Tag Archives: different journey
My mother passed away suddenly while I was in Spain in October.
Last week, the four of us siblings got together to sift through four lifetimes.
These words are in memory of my mum, dad, granny and poppy – a travel blog for a different journey.
A tarnished brass ashtray,
a porcelain doll wrapped in muslin cloth,
a box of faded photographs
from times when hope was fresh…
Before the disappointments,
before the sadness and the pain,
waiting for peace,
waiting for eternal silence.
Ancient forks and steak knives
with handles carved from ivory tusks,
a dusty moss-green recliner chair
dismantled to fit into a shed,
watercolours whispered from the brush…
A jumble of moments gathered,
the sum of a lifetime.
And yet… I remember
a breath, a smile, a tear, a touch.
The deepest mark we leave
is on the hearts of those who love us.
Comments Off on The sum of a life… | tags: Art, different journey, Life, Losing mum, Poetry, saying goodbye, storytelling | posted in Uncategorized, Wellbeing
It’s been a few years (um, decades) since we’ve been out on the streets past midnight – but Seville does that to you.
This city literally comes to life at about eight o’clock at night. And by ten, the locals come out to move from bar to bar with friends, enjoying one tapas and one drink at each place (well, that’s the idea anyway).
It takes bar crawls to a whole civilised and delicious new level – and it’s a way of eating, drinking and socialising that fits us perfectly.
Even the late nights feel early, perhaps because the sun stays up late too.
And there’s always those ‘recovery’ sleep-ins, because nobody emerges until at least ten in the morning. Except a few of the keen tourists of course.
More about this fabulous city later. It’s getting late – which means it’s time for us to hit the streets… adiós for now!
Tasty tip: We went on the excellent Seville Gourmet Wine and Tapas Tour with Manuel from Pancho Tours (booked with Viator). A great way to get familiar with the tapas scene and hang out with like-minded vino and food lovers.
2 Comments | tags: different journey, Life, Seville, Seville culture, tapas, Wine, wine tasting | posted in Food fabulousness, Getting unstuck, Spain, Travel, Uncategorized
You’ve got to have a least one of those (travelling) days, don’t you? Well, today was ours.
After a few days in Porto (a story for another time), we picked up our hire car from Europcar … and that’s where it all began to unravel.
The portable GPS they gave us (at €8 a day) was clearly set up at around the time of the Ark.*
Seriously, it didn’t even register the oldest streets (or the casino) at our destination three hours away in Estoril, near Cascais in Portugal.
Oh, but we did have a dodgy map to show us the way (also an archeological find I’m sure).
Eventually, we muddle our way to our destination.
Our travel agent has booked us into ‘apartment’ for eight days… inside someone’s house. It’s kind-of cutesy, but does a toaster oven count as self-contained? Hmmm
Eternally optimistic, we head off to find the Tourist Information Centre to get a map of the area. Except it closed 12 months ago.
At least we located a nice red.
Ah, First World problems. When it comes to travelling, attitude is everything.
And tomorrow’s another day.
* Here’s a tip for travellers: if you’re using a GPS, go to settings and select the country you’re travelling in (in our case, Portugal). Thanks to a tech-savvy Europcar lad in Cascais, our GPS was re-set and now gives us Portuguese streets instead of streets like Barcelona and Seville (go figure), and still gives directions in English. And we’re off!
Comments Off on Attitude is everything | tags: Cascais, different journey, Estoril, GPS, GPS madness, Life, one of those days, Set up your GPS, travel, travel mishaps, vacation, Wine | posted in Europe, Portugal, Road trips, Street Art, Travel, Uncategorized
It’s easy to get caught up in capturing the right shot and having the perfect life (thank you, social media). At some point, you might just wonder where the pure childlike joy went.
It’s time to Take 5. So strap on those runners, grab your camera (or phone), and head out the door.
As you walk, take five photos of things that catch your eye, give you joy or just make you feel good.
It’s not about about being arty. It’s not a competition. It’s about noticing the things that make you happy.
The most important part happens back at home. Look at your photos and write down what each one means to you. Why did it grab your attention? Why did it make you feel good?
Here’s what the pics I took mean to me:
- Pandanus palms withstand sea spray, wind and drought and still look great – what’s not to love about such resilience?
