bo peeps adventures

weekend in the adelaide hills

2010-05-12T19:36:00.000+10:00

Here are some photos from a weekend away in Adelaide.

Such a beautiful place!

Some highlights were visiting the beautiful Bird in Hand Winery in the Adelaide Hills, visiting the Central Adelaide Market (and eating delicious cheese from 'The Smelly Cheese Shop'), eating some German Sausage in Hahndorf and visiting Carrick Hill Estate for a beautiful picnic.

a luffely link

2010-04-24T09:32:00.002+10:00

Check out this beautiful online store! It's been a while in the making but now you can finally purchase these gorgeous dresses online, from anywhere!!

Just click the giant Poppet to enter!

peninsula touring

2010-04-20T22:35:00.003+10:00

Here are some photos taken over Easter weekend while touring around Red Hill on the Mornington Peninsula. Armed with the Foodies guide to Melbourne, we went cheese tasting, wine tasting and walking around this serine country town in the sunshine. Well worth the drive, there was so much to do on this side of the peninsula. Top on my list of things to go back for is Foxies Hangout. While we had a sneak peak inside, I really want to go back and spend some time in this beautiful restaurant eating and drinking wine while overlooking their vineyard.

film camera

2010-03-27T09:19:00.000+11:00

Oh film camera, how I love you.

These are some shots from the past 6 months that I have just had developed, what a lovely surprise when you realise what was on the film!

driving in my car

2010-01-27T18:31:00.002+11:00

There is something so exciting about driving at dawn. It always makes me feel like I am setting off on an adventure. Normally I don't really like driving at dusk but I think all that changed a few nights ago when we were driving back from the country. The colours in the sky and the landscape felt almost dreamy. Like in old photos where the hazy focus makes everything look perfect.

hot vines

2010-01-25T11:54:00.003+11:00

We took a drive around country Victoria today to visit some Bendigo region wineries. After driving through the very green vineyards in the Loire Valley in France, we were shocked to see how dry the soil was here.

It's easy to forget how brown and hot Australia can be. Today was only 30 degrees, but in the sun you can see steam coming off nearly everything.

The first winery we visited was Balgownie Estate. It was only 10 minutes out of Bendigo but the vineyard was so tranquil you could hear the leaves rustling and the birds tweeting. The cellar door was in a large cafe that looked like a lovely spot for lunch. The vineyard has another site in the Yarra Valley and we happily tasted their black and white label reds. We walked away with a delicious bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon from their Bendigo vines which we are already excited about drinking!

On our way to the second winery we went through a little town called Marong and stopped to admire the old post office and church.

The second winery we visited for the day was Sandhurst Ridge. Down a tiny dirt road, this 10 hectare vineyard produced a large array of reds and one of the nicest rosés I've tasted since France. The owners were passionate about their wines and gave great advice about what to match with our duck dinner. I loved the sign outside their beautiful cellar door asking clients to toot their horn if there was nobody around. So fun!

melbourne, i like your walls

2010-01-13T23:21:00.000+11:00

The other day I went on a massive walk around the back streets of Melbourne's northern suburbs. I love how much the streets can change in short spaces of time. There is so much amazing graffiti all over Melbourne. It's a huge contrast to the wall art in Paris, which tended to be massive murals covering whole sides of buildings. In Melbourne, good street art can pop out where you would least expect it.

This graffiti was on the train line in Brunswick. I love the black on the grey bricks, and the red flames on top of the towers. Its such a polluted scene but with such clean lines and on such a clean surface.

ranelagh beach

2010-01-03T18:50:00.000+11:00

The other day I went to Ranelagh Beach in Mount Eliza, a gorgeous beach town on the Mornington Peninsula. I love the Penisula, there are so many great towns, lots of good food and wine and its only about an hours drive from Melbourne.

While there are a few different beaches in Mt Eliza, this one is my favourite. You can only get down onto this beach via a little path from the road (not always easy to find). The water in the bay is always calm and good for a float in the sun.

The other day we were 2 of about 10 people enjoying this stretch of sand. It's hard to believe that on such a beautiful day the beach wasn't crammed with sunbathers and kiddies paddling in the water. I guess that's the beauty of Australia; so many hidden gems, and a whole lot of beaches.

happy new year!!!

2010-01-02T10:59:00.006+11:00

Dear 2010,

I have a good feeling about you!! I think you are going to be the best year to date.

Please don't disappoint me.

Love Tori xxxx

the isle of tas

2009-12-30T14:04:00.003+11:00

While the majority of my Australian friends have been overseas, not that many of them have been to Tasmania.

I will rave about Tasmania to anybody who asks me. It's perfect for travel, easy to get around and the landscape is so diverse that you can never get bored.

I am lucky that half my family was born in Tasmania, and that I still have a lot of relatives that live there, so I can visit every now and then. I love to go in the summer time as the weather is always beautiful but not too sticky and hot like Melbourne can be. These are snaps from a few different trips I have taken to Tassie over the years...

This is from the dock off Salamanca Place in Hobart, lovely for a stroll, fish and chips or drinks.

This is the view from the Grand View Hotel in Hobart. I would strongly recommend this private hotel to anybody visiting Hobart, it's perfectly located, really luxurious and has gorgeous views over the water.

http://www.grande-vue-hotel.com/

These photos were taken on a camping trip in Wine Glass Bay on the east coast of Tasmania. When we were here the weather was so perfect and it looked so picturesque. Because you can't drive into the area it has remained very untouched and natural. To get into the bay most people hike over a hill for about 30 minutes (you can also sail in but I'm not that fancy!). It's a lovely walk through the bush and you get a fantastic view of the bay when you reach the top.

When in Hobart I would recommend a trip to the Cascade brewery. Not far out of town, the beautiful old building stands impressively on lovely green leafy grounds. Good for both a tour, drinks on the balcony or you can take a picnic lunch and get drinks from Cascade. Very Tasmanian.

tori eats

2009-12-19T16:18:00.000+11:00

Oh la la!!

What a year it has been with adventures left, right and center. I have been looking over all the fun this year has been and have been noticing on this blog how much I talk about food. Anybody who knows me knows that I am wild for eating, and talking about eating, especially while eating.

