Sydney Harbour Bridge

Glamour shot!

My roommate and I spent a lovely day walking from Milson's Point over the bridge and into the city. Man oh man, the harbour is a beautiful place! Even the bridge is really quite awesome.

This shot was taken from the North side of the harbour. Just behind me is the Sydney Olympic pool (never been used in an Olympics, but who's splitting hairs?) and Luna Park. The pool is really quite lovely, and a salt water pool to boot! Having yet to visit Luna Park, I will have to go and report back to you.

taken April 2010 - Sydney Harbour Bridge, North Sydney, NSW

Milan Central Station

There is something truly monumental about Milan's Central Station. Mussolini really did make himself a monument when commissioning this to be built. The Art Deco style here really does inspire awe.

One of the few styles that Micah and I agree on is Art Deco. There is something absolutely lovely in the long clean lines, the sleek curves and the nod to classical mythology. It really is a shame that we didn't spend longer at this station so that we could have a proper look around and admire.

As for Milan Station... plan on at least 30minutes to purchase your ticket. Actually, the same was true in Florence, so maybe I should recommend this allowance for any major station in Italy. Micah and I did the whole divide and conquer method of ticket queueing - I took the ticket window line, and Micah the automated teller line. On this particular occasion, I won, despite the 35 minute wait.

After this, the train journey from Milan to Genoa was completely uneventful. Train travel really is the absolute best way to get around in my mind's eye; far superior to the bus!

taken June 201 0 - Milan Central Station, Milan, Italy

Vanishing on the Horizon

This summer I travelled over the Indian Ocean for the first time. Yes, I understand that, for the most part, looking at an any ocean from the air is, well, similar. That said, I cannot even begin to tell you how excited this flight made me, and how much I enjoyed looking out over the water and at the clouds as we past by.

Next on my list of firsts was flying over the Middle East. None of the photos I took out the window did any justice to the landscape of this area. The unending beige sand raggedly cut with rivers that appear to be ink black. The dots on the landscape that could only be the most stubborn trees known on earth. It was captivating.

At one point, despite the haze I noticed there were no clouds. Again, the photo above does not do the scene justice. The clarity of the sky's blue was stunning. The beige of the sand below blended perfectly with the haze to create a smooth surface below, and the vanishing point on the horizon could not have been a more perfect white. The sense of distance, proportion and colour was stunning beyond belief.

I hope this image never leaves my mind. To have the perfect meld between land and sky; to have no lines, no definition... breathtaking and so very, very peaceful.

taken June 2010 - Emirates flight over Iraq

House Spider

May I introduce Hunter, our house spider.

I must admit, had you asked me three years ago about if I would like to have a spider of notable size living in my bedroom I would have answered a resounding no. It's amazing what the heat of the Australian summer can do to one's brain, eh?

All jokes aside, I was actually quite pleased to have Hunter move in with us. Huntsman spiders are known to be a very effective bug killing arachnid. They also do not really use webs and they pose no harm to humans. So really, these spiders are the ideal house guests. Our Hunter only showed his (or her) face on occasion, and really didn't grow to be that big. (Including leg-span, he was about the size of a 50c coin Australian, or a Canadian twoonie).

Sadly, we haven't seen Hunter since the end of May. I miss you my dear.

taken April 2010 - wall of our bedroom, Macquarie Park, NSW

Botanical Gardens Sydeny - Fountain

What a wonderful Saturday afternoon for a walk in the park! The Domain in Sydney has a both beautiful rolling grassy hills and a fantastic botanical garden. On this particular Saturday, we walked through the gardens in the mid afternoon. The winter sun kept everything bathed in a warm light, and the perfectly clear blue sky made taking pictures an absolute treat.

This fountain is surrounded by four drinking fountains. To our amusement, one of the four has phenomenal water pressure - something we discovered as one of our company was bathed in a cool stream of water.

Taken July 2010 - Botanical Gardens, Sydney, NSW

Cape Enrage

One of the best Thanksgiving trips with the family started by travelling to Cape Enrage. We all piled in the van and drove down the 114, stopping every now and then to admire the changing leaves. When we arrived at Cape Enrage, we could not have chosen a better, more clear day to see the cliffs and the water of the Bay of Fundy.

I absolutely love Fundy and the tides that define it. Having grown up being able to see the Petticodiac and it's 13m tides from my house, the rhythm of the tides are just a part of my being. At Cape Enrage, not only do the cliffs make for dramatic waves, fantastical winds and breathtaking views, but they also make for some really incredible currents in the water as the tides ebb and flow.

There is also a romantic loneliness to this part of the county. It is just so far away from everything, so beautiful and untouched. The fog, the wind, the trees and the water... How I miss my home and native land.

