See you in Adelaide, January 11th and 12th, 2025

This time we haven't stayed in our usual Ibis Hotel, as it seems the area around Rundle Mall in Adelaide has lost a lot of its popularity. We've chosen the Indigo in Chinatown, which is bustling with activity. The hotel is what Marti calls "newish" (a term the doll particularly likes!), and we also find it stylish. We will feel comfortable here! But the best part about Adelaide is reuniting with Marti. It's only been 33 years since I was an exchange student with her. After a long pause, thanks to Facebook, we reconnected in 2014 and now see each other—whether planned or coincidentally—every five years.

Marti has planned a small program for us, but at a relaxed pace; after all, we are all older now! She has gotten a new car, probably not in honor of our visit but out of sheer necessity. The Chinese SUV is spacious enough to comfortably chauffeur us around the area.

First, we head to Largs Bay, the more relaxed beach option... sparsely visited but very beautiful.

At the pub with a view of the beach and sea, we exchange news, discuss world politics, and gossip a little. The doll takes it well! It’s somewhat unfunny when one gossips about people one doesn’t know...

Without being on the plane, time flies by again. We take a little walk, then Marti drops us off at the hotel. Before heading to dinner, she wants to park her car at home. In the meantime, we try out the hotel pool. Brrr... quite cold! For Püppi and Schnuck, it's actually too cold. But it's another hot day, so a cool down is necessary... nothing can be done... eyes closed and jump in!

To set the mood for the evening, we enjoy cocktails at the rooftop bar and then go to Korean BBQ. A first for the doll... delicious!

The second day brings us wine and kangaroos!

Our wine tasting takes us to the famous d'Arenberg Cube. For a winery, it’s an unusual but refreshingly different location. No... not the common "it's something different" but really original and good—Marti calls it quirky.

The Cube currently also hosts a Salvador Dalí exhibition, but we lack the time and muse for that. Not for the wine tasting, though! We sample four white wines and one rosé. In Australia, it seems to be trendy to make sweet Riesling... horrible! However, the reduced-alcohol Sauvignon Blanc is really tasty, and the rosé makes us think about maybe drinking it more often in the future. In the associated restaurant, we indulge after a successful wine tasting, and the visit to the restroom is quite an experience on its own!

Afterward, the visit to the petting zoo feels quite down-to-earth and conservative. We find it hot, and the kangaroos do too. They lie rather lazily in the shade. We still encounter several specimens interested in us and our kangaroo food. The doll keeps her distance anyway; the larger eaters instill quite a bit of respect in me. At one point, I feel compelled to toss the food bag and make a somewhat more hurried than orderly retreat... the rush was just too massive...

The activities of the past days have exhausted Marti, so she drops us off at the hotel again. We say goodbye, not without promising to return soon. And, of course, not to let another five years pass. We shall see...