Adelaide City

I enjoyed my "PFD" - parent free day. I go to Adelaide for the express purpose of visiting my elderly parents, so endure most of my time living the past, being told the same story over and over again, eating food that I'd rather not, but then enjoying the frequent glasses of Pattriti Tawny Port!

On Monday I had my "PFD" and caught the train into the city. I learned that as a "senior" public transport is free (buses, trains, and trams" during the hours of 9 am and 3 pm) so I took advantage of that.

I caught the train from the new Oaklands Railway Station - moved a little from the station that I was more familiar with as a youngster. It was on the station that I met a lady, of Italian descent, who had lived in the area for 52 years.

Many migrants came to Australia post war and she and her husband came out from Italy (somewhere near Venice) and lived there. He is no longer around (I assumed deceased) but she spoke of him with a little bitterness as she claims he forced himself on her when she was just 18, and a pregnancy resulted!

Her son and I went to the same school, though he was a couple of years younger than me, and I did not recall him. We had quite a chat on the train going to the city.

When we arrived at the city, we parted ways - but it was a wonderful short time we spent together. I walked a little way along North Terrace and when I saw at the top of the entrance steps, a sign that said "Welcome to Parliament House" I ventured up the stairs and into the main foyer.

Now, when I was a regular pedestrian on North Terrace as a school girl, and as an office worker on North Terrace, only parliamentarians and people doing high level business with our politicians were permitted.

As it turns out, Fridays are the days to see through Parliament House on guided tours so, I had picked the wrong day, but perhaps I can do that next time I am in Adelaide.

I walked around to Rundle Mall and walked the length of the Mall before getting on a tram in King William Street and going to Glenelg - another place that I have great memories of, all those years ago when I lived in Adelaide.