So with no further ado, I would like to introduce my new blog Tori Eats www.torieats.blogspot.com, where I will be doing a whole lot more eating for the greater good of any readers!

I will also try and keep the adventures coming in the new year, until then I am enjoying some down time, trying to stay put and enjoy not having to pack a bag for a while!!

Be back soon though!

36 hours and 4 meals in paris

2009-12-06T12:16:00.003+11:00

What would you do if you were faced with two last days in Paris?
Only 36 hours and 4 meals (one of which was breakfast) to revisit all of our favourite Parisian haunts, eat delicious food, and drink good French wines. We spent many days prior to our arrival deciding where to go for our two last dinners. We love thinking/talking/dreaming of food, making this one tough decision.Do you go back to your old favourites, or try places you never had the chance to visit? Oh, stress.

So on night number one, we went for champagne in St Germain at 'Fish', a sweet little wine bar filled with expats. Then we headed to La Patache in the 10th near the Canal St Martin for apero. La Patache was one of the first places we ever went for dinner in Paris. They have a selection of wine to bowl you over, delicious picnic style food served with amazing bread and butter and a very cosy and warm atmosphere to while away long winter nights.

After our apero, it was on to Le Chateaubriand in the 11th. We had been here once before on my birthday for their deustation menu. We were blown away with the service (especially me as the waiters were all extremly handsome young French men), the quality of the food and the wines. The 4 course menu changes almost daily but is pretty much always guaranteed to make you weak at the knees with delight (all courses had either meat or fish involved, so many not great for vegetarians or fussy eaters- although their food would propably convert you).

Here is some eye candy of the deliciousness...

After a late and raucous dinner the night before we headed out in our sensible shoes to visit all of our favourite Parisian haunts one last time. Unfortunately it was a public holiday so not everything was open but we had a fantastic day rushing about in the metro, then strolling the streets. We went to Le Marche des Enfants Rouge for some Moroccan snacks (this had been a pretty good lunch spot over the year) then we went to Le Marais for our favourite felafel kebabs (at 5 euros 50 they were a staple when we first moved to Paris and didn't have jobs). Then along Le Canal and up Rue Belleville to Aux Follies for mint tea and cheap coffees. Then onto one last delicious Abraj from the Maroccan bakery (a super yum semolina sandwich type thing with mushy date filling- the perfect accompaniment with coffee for breaky).

That night, we went to the fun cocktail bar AndyWahloo (where they have Louis Vuitton leather seat covers- tres chic) for some Caipis and a catch up with friends before another spectacular dinner in Le Marais at Glou. We ate a massive Pata Negra entree, followed by perfectly cooked fish with a mandarin citrus dressing (my my I will miss how well the French cook fish) and a pretty special pecan pie for desert. More bottles of delicious wine and great service from a very handsome witer. We then squeezed in one last drink at La Perle and then headed home for 4 hours sleep before going to the airport and catching our flight back to Australia. My belly was so happy but my heart so sad.

Au revoir for now Paris,

graveyard ghouls

2009-12-01T16:19:00.003+11:00

From the street, the Abney Park cemetery looks so small but it ended up taking us about an hour to stroll around. After a walk around Stoke Newington, we picked up some take-away coffees and visited the cemetery. It was a perfect autumn day and the little bit of sunlight made our grave-yard walk quite picturesque. It was spooky, and fun, looking at all of the old tomb stones and the old church in the middle of Abney Park...

the lovely lights in London

2009-11-20T08:38:00.002+11:00

How beautiful are these lights!

Makes a pretty lovely change from the usual christmas decorations...

3 cities in 1 week- part one

2009-11-19T11:41:00.002+11:00

If I haven't been blogging much of late, it's because I have had no spare moments. After getting back from our wonderful trip in la Loire, we heard the call from sunny Australia and decided it would be a good time to go home... but not before fitting in a few last adventures. So we headed off to London, for five fun filled days of eating, drinking and spending time with friends.

You can have so much fun in London, whether it's wining, dining, going to museums or seeing the sights. This trip all we wanted to do was spend time with friends enjoying food and discovering new areas around London. We were staying at a friend's flat in Angel, so many activities were based around the North East Boroughs.

We spent a great day at the Broadway markets in the cold winter sun. I was floored by the amount of wonderful looking produce and good coffee. So many young people were out enjoying the markets, having lunch, beers, coffees or enjoying the buskers. Then we had a lovely stroll through the autumn leaves and down the canal back to Angel. If I lived in London, this market would be a weekend must.

camping through la loire

2009-11-01T03:54:00.003+11:00

The only thing I could think of to top week one of adventures in La Loire is a second week in La Loire, but this time we got to throw in a 1977 VW Combi and a couple of fun-loving newly-weds to liven things up!

When my uncle and his girlfriend invited us camping, we had no idea that we would actually be taking part in their honeymoon. We had found out a couple of weeks earlier that the pair had eloped in the most romantic of ways in Italy. Since then, they had been travelling around Europe in luxury until our camping adventure was to begin. After we picked up the combi which we were renting for a week, we set off in a bright eyed state of excitement. With Captain Sandy behind the wheel we were off and racing towards our first picnic spot where we were to set the food and wine bar quite high with pigeon terrine, goats cheese, saussicon and celebration bubbles from La Loire.

Our first night we headed to Le Mont St Michel for our first night camping. I think all of us were a little apprehensive camping in France in October, but it turns out that four in a van + insulation = a very cosy nights sleep, and some rather lazy sleep-ins.

After our first chilly night in the north we headed south direction La Loire. We took our time driving down, stopping for picnics and bike rides and a very merry night in the cutest little bistro along the route. We knew we had arrived in La Loire when the roads became lined with vineyards. We made the most of a beautiful night to drink Loire bubbles and watch the sun set over the river.

After a few days in cold camping ground showers we were treated to a night in a Troglodite cave hotel. Set overlooking a beautiful winery, we enjoyed a night of luxury which began drinking bubbles in big bubble baths and ended with a marvellous dinner in the tiny town.

