The Road less Travelled

Paris or bust.

2011-09-12T21:28:00.000+01:00

Cycling the 300 kilometres from London to Paris is generally a four to six day adventure. Traveller and her friends did it in two. We left Saturday morning at 3:30am and arrived in Paris on Sunday afternoon - sweaty, hungry and beyond thirsty. It was a gruelling, dramatic and beautiful ride that brought an intense sense of achievement but also, unfortunately, had a rather upsetting ending.

The six of us woke early on the Saturday morning {Traveller had little sleep, too excited and nervous about the day's events} and cycled just under 100 kilometres to Newhaven port to catch the ferry to Dieppe, France. Riding very early in the morning on little sleep was an interesting concept but we managed to arrive in Newhaven before schedule and indulged in a bacon and egg sarnie before jumping on the ferry. The ferry was a four hour journey which was an excellent amount of time to sleep, eat and stretch before the riding the next 75 kilometres that were stretched out before us. One of the tremendously positive things about riding kilometre after kilometre is that you can eat pretty much whatever you want! Traveller ate almost every hour on the weekend and definitely didn't seem to put on any weight.
We arrived in Dieppe and were amazed by the change in weather - a mere crossing of the channel resulted in a temperature change of at least 10 degrees which was accompanied by glorious sunshine We rode on to Gournay-en-bray {where T's legs started to feel like led - particularly by the last two hills or so!}and we were pleased to shower, eat and laugh over the day's events.

We woke early (5am) the next morning and prepared to make the final 100+ kilometres to Paris. Traveller couldn't believe how fatigued her legs were and she started to wonder if she was going to be able to keep up. We were travelling at around 28 kilometres per hour! Eating an energy bar every hour helped and soon they only had 30 kilometres to go. This was where things went awry.

We were travelling down a very steep, long, windy hill when one member of our cycling group met a car head on. He was sitting by the side of the road as Traveller came down and parts of his bike and kit were scattered down the hill. He knew fairly quickly that it was serious and, being a physiotherapist, had diagnosed himself with a shattered knee-cap and a broken pelvis. Luckily for us, a tremendously helpful Frenchman arrived on the scene moments later and, acting as our translator, he spoke to the emergency services and the police on our behalf. He even drove a couple of bikes to the hospital and helped us communicate with the hospital staff. A true gem.

The next few hours were spent waiting anxiously at the hospital while our patient had x-rays and scans and we tried to make a series of plans, depending on a variety of outcomes. After about four hours, we were told to ride to Paris and were assured that he would probably make the trip, as they wanted him to be in London for any surgery. So, a little shaken, we cycled on.

We felt sad riding without a key member of our group (he had helped organise the ride) and the rest of the journey was a little bitter-sweet. However, on catching the first glimpse of the Eiffel Tower there was still a tremendous moment of pride at having achieved such a crazy goal and when we finally reached it, there were hugs and kisses as we celebrated 300 kilometres of adventure. We also - stop reading mum and dad! - cycled down the beautiful Champs-Elysées and around the ever-scary Arc de Triomph. Needless to say, we shared a glass of Moet {or beer in the boys' case} and the most expensive Croque Monsieur Traveller has ever bought {it was delicious though and very welcome after hours and hours of energy bars!}
Sadly, our friend didn't make the trip home and was instead lifted by a private jet two days later to a very fancy, private London hospital on the river Thames. He had diagnosed his injuries correctly (thereby being unable to travel by train) and is now in the midst of rehabilitation. He is very positive though and has amazed us all with his consistent, cheery disposition.

So, it wasn't quite the trip we imagined but will definitely be something that we remember for a very long time.

Father.

2011-09-04T00:51:00.000+01:00

Traveller is a lucky girl to have a father like you. The love, support and understanding you have given her is cherished beyond words. T has found tremendous comfort, especially in the last year, in knowing that you {and mum} love her no matter what. December is too far away; may the months speed by!

Happy Father's Day, Dad!

I love you a billion; please take good care of yourself.

Hills are the enemy.

2011-09-01T22:12:00.000+01:00

Traveller's exercising regime has evolved exponentially since arriving in London. Upon reaching these sunny shores, in an attempt to battle the Heathrow Injection, T took up running. It was a slow process to begin with; she was quite unfit and could only run a couple of laps of the local running track. Then she started on the slippery slope of entering competitions: first a 5k, then a few 10ks, then a couple of half-marathons, until finally she found a sport that required an even more ridiculous level of fitness - the triathlon. As she writes, T has only completed one sprint (mini) triathlon and is currently training for a 3/4 event which will happen in a couple of weeks.

Between the two triathlons, Traveller was preparing for something even more insane...

It all began one beautiful, sunny day in Majorca, Spain; RF's husband and another friend hatched the mad plan to ride from London to Paris. Now, before T continues, RF's husband must be explained: he is one of those peculiar breeds of human that loves to exercise; he rarely goes a day without it and is only really happy when he's pushing through some kind of pain barrier (Exhibit A: he rode through the Pyrenees while T whisked his wife off to the Greek Islands) He has been a sort-of-coach to T and RF throughout the last few years, always telling us to 'harden up' and to get moving (we have a habit of talking too much while we exercise!). So, with that in mind, you can understand that the trip to Paris would not be a luxurious, relaxing week long adventure stopping in local towns and sampling French wine and food along the way. It was going to be a hell for leather two day sprint where they would eat on the bike and stop over just once for a sleep, a shower and a nice big dinner.

Without really understanding the sheer extremity of the task before her, T, very enthusiastically, asked to join in. This resulted in a serious discussion where she was told that she could do it if she trained really hard and where she was promised that she would be left behind if she couldn't keep up. Traveller agreed to these dramatic conditions (still not really understanding) and commenced training.

So, back in May, T was given a training schedule which included four sessions of cycling a week: a one hour paced ride, an interval session, a hills session and a long ride which grew gradually from seventy kilometres to one-hundred and twenty kilometres. It all seemed possible, except T grew very busy at school, started to get sick and missed a few sessions. Quite a few sessions. Then, in July, they had a practice ride to Brighton; a 100k ride from London which involved quite a few hideous looking hills and let's just say, T did not do so well. She even had to walk up one hill. For shame! She was then told that she could still come to Paris, but she had a lot of work to do. Her schedule grew from 4 sessions a week to 6 sessions a week and totalled 400K+ of riding which translates into hours and hours of pedalling! Luckily, she was on school holidays!

Without expanding too much on the grim hours of painful, solo pedalling that ensued, T is happy to report that she did complete the training schedule and reached the level required for the Paris ride! She was, of course, nervous but felt proud that she had managed to improve her fitness so quickly.

Next up was the ride itself which did not go quite to plan...

Awkward holiday moments.

2011-08-26T21:36:00.010+01:00

When T and RF initially decided that they wanted to holiday together, they had a few simple but concrete requirements: sun, surf and good food.

We tossed around a few ideas, but were left with two high on the list: Greece and Sardinia. Both were sunny, both were defined by their beautiful clear water and both were synonymous with delicious food. If we were to go to Greece, we wanted to sail around the islands and RF (having been to Greece before) wanted to steer clear of the more touristy spots. Eventually, Greek sailing won and RF found a company that sailed around the Dodecanese Islands where we could learn to sail and visit a different island each day. It was exactly what we wanted.

We were very fortunate with our pick - we shared the sailing boat with one other young couple, the skipper and the cook. Everyone was very easy going so we were able to dictate what we wanted to do to a certain extent and, as a result, we were able to swim as much as we wanted in some of the most beautiful bays in the world.

One slight hiccup occurred through the booking and it's probably something that T should have reiterated whilst sending in her details. You see, T's Christian name is androgynous and it is always assumed that she is, in fact, a he. So, instead of facing the initial interesting experience of rooming with a good friend in a tiny yacht's room for a week, they then faced the reality of sharing a room that could be likened to a honeymoon suite with a bed that was more single than double. In the heat of summer. In the heat of the Greek summer. In the stuffy cabin air of a yacht. For a week.

It was 40 degrees in there, people!

Luckily for T, she can sleep pretty much anywhere. She is small and can sleep in noise, in heat and in all modes of transport - even rocking boats. Unfortunately for RF, she does not have this ease of sleeping and she also (gulp) had to put up with T's very ladylike snoring. Needless to say, she spent most of the week sleeping on deck whilst T snored happily away below. Now friendships have been ruined over much less, but T is happy to report that she and RF are still fast friends.

One of T's most favourite memories from the trip was when RF attempted to sleep downstairs during a particularly hot night and T, as an olive branch of sorts, made them both ice-packs to cradle in the desperate pursuit of cooling down. Needless to say the ice melted everywhere and T and RF were almost delirious with heat and spent the best part of an hour giggling about everything around them, including the very noisy young couple who were saying their every thought so loudly that the whole boat was privy to their private {and somewhat, inane} conversation. T remembers haircuts and styles being discussed for at least ten minutes.

So, the good part of the story is that T truly lucked out. She has a travelling friend who enjoys the same things that she does {food, sun, wine and swimming} and with whom she can have a good laugh (and without gushing, she is also lovely, generous and wise beyond her years!).

Also, said travelling partner has kick-ass photography skills which you can see as all the photos today are taken from her camera.

Cheers, RF, for a most memorable trip!

The above photographs are taken from T's favourite islands - Chalki, Symi and Rhodes.

Swimming in the Med.

2011-08-24T10:50:00.003+01:00

One of the most wonderful things about sailing around the Greek Islands was the opportunity to swim in many beautiful bays along the way. The landscape was always stunning; sometimes it was stark and barren and at other times it was green and verdant. The water, however, was always reliable with clear colours of turquoise and azure and a perfect temperature. The most breathtaking part was the visibility - at one time we were in a bay where the depth was thirty metres and we could see right to the bottom.

Traveller and RF are still in training; this time training for a 3/4 triathlon which starts with an ocean swim in freezing Cornwall. They used their time in the bays to explore and then to complete some swimming training, goggles and all. The salt levels in the Mediterranean make you unbelievably buoyant; there is no struggle to float and you feel like an Olympic swimmer with each stroke. We swam around 2-4 kilometres each day and barely broke a sweat; it was the most satisfying swimming that T has ever completed and was hands down the most beautiful group of islands T has ever visited.It's going to be hard getting back in chlorine-filled, pool water!

It's the people...

2011-08-19T08:00:00.004+01:00

A couple of Traveller's favourite moments in Greece involved meeting the locals. The people in Greece were so friendly. T's not sure whether it's the sheer amount of people in London or just the way culture has developed, but they don't tend to talk to each other or look at each other in public. There are no smiles, no waves and no small conversation so it was surprising to Traveller when people started to talk to her in Greece.

One example of this was when the above gentleman noticed T and her friend looking at a fruit tree. We couldn't work out what fruit was growing on the tree and he came up to us and asked us if we knew what it was. When we responded that we didn't, he proceeded to tell us the Greek name for it. Still noticing that we were confused, he took a piece of fruit off the tree and using his pocket knife, opened it up for us. We immediately saw that it was a pomegranate and he was so pleased to see us recognise it. We then had a chat with him and he told us a little about himself and where to eat in the beautiful town of Chalki. We followed his advice and T had her first delicious Moussaka of the trip.

The second moment was on the island of Kalymnos; Traveller and RF wanted to head out to the local beach. As they both had never driven scooters before, they were reliant on local taxis and buses. They asked a taxi driver how much it would cost to get to the local beach and when he said 10 Euro - we were in! It was a half an hour drive and the taxi driver told us the history of Kalymnos while we were in the car and about the local industry; he also took us to an outlook so we could take a picture and stopped at a fig tree (above - how cool is he!) so that we could try the wild fruit. It was delicious! He was so sweet and really made our day.

