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  • TravelerEuropean Christmas
    1
    Day 9

    #sLOVEnia

    December 29, 2022 in Slovenia ⋅ ☁️ 5 °C

    If Zagreb was an old friend, then Slovenia is an influencer.

    Perfectly set up for an incredible shot around every corner. Every part of the country can be accessed within a 2 hour drive and it’s even possible to be snow shoeing in the morning and relaxing on an Adriatic beach in the afternoon. On my trip though, I had limited time so I spent most of it in Ljubljana (Loo-Blah-Na) and Lake Bled. And the photos don’t disappoint.

    I can’t help but think though, if Slovenia was invited to a party, she would arrive late, breeze through the door looking stunning, stop everyone in their tracks, take a selfie and just as promptly turn around and walk out the door. The bewildered crowd would be left asking “who was that”? With a chorus of “I have no idea” ringing out before the party returns to whatever it was doing before that moment.

    For me to have formed a more concrete bond with Slovenia we both probably needed to put a bit more effort in, stick around a bit longer perhaps. I respect the beauty and ease of walking around Europes smallest capital city and Lake Bled with its snow capped mountain backdrop was like walking in a postcard.

    Perhaps in the fullness of time, I’ll see her as more than a hash tag, I do hope so. In the mean time, I head to Austria tomorrow to see what that cranky old rich bastard has in store for me. Hit me with it Salzburg, I’m ready for ya.    Read more

  • TravelerEuropean Christmas
    Day 5

    The Museum of Museums

    December 25, 2022 in Croatia ⋅ ☁️ 10 °C

    Zagreb is a relatively small city, you can walk all the highlights easily in day, but for such a small city it punches way above its weight in one thing others don’t, Museums. In fact, it has 34 (that I know of).

    It’s my rustic guess that there is one museum for every 10 permanent residents so I wonder if the locals actually manage to see them all? Now that was an exaggeration but it’s not just the volume that is interesting but the subject matter of each one that puts it on a whole new level.

    A day of Museums could go a little like this …. Starting at the Cannabis Museum which is conveniently close to the Chocolate Museum, then the Mushroom Museum, leads you gently to the Museum of Illusions. Topping off the museum rave is the 80’s Museum. Nothing screams a good dance party like the synthetic sound of Ah Ha.

    The Police Museum has distanced itself and lives by the theory of what happens in Zagreb stays in Zagreb and there is nothing to see here.

    Unless you want to see yourself, then the Selfie Museum is right up your ally. Go ahead and snap like no one is looking. After all you have just spent the afternoon at the Museum of Broken Relationships and self care across social media is great therapy.

    What about history I hear you say? That’s covered too. The Jewish Museum will be a reminder of what we should never do again as this inevitably takes you to the War Photography Museum, a close cousin of the Railway Museum as I am told the rail system here hasn’t been upgraded since it was used in the Balkans War. I wonder whether the Mini train Museum can offer a glimpse of the future?

    There are also all the usual suspects that other cities can roll out around archeology and modern history but if you want to know about modern electricity pop into the Nikola Tesla Museum. He amped up the game after Thomas Edison.

    So in considering all this, I think there is a need for one more. A one stop shop for those of us just passing through. I propose to you Zagreb that your next Museum be the Museum of Museums where you have a little bit of each all in one place. Now that would be a game changer that even Tesla would tilt his Boater Hat to.

    My advice to the modern day visitor, pack some comfy shoes and keep your eyes open, it’s 34 now but who knows what is going to pop up next and that’s half the fun.    Read more

  • TravelerEuropean Christmas
    Day 2

    Hello my old friend Europe

    December 22, 2022 in Croatia ⋅ ☁️ 3 °C

    There is always an interesting feeling I get in those first seconds of leaving an airport. When the doors open and you feel for the first time, the natural air and you truly know you’ve arrived. Sometimes it’s a blanket of tropical warmth, others just a fresh breeze on your face, or a reminder you are home but arriving in Zagreb was exhilarating. Mainly because I was wearing nothing more than a t shirt and vest but also because it was zero degrees and covered in fog. I stepped out of the airport and into a deep freezer, Zagreb did not reveal itself immediately. It was not obvious what lay ahead but it wasn’t long before I was able take my first step into cobblestone streets and the years stolen by a virus were returned. The world was again my oyster or for the non oyster lovers, my lobster.

