Flying

Right now, I'm flying over the red centre of Australia. Looking out the window (pic), you can easily see just why they call it the red centre.

Stretching out below us to all horizons, the barren red landscape goes out as far as the eye can see. A flat layer of clouds scuds below us, casting dark shadows on the ochre wilderness. At the horizons, the curvature of the earth is apparent. Looking upwards from that, the sky darkens towards space, with a deep purity of hue which is very restful.

One thinks of the Chuck Yeagers and other assorted pioneers who would fly at this altitude and then head up. Up into the wild blue yonder.

It's a deeply strange landscape from this vantage point — it looks more like the surface of Mars than any terrestial landscape. All of this hot arid dryness is frightening to behold — it almost makes me want to have a drink!

Hang on while I summon a glass of wine from the very helpful cabin crew here on CX104. They've been serving a very nice Hope Estate Merlot, which is quite a pleasant introduction to the wines of Australia.

One of the great things about being in Melbourne is the quality of the local wines. There are great local wines available in most restaurants, and many of the bottlo's (bottle shops, or off-licences for those who don't speak Strine) will have a great selection of decent local wines.