Greece.

2011-08-16T16:03:00.005+01:00

Needless to say, Greece lived up to its expectations without question.

The islands were picturesque, the food was delicious, the temperatures were reaching 40 degrees Celsius (but mostly manageable!) and the water was extraordinary. Never has Traveller floated so easily (got to love all the salt in the Mediterranean) and seen so far to the bottom. We docked in one bay around the island of Symi and it was thirty metres deep - unbelievably, we could see all the way to the bottom.

T had a lovely travelling partner and couldn't have hoped for a more wonderful trip.

It's a little hard to be in grey, chilly London with only a tan as evidence that somewhere it is summer...

Travel Bug.

2011-07-29T18:38:00.002+01:00

Traveller's first overseas trip was when she was 13.

Her dad sent her mum and her to California to visit Disneyland and L.A.

T loved it.

She loved the different accents, the different foods and the way that you could be on a plane for a few hours and end up somewhere so completely new and unusual.

A few years later, Traveller went back to North America and lived in Oregon for a year as an exchange student. It was one of the best years of her life and gave her a deep-seeded, irrevocable need to travel. Since then, she has visited many continents and countries and the need has grown rather than diminished.

There has been one country that has been on her 'list' for years. In fact, it has been on the top of her list. Traveller can't remember when or why it was added but she knows that since her late teens she has always imagined her visit there as being perfection and well, it's going to happen tomorrow!

Traveller is flying to Greece tomorrow to sail around the Docadenese Islands for a week with a dear friend and she can.not.wait! Learning to sail, eating seafood, swimming in the sea and taking in the beautiful landscape are all things that are high on her to-do-list and T does not know how she is going to sleep tonight!

The only worrying thing is being able to survive the high temperatures; Traveller is, of course, a weather-hardened Aussie, but London has weakened her ability to handle the sun and with temperatures in Britain never really rising above the early twenties, T is a little overwhelmed at the thought of being in the high 30s without air-conditioning! Oh well, at least she'll be on a boat and clear azure water will be around her for days and days.

Sounds tough, doesn't it?

{image}

Cupcake.

2011-07-28T21:16:00.002+01:00

It was one of T's friend's birthdays this week so she decided to make her some pretty cupcakes using this recipe, with a few adjustments.

T infused the chocolate butter-cream icing with rose and the sweet taste made the dense, rich chocolate cake even more delicious.

It is with much self-control that T is ignoring the leftovers as they sing her name from the fridge.

Hard Day's Work.

2011-06-25T19:39:00.003+01:00

Teaching, marking, writing reports... or white water rafting in Italy?

Don't have to ask T twice!

This was the boys' favourite activity and it was pretty high on the list for T as well. The rapids were fun and frequent but not too scary and the weather and location were pretty perfect.

Funniest part?

We rafted the whole day with two hours in between for lunch and the boys were instructed to drink about a litre of water over lunch to make sure they were hydrated. Before they were suited up again, T warned them all to visit the bathroom. Half an hour later, T was faced by a panicking boy and the following conversation:

Miss, Miss, please help me take off my life-jacket, I need to go to the toilet.

Sure, sure; you know, I did tell you boys to go before...

I did! I need to go again!

{both T and boy are working quickly to release him from the sticky, wet jacket}

Oh no, Miss! I'm going to go....I can't hold it! It's happening!

Needless to say, the poor kid didn't live that down for the entire trip.

Pizza love.

2011-06-20T21:34:00.005+01:00

T's back from her adventure.

Best. School. Trip. Ever.

The evidence speaks for itself; here's a photograph from their night out in the Italian Alps at a local pizzeria. They were in a teeny town called Villeneuve where little English was spoken and the pizzas cost around four euro.

Besides food, the adventure had it all - sunshine, hot temperatures and the beautiful backdrops of the Italian Alps and the south of France.

Adventure.

2011-06-10T13:16:00.003+01:00

Today, Traveller is heading off on another overseas adventure - this time on a school trip!

This is quite possibly the biggest perk that T has experienced from her time teaching in England. T, along with the games teacher and organiser, is taking her Prep Eight boys to Italy and France on an adventure trip!

They will first stop in Villeneuve in Italy to mountain climb, go white-water rafting and abseil (among other things) and then they are heading to the Ardeche, in the south of France to complete a 2-day descent in canoes!

T, while a little nervous at the prospect of being around 13-year-old boys for over a week, is quite excited!

She may be able to blog on the road at some stage but if not, there'll be plenty of stories and pictures upon her return.

{image}

30.

2011-06-09T20:41:00.006+01:00

The age 30 is quite a milestone.

For some, it can be an age that comes exactly as they have all their so-called ducks in a row.

For others, it can be a flashing beacon highlighting all the ducks that aren't in a row... or anywhere near a row, for that matter.

For Traveller, it was a very good excuse to get together her lovely London friends and enjoy a weekend in sunny Spain.

Last weekend, T and a few friends headed to Majorca (in the Balearic islands) for four nights of sun, surf and yummy Mediterranean food. T and RF spent many hours trying to find the best possible spot in Majorca and together they found a villa in Cala Santanyi which was beyond perfect and close to many beautiful, sometimes secluded, beaches.

One of the best moments was when they saw the villa for the first time and spent quite a few minutes jumping around, ecstatic at how pretty it was (it even had a pool which lit up at night!).

Another was the amazing fresh produce we found at the local farmers' markets - there was an endless supply of fresh fruit, vegetables and cheese.

The beaches were, needless to say, phenomenal.
Traveller and her friends spent the majority of their time swimming and laying by the beautiful beaches.

The most memorable moment?
A late night game of Marco Polo and Battleships and Submarines in the pool - fully clothed.

If the weekend in Majorca is any indication - 30 is going to be the best decade yet!

AWOL

2011-06-03T09:13:00.010+01:00

You know you haven't blogged in a while when you panic slightly at being asked for a password by blogger!

It has been months since Traveller has blogged and, while she's had her reasons, she's back now to document a few of the fun things that have happened and has plans to stay...

1. Traveller miraculously completed her first sprint-triathlon.

Traveller has never been so nervous before a race; she was worried about crashing, about getting a flat tyre, about running out of energy and even about the nasty hill that she had to cycle up 9 times. All that worry was for nothing though - T loved doing the sprint and, while it was hard work, it was strangely addictive. There are plans in the making for a second - this time in open water!

2. T's brother came to London!

Traveller's brother from OZ visited London and for the first time since they can remember, Tand her two brothers (one already lives in London) spent time together. They visited museums, ate lots of food, toured London and T was even taken to see Keira Knightley and Elizabeth Moss in 'The Children's Hour'. T had the best time!

3. The Royal Wedding

Traveller was able to experience her first royal wedding in London and joined the crowd of millions to cheer on Wills and Kate as they said, 'I do'. Traveller woke up very early and made her way to Hyde Park for 7am to secure a big space for her and some friends. The atmosphere was phenomenal and sitting in Hyde Park cheering on the royal family and singing along to the wedding songs with so many others is one of Traveller's most treasured memories from London town. Traveller's favourite part of the day was when a live band started up in Hyde Park and the whole crowd started dancing.

4. Traveller turned the big 3-0 (eek!)

The celebrations lasting all month long! There was a dinner, a trip to the theatre to see 'Clybourne Park' (perhaps one of the best plays she has ever seen), a viewing of the stage musical 'Dirty Dancing' (so so much fun!) and a trip to Majorca (more on that to come!) It was the best birthday ever and Traveller feels beyond lucky to have such lovely friends.

Practice makes perfect?

2011-03-07T19:36:00.005Z

Today, Traveller was involved in her very first genuine fire evacuation.

After over 20 years of being 'at school', T has participated in her fair share of fire drills.

She remembers being in primary school, in her green chequered uniform with a big green sunhat, wishing that she could go inside because the sun was hot and the concrete was hard. Not too many years after that, she remembers laying in the sun on her high school oval praying that it was a real fire so she could skip class for the rest of the day.

Now, being a teacher, fire drills are a little different. In England, she usually dreads them. Firstly, it is freezing outside. And secondly, it usually happens during an important test or one of those rare 'spare' lessons.

Today, Traveller learnt that like running drills for a half-marathon can't prepare you for the gruelling race, fire drills don't quite prepare you for an actual fire.

Firstly, the cooks left the ovens on and the beetroot boiling.

Seriously.

Secondly, as fire drills never happen during that sacred time known as lunch, Traveller wasn't quite sure what to do. She was halfway through making a ham baguette and deliberated, 'Take it? Leave it?' and since she had never actually 'waited out' a fire before, she made the rookie mistake of leaving her precious morsels of food behind. After that brief moment, food became a most precious commodity that no-one seemed to have. Traveller will never forget the incredulous look on the boys' faces as they pondered leaving their plate of chicken curry and evacuating the building.

T knows how they felt.

Cut to four hours later, Traveller was sitting in a park, freezing (for there was no time to collect her coat) and famished, with nary a sandwich in sight.

The good news? No one was hurt. No school buildings were damaged. The kitchen didn't burn down. The children eventually received crisps and kitkats and the teachers returned to their lunch at around four pm.

{oh, and the sun was shining the whole time!}

{image}

Weekend.

2011-03-04T23:35:00.008Z

Never has the acronym TGIF seemed more profound.

Traveller's week began with her very first trip to A & E

{she's fine}

and it is currently ending with a bleary-eyed, midnight screening

of her latest television indulgence

whilst eating nutella straight out the jar.

T is classy like that.

{image}

Sartorialist.

2011-02-26T00:19:00.002Z

Traveller loves this post from the Sartorialist.

The segway and the fashionable Milanese gentleman seem so comically incongruous.

Tri-hard.

2011-02-08T20:01:00.007Z

Traveller has come to the realisation that she may be, well, just a little crazy.

Scratch that.

She's definitely a little crazy.

You see, she has signed up for a sprint-triathlon; a race which requires her to swim, cycle and run one after the other.

The run is definitely manageable; at only 5k, it's much less than the half-marathon she completed last year. She's trying not to think about the fact that this will mean that people will be running quickly, leaving Traveller for dust.

The swim's distance (750m) is not too bad; T is a little nervous, however, about drowning at the hands of crazed triathletes who may swim over her, dunk her or pull her little ankles. T's watched women's water polo - she knows what girls can be like in the water!

The ride, however, is a major cause for concern. Problem number one being that Traveller doesn't even own a bike! Problem number two: at twenty kilometers, it is the longest leg of the competition and T's least-experienced-area.

Other matters keeping Traveller up at night:

sports bras under a swim suit - yes or no?
{she's thinking yes}

dry off or start cycling wet?
{brr!}

bike pants over swimmers in water?
{remember afore mentioned drowning concerns...}

and

How will T's little legs even be able to run after riding for twenty kilometers?!

It should be interesting.

Luckily, T has a few months to prepare (the race isn't until May 22nd) and she's already thinking about how bikini ready she'll be by summer...
there has to be some benefit to all these hours of training, right?

Anyone out there crazy enough to have completed one of these races before? Do tell!

{image}

Feeling crafty.

2011-01-30T20:48:00.005Z

After failing home economics in her first year of high school after an epic battle with a sewing machine, Traveller has long since garnered a fear of anything crafty.

This month, however, after being encouraged by a friend, T completed her very first homemade project: a photo board.

With pretty material, shiny ribbon and robust buttons, it's almost a shame to cover it up with Traveller's most favourite photographs of people and places...

Almost.

Here's a how to that T consulted...

Tales from a German city.