    Zagreb is not always the first place that comes to mind when you think of a European holiday, or even when planning to visit Croatia, but if the last 24 hours is anything to go by, I would say it’s a well kept secret and surely can’t stay that way for long.

    When I was growing up in the 80’s we used to watch the 6 o’clock news. From our lounge rooms in safe and laid back Redcliffe we would see images of war in a far away place called Yugoslavia. It looked cold, dark, and the people were sad. It was not a place you would want to go and definitely not a place I could have ever imagined spending Christmas 2022. The war ended in 1992 and Yugoslavia disintegrated into many new countries.

    Croatia was free to be whoever she wanted. So Zagreb chose to be friendly (humanly and environmentally), respectful of tradition while cutting the edge with modern touches, obsessed by coffee and just generous. If a city can be gendered in any way, it feels feminine. But she is comfortable in her own skin and doesn’t see the need for excessive glitz and glamour. Instead, she makes you feel like you have sat down in the lounge at an old friends house and she has the kettle on.

    Thanks Zagreb for inviting me in, today I am going out there to enjoy the cuppa.    Read more

  • TravelerCOVID

    Goodbye Australia and hello AU

    August 15, 2021 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 15 °C

    Today I got to thinking, what would this great land of ours look like if we were no longer Australia but we became the AU (Australian Union) as in the dot bit at the end of com.

    I hear the collective jaws dropping from here. How very dare you imply this great nation of ours should be divided into small self run countries, how Unaustralian of you!!! My grandfather fought in the war for Australia.... but we just won all those medals in the green and gold ... but I have a holiday booked to Port Douglas do I now need a visa? That is simply unthinkable. But is it really?

    It has been 18 months since COVID flew onto our shores. The threat was real and as Australians we did what our armed forces have done for generations, we signed up from our lounge rooms to protect our country. We watched concerts online, learned how to click and collect, washed our hands for 20 seconds to the tune of happy birthday to me, had virtual catch ups, wore masks and socially distanced ourselves under the “we’re all in this together” flag.

    It was not long though before the silk started to fray in the flag. While some of us were still fighting the war, others were raising a toast to its end, signalling that perhaps we may have witnessed the battles but only from our own backyard and not that of our neighbours. Those of us still on the frontline were given hope by our northern neighbours as their social media pages lit up with photos of beers overlooking the ocean #freedom. But hope doesn’t last long before it turns to despair. We asked our Premier when can we get on the beers? Not yet. That wasn’t to come for quite some time.

    What didn’t take long to appear, was politics. State Premiers rose to prominence like new celebrities, while federal ones disappeared. We tuned in every day to see what they had to tell us. What are the numbers today, what are other states saying about us and where can we, and more often that not, where can’t we go. Borders didn’t just softly close, they slammed shut. We were locked out of our own country and the interstate political scene became one of the most watched dramas of year. It continues to be very popular to this day. If there was ever any uncertainty around how independent our states are, by now we should be convinced.

    So considering this, I would like to take a curious look at what we may look like, if Australia was the continent and the states were countries, like it is In Europe. Ladies, gentlemen and others, let me introduce to you the AU.

    Bonjour from Victorious. A mighty state whose President Dan Macron was down but not out, following a catastrophic fall in Sorrento over the summer. A country rising like a Phoenix from the ashes, Victorious is proud to once again offer our AU neighbours some of the best restaurants, bars, distilleries, art, sport and culture in our capital city of Melbonne.

    Hola from Queenslandenola. The AU’s favourite country to warm up and play in the sun. For those looking for a bit of chic head to Brisbalona where you can ride a high speed boat up and down the river while still magically maintaining a full face of make up and immaculate hair style. Or for those with 2 years of pent up energy and a birth date after the 2000’s, your answer lies in the Ibiza of the Southern Hemisphere, the Costa Golden. Just remember no vaccine no party.

