Blog
Heading back to Lyon
18/12/2014 21:05
It’s my last day of work in Paris for the year. Tomorrow I head back to Lyon for a well-earned rest. I feel mentally and physically exhausted.
This has been a roller-coaster of a month, starting with Sarah’s arrival at the end of November which coincided with my starting a new job in...
Another postcard from Lyon
16/11/2014 23:37
Another fairly mundane week trying to do my French tax return which is well overdue – it was due in May but as I was in Australia, I wasn’t able to lodge it. Actually, it’s not called a tax return here, it’s a déclaration d’impots. There’s no return. The thing about taxes here is that workers don’t...
Postcard from Lyon
15/11/2014 23:37
I know my life sounds all very exciting but really in a lot of ways it's quite mundane. One of my biggest excitements last week was changing email addresses! Lame, I know, but after having to deal with crappy Yahoo mail for so long, it's such a joy to have a functional email platform. I love...
Paris for a week
05/11/2014 16:34
Off to Paris to see my favourite cousins, Patrick and Jackie. Sitting in Perrache Station waiting for my train and watching the sun rising brings back memories of the Gare de Lyon when aforementioned cousins took Sarah and me for an extraordinary and unforgettable meal at Le Train Bleu in 2009....
A rainy Friday night in Lyon
11/10/2014 09:02
It’s Friday night, so I head off with my friends to my favourite cinema in Lyon: UGC at Cité Ciné Internationale. I’ve been waiting for the film, Gone Girl [1]to come out after having been enthralled by the book. This cinema is one of the most reliablefor showing latest release...
Time to leave France?
26/09/2014 11:11
In one short week I have gone from being euphorically delighted to be back in France to being utterly disgusted with the French.
The reason: being told by a real estate agent that I have absolutely no hope of being leased an apartment in France. At least she was honest, unlike the others who...
Final days in Queensland
19/08/2014 08:34
Cairns
My early morning walk down the esplanade yesterday resulted in fortune smiling on me… or at least $20.00. It’s been years since I have found such a large sum of money on the ground. At 6.00 am the streets were empty save for a few bleary-eyed backpackers on their way to their...
The Great Barrier Reef and Port Douglas
16/08/2014 11:05
“Wait, what? This is overrated? Yeah, it is! The diving in the reef (at least where the day trips from Cairns will take you) isn’t that great due to large crowds and overfishing. Almost every dive expert I spoke to didn’t see why people were so obsessed with the reef. There are far better...
Port Douglas - paradise
12/08/2014 10:02
After a blissful night’s sleep at Port Douglas YHA I am ready for another day in paradise! Finally I feel as if I am on holidays. The sun is shining, my accommodation is perfect and Port Douglas is my idea of heaven! This YHA is more like a resort than a backpacker’s hostel. I have hired a bike for...
The Whitsundays - Reef Sleep & Long Island
10/08/2014 22:22
My week in the Whitsundays has been a week of contrasts – contrasts in accommodation, tour operators, weather, people….
I arrived in Airlie Beach last Monday and am leaving tomorrow for Cairns. My 3 days at Nomad’s gave me an interesting glimpse into the lower end of the backpacker’s food...