2011-01-17T20:23:00.004Z

Although it is not considered one of the most beautiful cities in Europe, Cologne definitely has other things going for it.
Firstly, there are the delightful Christmas markets.
Secondly, it is the place where many crucial moments in modern history took place which makes it really interesting.
And thirdly, the people of Cologne are really lovely.
Traveller noticed this on her first night in Cologne. She had just arrived in Cologne after taking six hours to travel from Brussels by train. The journey should take just over an hour but, due to snow, the train was delayed, very crowded and very slow.
Upon arriving in Cologne, Traveller's dear friend, Co, picked her up and they took the tram. On the tram, they were also experiencing delays due to the heavy snow. If this happened in London, an orchestra of irritation would sound; however, in Cologne, the tram-driver started to make jokes and the people in the train were laughing with each other and it felt like they were in no hurry at all.
This attitude was felt all throughout the city during Traveller's time there: people were willing to help you whenever they could and they were all very jolly. This is T's kind of city!
The other lovely part of visiting Cologne was spending time with Co, Traveller's dear friend from many years ago. We had many late night chats, did some serious shopping and even enjoyed a picnic on her bedroom floor.
Traveller learnt one important lesson while she was away - time is nothing between friends. She feels so lucky to have made friends with people from all over the world.

Happy weekend {and a cute little blog}

2011-01-15T17:23:00.004Z

Traveller stumbled across this little blog recently and she adores it.

It's a little fairytale-esque and wildly idealistic...

but that's why T loves it!

Sometimes you just need a little optimism.

It's called 'To my wife' and it features notes from a guy to his future wife..

here are a couple of T's favourites..

DAD JEANS
You’ll never see me in dad jeans. You may see me in jeans whilst I’m being a dad but they have nothing to do with each other.

I WON’T
Buy you a scale for Valentine’s Day. One time my father did this, epic mistake.

Happy weekend!

{image}

Cologne Christmas Markets.

2011-01-13T20:56:00.004Z

One of Traveller's favourite parts of her recent holiday was the Christmas markets in Cologne.
Sometimes the lead up to Christmas can be so busy that T hardly has time to garner the Christmas spirit. Not so last year.

The Christmas markets in Cologne, Germany really made Traveller so excited for the festive season. There was glühwein to drink, fairy lights twinkling, pretty trinkets to buy and delicious food to eat {note roasting salmon below!}
The best part?
Traipsing around the markets with a dear friend who was both brilliant company and a shopping partner extraordinaire.{miss you, Co.}

On a more serious note...

2011-01-11T20:35:00.013Z

Today's post was going to be about Traveller's recent trip to Cologne, Germany but today it doesn't feel very relevant...

When Traveller was last living in Queensland, Australia,

{three years ago}

they were operating under severe water restrictions.

She used to have to wash her car without the use of a hose, water her garden with a watering can and shower inside a three minute time bracket.

{The council delivered a three minute egg-timer which suctioned onto T's bathroom wall so that she could make sure she kept to the three minute time allowance.}

You couldn't go anywhere without being reminded of the drought: the grass was brown and even the water bubblers and showers at the beach were out of use.

Now, as most of you know, rain rain and more rain has hit Queensland with much of it underwater and with serious flash-flooding occuring in Toowoomba and Brisbane.

It is so serious that many people have died and more are missing.

Traveller's heart hurts for the people who have lost so much.

And, while she knows they're safe, she is still a little worried for her family and friends in Brisbane and Toowoomba.

With Queensland's slogan 'The Sunshine State' now seeming cruelly ironic, Traveller is hoping and praying that they indeed receive the sunshine that they desperately need.

{image}

Over to the dark side.

2011-01-07T13:30:00.009Z

Traveller's best friend from Australia, after reading yesterday's blog post, called her in distress.

The conversation goes as follows:

You can't cross over to the dark side! I won't allow it.

Sorry, pardon? The dark side?

Yes, you know, dark chocolate!

Well, it is better for you, you know? Which means I can eat a whole block and not feel too bad about myself.

But liking dark chocolate means you're getting old!

Well.. when you put it like that. Thanks.

The conversation ran through T's mind today as she nibbled on some dark orange chocolate with fig pieces {so good!}. She started to remember all the foods she used to avoid which now feature heavily on her 'love' list.

First, when she was fifteen, she suddenly began to adore anything to do with avocado. Prior to this, the fruit {isn't it weird that it's a fruit?} was not something that she enjoyed. Then, when she turned 20, Traveller started to be partial to fish. She remembers very vividly growing up in a house where fish was generally eaten once a week and T used to have nightmares about the silvery lining. Now, she can't get enough of the stuff. {The fish, not the silvery lining. That still kind of grosses her out.} Following this, in her early 20s, white wine started to taste quite nice.

Then, when a quarter of a century was reached, the foods which Traveller now enjoyed seemed to become a much longer list: she now loved stinky cheese {the bluer the better}, red wine is her drink of choice, all seafood is now savoured - including those creatures with more legs than T can count and the list goes on. She even, now this is serious news to T's friends who know her well, ate an olive this week without gagging! Progress!

Now, the only real food that's on Traveller's 'avoid at all cost' list is canned tuna. Frankly, she doesn't mind too much if she never quite develops the taste buds for that one. The stuff really stinks {and not in a good, blue-veined cheese, kind of way}!

Anyone agree with Traveller? What food do you enjoy that you used to loathe?

T is looking forward to hearing your stories.

Oh, and if liking these things means that T is old... than she doesn't want to be young.

{image}

Addiction.

2011-01-06T17:54:00.005Z

A chocolate addiction is a serious thing.
Traveller honestly can't think of a day when she has gone without chocolate {except for yesterday} in a long, long time.
In fact, one of T's new year resolutions is to eat less of the milky, creamy good stuff and switch to the less creamy, darker kind.{which explains why she didn't eat it yesterday}{she only made her resolutions yesterday}

T digresses...

Right before Christmas and before any such resolutions were made, Traveller visited the Lindt chocolate factory in Cologne, Germany and, let's just say, any building that has a chocolate fountain filled with pure, creamy, delicious Lindt chocolate is alright by her.

The best part?

A Lindt representative hands you a wafer that has been dipped into the afore mentioned fountain.

Needless to say, Traveller visited the obliging wafer lady more than once...

Another factor worth mentioning is that you receive a chocolate on the way in and a chocolate with any drink that you order from their lovely cafe which sits on the Rhine River.

Traveller has a feeling that she won't survive very long without the sweet goodness of Lindt chocolate.

They hand wrap the large chocolate santas. T timed her; it took seven minutes!

Traveller's exchange friend from Switzerland - Yuvia - enjoying the wafer dipped in melted chocolate

A Stopover in Ghent.

2011-01-04T17:19:00.007Z

Vincent, Traveller's old friend from Belgium, was an excellent host and showed T not just the city that he lives in {Brussels} but also Ghent and Bruges too.

It's no secret that Traveller loved Bruges - she knew that she would love it before even visiting.

The surprising thing was, though, that Ghent really stole her heart. We went to Ghent initially so that T could meet Vincent's brother and we would all have dinner together. However, due to heavy snow, we ended up crashing at his place and spent the following day together in Ghent.

Ghent is somewhere in the middle of Brussels and Bruges geographically and is a beautiful, pedestrianised city with stunning medieval architecture. Also, because it is a university town, it had a really fun nightlife with many yummy restaurants, delis and shops.

Traveller's favourite moment was sitting outside in a cafe on the old Graslei harbour covered in blankets and drinking delicious hot chocolate.

Thanks V & N, for your awesome hospitality!

The pièce de résistance.

2011-01-02T19:49:00.006Z

It is no secret that a country's culinary offerings are part of Traveller's favourite experiences whilst overseas. Whether it be zucchini flower gnocchi devoured in the hills of Tuscany, pinxtos fought over in Barcelona, alps macaronis relished in Bonn, a delicious seafood stew savoured in Lagos or fresh chilli mussels gobbled in Hvar, Traveller has had many memorable foodie moments.
T is not sure what they put in them, but the bread and pastries taste infinitely better in Belgium and France than they do anywhere else in the world. The bread is as light as air, yet gorgeously crisp on the outside and the pain au chocolat are the complementary match that chocolate and butter were always meant to be.
Many of Traveller's favourite memories from her recent travels involve food and, in particular, breakfast food. May it just be said - the Belgians do breakfast well. Really well.
First, chocolate is involved. It comes in the form of sprinkles, spreads or just actual chocolate. And, repeat after T, chocolate is never a bad thing!
Second, there are all manner of other sweet spreads, breads and fruits to enjoy.
Let's just say, waking up in Belgium was not tough at all!

How do the Belgians stay so thin?

It's like a fairytale.

2011-01-01T23:07:00.005Z

Many years ago, when she finished school, Traveller participated in a Rotary Exchange program where she lived in the Oregon, U.S.A for one year. This was when she was eighteen and it was her first real foray into independent international travel. Wanderlust has since been a regular part of T's disposition and she wonders if she will ever really overcome it. Or if she would even want to.
This month will mark T's third year of living in London. She intended to stay for 12 months and that year has ever-so-quickly turned into three and now, well, she's not sure when she will return to Australia's shores to live permanently. Where is home exactly? T's not sure.
After many years of travel, one of the most memorable parts has been the friendships that T has made along the way. Several of the people that T met during her one year in the United States have shaped her and inspired her and encouraged her to be the person that she is.
Recently, Traveller had the pleasure of visiting three friends that she met during her exchange years - Vincent in Belgium and Corinna and Yuvia in Germany. While both countries were beautiful and extraordinary, what really made T's heart sing was spending time with her old friends and finding, once again, that time is merely a concept and is nothing between friends.
Here are some photographs of Traveller's time in Bruges, Beligum....
It truly is one of the most beautiful cities in the world.

Walking down the stairs after climbing to the top of the belfry - it's a must, especially if you have seen the comedy classic In Bruges.

Turkey, peas, carrots, potatoes and santa all made of chocolate!

The best chocolate in Belgium, according to Vincent.

It was out-of-this-world!

Learning how to make lace...

Snow!

Next up, Ghent, Belgium!

Happy Holidays!

2010-12-29T22:06:00.005Z

Apologies for my delayed Christmas post: it has been a busy couple of weeks with much to report!
Traveller has just recently returned from a week's holiday in Belgium and Germany where she caught up with old friends, sampled the local delicacies {namely Glühwein} and saw many beautiful sights.
But first, without further delay, T hopes that you had a very jolly Christmas and that you will enjoy the upcoming celebrations to welcome in 2011. Can you believe it? T can't!
It has been a little chilly in England and before all the lovely snow melted, T and RF decided to head to Hampstead Heath to take some pictures...
It was so pretty up there...and a little slippery!

Can you spot T's lovely braces?

Should only be three weeks to go!

Traveller is ready...

The Big Freeze.

2010-12-07T22:50:00.013Z

You are probably aware that the weather these days seems to be a little out-of-control.

It seems that facebook status updates are about little else...

We are being indundated with snow, freezing temperatures, rain and T even read today that South Australia is battling a plague of locusts!

Unusual!

What is Traveller thankful for?

Despite having to wear thermals and woolly socks to bed whilst gripping a hot-water bottle with icy fingers, T remains upbeat. This is quite possibly due to the frequent use of her very own fireplace!

This evening was spent drinking mulled wine {provided by lovely flatmates}, eating yummy cheese and relaxing in front of a toasty fire.

The negatives?

The flames seem to lure Traveller into a very unproductive bliss-coma; T's washing basket is very full, her room is increasingly messy and her list of administration chores is growing wildly out-of-control, not to mention that she hasn't blogged in a while!

Miraculously, the fireplace hasn't yet affected her exercise regime which is lucky because Traveller certainly seems to be eating in preparation for hibernation!

