Can it be? The flague is finally subsiding. We stayed up late last night and actually woke up at 6:30 am! Yaaay! Some semblance of normality! Now we are cooking!

I'd take moment to describe our Adelaide Balinese-style bungalow. It is called The Lotus Eater. The designer of this unique little cottage obviously spent a lot of time on Bali collecting the furnishings and trimmings. It is very authentic. The little house has an outdoor living area as well as an air conditioned indoor living space—thank you! It is late summer here and it is hot! The cottage is at the same time, efficient, lovely and very quaint and makes us very reminiscent of our time spent in Bali 5 or 6 years ago. I guess it is that wonderful Weeks karma working again that brought us here.

We have seen only just a bit of Adelaide. But it seems to have so much to offer . . . city, harbor, beach and the best part that we know so far is the wonderful and very large park/green space that surrounds the entire Adelaide area. As we do our morning exercise fast-walk, we are learning each section of park is a slightly different environment. Some are sports fields for cricket, softball, rugby, basketball, etc. Some have motocross tracks - learner tracks for tots with bikes that still have training wheels and then the big boys for the turbo bikers. Still others are watered, beautiful gardens with fountains and ponds, and some are naturally dry and arid like the outback. Yet others are dedicated to entertainment venues - like the events we have seen as part of the Fringe Festival.

Since arriving in Adelaide we heard about two popular markets, Central Market and Wayville Market. Today, we took the tram to Central Market, and whammy! Somehow I was expecting a lively outdoor market, but no, the place was an indoor madhouse, packed with people shopping and buying anything you can imagine. There were clothing stalls, shoe stalls/stores, household goods, hardware, everything. Then we found the fresh food section. Vendors were on platforms behind their squares of fruits and vegetables, bagging their goods and taking money. Snatching and grabbing everywhere! We bought red peppers, asparagus, bok choy, artisan olives and figs! We tasted cheeses, fennel sour dough bread and peaches. All wonderful! We passed however on the butcher shops featuring fresh kangaroo and venison. But the place was wired! And to amplify the situation, the market was right next to Chinatown where a Chinese New Year celebration was going on. My heart is still beating too fast.

Following the market we thankfully found a cool restaurant with outdoor seating where we could relax and re-stoke. Just as our good luck would have it, the restaurant was in the midst of changing menus and had a fine selection of decent wines that would not be included in the new menu. So we enjoyed a nice bottle of Jacobs Creek for only $10—a bargain anywhere. I love a bargain!

We spent the evening in Rymill Park (part of that circular park we so appreciate) at Spirit Festival. This Fringe event showcased the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture. The highlight was a tribal dance welcoming everyone to Kaurna Land.

Tomorrow - it's the Wayville Market and in the evening we will see the 3 Magic Show.