Taken October 2003 - Cape Enrage, New Brunswick, Canada

Easter Flowers

So I've decided that from week to week I will take enough pictures to take care of my 5 picture-a-week quote. This means that the weekend pics will be a selection from my favourite pictures from 2009 and earlier. I might even try to do a 'on this day in history' theme... but I think that might be a little too much, even for me!

This picture is from Easter Saturday, April 2007. Micah and I were getting ready to go to the Cathedral in Ely for our confirmation. I decided to wear my Easter dress I had made for Easter 2006. This was the same dress that I wore at our first wedding in May 06. Let's just say I absolutely adore this dress.

In the mid-afternoon, I decided I wanted flowers for my hair. The above is the result of picking flowers from the bushes along the path leading to our maisonette. Not a bad take eh? Micah's sister helped with pinning in the flowers after I had braided my hair and pinned it up.

This picture was the start of an absolutely fantastic Easter celebration. I am so very blessed.


Taken April 2007 - outside our apartment, Cambridge, England

Seeing eye to eye with one on stilts

Quite possibly the bestest animal known to Micah-kind is the giraffe. I mean, which other creature understands the height and cadence of life better than this noble animal?

In late March, a couple of very good friends conspired with me to steal Micah away for the weekend. Our ultimate goal was to visit the Western Plains Zoo. They host a roar-n-snore there, which is basically an opportunity to camp at the zoo and go on a night tour of the grounds, then accompany the keepers for the morning round of feedings. So cool! We got to feed the giraffes! I haven't seen Micah's face light up with such glee since we first saw giraffes on our honeymoon.

This picture was taken while as we attended a giraffe snack time. Apparently, carrots are to giraffes what chocolate is to humans. Micah got to feed this particular lovely lady several carrots, and I think even got a little lick on his hand from her amazing blue tongue. I do hope we get to head out here again soon!

Taken March 2010 - Western Plains Zoo, Dubbo, NSW

Golden Wattle

It's the morning. A lovely winter sun is lighting everything with long shadows and a warm glow. There is a crispness in the air, the kind of crispness that one can smell and only comes when it's below 8c. The dew is thick on the grass making me move quickly to the path so to not get my shoes too wet. It's the kind of day that I'm are thankful that I reached for my scarf on the way out the door. Yes, the scarf is probably overkill, but the warmth around my neck give the morning walk a warm comfortable feeling.

As I turn the corner on the last block before I reach work, I inhale deeply. There's a delicious scent somewhere between baby powder and honey suckle lightly hanging on the air. The warmth of the sun makes me turn my head up and close my eyes. The lorikeets are playing in one of the tall gum trees... it must have been in bloom recently as the ground is covered with gum nuts.

Just a head of me is a bush that has tried desperately to grow across the sidewalk. Over the past few years, the offending branches have been broken or bent back but the bush is stubborn enough to continue trying. The result is a lovely canopy just barely above head height. To add to the perfection of this bush, it is in full bloom.

Wattle is a beautiful flower. The blossom looks like little pompoms creating a fuzzy cone of yellow at the end of every twig. Every time I walk by this bush while it is in bloom, I can't help myself - I must stop and enjoy.

The golden wattle is Australia's Floral Emblem. As soon as I can figure out how to insert a link, I will add it.

taken July 2010 - roadside, Macquarie Park, NSW

Art Gallery of NSW

The Art Gallery of NSW is a treat that should be regularly enjoyed.

On this trip, I discovered that the public is allowed to take photos of the permanent collection. What joy! I very carefully ensured my flash never went, and thoroughly enjoyed a new way to experience art. The use of lighting to accent different pieces made more sense, the use of space... it just makes more sense now.

I would encourage you to go to your local gallery and see what's on show. Many are free to enter and their value is much greater than any assigned dollar figure. You never know, someday they might be showing a work that simply captivates you. Micah is still talking about the above, and I look forward to showing you some of my favourites from here and around the world.

Taken July 2010, Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW

Botanical Gardens Sydney - Miner

We are now in the middle in of winter here in Australia. This concept of winter still baffles me. As I spent most of the day outside in a sweater with 3/4 length sleeves, without an undershirt or jacket, I think of this weather as more early autumn-ish.

As the day was so very beautiful, we decided to head into the city and visit the botanical gardens. Most of the flora and fauna are in their rest and regeneration phase... it is winter after all. This made it almost impossible to miss the blooming cherry trees at the foot of one of the paths we were walking along. N and I spent several minutes taking pictures of the beautiful pink flowers against the pure blue sky.

Just as I was about to join the boys back on the path to continue on our way, a miner bird flew into the tree on a branch less than 2 meters away from me. My first reaction was bewilderment, my second was to yell at it. (The bird managed to send half of a freshly caught bee at me hitting me in the shoulder, while it ate happily ate the other half.)

Normally I yell at miner birds, basically because I think they are bullies and a nuisance. I have recently come to understand that there are actually 2 notable species of miners in Australia, one is native, the other introduced.

