Once a week R or myself or both of us take the train to Heidelberg. It is a place I have only been to twice before, both times to go to Heidi, although we did once fly over it in the basket of a balloon. I don't know the area and I don't very much like it. It is too far from the sea and I don't understand the people who live there.
We visit Hippie Niece, in confinement in a women's hospital. It is a public hospital and she is receiving the best of care and it costs her nothing, paid for by our government taxes. It is not luxurious and she shares a room with another mother to be, but the medical attention is excellent. Although there was one point of fault, where her maternity specialist put some sort of restriction ring inside her to further slow the birth of her large latte coloured twin girls. She did not know until later and neither did the nursing staff. Everything that can be done to delay a premature birth is being done. She is not allowed to walk more than ten metres. When the birthing process begins, she will have a cesarian. While her partner and the father of her children visits her often, they don't live together and I can never see them in a conventional long term relationship, although he does pay his fair share of costs. Effectively, she will be a single mother of twins.
She will have a surprise baby shower within the hospital on Saturday, after some arrangements were made with hospital management. We will see her after the event on Saturday, easy to do as we will already be in town and ready to catch the train. We take her luxury confectionary from places such as Haighs, Coco Black and other such places.
Why will we be in town? To meet with Victor and Ad Rad for brunch. I am looking forward to seeing Victor again and meeting Ad Rad. While R now knows Victor, once again I am inflicting a stranger on R, but my instincts have proved to be ok in the past. An if Victor reckons Ad Rad is ok, then I think all will be well.
In the evening we will dine at a hotel with an old friend, who has spent a lot of time in hospital since Christmas with a diabetes related ulcer on his leg. He has been treated in a private hospital and there is a difference. The food is better and he has a room on his own. Otherwise, not really so different from our public hospital care Most of the cost will be paid by his private health insurance.
It is quite a pleasant train trip Heidelberg, through the inner north eastern suburbs, then past more expensive and larger housing. We step off the train, cross the road and enter the hospital. Here are a couple of photos.
No, not a snake on the bank, but a bicycle wheel and tyre tube.
Absently mindedly I was gazing at these train signals from the train platform when I suddenly woke up. Why is there a train signal in the car park? It is an old preserved semaphore train signal, placed and maintained by a railway historical society.
The camera lies from the moving train. The richness of pinks in this cutting is amazing.
Looking forward to catching up!!
ReplyDeleteWe did, and very pleasant it was too.
DeleteHave a wonderful blog meet.
ReplyDeleteAnd how lovely that your niece is getting excellent care. Effectively a single mother of twins? She will be a very, very busy girl. For years.
EC, she will have good family support from her extended family.
DeleteI think your Uncle skills will be in great demand over the coming months.
ReplyDeleteMarie, not my department. I will redirect this to R.
DeleteCrikey ..... how are you and R with new borns and emotional Mothers?? She's going to have her hands full, aye?? I love babies. They do this projectile vomiting stuff. All this yummy milky stuff goes flying through the air and what doesn't land on unsuspecting people flies through the air and lands on the floor. That's where I spring into action.
ReplyDeleteCharlie, you are amusing me but also grossing me out a bit and what you eat should stay between you and your Mum.
DeleteThe first time my parents drove us to Heidelberg was to visit the Israeli athletes in the Olympic Village in 1956. The trip was so long, mum put cut sandwiches and a thermos flask in the car!
ReplyDeleteHope the twin girls are born on time and are beautifully healthy!
Hels, the trip by car probably takes much longer now in our too fast growing city.
DeleteA baby how wonderful until they become teenager.
ReplyDeleteCoffee is on
Dora, I know what you are saying but the niece and her sister weren't too bad as teeenagers.
DeleteHope everything goes well for your niece - twins, a busy time coming up for her.
ReplyDeleteWonderful to catch up with blog 'friends', enjoy as I'm sure you will.
We enjoyed very much, Margaret. The aren't identical twins though, which maybe a good thing or not.
DeleteAs always Andrew it was a pleasure to catch up with you and R and I'm sure it was pleasure, as mine, to spend time with Ad Rad.
ReplyDeleteI have to castigate you and Ad Rad for insisting on paying for all the food and drink consumed on some dubious pretext about the legal tender of my $5 notes. I, of course, will repay the favour on your next visits to Sydney; if not sooner.
Our pleasure too, Victor. We did end up going food shopping this afternoon. Better that we pay than accept your often unacceptable $5 notes. I am sure you had a very nice lunch.
Delete"not a snake , but a bicycle tyre" - ha ha but at HEIDE there actually is a sign on the lawns which says 'watch for snakes'.
ReplyDeletethanks again for sharing your wonderful social life.
Annie, sometimes I think a Twitter life might be easier. You are doing well in the world of the blue bird.
DeleteHaighs and Coco Black? Oh Yum!
ReplyDeleteShe's a lucky niece. I do hope the father helps with the care of the twins, not just financially, but hands on as much as he can. If not, she may qualify for in-home care, for the first couple of months or so.
I used to live next door to Heidelberg, in Watsonia, that's where my youngest learned to crawl, then walk. Our yard backed onto an oval and the kids would climb the fence and play in the bigger space.
River, there is a new and cheaper one in Melbourne, http://www.chocamama.com/ We bought there last time. I might send you an email about that, but believe me, she will get everything she can and then some more. Great to have a big area like that for the kids. Back then kids could still play on roads.
DeleteHappy times Andrew, I think most people are pretty ok but it can be a wee bit nervy meeting people for the first time.. especially if you're as shy as me 😀😀 Hope all goes as planned for Hippie niece, you and R are already the coolest uncles, I can see this continuing!
ReplyDeleteShy? You? I didn't notice. Knowing Victor already, I knew Ad Rad would be fine.
DeleteI hope that you have an amazing time, Andrew :)
ReplyDeleteIt was good, thanks Keith.
DeleteTwins they are everywhere at the moment maybe I'm just noticing more as we've just had the twin grandchildren. Hope she is ready foe many wake ups in the night as they do most things together well my grandchildren do, my grand daughter now sleep all night long but not her brother soon maybe.
ReplyDeleteMerle.....
Merle, don't twins often come from IVF treatment? I thought this was the reason.
DeleteI've met one person once who reads my blog, from Nebraska. They came to Oregon for a drive through vacation. I enjoyed meeting them. It sounds as if your neice is getting excellent care at the public hospital. OUr new president is about to gut the care available to the poor, through medicaid. He and his republican friends have decided the poor do not need medical care and besides, they need the money that has gone to medical care for the poor for other important things, like building walls and increasing the military might, so the rich might be protected from every possible threat.
ReplyDeleteStrayer, there are so many forces pulling US medical care in so many different directions. Who will win? And it is not a game for many people, as you know.
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