Yesterday, June 10,  we drove up through the Black Spur, then to Mount Dandenong.  It was fairly clear when we started, but of course it clouded up by the time we got to the look-out stops.  The roads were all 2 lanes with lots of winding and hills.  We were driving pretty slowly, and every time there was a wide spot, we'd  pull over and let people pass. The tree ferns were glorious, as were the peely-bark trees (otherwise known as Mountain Ash, a type of (Eucalyptus).  The peely-bark  trees actually shed their bark, leaving their trunks and branches bare and pale.

 

After the Black Spur,  we stopped for a bit of pub grub.  Julie had chicken parmesan (a common dish here), and I had some fish and chips.  There are not to-go boxes here unless the establishment is licensed to provide take-away (carry out) food, so have to sneak out our leftovers.  We have decided that we will try to split meals from now on. 

 

Then we got back on the road, drove for an hour, and found that we had made a big circle.  Talk about taking the scenic route to the scenery!!We arrived at Mount Dandenong about an hour before sunset.  You can see clear to the bay around which Melbourne is built.  We stayed until dark as you can see by the pictures.  I did not hold the camera very still, so many of the night pics did not turn out well.  I did figure out the panoramic assist, but unless the pics are viewed as one, it doesn't look the same.

 

Today, Julie and I manned the  booth at the mall while Paul attended to some business elsewhere.  Julie left me alone when she went for smokes, and I discovered that I had picked up enough about the product to answer most questions.  However, I was always happier to not be alone in case I had something wrong, thereby misinforming potential customers.  Then we came back home to do sundry chores.

 

For fashion anything goes, but people as a rule don't seem to care too much about their face.  This is more apparent in the women who do not tend to wear make-up.  However, both sexes will generally not have missing teeth replaced, and crooked teeth are very common.  Even Julie's dentist suggested she not replace a tooth that was just behind her smiile line!  We were amazed since this destabilizes the rest of that side of the mouth, causing more teeth to be lost, followed by lack of chewing and excessive wear on the other teeth.  Amazing!!  Also, they do not wear much suncreen, and with the hole in the ozone abouve Australia, people of both sexes look kind of weathered.

 

If people guess that you are from North America, they will ask of you are Canadian.  This is because Canadians get insulted if you think they are American, but the Americans don't get insulted if you think they are Candian.  The Iraq war really lowered our international prestige.  As a rule, people here do not make eye contact when passing on the street or in the trains or buses, so at first they seem cold and aloof.  However,  if you have reason to be talking to them, they are friendly.