Le Journal de +Louise

In the spring I have counted one hundred and thirty-six different kinds of weather inside of four and twenty hours.

Mark Twain

The annual Tesselaar Tulip Festival is here again in Melbourne and after many, many wet weekends, we jumped at the chance when the sun decided to sneak out of its hiatus and took a pleasant drive to Silvan.

And we arrived upon fields of blooming tulips…

Tulip Festivals are being celebrated throughout many cities in the world as tulips are considered a welcome herald of Spring.

Time to don those wooden clogs as the entire tulip farm was transformed into a mini Holland.

Fabio, the garden gnome catching a breather amongst the colourful flower beds.

And a visit to the festival would not be complete without a jolt of sugar hit at the end of a beautiful day, Dutch pancakes, of course =)

So I’ve finally decided to return to this space before it’s overgrown with tumbleweeds and spam comments!

It’s finally spring time now in Melbourne, yet, the winter chills are still lingering and the thermostat absolutely refuses to register anything above 18C. It rained incessantly for the past couple of weeks and for the first time in years, the farmers rejoiced and the water catchments in this drought stricken state actually breathed a sigh of relief.

Today is the first tolerable day without the desperate need for a winter jacket, so before the snow melts off the tips of the mountains and the bush fire season begins, here are some pictures from a recent day trip up to the snow.

Still mentally scarred from our first snowboarding experience yonks ago, we decided to take it easy, ride the lifts and enjoy the sights.

The weather was forecasted to be sunny and 21C that day, albeit having to trudge across some very treacherous slushiness at the foot of the mountain, it was an absolutely glorious day.

Note to self: Mt Buller is not a pretty place post 12pm, unless you fancy kicking slush around with a bunch of kids.

So we wandered off to a slightly deserted corner and took pictures with our very own snow man.

Lil’ Jo is only 2 years old and skis like a little pro! Still feeling the shame etched deeply on our foreheads, we vowed to take some decent ski lessons next year.

Future snow trip: Chamonix, France =)

Trip Report – {Rome 5 Nov 2008}

Well rested from our fourth day in Rome, we woke up bright and early for our journey into the Vatican City. Having read that the line into St Peter’s Basilica becomes excruciatingly long post 11am, we gulped down our breakfast and made it to the papal state before 10am.

Vatican City

Vatican City is a city-state and is the central authority of the Roman Catholic Church. It is the smallest country in the world and is located on the right bank of the Tiber River. Vatican City also issues its own currency, postage stamps and has its own newspaper and broadcasting facilities.

St Peter’s Square

St Peter’s Square refers to the large piazza directly in front of St Peter’s Basilica. At the center of the square stands an Egyptian obelisk made of red granite. It is the only obelisk that has not toppled since Ancient Roman times.

Ranks of columns that surround the square.

Saints in the sky…

Papal Swiss Guards of the Vatican City.

This is where the Pope addresses the people gathered at St Peter’s Square.

St Peter’s Basilica

St Peter’s Basilica houses the biggest interior of any Christian churches in the world and it does indeed live up to its apt title of the “greatest of all churches in Christendom”. I was in awe of its sheer grandeur and felt very blessed indeed to witness its architectural splendour.

One of the domes in the cathedral adorned with colourful frescoes.

St Peter’s Basilica also houses the tomb of St Peter, one of the twelve apostles of Jesus.

Globe structure within the Vatican Museum Gardens.

Sistine Chapel

Photography was not permitted within the Sistine Chapel, however we still managed to sneak a way of capturing Michelangelo’s masterpiece; there was no way we were leaving the glorious chapel without a single memento.

The clever use of bright colours, skillful strokes and the brilliant play of light and shadows breathed life into the paintings on the ceiling.

After a long day and a somewhat confusing subway ride, we made our way back to the centre of Rome. Day 5 is our final night in this ancient city, weary as we were, we couldn’t possibly leave Rome before returning to the Colosseum to bask in its full moonlit glory. So after a quick shower, we hopped on the Metro and bade this magnificent structure a fond farewell…

Dost thou love life?

Then do not squander time,

For that is the stuff life is made of.

 Benjamin Franklin

Today despite the violent bouts of coughing fits, I decided to brave the gloomy weather outside to quickly grab lunch with a dear acquaintance of mine.

Sitting across the table from me, she was looking a little worse for wear, haggard, unkempt hair casually tied into 2 low pigtails. I later learnt that she has not been eating nor sleeping well because the diagnosis for her dad’s condition did not go as well as expected. The cancerous tumours that formed around his liver, which were successfully removed a couple of years ago, have returned with a vengeance. Since he is not eligible for a transplant, according to the doctors, he has months, and if he’s really lucky, a handful of years left.
He has always been a vegetarian, doesn’t drink, smoke or do drugs. But yet, here he is, going head to head with the big C.

Life is unfair in so many ways, isn’t it?

