My mom used to wake up me and my sister by saying “rise and shine” in a sing-songy voice that was like fingernails on a chalkboard to my teenage ears. Fast forward 20 years, and I did the same – with glee – to my kids. This morning, I had the pleasure of saying it to my mom to wake her up. Ah, karma.

Anyhoo, speaking of “shine,” today mom and I did the Bondi Beach to Coogee Beach walk. About 5 miles of beautiful coastline. We had lots of shine – and more rain than we would have liked. There were moments on this path that we were struggling against a strong wind, and moments where the sun came out and made the rocky landscape around us absolutely gorgeous. And then there was the moment we were walking through a cemetery and it started raining HARD. The wind was blowing the rain sideways, so we sought shelter next to a mausoleum with a bunch of German tourists. We were all in it together and had a good laugh. They didn’t seem to speak much English but one proudly said “all done” when the rain slowed to a sprinkle.

 

There is a “thing” here where they build seawater swimming pools right next to the coastline at just above sea level. These swimming clubs are incredibly popular. We saw several along the walk, and most were filled with people doing laps and little children learning to swim. Given that the ocean along this stretch is fearsome – mom asked it, “why are you so angry?” – I can see why they choose to swim close to the ocean, but not in it.

We had dinner again with Susie and Krysten. Italian this time. Absolutely fantastic food and a fun conversation.