The next few days passed in a blur of good food, better wine and many belly laughs. We stopped in so many gorgeous little towns for coffees, strolls and picnic supplies. We visited some beautiful châteaus, went for tasters in some delicious wineries and ate at some of the nicest restaurants along the way. Everything was going swimmingly until one day, after buying an outrageous amount of picnic food, we were piling in the van when the door fell off. Lucky Aunty S was there to save the day holding it up until Uncle P could shimmy it back into place.

While we didn't let the door spoil our super picnic amongst the vines that day, it did put a stop to our camping. So we stopped in a tiny little town were we were lucky that the owner of a b&b which was normally shut for the season, opened the doors of her 15^th century house to us. We had a rollicking night drinking, eating fresh figs and goats cheese and playing a hilarious game of shmee, a crazy game of charades/celebrity heads.

We spent the last few nights in Angers. A beautiful town which was the perfect size for our last few nights together. We visited the château d'Angers and saw the amazingly old tapestry, had fun shopping and had another memorable night with cocktails and dinner.

It was sad to say goodbye after such a fun-filled week touring altogether. I have never had so many picnics in any one week of my life, nor so much cheese, cured meat and delicious wines. What a happy fun week...

adventures in la loire- day six

2009-10-22T19:48:00.000+11:00

After a brief over-night stop in Tours, we headed further east direction Amboise. We ended up having a delicious picnic with newly bottled wine (which tasted somewhat like cider) and goats cheese from la loire right on the sun-drenched banks of la Loire. In the afternoon we visited the house where Leonardo de Vinci had spent the last few years of his life. The house and gardens were all beautifully maintained and showcased miniatures of many of his inventions.

Later that afternoon after a quick winery visit we headed into the gorgeous town centre for some local bubbles. Discovering the different bubbles (made in the same way as Champagne but can not be called Champagne as they are not made in the region) around la Loire has been a highlight of the trip. Later on we headed for a decadent 3 course dinner at a roadside restaurant we had read about on a blog and spoiled ourselves with delicious wines, food and an extensive cheese plate.

adventures in la loire- day five

2009-10-22T19:38:00.003+11:00

The hotel Diderot at Chinon boasted about their 50 types of jam breakfast. As breakfast is rarely included in the price, we normally just grab a croissant on the road, but I love jam, so we thought we would splash out. Then we ended up staying another night, and as breakfast was so good the day before, we splashed out again. Here was the breakfast order of progression.

Organic apple juice, big hot pour-your-own coffees with steamed milk, yogurt with goats cheese, honey and walnuts, a big basket of baguettes, brioche and croissants, and then there were the jams. So many different jams lined the centre of all the tables in the breakfast room all sitting happily with a colourful spoon. We were advised that if we didn't like any of our flavours we were to move tables or go and swap the jams. yummmmmm

So after our second amazing breakfast in Chinon, we sadly packed up and left our lovely little hotel and headed towards Bourgeuil for a quick look around town. After a lovely stroll around the Bourgeuil market, we kept driving onto Villandry to go check out the castle that is famous for it's garden. And a glorious garden it was, filled with impressive hedge work, a maze and the most amazing vegetable garden I have ever seen in my life. After our castle visit we drove to Tours, stopping for coffees and wines along the way. After being in tiny towns for the past few days, it was fun to get into Tours and walk around the busy streets stopping for dinner and drinks .

adventures in la loire- day four

2009-10-15T17:46:00.000+11:00

Day four began in the lovely Chinon. We were lucky to have beautiful weather so we trekked up another hill to the Château de Chinon. The château has been undergoing some serious repairs and not all of it was open to the public, but the view from the top and the grounds were stunning...

The château at Azay le Rideau was magical, surrounded by a beautiful garden.

A pretty lovely picnic spot if you ask me.

And one last winery for the day...

adventures in la loire- day three

2009-10-15T03:21:00.002+11:00

Our third day in la Loire began in Saumur. We climbed the hill to visit the imposing castle that looks over the town. While a lot of the castle was closed for renovations, it made for a great lookout point over Saumur. After a walk through the sleepy town we headed to Saint-Hilaire-Saint-Florent to visit some wineries. We were in luck as Ackerman, one of the wineries, was hosting a special tasting day. Bubbles and Macaroons, these are a few of my favorite things!

We stumbled across a mushroom museum and had a peek inside at the hundreds of species before taking the road to Chinon. On the road we stopped off to look at the amazing troglodytes- the houses built into caves- and then onto another fantastic winery. Arriving in gorgeous Chinon, we dropped our bags off at hotel Diderot, the most charming old hotel I have ever stayed in. We took an appero as the sun went down on their very flowery terrace. After we went strolling through all the tiny streets in the town, had dinner and walked by the river admiring the big castle on the hill.

The château de Saumur

The mushroom museum

Domaine Filliatreau Vineyards

Hotel Diderot

Night time in Chinon

adventures in la loire- day two

2009-10-13T04:35:00.006+11:00

Day two began with a lazy stroll around the Angers market, a waffle drizzled with chestnut cream and take-away coffees. The market was huge with great looking produce. If only we had a kitchen we could have cooked up a dream. But we had vineyards to visit so we left Angers after a walk around town and headed to our first winery of the day, la Domaine des Baumard. A gorgeous big gate led into a maze of vines and a lovely big house. We tasted many glasses of deliciousness and left with a bottle of the loveliest wine. But more on that later.

Then we continued along la Loire, stopping in little towns for coffees or baguettes for terrine sandwiches. We had a lovely afternoon and arrived in Saumur later that day. We luckily found a hotel in town and headed out for bubbles. After a long appero, we had a lovely dinner upstairs at le cafe de la place. Another happy day in la Loire.

adventures in la loire- day one

2009-10-12T07:46:00.006+11:00

After a few weeks of touring around Brittany, we are off on a bigger adventure. Two weeks touring around la Loire tasting wine, walking around gorgeous little old towns and visiting les chateaux.

We rattled off this morning down the highway direction Angers. After about 3 hours of highway we turned off to visit Châteaubriand. We had a lovely walk around town and a turn around the very old and picturesque Châteaux.