    Hallo from Neu Sud Vales. After trusting it’s citizens to do the right thing a bit too much, President Gladys Merkel has resigned herself to the fact that no amount of trying to keep business running was going to stop a pesky little virus. At the time of writing the rest of the AU was busy trying to work out how to solve a problem like this. It’s the economic powerhouse of the AU and they have long taken the lions share of the overseas enemy but what now? Current travel advice for Neu Sud Vales, cancel your trip to Byron.

    The People’s Republic of Western Australia does not welcome you, unless of course you are there already or own a mine. President Mark Jinping says there is “nothing to see here” and the rest of the AU agrees.

    Love and Peace from Tastopia. We grow yummy apples, spuds and have lots of nice national parks. We welcome everyone whenever you can get here. Sometimes the rest of the AU forgets about us but that’s ok, we know everyone still loves Tastopia. President Joseph Chromy welcomes you all to our beautiful piece of paradise. Pack a parker, even in summer.

    Come visit Frontierland, the natural Disney country where we encourage “go big or go home”. With almost no population and a giant land mass, you can drive literally all day and not see another human. Unless of course it’s July. Then you can’t move for international tourists from other AU countries. With big barra, giant crocs and the world’s biggest rock, head to Frontierland and get your fix of bigness.

    Tally Ho from Adelho. The only AU country to claim that they were not built on the back of convicts. For a little country Adelho packs a mighty punch, particularly in its COVID responses. Marshalling his country Stevo from Adelho works on the theory that if you make it tough then only the good ones get in. It’s natural selection. I mean there simply isn’t enough Verdehello in Adelho to go round. Carry on chaps. We’re all ok.

    And finally, why not visit the former capital of Australia. Candorra. A man made land locked country to the west of Neu Sud Vales. With more ex politicians per head than any other country Candoora is trying to negotiate to move its borders a bit further south but in a twist of bad karma, now that we no longer have to listen to anyone from Candoora, that is precisely where the negotiations have landed.

    Aside from the fact that we have learned a lot about politics, epidemiology, rules and vaccines, the future is still bright and with the NZ bubble just waiting to really kick off, maybe the ANZAC spirit isn’t gone forever. Perhaps like most things, it is now starting to look a bit different.

    I can’t wait for the day when we can all go about our lives as we want to again, and I think we can all agree that the true #freedom is when we can once again forget that borders exist and we are again Australian.    Read more

  • TravelerCOVID

    Simplicty might be the tonic

    May 22, 2020 in Australia ⋅ ⛅ 10 °C

    We are now months into the Pandemic that has so far resulted in 5 million cases world wide and brought about economic hardship that is expected to take a significant period of time to recover from. Some people have lost loved ones and some their jobs and businesses and in turn many have had freedoms that they usually enjoy temporarily removed in order to “flatten the curve”, after all aren’t we all in this together?

    Yes and No. We might all live on planet earth but it’s how we live and the beliefs we hold that determine the outcome here.

    I read early on in this pandemic that COVID19 was brought to the poor by the rich as they were the ones who had the means travel and by flying all around the world, the rich were spreading the virus far and wide. But what is interesting to me, is that the countries that seem to have suffered the most through this, seem to be the ones where these very people live and really not the small poor developing nations that were originally feared to be.

    These so called rich nations held strong to their beliefs that their health systems, access to pharmaceutical medicine, access to face masks, bottled hand sanitiser and weekly quarantini zoom sessions would pull them through until the miracle cure was discovered most likely by someone in the USA, China or Europe. They are still holding fast to that belief that the miracle cure is not far away. Can we get a clap for the NHS in the mean time, and can we make it snappy I have my next Tik Tok to record and online yoga starts in 7 minutes.

    Meanwhile, the “victims” seem to have actually done something right. Many African countries were well prepared. They have seen mass spreading of deadly diseases and knew the value of acting quickly and so far it’s been a fairly good news story. Perhaps we are not hearing the whole story or the worst is yet to come but the pacific island nations are ready when we are to kick off their tourism again, as is Greece and many of the countries in eastern and southern Europe that often bear the brunt of the more prosperous nations jokes. They simply, live more simply.