{those three-course hot school meals really aren't helpful!}

Fireplaces are a definite novelty for this sun-worshipping Aussie and they (almost) make the short days and freezing temperatures of the UK seem worth it at this time of year!

{image}

15 again.

2010-11-25T19:38:00.006Z

Today, Traveller is going by familiar monikers such as brace face, train tracks,

metal mouth or, as her darling brother so aptly coined, The Grill.

Yep, you guessed right, T has transported herself back in time to that glorious {torturous} moment in her teens where her mouth was full of metal. You see, her pearly whites had started to shift and T decided to nip it in the bud quickly...

The positives?

Orthodontists are so different now! The braces only took 30 minutes to fit and it wasn't anywhere near as uncomfortable as T remembered.

T's orthodontist had a plasma television on the ceiling showing music videos to distract her from any discomfort... {very swish}

The brackets and wire are white so they aren't quite as noticeable...

It should only take a short amount of time: the orthodontist said six to eight weeks!

The negatives?

The picture below is of the many pieces of orthodontic paraphernalia that she was given today...

Three toothbrushes? Really?

It is now going to take at least 15 minutes to clean her teeth!

Pictures of The Grill to come...

Confession Time.

2010-11-23T21:26:00.008Z

It appears that Traveller is something of a royalist.

For many of you, the date -29th April 2011- will conjure up nothing more than images of spring time (or autumn, for the Aussies) but for Traveller, it is the source of serious excitement.

Not only will she score an extra public {bank} holiday but T will also be able to witness a significant moment in the history of Britain's monarchy - a royal wedding! However, while Traveller lives in a flat full of Brits, she seems to be the only member poring over news article after news article scouring it for dress, date and venue details. It would seem a confession is in order:

T loves her a royal wedding!

Now there are plenty of naysayers out there who are already bemoaning the loss of tax payer's money and who are calling the bride-to-be a social climber {from a family of social climbers} but to them, T says, 'Sshhhh. Enjoy the holiday and admire the pretty people in the pretty clothes'.

T knows she sure will be.

{image}

The 'hood.

2010-11-09T21:07:00.005Z

This is Traveller's third proper fall in a row and, despite the fact that it's starting to get cold, she still loves it.

She especially loves her pretty little London neighbourhood...

That's all.

Commercial Love.

2010-11-07T21:14:00.002Z

Traveller is loving this new T Mobile commerical shot at Heathrow Airport...

Mum and Dad, do you think you could organise a similar welcoming for when T finally arrives back in OZ?

The truth really does stink.

2010-11-01T21:05:00.003Z

The souks (markets) in Marrakech are filled with beautiful leather goods, ceramics, scarves and much more. One of T's favourite things to do whilst she was in Marrakech was to barter - there is nothing more invigorating than skilfully and successfully agreeing on a price that is 1/2 {or less} of the original asking price.

It's all down to one's unwillingness to budge.

The one sad reality that Traveller learnt upon arriving back in Britain was that the bags she bartered so persistently for actually really smell. Like really.

It's a mixture between old goat and camel and something else less appealing that Traveller really can't bring herself to type.

As a result, T currently has three very beautiful bags that are hiding in the broom closet in order to protect T from their overpowering stench.

Heart-breaking stuff for Traveller but good news for you - now you can spare yourself from making the same rookie error if you travel to Marrakech!

Marrakech.

2010-10-29T22:24:00.000+01:00

Traveller loved Morocco.

Unbelievably, the Northern tip of Africa is only a mere three hour flight from London and upon touching down, Traveller was excited to be somewhere completely unlike anywhere she had ever been.

T doesn't have many photos which reflect the beauty of Marrakech or the culture, and I guess this is for two reasons. One, you generally have to pay for photos taken throughout the city and two, she spent the entire trip engrossed in her surroundings. The sights, the smells and the sounds were so utterly foreign to Traveller that she usually forgot to take photos!

Luckily, one of T's friends captured some fantastic photographs so she is going to include them (and some of her own) in her post today.

The above two photos are of the riad we stayed in - Riads are a sort of private accomodation in Morocco. There were eight of us and we had the whole Riad to ourselves. The people who ran it were brilliant and the building and rooms were beautiful.

Our first night eating in the square - it was worth it for the atmosphere! Sheep's head curry was a popular dish, but we weren't quite game enough to try it...

The souks where you can buy spices, leather goods (more about that later!), lanterns, ceramics and clothes. You have to barter and that's where all the fun is!

The square at night...

Our first and only fancy meal in the new town part of Marrakech.
We ate a Lebanese restaurant called Azar and the food was phenomenal but what we really enjoyed was the unique decor..

...in particular, their rose covered lift which had plastic grass underfoot

Endless hours of amusement!

Our last night at the Riad - the Riads were the best place to eat traditional Moroccan fare. That particular night we enjoyed a beef and prune tagine which was out-of-this-world delicious! The sauce of the dish had caramelised so it was a very sweet-savoury dish. Just the way T likes it!

Thanks for looking at the photos! One more Moroccan post to come....

Day Trip: Atlas Mountains

2010-10-25T22:51:00.005+01:00

During our long-weekender in Morocco, we journeyed to the Atlas Mountains for a break from the bustle of Marrakech...On the way, we visited the Berber market where we experienced a market unlike any we had seen before.

The Berber Market is a once-a-week event where the Berber people exchange and sell goods in order to buy their necessities for the week ahead. We were the only tourists in the entire market and we were under strict instructions not to take any noticeable photographs. Most of the below were shot from Traveller's hip. You could buy anything from spices and herbs to rabbits and chickens to the almost out-of-place mobile phones and underwear. Many men also received their weekly shave or haircut.
Our least favourite part was the abbatoir-cum-butcher where you could purchase an entire skinned goat, fresh tripe and any part belonging to a cow, goat, chicken or sheep. As you can imagine, the stench was inordinately palpable.

The Atlas mountains themselves were quite beautiful and we had tagine for lunch before embarking on a perilous walk through to the waterfalls.

The last remnant of summer.

2010-10-22T15:50:00.009+01:00

Traveller is in mourning.

Summer has officially, and unequivocally left Britain.

Today, Traveller had to extract her winter wardrobe from the depths of her storage container (if anyone has lived in a small room, in a London flat, you know what T's talking about) and replace it with her shorts, singlets and all other summer paraphernalia that she won't see for the next six months.

A solemn occasion.

The good news?

Traveller was able to enjoy one last sunny jaunt to an exotic occasion before hibernating for the winter.

The chosen destination?

Marrakech, Morocco!

Most European countries that T visits tend to play host to a significant level of contrast. Indeed, 'city of contrasts' is a cliche that is thrown around many cities throughout the world. There is always the rich and the poor. The beautitful and the ugly. The delicious and the repulsive. The irritable and the placid. Those that are in a rush and those that have all day.

Marrakech was one of these cities.

The first and most obvious example of this was our girl's visit to a Moroccan spa.

On our last day in Marrakech we decided to treat ourselves by visiting a local spa for a mud scrub, facial mask and massage. There were five girls on the trip and we all woke up in anticipation of the delicious pampering that was bound to occur. We arrived at our destination after our guide wove us through the many bustling, motorcyle-ridden side-streets of Marrakech.

Thoroughly lost, we were pleased and impressed upon arrival at our spa. It was so beautifully designed and tranquil that we almost high-fived each other right in the courtyard. Instead, we composed ourselves and giddily changed into our plush robes and flip-flops.

Our spa attendant did not speak English and instead we communicated through a variety of confused sign-language. She guided us upstairs to a hallway of three rooms which faced the courtyard. Pausing, we all looked at each other, eager for the pampering to begin. With no warning, the attendant put her hand on Traveller's arm and gently pushed T into one of the concrete rooms, stripped her robe off (revealing T's last clean pair of underwear) and left her facing her horror-struck friends. T started to feel nervous. What on earth was the attendant going to do with her? The concrete room had two beds in it, a sink filled with strange looking pastes and a large shower head that was streaming hot water which covered both beds and the ground.

Suddenly, the door closed and Traveller was left in the dark room by herself, wondering what to do. She decided to sit and wait and grew more nervous by the second. One minute passed and then RF was suddenly shoved into the room. T breathed a sigh of relief. At least they could experience whatever atrocities were going to occur, together. They sat on the bed, in their now soaking underwear, and started to giggle hysterically. Tears of laughter started to trickle down T's cheeks as she struggled to compose herself.

Soon, the attendant came in and proceeded to scrub RF down in front of T. As RF's dead skin trickled onto the concrete floor, T started to feel a little squeamish which helped in calming down her severe case of the giggles. RF was then washed down which involved being doused in water thrown at her in little buckets. Copping a splash right in the face, RF struggled to blink and breathe which caused T to descend into giggles once more.

One girl, afterwards, likened it to being reminscent of receiving your weekly prison wash.

A truly awkward experience.

T is happy to report, however, that the massage was lovely.

Reasons to smile.

2010-10-14T20:35:00.007+01:00

two week's holiday starting in less than twenty-four hours

no aches and pains from the half-marathon

school dinners and, in paticular, apple pie and custard

incomparable friends and family

new possibilities

and...a plane ticket that's heading to Morocco in two sleeps!

{along with Traveller! - yippee!}

{image}

The Hardest Part.

2010-10-12T20:57:00.008+01:00

Now, it may seem like a daft thing to declare (not that that's ever stopped T before) but the hardest part of the half-marathon is running the race. Traveller can handle the months of training, the intervals, the really long training runs but phew - when it comes to actually running the competition - it's quite tough, no?
It's all about the head space. You really need a certain level of mental strength to get you through when you don't want to run anymore. Traveller was astounded that even crowds of cheering bystanders, whooping family members and eager friends who were photographing at every mile or so were not enough to propel her towards the finishing line. To put it simply, by the tenth mile, she was tired. She did not want to run anymore. Of course she did, albeit intermittently.
So, long story short - Traveller finished the race at 201:21 - about 1 1/2 minutes longer than last year! She was on track to finish at about 1:52, but hey, who's counting?!
And, there is always next year.
RF and T did declare that they were finished with half-marathons mere seconds after the race. You do, however, always feel differently about these things once you've had time to recover...right RF? It needs to be said that RF beat her time from last year by five minutes! Winner!
Anyway, T will stand by the fact that the Royal Parks is one of the most beautiful runs you can experience. It has a fantastic atmosphere, is really well organised and passes all of the most memorable and beautiful of London's iconic buildings and landmarks.
So, minus the aches and pains, the anxiety, the interminable mile marks that just keep coming, the long queues for the port-a-loos and the strange dreams that inevitably happen the night before - the halfie is really a tremendous experience!

One of T's mates who ran the race on his 30th birthday. He came in at 1:39 - champion!

Love this photo - RF's expression is priceless!

One of the best parts?

Riding home on Boris's bikes through the beautifully autumnal Hyde Park
{even though T's legs were barely able to cooperate with the pedals!}

For those of you wondering about the strange dream..

T woke up gasping with fright (and unequivocal relief that it wasn't reality) from a dream that involved her and RF running the half-marathon. This half-marathon, however, wound through a dark and eerie city where escalators rose up to the heavens and indian buffets were on the sidelines and well, T just couldn't get RF to concentrate. RF was standing still on the escalators and worst of all, eating indian food whilst the race was still going. Needless to say, they ended up getting lost and missing the finishing line.
Disaster!

Keep on Running?

2010-10-02T20:23:00.005+01:00

Traveller has not really mentioned that she is running for the Royal Park's Half-Marathon this year.

Well, she is.

Next Sunday, in fact.

Except, today she is laying in bed with a yucky flu whilst resting a sore foot.

Oh dear!

And, things were going so well!

Traveller and running friend had completed four really long runs (a 16k and three 18ks!) and were on track to finish the race at least a little faster than last year. Traveller has really loved training this year and has been looking forward to running for her chosen charity.