Mapping our way around la Loire

After arriving in Angers in the rain, we went on our first winery visit. While too late to visit the inside of the property, we were lucky enough to walk around the vineyard and taste their wines. From the gates of this winery there was the most stunning view over la Loire, pictures could not do it justice.

le cap fréhel

2009-10-11T04:08:00.002+11:00

While tripping around northern Brittany in the Côtes-d'Armor, we semi-stumbled onto a section of the coastline called Cap Fréhel. We had a ball driving around this area, stopping to look at deserted beaches, organic cider shops, amazing castles (which are unfortunately closed for the season) and pretty coastal towns. At the Cap Fréhel there are two lovely old light-houses, a little restaurant and a gift shop. Because you had to pay to park up close, we followed many others who parked down the road and hiked around the coastline. After walking through fields of flowers and blackberries we got to the cliffs and our eyes were treated with the most lovely view! Ahhhh, pretty happiness!!

parisian love continued

2009-10-06T02:50:00.005+11:00

I really like adventure, and change, which unfortunately means that I am leaving Paris for a little wee while. It makes me sad, Paris is so lovely and entertaining. If Paris was a boy I would marry him in the drop of a top-hat. Here's some of the stuff we did in our last few days in Paris.

3 course lunch at our favourite local cafe, 'aux petit onions' where there is always an abundance of lovely food, wine and atmosphere. Followed by a stroll down our street, and a trip onto Ile saint Louis, a little bit of Ladurée and a delicious lunch at the marché des enfants rouge...

euro millions street

2009-09-24T19:55:00.006+10:00

I was going for a morning stroll one day and stumbled across this street near metro stop Porte de Bagnolet. I was blown away, and semi freaked out thinking that I had walked into a different world. There was not a soul in sight. All the lovely families living in all these lovely houses were probably sitting sipping hot chocolates by their fireplaces (even in the summer time) eating croissants and loving life. I walked around and oooh-ed and ahh-ed over all the houses with their terraces and their gardens.

When I got home I told my Jim all about the magical street in Paris, we went there together and took lots of photos and walked around saying 'bonjour' to all our new neighbours and pretending like we lived there. Since then the street became known as the Euro-Millions street. The first thing we are going to do when we win the super lottery is buy a house on this street. It's a slice of heaven away from the hustle and bustle of normal Parisian streets. It's a street where neighbours talk to each other, share milk and give each other cuttings from their gardens. I don't understand how anybody lives on any other street in Paris. I have now found the place where I want to grow old and grey.

tori does brunch

2009-09-16T16:35:00.004+10:00

Parisians go wild for brunch. For the past 4 months I have been trying to figure out how one could justify paying 25 euros for breakfast, until I actually tried one. I had just been paid, I was feeling rich and carefree and I was desperate to see what all the fuss was about.

The verdict = taste explosion.
A plate filled with adorable little dishes filled with deliciousness. The type of meal you can be eating for half an hour but still looks the same size as when you start. I am hooked!!

weekend adventures

2009-09-09T18:33:00.009+10:00

When I first suggested taking a night train down south only to stay for 32 hours to go to a baptism before taking a night train back to Paris, my boy laughed in my face, shook his head and said "you crazy Vic, you crazy". Here's how we made it fun...

Crepes for dinner near the train station. Delicious savory crepes and then a salted butter caramel crepe to top things off. Add just enough jugs of cider to the mix to ensure easy sleeping on the train.

Arriving in the South where the air was fresh, the sky was blue and the church was beautiful.

After the lovely baptism came a gourmand French feast with delicious wine and champagne being poured from generous hands. We were spoiled with 32 dozen fresh oysters, huge seafood platters, delicious cheese plates and a variety of deserts that ended the meal with a bang!!

The entertainment... adorable

And the house that gets better every time I visit it. My photos don't do it justice, it's the type of house that you would drool over in French Vogue. Beautiful...

And just in case it seems like the weekend was all relaxing by the styled pool, we topped it off with a quick jaunt in the mountains to break bread near the highest peak of the Pyrénées. Then we were back on the night train after a quick pizza in Toulouse and back to work monday morning. Tired...

on being robbed

2009-09-08T04:33:00.005+10:00

Oh la la, it's been weeks since I last updated my adventures. And for good reason, last weekend we were robbed. We got home to find our wee flat turned inside out with our belongings strewn everywhere. Wallets, computers, ipods, jewelry all gone in a flash. So while I haven't been blogging, I have been trying to get together an insurance claim and trying to come to terms with the things that have been lost. It's not easy to imagine somebody else wearing your jewelry, or playing on your mac book. But, life goes on, and the more you talk about something bad that has happened, the more natural it feels.

So, there are still many more adventures to be had, and Paris is no where near winding down as summer is drawing to an end. Lucky for me I pretty much always have my camera on me so I can still take pictures of all that has been happening, starting with the bad...

le palais (très) royal

2009-08-21T16:29:00.014+10:00

Not too long ago I was rushing around the 2ème arrondissement looking for a key cutter. It was hot, I was running late and I had a list of addresses and phone numbers for a bunch of key cutters that simply did not exist (who knew that there was money to be made by creating fake key cutting businesses).

Anyway, it was while I was rushing around like a crazy lady on a mission when I saw a gorgeous little alley. My heart was torn between taking a peek around the corner and finding somebody to cut my keys. In the end, duty called so I took a mental note to go exploring around the area some time soon. And low and behold: les results. I was mighty impressed, and happy that I got to appreciate it in the relaxed state of a girl enjoying her weekend.

Most of the snaps are from the Palais Royal and its garden but the whole area is worth a look. The garden was so peaceful (even on the weekend) and the cute cafes around the edges made me think of Spain with lots of people sitting back enjoying sunshine, wine and food. If you walk out of the gardens away from le Seine there are a number of cute cobbled streets perfect for afternoon exploring... ah Paris love...

This is an adorable canon, a little hard to make out but oohhhh, qu'est qu'il et mignon!!

quick... get to la villette tonight...

2009-08-16T16:20:00.004+10:00

If you have ever spent an August working in Paris you will be sick of every French person making a confused face when you tell them you don't have holidays "waaaat, you do not take any er holidaze this summerrrr?"
Well no I don't. But I am not sure I would want to leave Paris anyway. There is still so much to see and do, and there are the obvious benefits of a town cleared of all it's locals; the metro is so quiet you can always sit down, you can easily waltz up and get a terrace seat in nice restaurants (providing that they don't also pack up and leave in summer) and you can almost always find a velib stop that actually has bikes, or has parking spots.

