Sydney Hyde Park in full glory. My daughter was playing with my phone and set the default photo filter to black & white. I was about to change it back, but then I was mesmerized by how gorgeous the photos came out. So for the time being I’m leaving it be.
Recently I went on a vegan culinary retreat in the NSW Hunter Valley. The food was delicious, with a setting to match. We stayed in a gorgeous country house on a picturesque piece of land. It was glorious at any time of day. Still, mornings were when the magic happened – with mist rising from the ground and nearby ponds, kangaroos hopping about, and occasionally hot air balloons dotting the sky. I haven’t felt such pure joy in a while ❤
Yesterday’s view of the Opera House ❤ I think it might be red in preparation for Australia Day later this week. Apparently, there will be a huge concert and light show, but we won’t even try to make it, as the crowds tend to be intense. Still, I’m happy I got to see it last night.
I know images taken from the airplane window are such a cliche, but
a) I have not flown in a while, so it feels new and special again, and
b) the views were just spectacular!
I was recently flying from LA to Denver and back. Both times the sky was perfectly clear, with magnificent views of the desert, mountains, and rivers. What was fascinating is that while we were flying over mostly empty swaths of land, I could always spot the tiniest ribbon of a road snaking its way west. And at one point, I even thought I could spot the Zion Canion and the great arches, which, according to the flight path, isn’t out of the question. 😉
Seeing the terrain from above and how clearly it was shaped by ancient rivers made me think this would make for the most amazing (and engaging) geography lesson (a’la Magic School Bus)!
…of purple trees (aka Jacaranda blooming season)!
I love how you never know they are there, until suddenly in early November, they all bloom at the same time. They dot nearly every street in my suburb, and under each one there’s a thick purple carpet. They look spectacular! BUT. They are notoriously hard to capture in a photo – they are usually obscured or tucked in tightly between other trees, or not very lush.
I noticed this one on my way to daycare dropoff, and I simply had to stop and take a picture. With an overcast sky and dead, orange grass underneath it looked absolutely glorious!
Aaaaaand we are out of lockdown here in Sydney (for over a week now!). First order of business was going to the beach, and so we did! Twice. On the same weekend! (yes, I’m very excited).
The weather was very windy, but sunny with blue skies and no clouds. The waves were spectacular as ever. We picked a quiet beach, because we’d still prefer to social distance, and we weren’t disappointed – not many people decided to brave the strong winds.
For us it was totally worth it – the kids were squealing with joy and totally in their element! And for once they were entertaining themselves 😉
Last year, I decided to take my Mum on a whale watching trip for her birthday (experiences over material gifts, and all that😉 ). Neither of us is passionate about sailing and being out on the water in general, but we had a fantastic time nonetheless. Here’s what I learned from this adventure 🙂
Soaking up the light 