This pelican made me smile because it held itself aloof from the other pelicans waiting for the fisherfolk to arrive and clean their daily catch – no begging for this cool customer! Just comfortable in its own – um – feathers- The winter wind was chilly but the salty water was deliciously fresh
- You can’t help smiling at Pigface, a creeping succulent that’s a pop of colour among the rocks
- Aqua blue water you just want to sink into.
It’s all about taking a trip without leaving your suburb.
Sure, it helps if you live near the beach – but those moments can happen anywhere. Even in your own backyard. Here’s proof from my place…
Now it’s your turn… Let’s get happy!
Comments Off on Take 5 for Friday | tags: birds, different journey, happiness, iPhone snaps, Life, mindful walking, mindfulness, photography, short breaks, Wellbeing | posted in Australia, Five for Friday, Uncategorized, Wellbeing, Wild places & wildlife
On Friday, our escape vehicle was packed and we were ready to head off on our 10-day ‘beat the silly season’ road trip.
Temperatures in Brisbane were soaring, so we were hesitating. Our daughters were looking after our 16 year-old kelpie, Buffy, and we were half-expecting a call…
Buffy’s respiratory issues had been ramping up dramatically over the past two weeks, and the heat always knocked her around.
The call came just as we were about to leave – so instead of heading south, we made a mad dash north to Brisbane.
It was time to say goodbye to our little ‘rarity’. She’d been with us since 2001 and had grown up with our kids.
She was our obsessive foodie, our fierce protector, our friend. And when the time came, she went so peacefully in our arms we didn’t even know she’d gone.
Goodbye beautiful Buffy. Our beach won’t be the same without you…
Cloud-walking…
2 Comments | tags: different journey, dogs, family, kelpie, Life, Northern NSW | posted in Family
It’s Monday morning – and that’s always a bit of a blah moment, wherever you are in the world.
If you’re like me, and especially if you often work from ‘the home office’, it’s Perpetual Procrastination Day. I’ve already pulled the coffee grinder apart and cleaned it.
Why? Because our coffee machine isn’t working, but I have an article to write. Confused? Me too.
So here’s my official note to self today, from the pen of Jack Canfield, because it makes me smile – and I thought you might need this piece of advice too…
Don’t keep putting things off, waiting for twelve doves to fly over your house in the sign of the cross before you begin. Just start.
Happy Monday!
Comments Off on Note to self: Just start | tags: birds, different journey, Just start, Life, Procrastination, Quotes, Resolutions, travel | posted in Australia, Travel, Uncategorized, Wellbeing
I’ve been thinking a lot about ‘stuckness’ this week, and what keeps us in that immovable yet frantically busy place where we just don’t have the time to do the things that make our spirits soar.
Perhaps it’s a kind of dysfunctional aspiration, where we’re literally buying into the myth that we have to work our butts off to get money, so we can get more cool stuff – and then struggle to pay off the debts we’re drowning in.
We’re constantly bombarded with messages that tell us if we get this thing or that thing, we’ll be happy.
Except happiness is usually in the other direction – in a life where you live with less, especially less stress. Where you don’t surround yourself with mostly useless stuff, and you don’t live to work so you can consume more useless stuff. And you get time, every day, to paint or write or surf or paddle… or whatever it is that you love to do.
So here’s my five for Friday:
- Reflect – instead of being consumed with busyness, take time out to reflect. To think about the things that really make you feel awesomely fulfilled.
- Be brutal – when you look at your life and how you live, work out what you really need to survive. Because most of us have a skewed perception of what we need versus what we want.
- Take the challenge – if you’re in a ‘stuff’ rut and your place looks like Hoarder Central, start to streamline fast, and then practice living with less. There’s something satisfying about selling or gifting things you don’t need, but someone else might!
- Get real – we often run around frantically because we don’t want to face our fears. Sometimes we’re so smart, we get into more debt or more busyness because then we’ve got the perfect excuse not to make the change… (guilty, we are!)
- Make the change – it’s usually fear that holds us back from making those big changes – what if it turns out to be an epic fail? But… what if it turns out to be the best thing you’ve ever done in your life?
For us, it’s about adjusting the aspirations we’ve been sucked into (often willingly yet naively), so we can start living the life we’ve imagined.
With so much less, but ultimately so much more of everything important to us.
Especially time – time to look after our health, to hang out with family and friends, to take on the projects we love, to give something back to our community, and to explore our world… on a shoestring (or a bike).
We’re working on getting unstuck. Starting now. How about you?
Happy Friday!
