Wanderlust Wednesday - A knitted bicycle in New York City

Sometimes when you're traveling it's not the monuments or the big bull on Wall Street that makes you stop and look twice. Instead, it could be guerilla knitters that have knitted and chained a bicycle to a pole. Very unexpected and very peculiar!

Wanderlust Wednesday - Central Park After the Blizzard

Snow will always be surreal to me. It’s not something I’ve grown up with or will ever be used to. So when spending Christmas in NYC and hearing that a blizzard was forecast for Boxing Day it was like something out a movie.

Then it started snowing hard and fast when I was enjoying the sales at Bloomingdales. Despite the snow, a lot of extreme shopping was happening in Macy's where it was incredibly crowded!

The next morning when I woke up the city was pure white. It was very quiet outside except for the sound of snow shovels hitting the pavement. 

To make the most of the snow day we headed to Central Park. The biting wind swept more snowflakes into our faces when we entered the west side of the park.

Snow had swallowed parked cards, decorated tree branches, covered up benches and had frozen the top layer of the lake.

Everyone who had braved the cold was making the most of it. Parents were pulling kids along in sleds and toboggans. Kids were making snow angels and screaming in delight when sledding downhill.

I've got my snood and my new snow boots to keep me warm!

NYC dogs were delighted by the snow, running around in their jumpers or snow boots. This 11 year old pooch was having a rest in the snow as his paws were starting to get sore from the freezing conditions. His owner promised him some bacon bits to warm up!

Wanderlust Wednesday - The Christmas Tree at Somerset House

On the search for the most beautiful Christmas tree in London I discovered the Tiffany themed tree at Somerset House. It sparkles day or night with its signature blue baubles and silver decorations. Ice skaters glide around the rink in its stylish shadow. 

Wanderlust Wednesday - Sunset Over Athens

On a hot humid July day, travelers find solace away from the crowds. We perched on the hill near the Acropolis, waiting for the sun to descend and a summer party to begin.

Wanderlust Wednesday - Sally Lunn Bun in Bath

This Sally Lunn bun from Bath is drenched in cinnamon butter. The sweetened clotted cream  bun is the perfect condiment and melts in your mouth. You may only get half a bun but it's certainly bigger than it looks! And, of course, all you need is a pot of tea. 

Wanderlust Wednesday - Seminyak, Bali, Indonesia

Approaching sunset on a beach in Bali. This photo was taken almost exactly one year ago.

Wanderlust Wednesday - Edinburgh Castle, Scotland

The view from Edinburgh Castle on a beautiful autumn day.

Wanderlust Wednesday - The Kissmas Tree, Covent Garden, London

For an Aussie like me, a Northern Christmas is utterly magical. I dream of a white Christmas, of chestnuts roasting by an open fire, a real wintery holiday. No BBQs, beaches or 40 degree Celcius Christmas days which is generally what it's like back home.

London lights up for Christmas. The streets sparkle with fairy lights. Shop windows have impressive displays. Everything is unashamedly Christmas themed, I've even succumbed to ordering Peppermint Mochas instead of a normal one!

In Covent Garden there is a Kissmas tree. It only lights up when couples kiss under the mistletoe. Even the biggest scrooge breaks into a sappy smile when the tree lights up! 

Wanderlust Wednesday - St Raphael, French Riveria

Sometimes when you're traveling the best laid plans go awry. We planned on going from Nice to St Tropez in a day which required a long train ride followed by a bus, having lunch there and then heading straight back. Yet being at the mercy of delayed (retarded I believe is the French term) trains and buses left us stranded in a town called St Raphael.

Being stuck on the French Riveria is not a bad thing. If I were a celebrity, I'd avoid Cannes and St Tropez to avoid the paparazzi and holiday with the locals. St Raphael has a buzzing cafe strip, local markets selling inexpensive beach gear and fashion boutiques for a spot of shopping in the main town. It feels much more relaxed and less touristy than Nice or Cannes.

As for St Tropez, maybe next summer?

Wanderlust Wednesday - Salad Nicoise in Paris

I miss Parisian food. Somehow since being in London the produce just isn't the same.

In Paris I was served this delightfully large salad nicoise. Fresh greens with the right balance of saltiness from the anchovies, olives and dressing. If I could only replicate it somehow...it's so simple but yet so good.

Wanderlust Wednesday - Split, Croatia

The Green Market in Split is a bustling epicentre of trade. It remains a traditional and cheap marketplace, where stall holders use scales with real weights to measure your purchases.

The image that stays in my mind the most are the 'garlic ladies' who hold strings of garlic to sell, shouting at their customers. The Green Market is a must visit for the freshest fruit and veg in town.


(Sorry for the delay in posts, irregular internet and a tumultuous month in London are my excuses but I'm now back on track!)

Wanderlust Wednesday - Disneyland, Paris, France

Is Disneyland, Paris a place where dreams come true?