So don't mope about not getting holidays after only a few months of working. Get involved in the good times that Paris has to offer.. Starting with the free outdoor cinema at La Villette. Join the masses for a monster picnic before the film and then cuddle up when the sun goes down and the film begins. There is only one night left to enjoy. So quick, go and get some saucisson and cheese before all the shops shut early on Sundays!!

in bruges

2009-08-11T16:37:00.007+10:00

Ahhh Bruges. A town full of beautiful buildings, beer and more chocolate shops than locals. Bruges is the perfect 'petit weekend' destination. At only 2 and a half hours from Paris, the town is easy to get around, pretty to look at and ridiculously easy to indulge.

I took over 300 photos while walking around the city. My eyes were bursting with the loveliness and I can't even guess how many times I annoyed Jim by grabbing his arm, swinging him around and showing him pretty windows or cute ducks. These are some of my favourites...

Not to forget all the amazing the food and the beer, we were particularly fond of chips and mayonnaise, and the waffles, and the chocolates, and chocolate coated strawberries...

and then there were the beautiful windows and houses, too many to show you now...

the ultimate picnic spot

2009-07-31T22:34:00.006+10:00

I don't know anybody who loves a picnic as much as Jim. When you say 'picnic' something in his mind starts ticking and he turns crazy with excitement. Picnics with Jim are always amazing. Their intense and manic organisation always ensures you will eat the nicest food and drink many delicious accompanying wines.

As I may have mentioned before, France is perfectly designed for picnics with its baguettes, cured meats, cheese and wine. While there is never a lack of beautiful spots to set up camp, the other night we found the ultimate picnic spot. It's in Le Parc Buttes Chaumont, which is possibly the best park I have ever been to, it has all kinds of crazy things like hills, lakes and waterfalls. When inside the park it's hard to believe you are still in Paris. As soon as I saw this spot in the park I nearly fell over with excitement. The spot was surrounded by a circle of trees, the grass was luscious and soft and we had a lovely view over another hill in the park. It was the perfect spot to set up for hours to read, play piquet and eat lots of yummy french food.

paris plages at la villette

2009-07-30T18:31:00.004+10:00

Over the weekend we went to Paris Plage at La Villette. It was a gorgeous sunny Sunday afternoon and Parisians were out in force enjoying the sunshine. Lining both sides of the Bassin de la Villette people were playing pétanque, picnicing, lounging in chaises longues on the imported sand and making the most of the ice-cream stands.

I was so impressed with how much thought and money must be going into les Paris Plages. Go la Mairie de Paris for giving those of us sans holidays a little piece of the beach...

Rolley-Polley

It wouldn't be France if there wasn't some (giant) baby-foot tables- how fun!!

I was not expecting a giant line dancing stage, each to their own I guess..

Kids lining up to go into the Play Zone- they looked so impatient.

The lifting of the bridge. I enjoyed this a little too much...

london calling

2009-07-25T03:52:00.014+10:00

Parisians love the 'petit weekend'. It involves leaving Paris for a weekend mostly by train to get out of the city, go see family, go for long walks on the beach/ in the forest etc etc... When I started work in the lovely month of May, where there are nearly more public holidays than days, the 'little weekend' was all that people seemed to talk about.

However, when I started work I was poor and could not afford to leave Paris (ironic as its so expensive to stay) on a costly, but super luxurious TGV. So, since then I have been dreaming of my first 'petit weekend'. Living in Paris is like living in the centre of an adventure park with many exciting attractions catching your eye all around you. Beautiful French countryside is in close proximity and a little further afield lie many different countries to visit, most only a train or short flight away. Coming from Melbourne, where our closest neighbouring country is New Zealand, the diversity now at hand makes life very exciting!!

The most obvious destination for our first 'little weekend' was London, where we had friends to catch up with and fried breakfasts and tea to consume. So we took the train under the water and 2 hours later we were in the heart of London town for a weekend of pubs, curries, flat whites, cider, baked beans, tea and a good old fashioned Sunday roast...

Many jugs of pims were consumed, I would make my mother proud!!

la lovely seine

2009-07-14T06:58:00.007+10:00

It never stops to amaze me how photographic rivers are. Even if they are dirty and brown, there is always something beautiful about the bridges and the banks that surround them.. La Seine is such a lovely spot for strolls in Paris. It is always pretty in the morning light, to sit by during the day for a little lunch or to drink by at dusk.

Recently we went down to Le Pont Des Arts for Bastille Day along with many other Parisians for a lovely wine and cheese picnic before the fireworks. It was a beautiful evening with lovely light for a few more river snaps and good picnicing times!

birthday love!!

2009-07-02T17:26:00.007+10:00

I love birthdays!
I don't even try to hide my excitement or anticipation for my big day.. My gentleman shares my love for my birthday which always means we have the best day. Normally I try and take the day off work to concentrate on having fun, and avoid any awkward office birthday conversation. But this year I had to work, so all the fun started at 4 with a trip to Colette and a stroll down the fancy Rue Saint Honore. Then a deliciously gourmand trip to Laduree on the Champs Elysee for macaroon deserts and champagne, then back to our quartier for a yummy French tasting menu and lots of french wine. Throw in a Tiffany box and shopping money and we have one very special day!

to market....

2009-06-28T17:44:00.003+10:00

I love a good Sunday market, it makes me happy starting the week off with a fridge full of fresh fruit and vegetables... I like looking at all the produce in France... Its funny that they don't have many pumpkins or sweet potatoes, but they have so many zucchinis, pre-cooked beetroots, giant snow-peas and radishes... yummmmmm

i like your walls

2009-06-09T16:22:00.000+10:00

One of the reasons I love walking around Paris so much is that you never know what's coming around the bend. Sometimes you will turn a corner and get the most lovely view of the Eiffel Tower, others you will be walking around and you will stumble upon a beautiful old church, but some of my favourite walking surprises have been the murals on the walls. They are everywhere. Not confined to any certain area in Paris, they just pop up, and some of them are huge...

i love disney

2009-05-24T04:46:00.006+10:00

We went to Disney Land the other day, I think I have wanted to go since the 90's, in the days where my favourite cassettes were Aladdin, Alice in Wonderland and Snow White. The park itself is incredible, and while maybe more magical for little kids, the impressiveness of it can be appreciated by all. It was an exhausting day of going on many roller coasters and screaming much...

odd one out

2009-05-24T04:33:00.005+10:00

Normally I don't like seeing birds in cages, but these pretties amazed me...

spring time in paris

2009-05-24T04:12:00.008+10:00

There are so many pretty things to take photos of in Paris, it's hard to know where to stop!