But now, T's not so sure...

Somewhere in last week's 18k, T's foot started hurting and it hasn't really stopped.Traveller will run regardless of her sore foot but would like to do it in a reasonable time!

T is thankful for Running Friend who, risking germs and potential disease-catching, brought lovely flowers, company and fruit to her today.

Thanks, RF!

{image}

Ballad love.

2010-09-28T19:39:00.005+01:00

This weekend, Traveller had the one of the best nights out in London, thus far.

It was at an event called 'Ultimate Power' and it was really just that... a club where all they played for the entire night was power ballads.

We sang and danced to Bon Jovi, Meatloaf, Bonnie Tyler, Johnnie Farnham, The Bangles, Journey, Whitney Houston, Queen, Guns N' Roses, Aerosmith and so many others.

Every song was one that we recognised and was often one that we knew every single word ... it was absolute gold!

One of the best parts was the amount of people who were dressed up - there were mullet wigs everywhere, blow-up guitars and microphones, and even the occasional hair brush being used as a microphone.

Next time, we'll be dressing up!

Is that Meatloaf in the video on the background?

Good times!

An English tradition...

2010-09-26T19:46:00.005+01:00

Recently, Traveller experienced her very first polo match.

It is somewhat an upper-class English tradition to watch the polo and T has to admit that she really enjoyed the experience.

It might have been the game itself (T couldn't believe how skilled the players were!) or the fact that they watched whilst having a picnic fit for kings.

In the picture below, we are following the rules by filling in the divots during half-time. Replacing the divots is for the competitors' safety; T loved it because it reminded her of that scene from Pretty Woman.

Welsh Weekend.

2010-09-19T21:20:00.004+01:00

Traveller apologises for her lack of blogging recently; the many spoils of Londontown have been keeping her very busy.

A few of the things keeping T occupied?

She saw Glee's Jesse in 'Deathtrap' on London's West End (he was fabulous); she saw Jamie Cullum in concert (fabulous, too); has eaten at so many new restaurants, featuring Persian, Lebanese and Vietnamese food, all over London; has been training non-stop for her upcoming half-marathon and was an audience member for a BBC game-show!

She also enjoyed a long-weekend away in Wales, on the Pembrokeshire Coast. It was a relaxing weekend spent in the company of good friends. Here are a few pictures of the beautiful Welsh scenery:

The above pictures are of 'Barafundle Bay' - which is hailed as one of the UK's most beautiful beaches. It was lovely!

Anyway, T hopes you had a wonderful summer!

It is a little hard to come to terms with the fact that Autumn is already here, but the colour of the leaves {and the chilly weather!} is proving that it has well and truly descended on London.

Last holiday of summer.

2010-08-27T15:42:00.008+01:00

Traveller and some friends are off to the land of rarebit, sheep and stunning scenery for the bank holiday weekend...

At a mere 5 or so hours away from the heart of London is the lovely country of Wales and it's beautiful Pembrokeshire coast where T is going to swim, eat cheese, drink wine...and perhaps visit a castle or two...

T hopes for sunshine and warmth... but may end up swimming in a full-length wet-suit!

Can't wait!

Enjoy your weekend!

{image and image}

Rocking the scooter.

2010-08-19T19:25:00.003+01:00

One of the best days in Croatia was spent on a tiny little island called Mijet.

We hired scooters and spent hours careening around the roads and swimming at a secluded beach.

Heaven.

This is Traveller's very first home-made video - using a very small amount of footage! Please humour her!

A Spaniard, a knife and a bobby pin: Tales from a Croatian hostel

2010-08-12T21:27:00.007+01:00

For those who have been reading this blog for a little while, you'll know that Croatia hosted Traveller's first hostel experience; can scarcely call herself a 'traveller' can she?

It must be said that Traveller was pretty darn nervous in the beginning.

She must have checked her passport, her wallet, her bag and her keys every few seconds for her entire first day in Croatia.

{she became a little lax after that!}

Her first night in the hostel bed, however, was actually the best night's sleep she'd had in ages. With the locker key nursed under her pillow along with her passport, she slept like a baby! And the hostel was clean, sunny and filled with like-minded, happy travellers. Nothing to be nervous about.

She does, however, have one story to share.

T stayed one more night in a hostel in Split at the end of her sailing trip.

She checked in, locked her bag in a locker and raced to hang out with friends from her sailing trip. They went out that night and Traveller didn't arrive back at the hostel till 2:30am.

The hostel was dark and everyone was asleep so T crept in and spilled out the contents of her bag in search of her locker key.

Inside were her camera, her cash, her lip gloss.... but nothing else.

The key was gone!

Traveller started to panic.

Inside the locker were her passport, her airplane ticket and all her clothes!

She had to leave at 7:30am to catch a flight back to London.

The hostel was officially shut until 8am!

Traveller's heart sank as she realised the enormity of the situation.

She then began to creep around the hostel in search of another key. She found one but, of course, it didn't fit.

{wouldn't be great security if it did, right?}

In her travels, she came across another lady who was also awake.

The traveller was Spanish and didn't speak much English.

Traveller commenced a game of charades with the woman wherein she attempted to communicate her woes. The Spaniard quickly understood and Traveller mimed asking her if she had a bobby pin.

Miraculously, she quickly went and found one.

She then took T on a tour of the kitchen where they found a knife.

Traveller began walking around the hostel with a knife in hand while the Spaniard carried the bobby pin. T's sure this would have been a scary sight for any unsuspecting, sleepy hostel sleepers.

T {having never cracked a lock in her life} had a quick try, with no avail.

The Spaniard quickly motioned for Traveller to step aside and, with a few swift movements, she ran the knife down the inside of the locker and tweaked the lock with the bobby pin and boom, the locker was open!

Traveller jumped up and hugged the Spaniard with all her might and then proceeded to skip around declaring her love for her!

The Spaniard looked Traveller right in the eye and motioned her index finger to her lips and said, 'Shhhh'.

Traveller slept with her knapsack around her arms that night.

Favourite.

2010-08-11T21:36:00.006+01:00

Dubrovnik was Traveller's most favourite place in Croatia.
Firstly, it is stunningly beautiful.
Secondly, there is a gorgeous bay where you can swim in crystal clear water.
Thirdly, they have a wall that you can walk around and see the entire city.
And finally...

...they have a bar where they serve you drinks out of sandcastle buckets!

Winner!

Sailing Croatia.

2010-08-10T14:26:00.006+01:00

One of the most customary ways for Aussies {and other antipodeans} in London to see Croatia is to sail it.

There are a plethora of sailing tours going all along the coastline and it is a fantastic way to spend your summer. The weather is perfect, the food is amazing and there are so many beautiful places to see.

Traveller had the best time.

Some of the best moments of her eight day trip were spent on the Travel Talk boat sunbathing, swimming, hanging out, jumping off the boat and even learning how to play chess.

T had never been on a tour before and was a little hesitant as to how it would go but there was definitely nothing to worry about.

While the other travellers all came from different backgrounds and walks of life, everyone was there to enjoy themselves, see Croatia and make some new friends.

A definite European must-do.

The Challenge Update

2010-08-09T13:42:00.006+01:00

Unbelievably, after ten days in Croatia, this is the one photo of Traveller with an ice-cream.

Everyday, T enjoyed one beautiful ice-cream. In Croatia, they even had twix and snickers flavoured gelato and boy, they were delicious!

However, T has a confession to make.

On the last day in Split, T somehow didn't consume any ice-cream.

And for anyone who has been to Split, you'll know this isn't an easy task; there is an ice-cream shop on every corner!

I guess Traveller will just have to go back and complete the challenge!

More posts to come - Croatia was absolutely phenomenally gorgeous.

The Challenge.

2010-07-31T10:02:00.005+01:00

Before heading off to Croatia, a few of Traveller's friends gave her a specific challenge:

To eat at least one ice-cream a day.

Traveller thinks she can strum up the courage!

She has already made it through her first cone (Jaffa) and it was so good: so creamy, so delicious and so cheap!

Having been here less than 24 hours, T is already in love with Croatia.

Now, time to go eat another ice-cream, before she heads off on her sailing adventure!

(image)

Living up to the name.

2010-07-28T20:52:00.009+01:00

Traveller recently teased you with a hint that she might be travelling soon...
and the thing is...

she is leaving in two sleeps!

She is off to seek the sun, the sea and an adventure on the beautiful Dalmation coast in Croatia!

It's a holiday of firsts for Traveller.

It will be the first time she's stayed in a hostel.

{can you believe it?}

The first time she's taken part in a tour.

And the first time she's bathed in the Adriatic Sea...

She.cannot.wait.

The tour travels for eight nights around the islands of the Dalmation Coast (on a sailing boat) and

visits a new island everyday along with the beautiful cities of Split and Dubrovnik.

The thing Traveller is most looking forward to is swimming in the sea everyday. If there is one tangible thing that T misses from OZ, it's the beach. That feeling of diving under beautiful cold water is one that Traveller loves.

So, T is going to try and post a couple of times while she's away, but the reality is that she mightn't have access to a computer for over a week. So, this isn't a dedicated blogging break, but a travel break!

T can't wait to share stories when she's back.

Until then, enjoy your summer!

{and for those Antipodeans out there - enjoy the lovely cold winter!

T apologises for the teeny amount of glee she feels when she writes that!}

image found here, here, here and here

One.

2010-07-24T18:18:00.004+01:00

It's hard to believe that the new addition is already one!
We celebrated her birthday last weekend and it was quite possibly one of Traveller's favourite children's birthday parties and T narrowed this down to two reasons: free flowing bubbly and lovely company.

The fact that I have family around me while I am 'travelling' might be confusing to you - the thing is, my lovely brother moved here first. He's been here for years and has since married a lovely English lass. They live very close to Traveller and it's lovely having them on this side of the hemisphere...
Anyway, T was asked if she would bake the birthday cake for the party and she was really excited. And a trifle nervous.
Luckily, both T and her sis-in-law are very partial to chocolate cake and they both agreed on this recipe
{which, by the way, is amazing}
English lass came up with the decorating ideas and they decorated it together, whilst trying to fend off T's brother, who kept on eating all the chocolate sticks! Cute, huh?

The cling film was to keep it together overnight as we decorated it the night before...

Unfortunately, there are no photos of anyone actually eating the cake but T promises you it was good.
The proof? Whilst demolishing her slice of cake, T was asked by another mum to make her child's birthday cake in a couple of weeks...
Success!

Please grow.

2010-07-22T12:57:00.008+01:00

At a mere 5'4", perhaps Traveller should be saying those words to herself...

Instead, they are to her little Kitchen Garden!

So cute and handy, it sits upon the windowsill and promises to grow Traveller herbs, salad and even little chillies if she so desires.. {which she does, T loves chillies!}
Now, if any of you have been reading this blog for a while... you may remember a brief mention of a similar green thumb experience about a year back? Well, let's not talk about it. Let's just say, it didn't go to plan!
But this time will be different!
My basil, mixed leaves and rocket will grow.

Right?

Shakespeare in the Park.

2010-07-20T22:54:00.005+01:00

One of Traveller's most favourite things to do is to watch Shakespeare.

{T guesses it's part of being a geeky English teacher.

She gets goosebumps every time}

Luckily, there is no shortage of the bard's greatest works on stage here in London.

In her time here, she has seen A Midsummer Night's Dream, Twelfth Night, As you like it, Hamlet and just recently she watched A Comedy of Errors, which was quite possibly her favourite so far.

Although, Jude Law in Hamlet was pretty hard to beat...

{read about it here and here}

T digresses.

