ANZAC Day was yesterday - April 25.

We were invited to go to the sunrise service at the Shrine of Remembrance in Melbourne. Why dawn you ask? The legend. We were part of the approximately 35,000 people who gathered. (News report of Melbourne service)

Dh and I were trying to figure out what it compared to in the States. We did not come up with a good comparison. While it is like our Memorial Day or Veterans Day. It is taken much more seriously. There are sunrise services all over the country plus gatherings in New Zealand and Turkey.

While it commemorates the start of the battle to at Gallipoli, the day now honors all military veterans. There was talk of the ANZAC spirit(the spirit of the Digger).

As we walked up the Shrine they had accounts of battles that Anzacs participated in. We heard about the experiences at Tobruk. As the service started there was a silence that went over the crowd. We were on the side of the Shrine so we couldn't see what was happening only hear. After the bugle call there was a gun salute that was jarring. They sang both the national anthem that the first ANZACs would have known God Save the Queen (can you guess what words were going through my mind?) and then at the end of the service the national anthem now. Click to hear Dh and I were happy that we got up before dawn and attended. It was something that one had to be there to feel the spirit and be part of the crowd. (Interesting sidenote... is one holiday that Australia will not Mondayify.)

After the service we went to Las Chicas for breakfast. We got one of the last tables. Had a wonderful breakfast and sat and chatted with our friends - All before 9:30a.m.

Coming soon.. Tasmania... yes we left the state in one piece... Yarra Bend.. we discovered what bird was making that loud sound but never saw the flying foxes... yes.. last but certainly not least pictures from the Great Ocean Road.

We are in the process of booking our winter (although I'm thinking of it as summer) vacation. We are going to go to the center of the country (OUTBACK) and then out to Great Barrier Reef. Maybe we'll even see a cane toad.