    But reading an article this morning that ridiculed an African country (that so far has no cases of COVID19) for promoting a herbal remedy not only irritated me but has got me thinking. Many of our pharmaceutical drugs are derived from plants so why is this such a stretch for us to understand the answer lies in nature? I think it comes down the the western world’s belief that it is somehow superior to other parts of the world because we have more money to throw at the problem and the best medicine comes out of a lab by people in white coats.

    Humans are an innovative lot and many older cultures have a very strong connection to nature, they have survived a long time without formal chemistry, so are these so called rich nations now looking further afield? Or are they just swapping notes between themselves? Can Senegal, Cambodia, or the even the oldest living culture, the Australian Aborigines have a seat at the table? Can we leave politics and money at the door to look more widely for the vaccine?

    If we can manage that, then we will truly be “all in this together”.    Read more

  • Traveler2018
    Day 2

    Club Mitt

    March 7, 2018 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 13 °C

    Anyone who has ever bought their first home will understand the deep connection you have to the house. It’s not just real estate. 9 Mittagong Street, Enoggera or “Club Mitt”, was my actually our first home. I was working for YHA the housing market hadn’t yet boomed and we were on minimum wages. We had arrived back from living in London wanting to get on with life and buy a house so we saved the deposit and after many many ok another many, inspections we fell in love with 9 Mittagong St. For the first 7 years it was all about improving the house, making a dent in the mortgage and just setting up the future.

    Latte was our first pet, Bacci the cat lasted a few days then went back, Shiraz the red fighting fish died in our hands and I arrived home one day from work to a second cockatiel, Benedict. It was also where I fell head over heels for a crazy little rescue dog called Ruby who was prompted renamed Molly. As a young dog she used to run around the perimeter of the backyard so often she wore a track in the grass. It’s probably never grown back the same. Latte outlived them all and I am pleased to say, is still very much the happy chirpy little bird she always was.

    Many friends and family events took place in that house over the years as well. We had heartbroken friends join us with their dogs when their relationships ended, friends from the opposite side of the world or interstate come and stay, a friend who came to house sit and stayed 18 months and family, lots of family. Some of which are no longer with us, many who are. And countless parties.

    Our late 20’s to late 30’s were spent at Club Mitt. Despite the often boozy (very boozy) parties I still remember some funny things. No names have been included to protect the innocent, but you know who you are.....

    There was the great rum gargle competition of Christmas circa, 2002?, the inflatable swimming pool that I may or may not have attempted to swan dive into, Happy Birthday Mr PPP President with associated props, cracking out the musical instruments and jamming like we believed were actually good, the 80’s music that made the police dance at our door when they had to investigate a complaint, and on some occasions me “choosing” to sleep under the stars or on the deck next to Molly. Funny how I usually went to bed in the great outdoors with little comfort yet always woke up with a pillow a blanket and a bucket. The dog box usually turned out to be quite luxurious.

    Last week I closed the door on Club Mitt. It was a sad day but my memories remain happy and I am smiling as I write this.

    For those who have reached this part of the blog, I can only assume you have been or are now jealous as hell not to have been to Club Mitt. I would love to hear the memories from other people of their time there. I may have missed something in the haze ..

    Here’s cheers and thanks, it was the best first home a girl could ever wish for.    Read more

  • TravelerPart C - The rest of 2017
    Day 106

    Busy is the new boring

    December 12, 2017 in Australia ⋅ ⛅ 15 °C

    It’s been a while since I posted to the blog, because quite frankly I have been busy, very busy, too busy in fact.

    Now it’s been a busy year. How often do you hear that at this time of the year! I challenge anyone to conclude on reflection that the year for them has been anything other than busy. It would be refreshing in a way to hear someone say “you know, all things considered I have had a pretty quiet year”. But I doubt that is ever going to happen as 1. it’s probably not true and 2. if it was, no one is going to admit it for fear of being considered boring, so here we are stuck in the cycle of busyness. But funnily enough when you run into someone you haven’t seen for a while or spoken to regularly and ask them what they have been up to they will find it hard to tell you exactly, other than “oh I have been busy. Flat out actually, never a spare minute, sorry I haven’t been in touch it’s just I have been so busy”.