A Comedy of Errors is currently showing at the Regent's Park Open Air Theatre and they couldn't have found a more beautiful setting. London really comes alive in the summer and the parks are the most beautiful place to be, so Shakespeare in the Park is like a little slice of heaven for Traveller.

The most delightful part about the production {aside from being funny - and we're not talking chuckles here - there was some definite guffawing happening in the audience) was that it was set in 1940's Casablanca and a live swing band were featured as part of the performance.

Traveller and flattie made the most of the lovely British weather and had a picnic in the park beforehand, consisting of all their favourite things - prosecco, strawberries, camembert and chocolate eclairs!

Well, T is excited to be properly back from her blogging break and she has lots to share with you!

The most exciting part involves an upcoming travelling adventure to somewhere sunny and beautiful...

Dancing shoes.

2010-06-30T20:39:00.009+01:00

Traveller has been on a blogging break, of sorts.

It wasn't a conscious effort to not blog.

And, there's definitely been lots of fun Londony things to blog about.

But she just hasn't been feeling it.

T's not even sure if she's completely back.

She really just wants to tell you about her new favourite place in London.

There was dancing. Cocktails. And best of all...

there was a live, full piece, cuban salsa band!

Floridita is heaven.

Yep, that's right people, heaven is found in Soho, London.

The best part?

T was given a quick lesson by a very proficient salsa dancer, who proceeded to twirl her around the floor.

And something to drop in conversation?

There were a bunch of musicians just kicking it at the club and one of them was from Basement Jaxx. The band called him up and, after conferring for a few moments, he sung with them.

Then three more of his friends each did this and they were all amazing!

So fun.

image

Hyde Park Horses.

2010-06-06T22:49:00.006+01:00

Even though she hasn't blogged about in a while, Traveller is still running.

She's actually preparing herself for another half-marathon.

{silly girl}

Having run miles and miles through London, T is almost unaffected by the iconic landscape. She can run through Regent's Park without a second glance at the beautiful swans. She can do hill runs up Primrose and barely look at St. Pauls or the London Eye in the distance. And she can run through Hyde Park without noticing the Wellington Arch or Kensington Palace.

However, when running with RF in Hyde Park on Saturday, T came across a multitude of horses with riders in the official royal uniform. Instantly, T's breath was taken away. They were such an intensely beautiful sight.

Wishing she had a camera and wondering along with RF if the Queen was in tow, Traveller's daze was broken by another runner in front of her.

The runner {whilst still running at quite an admirable pace} proceeded to yell obscenities at the poor unsuspecting horses and in between the various types of colourful language, words like 'tax payers' money' and 'waste' were heard at full volume.

In London there will forever be a juxtaposition between the fairytale and the reality.

It was still pretty, though.

{image}

A good cry.

2010-06-01T18:31:00.009+01:00

Recently, Traveller seems to be having the same conversation with different groups of friends... What makes you cry?

For some it is films.

For quite a few it has been films of the Disney variety.

Some have even admitted to crying in 'Beauty and the Beast'!

This was a grown man.

True story.

Traveller's first movie cry was one of two movies - she can't actually remember which one came first. Both weren't just 'dabbing at the eyes' tears, but were more of an embarrassing sobbing kind where everyone in the movie theatre stares at you. Well, they would, if they weren't crying too.

The first movie was 'The Lion King'; the part where Mufasa dies just breaks T's heart.

That Scar was just so mean.

The second was 'My Girl'; the part where Vada comes into the funeral and starts asking, 'Where's his glasses?'

Harrowing stuff.

Anyhoo, Traveller really wanted to mention two novels that have caused a similar reaction.

T has just read both of Khaled Hosseini's novels, 'The Kite Runner' and 'A Thousand Splendid Suns' and whilst she knows she's a little behind the eight ball, Traveller cannot believe how brilliant they are. They are the sort of novels that you can't read on public transport because, if you are anything like Traveller, you start cursing the key antagonists, or just simply cry because it is so sad!

The novels, whilst heart-breaking, are tremendous accounts of the human spirit and of triumph over adversity. And whilst they are set against the backdrop of war-torn Kabul and tales of its destruction are eminent to the novels, their description of the Afghani culture and landscape is truly beautiful.

Holiday reading list material, for sure.

{image}

London for a Fiver: Get your dancing shoes on!

2010-05-30T23:23:00.014+01:00

This Saturday night, Traveller and flattie shook off their converse and hit the dance floor.

The Blues Kitchen in Camden was our space of choice and boy, what a brilliant place to move it.

Traveller can quite easily tire of 'doof doof' music, so when presented with constant blues hits from the 50s, 60s and 70s - she found her happy place. The Blues Kitchen has live music from 9:30pm and the bands on Saturday were fantastic.

It reminded T of the 'cassette tape' her father presented her with around her 10th birthday - it was a triple decker and choc-full of hits from those time periods. T can remember listening to those tapes over and over until she knew each and every song.

So, inevitably, on Saturday there were times whenT was the only one on the dance floor who knew the words to songs from the likes of Chuck Berry, Jerry Lee Lewis, Elvis and The Big Bopper.

Ah well, at least everyone was dancing!

With a great atmosphere, a fantastic playlist and at only £3 for an entry fee, it is a veritable bargain!

{image}

London for a Fiver: Swimming with Ducks

2010-05-23T20:21:00.006+01:00

Hampstead Heath is one of Traveller's favourite spots in London.

It is a vast expanse of gorgeous green fields and once arriving you feel completely out of the city.

The Heath has various bathing ponds; and, as the weather in London reached 'hot' this weekend, T and RF headed to the Heath in search of a tan and a swim.

We picnicked, swam and enjoyed the sunshine.

The water, however, was beyond freezing!

The screams coming from the pond should have been enough to warn Traveller, however, sometimes she likes to think she's tougher than she is...

Let's just say it took about five minutes to regain all feeling in her hands and feet.

{too cold..too cold}

The best part? The pond only charges £2 - so it is a beautiful and affordable day out!

Weekend.

2010-05-18T20:00:00.003+01:00

The favourite part of Traveller's weekend?

Watching her brother carve it up on the dance floor!

The boy has moves!

Traveller had a great time helping her dear sister-in-law celebrate her 30th in style.

T actually had two nights of dancing and that's a fun weekend in her books.

What's your favourite thing to do on the weekend?

Traveller won!

2010-05-13T20:41:00.008+01:00

Today, Traveller was informed that she has won her first blogging giveaway competition!

Isn't there something fabulous about winning something? Big or small, it almost makes you feel like the universe is on your side.

It makes Traveller remember a story from her youth.

McDonald's were running a nationwide competition (in Australia) where all you had to do was scratch a scratch card (after purchasing an item) and you could win all sorts of lovely things from a free pack of chicken nuggets, to a strawberry milkshake, to bigger items like televisions and walkmans (remember walkmans?)

One fine evening when she was about 10, her family all visited a McDonald's as they were on a family trip to Bundaburg. For the life of her, T cannot remember why they went to Bundaburg. Famous only for their rum, it's not exactly a holiday destination.

T digresses.

Anyway, all five members of her family were eating and, lo and behold, T and her brother both won!

T won a milkshake...

....and her brother won a ghetto blaster!

Can you believe it?

If T had been ahead of him in the line, the blaster would have been hers!!

T remembers smiling and trying to look happy for her brother...but it was all an act.

She wanted that ghetto blaster.

But now, her luck has turned around, one of her daily reads, the lovely naturally nina had a giveaway this week, and Traveller won!

The glorious prize?

A surprise box of organising and cleaning supplies!

For anyone that knows Traveller, this is slightly ironic, as she has always been slightly disorganised in the home, much to the chagrin of her loved ones.

Perhaps if someone had thought of giving her cleaning supplies as a prize... she would have learnt to love them sooner!

image via here and here

Portugal #2

2010-05-11T18:43:00.004+01:00

Here are some more pictures of gorgeous Lagos.

Traveller can not express how wonderful this trip was; while the whole of Europe was drenched with rain and clouds, Portugal was a beacon of sun, radiating warmth over us thankful travellers.

England's winter really outstayed its welcome this year.

A few highlights?

Über cheap accomodation. The views from said accomodation. Fresh seafood. Delicious sangria. Swimming in the ocean. A developing suntan {or sunburn!}. Funny moments by the sea.

And the tarts. Oh, did T mention the tarts? Portuguese tarts are delightful little morsels which consist of baked custard, wrapped in pastry whilst singed with a blow torch. All for under a Euro. Yum!

Traveller recommends this sleepy seaside town to any sun-seeking traveller; it is inexpensive, quaint and there aren't too many tourists lurking around.

Portugal #1

2010-05-09T16:45:00.005+01:00

Traveller had the most wonderful time in Lagos, Portugal.

It was sublime to see and swim in the ocean again after having been without it for over a year!

T caught up on some serious sun
{the weather was over 25 degrees!}

and has little red legs to prove it!

Needless to say, Portugal is beautiful!

oh, and the food is delicious!

Sunshine Weekend.

2010-04-30T20:39:00.004+01:00

This week a couple of Traveller's best buddies announced that she was being whisked away to Lagos, Portugal this weekend, as an early birthday present.

It is a bank holiday on Monday in London and Traveller couldn't be more excited!

Here's to a few days of sun, sand and beaches!

Happy weekend!

{image}

3:22.

2010-04-27T19:27:00.012+01:00

This past weekend, Traveller's brother ran the London Marathon.

Amongst 36, 000 runners, he ran with speed, consistency and strengh; T
was very proud!

The London Marathon is one of those amazing events which really brings the city together - there are about 2-3 supporters to every runner, so each inch of the 26 and a bit miles was sidelined by supporters. The atmosphere was palpable; the city was filled with jovial, passionate aficionados clapping and cheering on the runners. It was brilliant!

The other lovely part of the marathon {aside from it being run for many, many charities} is that so many people dress up in crazy, colourful costumes, whilst still managing to achieve admirable timings. Here are a few of T's favourites...

A juggler

A bride and groom {seriously}

A rhino

Hamlet
22 ft giraffe!
Camel

A whoopee cushion!
and a tiger!

Oh, and in case you're wondering, the 3:22 is my brother's time - 18 minutes faster than last year!

Go, Dan!
{costume images}

6th photo...

2010-04-26T20:49:00.006+01:00

Traveller was tagged by one of her lovely readers to write about the 6th photo she posted on her little blog.

To tell you the truth - T's molded the task to fit her a little better. The 6th photo wasn't very interesting, so she chose the 6th photo she was in. A little narcissistic to be sure, but hey, isn't that what blogs are all about?

The photo above was from T's first European weekender since moving to London. T went to Brussels and really enjoyed the architecture, the food and the beer! It is a beautiful city and is well known for its beautiful chocolate and beer - and well, any city known for its chocolate is alright by Traveller.

Now to pass this tag on {don't you just love to hate this kind of thing?}

Three of my newly found favourite blogs --

Alison at A Pair of Aviators

Elizabeth at E Tells Tales

and

Mina and Alex at ...Sending Postcards

Enjoy!

Classroom Funnies.

2010-04-22T21:00:00.004+01:00

Traveller's grade three boys are preparing for the English Speaking Board examinations.

They have to prepare a 2 minute speech on their favourite object (usually a toy), a 1 minute poem and a section from their most-loved novel.

Traveller asked one of her boys what he was going to show her and he replied with,

"Well, I've got my poem which I've learned ...on my harp."

"On your harp?"

"Yeah, I know it without looking at the paper."

So cute!

image

Thankful.

2010-04-20T21:02:00.010+01:00

Traveller is feeling thankful for her boys.

Today was the first day back at school for summer term and it was just so fun to be back in the classroom. T really is blessed with boys who want to learn, who have dreams and want to do the right thing. They are respectful, chivalrous and bright.

