Down to the restaurant for breakfast - consistently good.  Good multi-grain cereal.

In the car to find a quilt studio that Dawnise has traveled halfway around the world to visit.

After a few wrong turns, and after scraping the shit out of the passenger side hub caps while parallel parking, we made it (sorry about that, Avis).

The patterns and fabrics were all hand-made (or hand died) and beautiful.  Spent a bunch of money - glad she took Visa.

Managed to get back to the hotel, where we ditched the car and made the 15 minute walk into the CBD.
 
 

Stopped in an old church with a massive pipe organ.  Liked this one better than the gothic one in Sydney - not as imposing.

Walked through the Brisbane botanical gardens - amazing.  As we get closer to the equator, the trees change dramatically.  There are some that seem to grow from the top down.  Ferns the size of palms the the rain forest section.

Walked over the mud flats on a small raised board walk - crabs, birds, and root shoots that looked like really thick grass.  The variety of the plant-life in such a small area was very cool to observe.

Took a guided tour of the Queensland Parliament Building.  Australia has compulsory voting -- at 18 you must legally register, and if you fail to vote, it's a $100 fine.  The Parliamentary room is locked during votes - those who missed the call are locked out, and those who voted are locked in 'till the vote is counted.

With a bit of political trickery, the upper house of Parliament disbanded itself a few decades ago.  While the head cat was away, a bunch of the mice pulled one over on him.  It was legal, but our guide said it wouldn't be very likely to occur today - things have changed.

While I was in Germany briefly I had seen "Magnum" ice cream bars for sale in the airport vending machine - but hadn't had any local coin to try one.  I'd also once seen a Magnum commercial - two young and beautiful people making out on the beach - "are you ready?" "I'm ready - go get it"; guy runs off down the beach, finds a condom vending machine and a Magnum vending machine side-by-side.  Staring at the money in his had, locked in indecision, finally chooses the Magnum.

I had noticed that Magnum's existed in Australia, so we started looking for them .  Found one in a 7-11 (which is a lot like our 7-11's only they don't have a soft drink fountain -- no Big Gulps).  So we bought Magnum ice cream bars -- amazing!  Absolutely the best mass-produced ice cream I've ever had.  Like a Dove Bar, only bigger and there are more flavors.  I had Absolute Chocolate and Dawnise had Coffee.

While finishing our Magnums we spotted a "Cold Rock" ice cream parlor - like a Cold Stone - with a mixin counter.  So, standing in line for Cold Rock, we finished our Magnums. It was good, but Magnum's were better.

Sat outside the city hall and wrote postcards.  Went back to the hotel and did laundry - in hell.  The dryers in the laundry room vented back into the laundry room - it was like a sauna.  We found a spot outside and played cards and wrote more postcards.

Walked to "the most awarded Thai restaurant in Brisbane" - food was very good - chicken with basil, massaman curry and rice, with a few entrees.  Had a bowl of Tom Yum -- it was amazing, the best Tom Yum I've ever had.  If it had tomatoes, it would have been perfect.   More ice cream for dessert.

The walk back to the hotel was up hill - all the way.

Tomorrow, off to Cairns.
 

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