day here first. My holiday isn’t quite over yet though. I’m spending a few days in Ballarat and still have some photos to post, so don’t desert me yet.

[colorbondroofingcolours-blog]

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