T was reminded of her luck in teaching her boys whilst running with RF today. We were running back from Regent's Park when we had a brief encounter with some young boys. Barelyteenagers, they were so tough and confident for their age. They began to cheer us on, yelling 'Run faster!' Then, as RF passed them, one hit her over the head!

T could not believe it.

When and how did things like that begin to happen?

You hear horror stories of children in the classrooms here throwing chairs, hitting teachers and swearing at anyone who will listen.

T is ever-so-thankful for her lovely boys.

Running friend is fine and even was brave enough to confront them and their minder

{unbelievably they had a minder!}

{image}

Picnic at Primrose Hill.

2010-04-19T19:35:00.003+01:00

Spring has finally sprung in London.

Actually, this weekend was almost like summer!

Traveller had two picnics. Both at Primrose Hill. Both comprising yummy food and delightful company.

She even has a little red nose.

As you can see, Primrose was heaving with picnic-goers, as was every other park in London.

And yes, Traveller is garnering a serious addiction to photographing spring flowers. Can you blame her? Winter in London seemed eternal.

Lavender.

2010-04-15T23:59:00.007+01:00

Traveller has a thing for lavender:

It's purple. It's beautiful. It smells heavenly.

And...it tastes divine!

Today, Traveller made lavender cupcakes from this cookbook. Now, lavender cupcakes may sound a little strange, but T assures you that they are delicious!

Lavender has such a delicate and beautiful flavour.

Now, she could have used purple colouring, or even placed a sprig of lavender on top which would have looked pretty, but sometimes these things are difficult to find.

When in doubt, the answer is always pink.

London for a Fiver.

2010-04-14T16:57:00.009+01:00

Traveller loves London.

There is so much to do and see as the city hosts many of the world's most iconic buildings and Traveller believes it has the most beautiful parks of anywhere she has been in the world.

Today, Traveller went on a tour of the hidden gardens of the city and it was amazing!

We toured around the small gardens that can be found in the city's financial district and T couldn't help but gaze at the gardens, but also the architecture of the buildings surrounding the city.

One of T's favourite gardens had an Azara tree in it which made the whole garden and its surrounds smell like vanilla.

Heavenly.

The Vanilla Tree.

One of the best parts was that the tour was only £5 and the money goes straight to charity.

There is so much you can do in London for a fiver or under that from now on - perhaps once a fortnight - Traveller is going to run a little feature called London for a Fiver.

Prohibition Style.

2010-04-12T16:56:00.007+01:00

This weekend, Traveller and flattie went to a bar in Soho and found themselves in an entirely different era.

Bourne and Hollingsworth is a 'prohibition style' bar where the cocktails are served in tea cups and jam jars alongside cucumber sandwiches and shortbread cookies. Yum! Smaller than your grandma's living room, the bar is fitted with 20's style decor which includes flowery wall-paper, tassle-adorned lamps and various mis-matching chairs and tables.

Having never been to a 'speakeasy' - Bourne and Hollingsworth was a light foray into this dark era for Traveller and she couldn't help but bop in time to the themed music spinning from the turntables.

Please forgive the photo quality - it was pretty dark inside!

Traveller's little street.

2010-04-08T11:38:00.004+01:00

Traveller lives on one of the prettiest little streets in North London.

It is full of bustling cafés, yummy delis and quaint little shops.

The best part is that it's close enough to the city {only one stop from Paddington}, yet far enough away to be quiet and village-like.

Schmaltz.

2010-04-07T22:25:00.005+01:00

Traveller saw 'The Blind Side' with her flattie tonight.

T loves Sandra and couldn't wait to see the movie despite the lacklustre reviews it has been receiving in London.

It seems the city is full of hardened cynics who can't stand a little cheese in their movie.

Reviewers have called it 'patronising' and 'clichéd' but T really loved it.

For those of you who haven't heard of it - 'The Blind Side' is a film which is based on the true story of a down-and-out kid who is taken in by a family who proceed to take care of him (cue tissue grabbing). He later becomes a professional in the NFL.

There's something about 'fighting the odds' type stories that really get T - she even finds herself tearing up on The X Factor or Idol when a down-and-out contestant realises their dreams.

Ultimately, the memorable line from The Holiday, "I'm looking for corny in my life," epitomises how Traveller feels about shmaltz.

Love it.

Blossoms.

2010-04-06T21:48:00.006+01:00

Today, Traveller and RF had a day out in London which included a stroll through Regent's Park {look at the lovely cherry blossoms!}, a spot of shopping on Oxford Street and lunch at a lebanese restaurant called Al Waha on Westbourne Grove.
Food and company were both lovely. What made the day even more swell was the feeling of warmth that was coming from the feeble British sun. Yes, ladies and gentleman, London is finally starting to warm up!
Now that is something worth cheering about.

Glee-ful

2010-04-04T21:51:00.005+01:00

Traveller hearts Glee.

Every episode makes her so cheery.

While Glee could be incredibly cheesy {and sometimes is} - it is equally entertaining, heart-warming and oh-so-funny.

Seriously, Sue Sylvester could be the funniest character on T.V. at the moment.

So while T sits and listens to past Glee songs on youtube, she admits she is a complete Gleek.

photo found here

Sweet things.

2010-04-02T12:33:00.010+01:00

Traveller cooked breakfast for her brother, sis-in-law and the new addition this morning.

Ain't she cute?

T just loves her cons.

Breakfast was french toast with caramelised bananas, maple syrup and creme fraiche.

Yum!

Ode to Skype.

2010-04-01T17:20:00.007+01:00

Like the letters of yesteryear,

You connect those from afar,

Their faces and voices like new

They are seeing and sharing.

You ask no toll,

Yet give so much,

Hours, minutes, days,

Over tears, laughter and lunch.

Without you, would faces be forgotten?

Would voices be a faded memory?

Would old conversations never be made new?

Indeed, Traveller is thankful for you.

Yes, Traveller has spent most of her first day of holidays on Skype and has loved every second of it!

photo found here

Easter Love.

2010-03-31T22:32:00.006+01:00

Traveller is officially on holidays!

Two and a half weeks of bliss.

T is looking forward to sleep-ins, catching up on a few novels, watching some movies and finally starting her running again. She has been very slack!

Today T received some chocolately loot from her littluns and also a super sweet card.

Teaching little kids rocks.

Blog Lovin'

2010-03-30T21:22:00.000+01:00

Traveller came across this blog recently and loves the witty little thank-you notes.

The writer uses the blog as a daily expression of gratitude and it is full of daily thank-you notes to loved ones, strangers and even the inanimate objects in her life.

Here are a few that amused Traveller.

What a great project, hey?

What would you be thankful for?

Teachery tales.

2010-03-29T18:47:00.011+01:00

Sometimes the T should really stand for 'teacher' as Traveller spends much more time in the classroom, than roaming through Europe. In recognition of this truth, T is going to blog about a few memorable teaching moments from the past week.

Firstly, the musical was a hit!

And Traveller is more than a little relieved.

Having never starred in a musical before (she was, unfortunately, not blessed with tuneful pipes) and only playing minor helper roles at her last school - this was a big deal. However, it all went swimmingly and it was really hard to believe that her talented boys were all under twelve. They were brilliant!

Well, let's be honest, most of them were. As Traveller works with prep school boys, she doesn't want to discriminate against the less talented of the little munchkins. This unfortunately means (or fortunately - whichever way you look at it) that some of the boys didn't quite always sing or act, but sometimes just gazed giddily at their parents. Ah well, you can't always expect professionalism from eight year olds!

In other humorous, teachery news, Traveller had the annual cross country today.

T is used to Australian cross-countries where children suffer from heat exhaustion, sunburn and sunstroke and where the teachers have a great time - sunning themselves and cheering on the little mites.

School cross-countries in English prep schools are a vastly different experience.

Firstly, everyone freezes.

The weather is drizzly, the wind is icy and the sky is grey.

The boys' lips are blue and the teachers are numb with cold.

However, we endure these conditions with proud British fortitude and nothing is heard except for the cheering of the parents, teachers and boys.

On a slightly anthropological note - has anyone ever noticed how speedy and ostentatious young children become when running in front of their parents? We had children that would walk 375 metres of the track, but when they were running past their parents, it was like they were involved in an olympic sprint! Their heads were down, their faces were serious and they, like gazelles, glided swiftly past their parents, only to walk again a few seconds down the track. We also had one serious chap who, after running one {fairly slow} 400 metre lap {in freezing conditions}, doused himself completely with water! Right in front of the parents!

Did T mention it was freezing?

Opening Night Jitters.

2010-03-23T20:17:00.005Z

The musical opens tomorrow night and Traveller is beyond excited.

The show has really come together in the last few rehearsals, even to the point where T has had goose bumps in some of the really catchy songs or pertinent moments.

It's moments like that that make all the work worth it.

T hopes her boys don't suffer too badly from opening night jitters.

Wish us luck!

photo from weheartit

All the world's a stage...

2010-03-18T19:17:00.005Z

Traveller has been run off her feet this past few weeks with the school's latest foray into the world of musicals. As she is the boss of all things dramatic in her little English prep school, it is Traveller's job to choose the musical, cast the children and plan the production in its entirety. This includes tasks such as organising performance rights, ticket prices and the programme.

This is the first time that T has directed a musical by herself and it has been quite the learning curve!

When not rehearsing with the children or completing administrative activities, T has found herself working out dance steps in the living room. This has been one of the most daunting parts of the job. With no formal dance lessons and a dance repertoire that includes 'the sprinkler' and 'the lawn-mower' - this has been no easy task.

However, with only a week to go, the musical is actually starting to shape into something which isn't too terrible.

Cue huge sigh of relief from Traveller.

Despite all the extra work, T has to admit that she does so enjoy watching the lil' darlings singing and busting a move on stage. Musicals are just so cheesy and fun, aren't they?

photo via weheartit

A song about a hat.

2010-03-16T20:41:00.010Z

One of the most memorable moments when Traveller was in Vienna was having dinner with some 'real' Austrians.

Husband's family have been close friends with an Austrian family for years and, while we were in Vienna, we were invited to dine with them. The mother was known for her Weiner Schnitzel. Yum! The most wonderful thing we learnt that night was that Austrian hospitality is second to none; we were showered with a very warm welcome from the family and all of their close relatives.

{almost 20 of them in total!}

The evening's menu consisted of champagne, schnitzel and potato salad, Tiramisu and Sachertorte.

{Sachertorte is a Viennese speciality and was delicious!)

The interesting thing about being in a room with a bunch of Austrians, in Austria, is that you soon realise that if you only speak English - you are on the outer. Despite all of her travelling, Traveller is yet to pick up another language and German is probably her weakest 'get by whilst travelling' language. Needless to say, there was a fair bit of staring happening throughout the night and various awkward, yet sweet, conversations.

Then husband did what he does best; he broke the ice. Now, he did not manage this by any unusual, or unsavoury methods; he merely regaled them with a song from his youthful German lessons.

The song is known as 'Mein hut der hat drei ecken'.

Before singing, husband asked if they wanted to hear a German song that he knew. They, admirably, were very cheered by this idea. Before commencing his performance, hubby procured himself a hat from within the house somewhere and proceeded to sing a German song about a hat and its three corners.

The crowd wooped and cheered and sung along.

Traveller giggled away at her goofy husband.

Ice sufficiently broken.

Another Lazy Sunday..

2010-03-14T17:43:00.004Z

Traveller can scarcely believe that it has been a whole week since she last blogged.

March has revealed itself to be a busy month with musical rehearsals, parental visits and a myriad of other things going on...

Saturdays have been spent at work {musical rehearsals} and Sundays are spent typically reading the paper and enjoying yummy food.