On a personal note, I think this is the best photo of a bird I have ever managed to take. I hope you enjoy!

Taken July 2010 - Botanical Gardens, Sydney, NSW

Mount Tomah Gardens - Mistery flower

Hilarious! I have just spent the past hour searching for the name of this plant. To me, it looks very much like the kangaroo's paw, but the stem is completely wrong. Upon giving up my search I started to think about the botanical garden I was visiting when I snapped this lovely picture. Low and behold - what is the 'plant of the season'? Why it is the South African Rarity, of course!

Mount Tomah Botanical Gardens is a lovely day-trip outside of Sydney in the Blue Mountains. I highly recommend visiting here as the grounds are stunning, the views are impressive and the flowers are amazing.

taken May 2010 - Mount Tomah Gardens, Blue Mountains, NSW, Australia

Peppertree Wines

There is nothing quite like a grey day to make every colour pop.

On a drizzly Saturday morning, Micah and I along with a couple of friends piled into a bus filled with mathematicians and physicists and headed out on the road for a day trip. Hunter Valley, here we come! This Hunter trip was the third one that I've joined this group on. It really is great to get a group of people out of the office to enjoy some random activity and build friendships. Each trip I come home with a case of beautiful wines and a couple more people on my list of I-know-you's.

This trip we stopped at this absolutely fantastic winery. If you ever get a chances to try any of their selection it is well worth it. We came away completely content, carrying more than a case of wine and a membership to their wine club. Let's hope we can head up again later this year to check out their next batch of new treats!

As for the winery itself, the site used to be a convent. The grounds are wonderfully maintained, with long driveways to rustic buildings. There's even a chapel still on site which is used for the occasional wedding. The walkways between buildings tend to be brick cobblestone, and there are lovely flower patches accenting the vineyards and buildings.

taken May 2010 - Peppertree Winery, Hunter Valley, NSW

Hydrangeas in the park

I don't really understand why, but I love to take pictures of hydrangeas. They are mounds of colour which call to me.

This particular hydrangea was found in Milan on the first day of my Italian Adventure. Micah and I were walking through a park dedicated to the victor/liberator of Milan in around 1830. I'm not exactly certain why this victor deserved a park, but a park they received anyway! There was oddles of green space and places to lay out a picnic blanket for a quite afternoon under a tree. There were also a couple of little creeks giving the park the ability to have lovely little walkway bridges here and there. Nothing makes for great photos like little bridges over creeks that are both surrounded by mounds of flowers eh?

As for the day itself, the sun was pleasant and bright, the sky clear and the grass was growing. The park was filled with the most luscious smell of cut grass... really a defining smell of the late spring in the northern hemisphere.

Micah and I slowly meandered through this city park until we found our way to the other side. We then randomly chose streets left and right until we finally arrived in the city centre.

taken June 2010 - Parco Sempiona, Milan

First Picture in Milan

Having recently returned home from a trip to Italy and Hungary, I am still combing through my photos from this trip. Who would have thunk that one person could take some many pictures!

This trip hosted many firsts for me: my first flight across the Indian Ocean, my first stop in Dubai, my first trip to Italy proper (yes I have been to Sardinia, but I think most Sardinians will tell you that they use 'being part of Italy' as a smokescreen to enjoying the freedom of the Mediterranean. Just sayin'!). This was also my longest solo trip, as I met Micah in Milan 2 weeks into his arond the world travel.

First off... My goodness Europe is a long ways away!

Second... I have never been so happy to arrive at a place to rest my weary head. This was not as easily accomplished as previously planned, as I conveniently left the directions to our hotel on the computer desk at home in Sydney. *sigh Fortunately, I had copied down the instructions twice and had studied Google Maps before heading out, so I basically knew my way from the airport to the hotel using public transport.

Having arrived late on Thursday evening, Micah and I took a leisurely morning Friday before stepping out on the town. We had a lovely, if not exceptionally sweet, breakfast before putting our walking shoes on and venturing into the centre of the city. Within a couple of blocks we stumbled upon this:

I must say, it is hard to not get a beautiful picture on a day like this!

The sky was perfectly blue with whisps of clouds. The sun was shining brightly but there was very little hase as the day was only beginning to warm. The rain from the day before left the grass green and the leaves glowing. This all made for a beautiful sceene as we sat under a tree on a short stone wall.

This was the beginning of one of the parks that led into the city's centre.

taken June 2010

Maiden Voyage

It has taken me some time to come to terms with the idea of a Blog. I know there are many stories I wish to share, and it now seems that this is the best option for one and all.

My hope is to make this a daily adventure through my photos. I love taking pictures and some of them might even be interesting to someone else. Here's hoping.

The one thing I ask is that you please forgive my spelling. I do try and I am learning, but spelling is a creative art for me. Actually, writing is quite outside my comfort zone, so this should be quite the adventure for me!