Beautiful Notre-Dame through gorgeous blossoms...

Jardin de Luxembourg- Loveliness at it's best...

a perfect paris weekend

2009-05-17T16:29:00.008+10:00

Starting a new job this week was an exciting shock to the system. After 2 fantastic months of holidays it was nice to go to work and fill my mind with new tasks and challenges. An upside of working Monday to Friday is the anticipation of the weekend. In the past, I have often worked Saturdays or Sundays. This never really bothered me as I found that there is an air of excitement on weekends which made people happier and generally more fun.

But maybe I didn't know what I was missing, weekends are great. This week, every time I took the metro to work I would plan how I would spend the three nights and two days of my weekend. This was how it was to begin...

A lovely walk through St Germain to Malongo Café for cappuccinos and macaroons. This cute little coffee chain makes delicious milky coffees (for when I need a more gentle start to the day than a shot of espresso). After the delicious sugar party, a stroll over la seine to rue de rivoli where I went a little shopping mad at Zara, my new favourite chain store (followed closely by H&M). Then a wee walk to the Marais to check out all the amazing boutiques filled with beauties that require a little more cash in the wallet than I have at the moment (first port of call for when I get paid is this fantastic shoe shop where the creator designed his collection based on similar styles to his grandfathers collection in the 30's- with a bit more rock and gold).

Then home for a big french lunch and a lazy afternoon on the couch with yummy coffee and fun french tv... And that was only Saturday!!

(.)

picnics and sunshine

2009-05-07T01:25:00.007+10:00

Ain't nothing finer than a picnic in France. The choice of delicacies that you can find in the supermarkets, bakeries and deli's makes my head go wild with ideas. The combination of yummy food, gorgeous sunshine and picturesque settings makes my heart sing!!

i heart velibs

2009-05-03T23:24:00.006+10:00

Velibs in Paris are fantastic fun. They make up the most environmentally efficient system of public transport I have ever come across. Using them is simple, you sign up, look for a velib station, get your bike and ride free for 30 minutes till you get to a stop and drop off your bike. If you feel like going on a super long ride, you can change your bike over or pay a little fee for the first hour etc. You can sign up for a day, a week or a year, so it is perfect for people who are living in, or simply, visiting Paris.

And the bike infrastructure in Paris is fantastic, many maps and safe bike lanes make for happy cruising. Not only is it easy to ride around in Paris, but velibs are perfect for when you want to ride somewhere and not ride home (eg, after a kir too many or an evening of apperos). The bikes themselves are sturdy, come equipt with lights, bells, and locks. They are even shopping friendly with baskets on the front for bags and baguettes.

The only down side to Velibs is when you move into an apartment in the 20th arrondissement which is up a big hill. Riding down- good times, riding up- why don't we take the metro!

ahhhhh, paris

2009-04-29T04:47:00.005+10:00

Ah Paris, where your average stroll to the supermarket provides numerous photo opportunities. These snaps are from our first couple of days in Paris, just wandering around trying to get used to the amazing beauty which is now our home!

a turn around the island

2009-04-23T18:08:00.010+10:00

Brittany is perfect for people who love walking. There are even maps of the area which show all the best walking tracks. One sunny afternoon we took a turn around Isle Grand, a lovely island with a walking track that takes you right around it. It was quite the mystery walk, you could never guess what amazing view was around the corner. Also, because you can start the walk at any part of the track, there are people popping in and out all over. And many adorable dogs to pat along the way....

beautiful brittany

2009-04-16T05:11:00.010+10:00

The majority of the time that I have lived in France it has been spent in the south-west. The funny thing about France is that the more of the country you see, the more you fall in love. Even in the rain and the cold (a shocking surprise from the Asian climate), the countryside in Brittany is so beautiful and diverse. Then the sun comes out and everything just sparkles.

Beautiful for its towns, old architecture, coastline and its crêpes and cider, Brittany is a magical place to visit...

one cute cafe

2009-04-13T19:04:00.007+10:00

I read about Bo(ok)hemian Cafe somewhere on an expat Phuket blog. We only spent 1 night in Phuket before flying out to Paris. If you only have a limited time in Phuket and you are a little tired of sandy beaches, check out this lovely book-store cafe and have some delicious coffee and chocolate cake to replenish you tired self.. yummmm.

Now, I really did mean to get a better photo of the coffee and chocolate cake, but excitement overtook me..

Take time to check out their lovely book collection. I was lucky enough to pick up this gorgeous little travel diary with postcards.

highlife highlights

2009-04-13T18:06:00.009+10:00

For the past 6 weeks I have been surrounded by beauty. Not the type of beauty that you see on a daily basis, but the type that comes from seeing things that are so foreign, impressive and unique that they make your heart skip a beat. Here are some highlights from my short sejour in Asia..

Penang island in Malaysia

hello, hello... cute

One of the strangest second-hand stores I have ever seen

Langkawi beach

The amazing port of Langkawi... which looked almost nothing like the rest of the island!

Lankawi water falls

Scary monkey beach

Koh Lipe in Thailand.... Island Paradise

Koh Lanta

Koh Phi Phi, while one of Thailands most popular tourist spots, it's still so very beautiful and fun

and I could continue like this for hours...

To Paris I go...

2009-03-21T13:40:00.005+11:00

It's been a long time in the making but I finally fly out for Charles de Gaulle on Sunday night. Words can not express my excitement....