2 Comments | tags: aspirations, different journey, Life, Resolutions, short breaks, travel, useless stuff | posted in Five for Friday, Getting unstuck, Packing light..., Uncategorized, Wellbeing
Where’s EB? On the bike while I take the easy path of course.
How did it get to March already? I guess that’s what happens when work is frantic, there is loads of family stuff going on (including a gorgeous new granddaughter to add to the mix) and we have a wedding to plan.
Yes, ours. After nearly two decades (a rather long engagement), we are finally doing it. Before we’re eligible for a senior’s card – and no, we haven’t lost our minds. Yet.
But I’m not here to bang on about weddings, although that does begin with ‘yes’.
For us, this is about saying ‘let’s just do it’, because there is never really a right time, you’re always busy, you never have the money, and the list goes on. Including the list of new additions to our family.
This is just one more step towards our (golden) gap year – because it somehow has us fixing a razor sharp view (in spite of the reading glasses) on reality.
Life is short. If you don’t live how you want to live, you’re not really living at all.
And one day, if you don’t act now, you’ll wake up and two decades (or more) will have gone by in a snap. And you will be no closer to yes then than you are right now…
So here’s to putting plans into action – and hitting the road sooner rather than later.
Comments Off on It begins with yes | tags: different journey, Life, Resolutions, travel | posted in Packing light..., Travel, Wellbeing
Ho ho ho on his Harley
The silly season caught us on the hop this year, with so much to organise and work to wrap up before we took off to Hobart, to ‘squat’ in our house in Sandy Bay and fix some pesky maintenance issues.
Who knew those seconds shops had enough stuff to get you through three weeks without a stick of furniture in the house, and without breaking the budget?
Christmas morning wanderings, discovering a hidden valley behind our house.
But all work and no play has never been our strong point so, between the weeding and fixing, we’re indulging in all the things Hobart has to offer. And there are many…
At this time of year, on those perfect summer days, the Taste of Tasmania is on the menu, as well as the always-fabulous Salamanca Markets, endless bush walks, the wrap of the 70th Sydney to Hobart yacht race, and more…
On Sunday, we joined the crowds lining the Derwent River in Hobart to watch Wild Oats XI take line honours.
Wild Oats XI – a spectacular site!
Even the two-hour wait for the yacht to arrive didn’t dull the excitement as it tacked across the harbour to finally cross the line, a finish hailed with a giant boom of the old canon.
A cheer went up and most of us took off towards Constitution Dock where the boats will moor as a week long celebration kicks off.
The Taste of Tasmania is in full swing, with fabulous wine, food, entertainment. And more wine. And food. And way too many people.
I’ve never been one for crowds, but somehow we’re caught up in the joy of life here. The friendly jostling and people spread out on lawns or squashing up at tables is all part of the fun.
What’s not to like?
Comments Off on Christmas in Ho Ho Hobart | tags: different journey, Hobart, Life, photography, short breaks, Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race, Tasmania, travel, vacation, Wild Oats XI, Wine, Yacht race | posted in Australia, Packing light..., Photography, short breaks, Travel, Wellbeing
I’m always banging on about life beginning at the edge of your comfort zone… So recently I walked the talk. Well, rode it really.
We’ve bought ourselves a Vespa to take with us on our travels in the Douglas Albert.
It’s a 250cc, so we had to do a day of training and assessments to get our bike licenses.
For EB, this was destined to be a pushover, but I was trembling in my boots… and gloves… and helmet.
Well, I am five-foot-nothing and reaching the ground on a motorbike or scooter is a challenge in itself.
But how hard could it be, I thought. It’s just a scooter, right?
Ah yes, but you still have to do those tricky tight figure eights, lane-width u-turns, slaloms weaving through witches hats at 25kph, full-speed emergency braking, slow rides travelling along a narrow 4m strip at a snail’s pace (designed so you don’t drop your bike in car parks!), road rides and more.
From the very beginning, there was no way I was ever getting that slalom. Except I did, it was brilliant fun, and (girl power) I beat the heck out of the blokes!
Have you challenged yourself lately? Have you been thinking about trying something new, but you’re feeling the fear and stuck on the ‘what ifs’?
I reckon now is a great time to give it a go! Because there’s nothing better than taking on your own fears.
Well, except getting on your Vespa and taking the scenic route…
Ciao!
2 Comments | tags: different journey, Life, Vespa | posted in Australia, short breaks, Wellbeing
Flight path 