    Busy is the new boring.

    So for those those who have been following along this year, 2017 has been a year where I have had some major highs, major lows, periods of extreme busyness and periods where I felt every single minute like it was a lifetime. There was still only 24 hours in each day, yet some days felt shorter and some longer. If I were asked to describe the year I have had, I would default to busy. So I am going to challenge myself to a new mindset and see if I can describe it another way.

    For me, 2017 has been transformational. When I signed my permanent contract early in the year I could never have predicted the year at work I was about to have. It came with more twists and turns than a Luna Park roller coaster, some days were long and stressful but each of them shifted me to another gear. Career wise, it’s the best year I can remember and I look forward to what next year brings. It was good busy.

    Personally though it was also very sad. In fact, still sad as I sit here writing this as it was the year that my relationship of 23 years ended. We don’t have relationships in isolation of others, so the loss went well beyond just the two of us. Some connections through that relationship have changed and some now gone too. You could say I have been busy grieving. But that is usually an internal busyness and one we don’t articulate well when asked what you been up to.

    Then I had the absolute luxury of 10 weeks globetrotting. I limped onto the plane in June and leapt off in August. Transformed in many ways but still keeping to the core. I am by no means a totally new person but one who has had the time to step back from the daily busyness and work out what is really important for me.

    So what were some major lessons from 2017 for me? The one’s that come to mind are (in no particular order):

    * Everyone is busy
    * No one is too busy to miss out on what they really want to do
    * Kindness must at all times prevail in a break up. No exceptions.
    * Some family and friends will be there for you, and some won’t. That is ok. They are all busy.
    * People are flawed
    * Animals are not
    * The years fly by so quickly, do what fills your heart
    * The only constant is change

    So friends I put the challenge out to you. What lessons has your busyness brought about this year?    Read more

  • TravelerPart C - The rest of 2017
    Day 51

    Password Pain

    October 18, 2017 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 16 °C

    Now I know this issue is not just something I experience but it’s forming a life of its own and I need group support!

    Passwords.

    Yes those small little digital lines of text that are designed to keep all your money and information safe and secure from those who want to steal it from you. Seems rather noble on the surface but to me this issue has become so present I feel like it has moved in and started drinking my beer from the fridge!!!

    Most of us on a daily basis login to our bank accounts, email, social networking, work computers and home laptops and unless you are super lucky to have the magic software that just remembers the last time you entered the password you will be asked to enter a combination of somewhere between 6 and 8 upper case, lower case, numerical and symbol characters. Now I don’t know about you, and perhaps the amount of big nights I have had over the years are catching up with me, but I have lost control over this. I can’t remember from one day to the next what I put in there, even if it’s only the next day after I have bought a pair of shoes from the site that needs a password and paid for them using my encrypted PayPal account. There are some software programs out there that help but my iPad doesn’t talk to my Android phone or pass the message down the line to my Mac Air who certainly isn’t going to share with my HP.

    So I have done what comes naturally and tried to create some form of logic to apply so I don’t forget it. But logic lets me down. Each company who insists I am better off entering a password has a different requirement. It would be far too logical for them to standardise the requirement or even more logical for them to give you a hint around the order they wanted things in when you set up the account in the first place.

    I know internet fraud is a thing. But seriously this is a thinger thing than that. I want a password amnesty and I want it now. Say no to passwords. What would happen then??? Would our money really get stolen?? Is this just the culture of fear taking over, are we terrified by digital terrorism?

    So digital service providers, hear my plea. PLEASE bring in iris technology and do it soon because I am about to poke my own damn eyes out which of course would leave me high and dry in the future.