I only wish my suitcase was this small and easy to move around... If you saw the state of my real bags (that's right, there are three) your sides would be splitting! Paris love et gros bisous xx

busy in paradise

2009-03-13T16:58:00.008+11:00

Things have been quiet here of late. Not due to a lack of stories to tell, but due to an excess of adventures to be had. I am presently cruising the Andaman sea, stopping off at beautiful Malaysian beaches and paradisaical islands in Thailand. We are currently in Koh Lipe, about 50km from the mainland Thailand. This is my second trip to Thailand, previously I had never made it as far south as the Butang Islands, which is a shame as they are glorious.

The beaches are white, the water so blue the food delicious and the people loving. I am taking many photos, my nikon is pretty much strapped to my back when I am not floating in the sea. I hope to write much more about the beautiful places I am seeing... but now I must return to the beach and sip cocktails in the sun. Ahhhhh

the abbotsford convent

2009-02-25T13:09:00.004+11:00

If you are in Melbourne in need of a city retreat, head to the Abborsford convent and walk in the beautiful surrounds, pat the animals, eat delicious bakery treats. Listen to the silence...

http://www.abbotsfordconvent.com.au

a big white house

2009-02-25T12:57:00.008+11:00

At the moment I am moving out of my house. Somebody once told me that moving was one of the top 5 most stressful events in a person's life. What's making matters worse is the fact I am trying to move my life into a suitcase. Not an easy feat when clothes are exploding out of every wardrobe in the house.

To combat this stress I am day-dreaming about living in a big white house in the country where I could sit amongst the trees and not have to worry about putting anything else into big brown boxes. Ahhh, how I would love my new peaceful life...

trash and treasure

2009-02-25T08:48:00.005+11:00

Nearly all members of my family are mad for trash and treasure. There must be something in our genetic make up that draws us to other people's piles of junk. One man's trash is my families treasure...

where did january go??

2009-02-11T20:42:00.014+11:00

I love summer, especially in Melbourne. Even though we have been experiencing the craziest summer weather, January was a month so full of fun I am only getting a chance to think about it now... Here were some highlights....

Such a wonderful start to the year.... A very high bench-mark has been set...

a general store from my dreams

2009-02-11T20:25:00.007+11:00

We stumbled across this beautiful general store on our little trip through the Victorian country side. I love old fashioned general stores. They remind me of being little, when we would go buy as many sweets as we could for one dollar on the way home from school.

This general store had the most delicious selection of lollies in jars and we pick-and-mixed all our pennies away. We sat in the sunshine drinking traditional lemonade and filling ourselves with brightly coloured bon-bons. Mmmmmm x

a weekend away

2009-02-06T08:02:00.008+11:00

Recently I had a friend come from overseas for a little visit to Australia. After many days of fun in the city, we decided to go see some of country Victoria. I grew up with wide open spaces and rivers and animals wandering about, its funny how life in the city can consume you and how easy it is to forget about the beauty and simplicity of nature.

We drove out of Melbourne as the sun was going down on the city and arrived in Daylesford only an hour later. It was a fun and beautiful drive through winding roads lined with trees and past a glorious field full of lavender. Daylesford as a town is picturesque, with the main street going up and down a little hill. There is a beautiful old car sitting under a tree, many lovely places to drink red wine and cups of tea, and there is a big lake perfect for strolling or an afternoon swim.

Nothing like a little country air to refresh the mind.. xxx

happy new year!!

2009-01-06T20:24:00.004+11:00

I absolutely love the start of a new year, I like how New Years Day, although just another date, feels like the start of something fresh and clean. Its nice to close the book on one year, whether it was great or not, and begin afresh on another. To make resolutions and dream of change as the clock ticks past mid-night is good reason to celebrate.

2008 was a mighty fine year. I finished studying, I travelled to beautiful Vietnam and I moved house. I also loved, created and enjoyed living and working. 2009 is shaping up to be not only a good year, but an eventful one. There shall be much love, beauty and a journey to a far away place. Happy 2009!!

a wee poppet number....

2008-12-21T22:12:00.004+11:00

The sun finally came out to play in Melbourne this weekend, and not a minute too late. I have been dying to wear this gorgeous dress I got at the Poppet party sale! I love the print on the dress so much, it reminds me of lavender and loveliness. And it came with a matching belt which turns out to be quite multipurpose...

I went into the city today for a vintage sale and the city was full of christmas shopping madness. And after making very merry at a christmas fete last night, the crowds were a little too hot to handle. Thankfully I found some gems at the sale and I filled the rest of the day with tea and biscuits.

Aside clothing and christmas, the other day I saw two birds fluttering in front of a car's side mirror. They were darting between the mirrors on two cars and taking it in turns to look at their reflections. They made me smile.

well i can't go naked now can i

2008-12-16T18:07:00.006+11:00

When I started this blog, I didn't know what I wanted to write about. The only thing I knew was that I didn't want blog solely about fashion. Don't get me wrong, I love all things clothing, style and design but there is definitely more things out there in which I find inspiration and joy. Having said all this, here is what I wore the other day.

I found this gorgeous checked dress while hunting around 'Lost and Found'. This Smith St Collingwood warehouse is a haven for all things fun. It is a place I would recommend if you had nothing better to do for an entire afternoon and have a little wad of cash in your pocket.

I was originally going to alter the dress but laziness prevailed and I convinced myself that the belt would suffice. I love the colours of this dress, good for both summer and winter and looks great with black and tan. And lucky for me it keeps me warm in the oddly cold Melbourne summer.

Dress- Lost and Found
Belt- Camden Market, London
Necklace- Cactus Jam
Wedges- Clover, Yay

me and my brolly

2008-12-13T21:21:00.012+11:00

One of the saddest things you can see on a rainy day is a discarded umbrella laying on the side of the road or atop a rubbish bin, prongs jutting out this way and that. I have always wondered what the owner of the brolly was thinking when they threw it away. Maybe disappointment but most likely frustration, and probably a very wet head.

(.)

Today I stopped having to wonder, the owner of the banged up brolly was me. I was making the trek home from work in the unseasonably rainy weather when my broll started to shake and shudder and I willed him to not die. All was quiet until a gust of wind came and broll turned himself inside out and his prongs all started popping out all over the place.

Not giving up on my old green broll that I had hauled in my backpack all the way from Vietnam, I preserved with him as far as I could, propping up the side with my numb mitts, receiving many apologetic faces of people passing by. I looked on with envy as I saw people parading by with big strong umbrellas putting my dismembered one to shame.