My friend has always prepared herself for the eventual day but she did not expect it to come so soon.

My little lunch hour had got me contemplating for the rest of the day. Of how fleeting life is, of the many things I’ve always wanted to do; Of the many miles that I want to tread; Of the adventures that I long to have; Of all the plays I wanted to see; Of all the beautiful French words I want to learn but keep deliberately putting off; Of all the books I’ve promised to devour but not quick enough; Of all the articles I’ve wanted to pen, but could never find the right words; Of all the conversations I wanted to have but the phone always seems too far away; Of all the pennies I have diligently pinched and saved but never spent; Of all the baubles of treasures I have crafted but never sold; Of all the missed opportunities that I have never and will never be able to recapture; Of not saying ‘I love you’ enough to the people who matter…

As I went on typing the rest of this entry, I got furious about how I have closely befriended procrastination and how, hand in hand we have conjured up some lengthy and exasperated excuses to not do/put off something.

As you get older, you get so caught up with the trappings of life that you forget to live life.  

After all, there is always the next time, right?

“Maybe next weekend when the weather’s better”;
“Maybe next year when I get that fat pay rise”;
“This Saturday morning, really? Maybe I’ll enrol for the next term…”;
“My toe hurts, maybe it’s not a good night for yoga”;
“Maybe in another year, I might finally finish reading all of Dickens’ work,”;
“Oh, the jewellery line? Yeah, it’s coming alright…”;
“It’s too cold out, I’ll take a walk tomorrow, maybe it’ll be more pleasant,”;

And then I became even more agitated when I thought about other people’s umms and aahhs over recent times:

“Maybe when work dies down a little”;
“I’m way too big now, maybe when I lose 10 pounds”;
“We’ll take that trip when we eventually pay off the damn house”;
“Maybe when my kid finally turns 7, he’s 10 months, so not long now…”;
“Maybe when the airfares eventually go on sale, then I will come visit you…”;
“Maybe next year when he can take some time off, then I’ll finally get to go to…”;
“If only I was born rich, then I might consider…”;
“Honey, maybe the year after next. Paris isn’t going anywhere, you know?”;
“Oh, I’m 55, that’s way too old to travel!”;
“Maybe I might strike it rich in the next recession…”;
“My marriage is so miserable, maybe it’s something I did, it’s probably just a rough phase…”;

Yes, there might be countless maybe’s and If only’s, but really, only one lifetime. The most heart wrenching thing is to realise that there’s never enough time in this lifetime for all the I-love-you’s, exotic locales, love, confronting experiences, bubble baths, sunsets, pictures, autumns, fresh daisies, words, happiness, whimsical dreams…

The manic marketing team behind Nike might have had it right all along, after all:

Life is fucking short; Just do it!

After the past 3 schedule packed days, we decided to sleep in a little and then take a long stroll around the city. Day 4 in Rome was a day of sorts. A day of streetscape photography, of interesting characters, of a new part of Rome and, of course, a day of utmost importance in political history…

We strolled past this antique shop after breakfast and saw the most breathtaking vintage chandeliers…sigh…

A pleasant morning with long anticipated news…

The most unassuming Obama supporter…

Campo dei Fiori market

Campo dei Fiori is a piazza near Piazza Navona and literally means ‘field of flowers’. The market was filled with food and street vendors.

Characters around Piazza Navona…

I managed to snap a picture of this adorably well dressed old man while crossing at the lights. Everybody should be this well-suited no matter what day of the week and what time of the day…

Trastevere

We crossed the Tiber River and walked all the way to the west bank. Trastevere is almost like the timid sister of the bustling city of Rome, connected, but yet, not entirely the same.

Santa Maria Basilica

Santa Maria Basilica is one of the oldest churches in Rome and the queen of all churches in Trastevere. It was tucked away in a snug corner of a piazza and has the most modest of facades. However, gorgeous ancient medieval mosaics graced the interior of this old church, with the sun streaming in through the glass windows, the entire church was enveloped in a warm glow.

A haggard lady begging for a pittance in front of the church…

These 2 street buskers drew a small crowd in one of the cobbled stone alleys, so we stopped and watched.

Sunset at the Tiber River…

Saw them from a mile away and I just couldn’t help myself….

Rome pedestrian crossing near our hotel at peak hour…

It rained that night but we braved the weather and went out to seek the infamous Giolitti gelato parlour. The limone flavour was both biting yet heavenly. We went to bed around 10pm and were ready to hop out the next morning to the Vatican.

A quick 3 day getaway to Sipadan in the midst of a chaotic trip back home initially seemed like a really bad idea. A 2.5 hour plane ride, an hour of really bumpy bus ride and eventually a 45 minute speedboat ride over extremely choppy waters, we finally arrived.

We were booked in for a 3d2n stay at Sipadan Kapalai Resort. As the speedboat approached the jetty, we were greeted cordially by the staff and were also given warm towelettes to freshen up.