Whether you're six or sixty years old, Disneyland effortlessly charms you with it's fairytale magic. Even though it's artificial, the children around you are high on sugar and you may get stuck in line for the Thunder Mountain roller-coaster - you can't help but feel like you've escaped to a place of innocent fun. Disneyland is the only place in the world where you can unleash your inner princess...just for one day.

Wanderlust Wednesday - Dubrovnik, Croatia

You can't visit Dubrovnik and not complete the walk around the city's walls. Dubrovnik's walls are a UNESCO world heritage site and were constructed in the 14th to 15th centuries to defend the city.

The walk takes under two hours, depending on your climbing pace, and offers stunning views across the terracotta rooftops of the city and over the bay. During the climb you also get glimpses into Croatian life by peeking down into the backyards of locals.

Wanderlust Wednesday - Cannes, France

Being in the French Riveria in high season makes you want to be a billionaire. The bay is crowded with luxury yachts. Sports cars speed down the promenade. Along the beach front are five star hotels and designer boutiques. The original Chanel store at shop number five on the main boulevard apparently inspired the name of the Chanel no. 5 perfume.

If you're like me and prefer not to pay for the beach, the public section offers you a priceless dip in the sea for free.

Wanderlust Wednesday - Sorrento, Italy

Sorrento is a charming town on the Amalfi Coast. Vespas zip down the cobble-stoned streets. Shops sell dangerously strong limoncello and handmade leather sandals. Locals and visitors queue up to sample gelati.

The view above Sorrento's main port stretches all the way to Mount Vesuvius, lurking in the background.

Wanderlust Wednesday - Sunset in Santorini, Greek Islands

Watching sunset from Oia in Santorini is like waiting for a concert or game to start. The air is thick with anticipation. All around you there are people perched in prime positions. Couples are loved up, teenagers are giggling and tourists are eating potato chips. Cameras are constantly clicking or taking video footage.

Despite the hordes of people attracted to Oia due to the guidebooks and hype, the Santorini sunset is still an awe-inspiring sight to be seen with your own eyes.

Wanderlust Wednesday - Cottesloe Beach, Western Australia

Yesterday, I went for a walk by the beach with my dog. For anyone familiar with Cottesloe Beach in Perth, Western Australia, the beach in the above photos is at northern end, past the groyne.


Perth has 19 sandy white beaches stretching along the West coast. In winter they're pretty quiet apart from joggers, dog walkers and die-hard surfers. This may be the last stretch of endless beach I see for awhile as I'm imagining the European beaches I'm about to visit are going to be rather different.


The beach smelt strongly of salt and seaweed. Despite Perth's recent cold snap, it was mild and pleasant. No strong seabreeze. Just gentle waves rolling in from the Indian Ocean. Perfect for some quiet contemplation in my last week in Perth.


That's my beautiful chow chow Ruski standing tall below. He loves the beach, but he's the only dog that prefers the dunes and rocks over the water!

Wanderlust Wednesday - A Well in Venice

I was puzzled when I saw this in Venice on Christmas Eve. Was it a tap? A drain for when it floods? No, it's actually a well.


In the past these wells were used by Venetians as their only source of fresh water. The wells were actually cisterns that collected rainwater channelled from rooftops which was then sand-filtered. Almost every courtyard and piazza had its own well. These wells provided water until 1886 when an aqueduct brought water in from nearby mountains.


Venice is still full of these old, weathered wells.

 Christmas in Venice is beautiful

Wanderlust Wednesday - Deep Fried Sushi in Manila

Deep fried beef sushi with egg drizzled in roe and mayonnaise. 


Julie introduced me to this dish at Haiku Japanese restaurant at Greenbelt 3 in Makati. The tender beef was offset by the crunchiness of the battered seaweed. Very tasty and moorish, even better when accompanied by a mango daiquiri for only 185 php.


This is a very Filipino take on Japanese as I've never encountered deep fried sushi in Japan (or back home for that matter)! Nevertheless it was the stand out dish out of all the food I tasted in the Philippines.

Wanderlust Wednesday - Miyajima Island, Japan

My shoes crunched the sandy white gravel on Miyajima Island as enthusiastic deer surrounded us, nuzzling our hands for food. Unfortunately, we had nothing to offer though the smells of roasting corn on the cob and sizzling squid tentacles from street vendors suggested otherwise.

Down on the beach, the majestic red torii gate of Itsukushima Shrine stood grandly over us, framed by the clear blue sky. The gate appeared to float in the low-tide. Late afternoon light casted a torii shadow over locals posing for photos. Japanese girls in their stiletto-heeled boots dodged the seaweed as they hold up peace signs for the lens.

As I breathed in the salty sea air, pausing to bask in the remaining autumn sunlight before dusk, I savoured this unique moment of old and new Japan. 


(This is an excerpt from a travel writing exercise I did last year...hope you like it)