Today, Traveller made these scones because husband has a penchant for devonshire teas and husband's parents bought us some delicious strawberry jam from a chateau in France {nice, eh?} and some lovely clotted cream from our French deli downstairs...

So yummy.

We enjoyed them while they were still warm, in our favourite little park.

And lo and behold, for the second week running, the sun was shining!

{commence happy dance}

What did you get up to this weekend?

Sunday, lovely Sunday.

2010-03-07T18:50:00.003Z

A miraculous thing happened in London today: the sun came out. And stayed out. All day.

It was bliss. Indescribable and unequivocal bliss.

Traveller decided to celebrate this remarkeable occurence by having one of those lovely, lazy Sundays.

She went to the farmers' markets, bought the Sunday Times and then sat it in a lovely Queen's Park deli, drank hot-chocolate {ate a sweet pastry} and read the paper.

Lovely.

Late night at the Barbican.

2010-03-07T00:45:00.007Z

This weekend, Traveller went to an event at the Barbican in London.
The Barbican is an arts venue which focuses on film, dance, theatre, art and music. This weekend, they hosted 'Barbican Late Night' where you could do many things 'arty'.
There was ping pong playing on specially designed tables, a quiz session for film buffs, the architectural design and building of houses made of bread, cheese slices, marshmallows, paper and cardboard and last, but not at all least, was the silent disco.
The silent disco was a dancefloor where everyone was wearing headphones. There was no loud music; just the sounds of feet shuffling and voices singing. It was so much fun! The interesting part was that half of the room were listening to one song while the rest were listening to something completely different. You could always tell which was the more popular song by the enthusiastic bopping and individual voices that were singing aloud. T's favourite part was that they played all the old-school-classics: Love Shack, Summer of '69, YMCA, U Can't Touch This and the Will Smith classic, 'Boom! Shake the Room'.
Another fabulously free London night.

Gorgeous Vienna.

2010-03-03T19:45:00.003Z

Here are some shots from Traveller's recent visit to Vienna.
The city is absolutely stunning; T thinks it is one of her favourites.
We loved and learnt so much at Schonbrunn Castle {first two pictures}Inside the castle is a tour of Austria's Royal history and it was ever so interesting, especially seeing portraits of Marie Antoinette and her sisters. The rooms were so lavish and intricately decorated.
We enjoyed touring the city and taking in sights such as the Kunst Haus {a major art gallery}, the Hofburg and the Natural History Museum.
We were also really lucky to watch a ballet of Romeo and Juliet in the Royal Opera House - it was such a beautiful performance. The orchestra were extraordinary and T's favourite part{aside from the dancing} was when the cast took many, many bows; while they were bowing, hoards of bouquets were thrown at them.
T has never before seen so many roses. One of the best European experiences so far.

Oh, Tafelspitz!

2010-03-01T20:14:00.012Z

One of Traveller's most memorable culinary experiences whilst in Vienna was in a traditional restaurant called Plachutta. Ewald Plachutta is somewhat of a celebrity chef in Vienna; an Austrian Gordon Ramsay if you will. His restaurants are all about fresh ingredients, happy cows and traditional cooking.
Husband and T had to partake in the most traditional meal on offer which was Tafelspitz. Cool name, right? Just looking at it makes you want to say it aloud.
Tafelspitz entails a few little dishes which the waiters prepare for you in front of your very eyes; it is basically a boiled beef dish with lots of yummies on the side.
To begin, we had pancake soup which was delicious. The soup was what the beef was boiled in so it was very tasty. Then, to T's initial shock, we had bone marrow on little toasts - now just the thought {let alone the look} of bone marrow makes T a little squeamish but it wasn't too bad. Just like lard on toast, really. Getting hungry?
After the bone marrow, it was time for the steak which was paired with spinach and potato rosti.... yum! The beef was deliciously tender and T is always a huge fan of rosti.
Following this we all opted for dessert; T had a caramel ice-cream sundae, husband had a curd-cake and husband's dad completely won with his traditional Austrian dessert of half-curd and half-chocolate mousse with a gooseberry on top.
It was indescribably delicious!
All in all, a must do if you ever find yourself in Vienna.{which you should definitely try to do - because it is just beautiful!}

Traveller's latest adventure.

2010-02-28T09:43:00.009Z

This last three weeks have been busy!

Traveller has seen two sets of parents: husband's parents and her own.

She has visited Prague, Vienna, Salzburg and Kitzbuhel.

T has eaten numerous delicious meals, seen many wondrous sights and had lovely company through it all.

And now, after a relaxing weekend, she has caught up on such much needed sleep!

Here are some photos of T's time in Prague.

We loved: the Prague castle, the food and David Cerny's famous sculptures (of which you can see a few below).

Things we could have done without: the sub-zero temperatures!

(although it did mean many a glass of gluhwein)

T's favourite Cerny sculpture is of the two naked men - not for unsavoury reasons - but because if you sms'd a number, they would spell out a quotation or a name with their wee! How hilariously kitsch!

Next stop: Vienna!

Here's to another year.

2010-02-10T22:25:00.006Z

Recently, running friend celebrated her birthday.

We helped her enjoy this special occasion by joining her at the Smithfield Bar & Grill in London's meatpacking district.

It was a lovely night filled with delicious food, friends and good conversation.

RF: London simply wouldn't be the same without you.

Loot.

2010-02-09T21:56:00.005Z

Husband's parents arrived from Australia on Monday.

We came home to find this extraordinary array of Australian delights on our dining table.

Oh, Cadbury Dairy Milk Strawberry Egg - T loves you.

Taking to the skies.

2010-02-03T21:05:00.006Z

In just over a week, Traveller {and husband} are going on their next European adventure!

Husband's parents are arriving on Monday from Australia and whisking us away to Prague, Vienna, Salzburg and a little Austrian ski resort!

Traveller is {to use a North London expression} well excited.

It has been almost a year since we have seen them, so husband and T can't wait to show them our little London home and fave hot-spots.

photo via weheartit

In need of a little inspiration....

2010-02-02T21:57:00.004Z

Traveller has been an English and drama teacher for four and a half years and has had many interesting, hilarious and memorable experiences.

She has, at times, loved her job.

And, at other, less favourable times, she has likened it to a visit to the dentist: painful and damaging to the bank account.

Currently, she works with boys. Prep school boys. They are young, boisterous, well-mannered and interested {mostly}. They come from all parts of the globe and are very well-travelled.

They are generally a pleasure to teach.

Nevertheless, Traveller sometimes feels exhausted.

Not just tired, but exhausted of creativity, warmth and compassion.

Traveller imagines that most people feel like this in their chosen profession at some stage.

Any wise words?

Any tales of fabulous, inspiring teachers to motivate Traveller?

And for those teachers out there: any triumphant lesson stories?

photo via weheartit

A cupcake or two.

2010-02-01T21:09:00.004Z

Recently, Traveller and running friend put their baking skills to the test and made cupcakes!

This was for husband's 30th birthday.

We baked from the previously mentioned 'Hummingbird Bakery Cookbook' and 'The Primrose Hill Bakery Cookbook'.

As it was his birthday, husband was allowed to choose which cupcakes he would like and he chose vanilla and buttercream, marshmallow and carrot with cream cheese frosting.

Yum!

{Yes, Traveller really needs to learn how to photograph her cooking!}

Abbey Road.

2010-01-30T12:45:00.003Z

Traveller found this link though A Cup of Jo and my goodness, it is an extremely honest depiction of Abbey Road!

Living in Maida Vale, Abbey Road is a mere 10 minute walk from T and, as she often runs past there, she is continually amused by the hoards of tourists taking pictures of themselves crossing the road 'Beatles style'.

{it goes without saying that T has done this herself a few times with various visiting friends!}

If only we were in Moscow.

2010-01-28T20:43:00.006Z

Traveller saw this lovely lady on the stage last night.

Romola Garai is currently playing in Three Sisters by Chekhov at the Lyric Hammersmith and boy, it was fantastic!

The play itself was compelling and poignant, albeit a little bleak

{it is Chekhov!}

Flattie had a few tears and Traveller has been pondering the play's meaning all day.

The characters, like in most Russian plays, were facing dark and meaningless lives, which they were sure would be much improved if they living in Moscow. Sort of a 'grass is greener' tale.

It definitely made T think.

Garai was striking and skilled as one of the sisters and she was joined by a large and talented ensemble cast.

T is continuing to love theatre in London.

{especially because flattie has discovered that she is viable

for free theatre in London due to her spritely age (under 26!). She managed

to procure us super-close seats which were only three rows from the very front. Awesome!}

Pie love you.

2010-01-20T20:38:00.004Z

This Christmas, Traveller received a new cookbook to add to her collection, 'The Hummingbird Bakery Cookbook'. And, boy oh boy, it is full of delicious recipes!

The Hummingbird Bakery is an institution in London. It is has two stores; one in Notting Hill and one in South Kensington. If you love cupcakes, then this is the bakery for you; it is choc-a-block full of cupcakes {red velvet, banana, pumpkin, etc} and every delicious full-sized cake that you have ever imagined.

To thank the gift givers, Traveller decided to bake them a treat from the book. After flicking through and considering her limited baking supplies,

{small London flat = small kitchen}

T decided to make an all-time-favourite - Lemon Meringue Pie!

Surprisingly, it wasn't too difficult to make, although T must confess that she did make the more simple recipe and saved the Italian meringue for a more confident day.

The verdict - a triumph!

{verdict according to gift-giver}

Stars in my eyes.

2010-01-16T16:30:00.005Z

This week, Traveller, hubbie and flattie went to see the lastest British celebrity on London's stage. Keira Knightley is appearing alongside Damian Lewis and Tara Fitzgerald in Moliere's 'The Misanthrope'.

Having seen Jude Law, Judi Dench, Kenneth Branagh and Derek Jacobi on the stage, it is something that Traveller has almost started getting used to. Almost.

{our little town in Australia doesn't quite receive this calibre of celebrity in their one big playhouse)

The play itself was fantastic - Moliere's script is intensely witty, dramatic and there were many laugh-out-loud moments. Damian Lewis lived up to his many flattering reviews and Keira Knightley was also fantastic.

The most amusing thing happened, however, after the performance. Traveller and flattie made their way around to the stage door...

{we know it's silly and perhaps a little stalker-like, but we really can't resist meeting the actors! Husband usually stays, but the temperatures were beyond arctic, so he quickly escaped down to the underground}

We were first surprised by the very large, black, tank of a car parked outside the door. Usually in London, the actors come out, sign a few autographs and then make their way on foot.

The first big actor to exit was the show's star - Damian Lewis. He came out very casually, signed a number of autographs and made his way up the street. A few minutes after this, a bodyguard climbed out of his enormous car and began to speak into what T assumed was a microphone in his ear. Moments later, Keira Knightley breezed through the doors, signed two autographs, made a sweeping call to the crowd 'Is that everybody?' {to which the many people waiting waved their playbills} Without waiting for the answer, she turned, pouted for the paparazzi, jumped in the car and screeched off into the night.

Traveller and flattie were in fits of giggles. This type of celebrity behaviour is so out of character in London. When we saw Jude Law in Hamlet, he was oh so very gracious, signed many autographs and posed for a few pictures. Following this, he simply sauntered off into the night. You even spot the odd celebrity around town attempting to live a very normal, bodyguard-free life. Just last week, Traveller and hubbie were in their local blockbuster, lining up behind a very casual Jonathan Rhys Meyers.

After having a little giggle, Traveller and flattie made their way to Piccadilly Circus, whereby they spotted Damian Lewis still allowing fans to take pictures with him. He then, very unassumedly, jumped into a black cab.

Quite refreshing, really.