After many attempts to stay dry, or at least keep my head dry I succumbed to the fact I was going to get drenched. The wind was too strong and the brolly too weak for things to happen any other way.

I love umbrellas and now I am determined to find the perfect one. It can’t be too big and cumbersome, but needs to be strong enough to go up against city winds. And as it's forecast to rain in Melbourne all week, it seems like a good time to invest… Let the hunt begin…

(.)

Where to begin with all of these lovelies?

(.)
The link with this picture comes with a really quaint story (if only Melbourne city council had had the same idea today). But I really do love these umbrellas, they are so adorable I want to hug them. Maybe not too practical...

(.)
This beautiful art installation is made with umbrellas that are the same yelloworange colour that is used on bottles of Veuve Clicquot, yummm

Something in this post is telling me I should buy a yellow umbrella. At least that's a starting point. There shall be more to come

come fly with me...

2008-12-09T21:58:00.011+11:00

Sometimes it's hard to fully acknowledge somebody's success until you can see or experience it. My father has spent the past 4 years of his life building an aeroplane. When he started this adventure, I thought it mad and this opinion hadn't really changed until I had the opportunity to ride in a home-made plane...

Before shimmying into the 2 seater I felt intense fear and was oddly jittery. After a smooth take-off and we were cruising high in the air, I began to squeal with delight. It was a completely different experience to flying in a jet, and in the most cliched way it felt like we were soaring through the air. We felt every pocket of air and gust of wind. I steered the plane with a joy-stick and made it go up and down and side to side. It's no small achievement to build something that flies in the air, an overwhelming feat.. go Steve!! xxx

the beauty from above...

so many controls... and a funny looking steering device..

weeeeeeeeeeeee...... xxxxx

an early start to christmas joy

2008-12-09T21:37:00.008+11:00

When I was still in my teens I was lucky enough to spend christmas in France. I woke up in the morning to a snow covered garden, a crackling fireplace and brightly coloured presents under a sparkling christmas tree. While it was wonderful to share another families christmas traditions and I have many happy memories from the day, It was very hard to be away from my family. The next year when I was back home I found a new love for christmas and I really cherish every year I get to spend with my parents, sisters and uncles and aunts-to-be.

This year, christmas began a few weeks early. Over the weekend we decked the tree, unwrapped a few gifts and ate a beautiful christmas dinner. There was turkey and cranberry, and crackers and hats, and pudding and custard. The best part about celebrating early christmas is the knowledge that it will all happen again in two weeks.... ah love

Now, making this little ginger-bread house was quite the adventure, definitely not as easy as it looks, but fun all the same (lucky we had an expert builder at hand who knew how to putty). And it turned out to be quite delicious! mmmmm

roses and birthdays

2008-11-25T08:43:00.005+11:00

The other day I was given the most beautiful bunch of red and pink roses. It's funny how much happier they have made my house. I also wanted to wish many happy birthdays to my lovely brave sister. Lufff you..

my winter love

2008-11-12T09:20:00.020+11:00

Every year I begin to love winter that little bit more. This year I loved it so much I am already missing it now that it's so very hot again...

As a child I lived for summer. Long school breaks, days at the beach or the pool while constantly sucking on icy-poles. Summer meant christmas and presents and holidays. Winter was simply the time that you had to wait until it was summer again.

As I grow older I find many small pleasures that turn winter into my clandestine lover. It all began with my love of tea and honey, beautifully soothing and deliciously warming.

And soup of any flavour with warm buttered bread.

Then can big mugs of coffee sprinkled with chocolate .

Then I discovered a love for red wine and expensive dark chocolate.

And a love for mulled wine, all spicy and fruity to give you a warm fuzzy glow.

And scarves and mittens to keep you nice and warm. And warm wooly socks that go all the way up your legs.
Beautiful quilts and blankets to snuggle under..

Oh winter, I will miss you this year...

nooks and crannies

2008-11-05T11:53:00.011+11:00

Quite often, the hardest part of moving house is making it feel like a home. I recently moved into quite a big and modern townhouse with my love. The house is split amongst 3 levels and the kitchen, lounge and dining are all merged together. This open-plan style of living has many advantages and makes for quite harmonious cohabitation. The only problem I found with this set up is where to put all the furniture? I struggled trying to make things fit, then making it cosy but not too cramped. In the end I found a good set up, but the only problem was that we never sat on the couches, we were always at the dining table or the kitchen bench.

So, after many different ideas about rearrangement, I simply tried turning an armchair to face the window and putting a wee coffee table in front of it, et voila, the nook was born. And it's my nook, with all my favourite magazines, books, pencils and paper at arms reach. It also looks out onto some pretty plants and herbs.

For me a nook is the perfect place to write, draw, read and drink many cups of tea. Where-ever you live, it's important to find a little space for you, and the more personalised the better.

How beautiful are these nooks, some day when I have more pennies, I will make a nook as beautiful as this one...

These beautiful nooks were taken from this gorgeous website shows a very diverse and inspirational range of nooks, http://www.home-designing.com/2008/09/reading-nooks

I think I also love the idea of sitting in a nook, it feels like something from a past era to simply sit and read. Sometimes i wish for a life free of computers and distractions so I could sit beautifully poised in my nook reading my favourite books. just like Jean-Honore Fragonard A Young Girl Reading...

Happy nook time my friends...

coffee beans and other things i love

2008-11-01T20:19:00.003+11:00

I love making my morning coffee at home. To me, it symbolises days off, late morning starts and laziness. The making of the coffee has become so much more enjoyable since I bought my own coffee grinder. The grinder itself is beautiful and the motion of chopping up the beans is so much more satisfying. Even before you get to drink your coffee the smell fills the kitchen. Sometimes the act of making the coffee is even more enjoyable than the drink itself.

Now while it may sound like I am nuts for coffee, there are many other things I love! I love silk dresses, I love carrot cake, I love tea with honey and soy milk, I love drawing and cutting and stitching, I love cooking and reading, and I love blogging, and even though this is a first post, I feel like I have been writing a blog in my head all of my life. And now its time to share it...