Tuesday - Saturday, June 11 - 15 2013 (diary)

I am happy with the progress of our new Trailer Boat Bridge Club. We now have 26+ regular members, plus several occasional attendants. The atmosphere is great and all the beginners are making good progress. Most play at least twice a week at the club.
It has also given me a new incentive to develop new ideas to teach and pass on.
The Trailer Boat Club management too is happy of course with this renewed influx of new members to their club.
I do feel comfortable and very relaxed at the club, and usually, after bridge, sit there quietly with a glass of wine absorbing the waterfront atmosphere, either at night with lights twinkling all around the harbour, or in the late afternoon watching the yachts and other small crafts moored in front.

We are now well and truly in the "dry season" here in Darwin. The nights are cooler now - I sleep under a blanket - the days are bright and sunny, with blue skies and low humidity. Top temperatures reach 30-33°C.

Sunday - Tuesday, June 16 - 25 2013 (diary)

After receiving a report from my sister Wivica that there was considerable flooding from the Mosel river at Bernkastel-Kues, I emailed Sabine, Manager of the family owned Hotel Sankt Maximillian in Kues, asking if it had affected their hotel.
Fortunately they experienced only heavy thunder and lightning which have now ceased she told me. The Hotel lies on higher ground with respect to the river I vaguely recall from my 2008 visit there.

I really feel I should visit them again. After all I drank "Brudershaft" with Sabine's father Peter when I was there at the time. Amongst the more mature Germans that is still a significant expression and confirmation of strong friendship and mutual appreciation (after which you address each other with the familiar Du" and no longer use the formal "Sie"), and I feel much honoured by it.
It is also a lovely family, they have their own vineyard, and the wine in their hotel is accordingly quite cheap but of excellent ("Kabinet") quality.

So I have made up my mind that I will definitely visit them again next year, although it is difficult to get there. There is no railway line along the Mosel valley, so you can only get to Bernkastel by car, ship, or, as in my case, by bus. I will ask Sabine for the best way to travel there.

Wednesday - Sunday, June 26 - 30 2013 (diary)

Cathy Kowalski joined us for our Saturday bridge session at the Trailer Boat Bridge Club yesterday. She and her husband George are on a camping trip around Australia, spending 5 days in Darwin.
Way back in 1994, when I was living on the Sunshine Coast (SE Queensland), Cathy rang me interested to learn to play bridge. She got a number of friends together who went through the lessons with me at home and with them we started a small bridge club (now the Diddilliba Bridge Club) which is still going strong.

Last week I joined the Coast Guard Volunteers in Darwin. I am very busy running our new Bridge Club and it is therefore good to have another, and quite different, interest I am involved in.
The Darwin Coast Guard provides assistance to dinghies and yachts in the Darwin harbour area with trouble such as flat batteries, ran out of fuel, mechanical break downs, etc.
I will help out manning the radios, as deckhand on board, promotion, etc. You can spot our Coast Guard's yellow boat over my left shoulder in above photo.