    Until then I am going to stuff $50 notes into the lounge like the good old days. I won’t be able to pay my bills online so when the debt collector arrives, I will just pull out a wad and send him or her on their merry way. I am done with single sign on that is anything but that, so I am taking the road less travelled, single sign off.

    Nanoo Nanoo.    Read more

  • TravelerPart C - The rest of 2017
    Day 37

    Gel Fix

    October 4, 2017 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 8 °C

    In the 70s there was an adhesive glue product called Gel Fix. In conducting a quick search 40 years later I think it has been rebranded to another name under the Selleys label. The product still exists though and this is also a fortunate coincidence because my favourite childhood possession was named after a glue product and he is still going pretty strong today. He could be the poster boy for Selleys.

    So Gelfix (one word) was well travelled and lived a full life before retiring to the back of Mum and Dads spare linen cupboard. He went to America (loved Disneyland), went to Fiji, sailed on the Oriana and had numerous holidays on the Gold Coast, one of which had him buried in the backyard and the whole family searching for him. Fortunately after several hours he was retrieved from his early grave and hung by his ears on the line to dry. This was a good day for Gelfix.

    Gelfix is now around 45 human years old. And despite his nose disappearing some time ago and losing an eye (evidence that it’s all fun and games until someone loses an eye) he still makes me smile. I mean when you really think about it, who wouldn’t be happy when they sit back all these years later and think about the first best friend they ever had and go “you know what, my parents were on the money when they let me name a teddy bear after a tough hardware product”. School of hard knocks rule 101..... no soft names for soft toys you hear me....

    So here’s to you Gelfix. Tonight I am going to finish sanding the putty in the hole in the wall and pull out the paint tin. I have some maintenance to be done around here and hey who knows I may even need some liquid nails at some point to finish the job. Keep going strong little buddy! You are just lucky we didn’t call you Selley.....    Read more

  • TravelerPart C - The rest of 2017
    Day 26

    Melbourne Moments

    September 23, 2017 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 19 °C

    Melbourne has long sat at the top or very close to the top of the worlds most liveable city list. Don't believe me or my bias, it's just a thing. The Liveability Ranking assesses living conditions in 140 cities around the world. A rating of relative comfort for 30 indicators is assigned across five broad categories: stability; healthcare; culture and environment; education; and infrastructure. Melbourne only loses points for petty crime, culture (seriously?) and climate, yet still scores in the high 90's out of 100.

    But what is also a thing is that no matter how amazing the city you live in is, if you live there long enough you forget how lucky you are. Until quite out of the blue on a random Friday night you find yourself jumping off a tram at the city hall and walking down Swanston St to a bar on the river to meet a friend. The energy levels in that 400 metres of pavement are palpable. The Melbourne Storm supporters are all dressed in their gear heading to AAMI stadium for their knock out final against the Brisbane Broncos, workers, tourists, homeless and schoolies fill every available table and chair in the area because on this night Mother Nature decided to play nicely. The weather was just a perfect temperature for an end of week drink. And there I stood, stopped among it all having a Melbourne Moment.

    This term is not mine, it technically belongs to my friend Rob but for anyone who has moved here from anywhere else you will know what I mean when I say it's the moment that just hits you, where you are captivated and have to pinch yourself because oh my god, I actually live here. No longer a visitor but a fully fledged resident in the worlds most liveable city.

    Today I am going out with a friend who has recently arrived in Melbourne. While we are spending the day somewhere that I have been many times before, it is new to her and I sincerely hope I get to see her experience an MM. I certainly know that I intend to take the time today to appreciate who I am with, where I am and what I am doing and I hope to get another MM myself. I probably will. I am taking my camera today as well. It will be interesting to see what arrives in front of the lens. Hopefully another side, I have somehow not seen before. That would be cool.

    So, it would be un-Melbourne of me to finish without mentioning the weather. Today's forecast, is FAIR. Which means, there will be patches of sun, a top of 27 degrees, some cloud, strong gusts of wind and possibly some rain. Not sure what part of that is fair but I guess when you are the worlds liveable city for years you earn the right to call it what you want.

    And on that, I am off now to get ready to capture another Melbourne Moment.    Read more

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