The Restaurant is the main hub of the resort. Being miles away from any land in sight, the Restaurant served all meals and offered free flow of coffee, tea and cakes throughout our entire stay.

The Resort boasts 40 chalets that sit high up on stilts over the most crystal clear water, and are all well connected with wooden walkways.

Our chalet is located right towards the end of the Kapalai wing, it took us nearly 10 minutes to walk from the Restaurant. The interior of our chalet, however, was almost as breathtaking as the surroundings itself. High ceilings, beautiful décor, a private balcony that opens out into the vast ocean, and the best bit, a bathtub with a large window overlooking the turquoise waters.

Initially we intended to book for a beginners course in diving, however there were no instructors available, so we settled for snorkelling instead. And I was glad we did because snorkeling at Kapalai was absolutely amazing, dare I say it? Heaps better than Hawaii and the Great Barrier Reef.

On one of our evening walks around the resort compound, we chanced upon the most magical spot to say ‘I do’, sigh… it’s a shame that most guests will not appreciate the long journey to the resort. So we stayed around for sunset instead..

The weather was absolutely pleasant, with clear blue skies, hovering around 27C during the day and slightly lower during the night. However, we did encounter a few windy rainstorms during the nights, with waves lapping mercilessly against the wooden stilts. The chalet swayed to its sides as I crouched in bed, with Leo snoring next to me, hoping and praying really hard that those wooden beams will hold and we won’t be washed out into the raging ocean in the middle of the night.

But when the morning came, the stormy night before had long been forgotten and it was back to turquoise tranquil waters and sunny skies with marshmallow clouds.

We spent the days talking, snorkeling, wondering around the resort, staring out into the endless blue horizon and looking down at the colourful fishes swimming freely just inches beneath our feet.

We left Sipadan recharged, exhilarated and vowed to make another trip back in the near future….

Today, after work, after the rain, after yet another trashy segment of Today Tonight, I put my mat down for the first time in 3 weeks.

I returned to a full class of almost 50 along with trepidations of a new beginner. The past few weeks of late nights, glutton indulgences and irresponsible ignorance had me retreating all the way to the back rows. I looked to the front row and the tiny empty corner where I used to lay my mat, my heart ached. After all the punishment I had recently put my body through, I bore absolutely no expectations coming into this class and I know it will take a while, maybe even a long time, for me to have the confidence to practise in the front row again.

The first 55 minutes of the class went surprisingly well; I did fall out of Standing Bow, but I did not sit out on Triangle; Even though my heart was racing in all directions, I did not collapse in the heat.

Towards the end of the Standing Series, sweat was pouring into my eyes and I was distracted by the yogi next to me who, frantically rolled up her mat and trudged out of the room.The teacher brought everyone’s attention back to the room by saying, “Find your own eyes in the mirror, still your mind, still your heart.”

I eventually found my own eyes in a sea of heaving, distracted yogis, and smiled.  I thought I have lost it, I thought it, too, had abandoned me, along with my confidence and my fitness. But behind those dark brown eyes, I recognised that familiar flicker. The exact same flicker of determination that encouraged me to kick off my first yoga challenge, and accompanied me over and over again when I used to practise 5-6 times a week over the past few months; through Melbourne heat waves, winter rain storms, heartaches, anniversaries, birthdays, frigid mornings and bad days.

Hello old friend, I need you now more than ever….

My confidence might have depleted but my body….oh boy, my body remembered. Those long, lean muscles that I have worked so hard for in the past few months awoke from their long slumber and resurfaced, they stretched and pulled so beautifully in the heat it felt as if I had never left the hot room.

I rewarded myself with a long Savasanah before slowly peeling myself off my mat.

I looked to my old little corner in the front row, and thought to myself: “Soon enough, soon enough….”

Trip Report – {Rome 4 Nov 2008}

We awoke to the murmur of early morning shower pattering against the windows, we were so tempted to sleep in and hit that snooze button for the umpteenth time. However, Pompeii, one of the major highlights of our Rome trip,  was calling our names.

We raced towards the subway station, drenched in the rain and barely made it for our scheduled train. We rode towards the city of Naples and boarded another train that took us straight to the ruins.

The regional Circumvesuviana train ride towards the ancient Pompeii site was an experience in itself.
We had to hold on tight to our belongings (hence no pictures inside the train) as there were suspicious characters and child beggars roaming the aisles, as the train traveled away from the city and towards a more derelict countryside.

After just a short 10 minute walk, we arrived at the tourist centre of the ancient city of Pompeii. We purchased day passes for 2, each at 11Euros and headed towards Porta Marina, the entrance to the ruins of Pompeii…..

Pompeii used to be a bustling city, rife with prostitution and politics, and also, a favourite amongst Romans for summer holiday getaways.

All of the city’s roads were polygonal blocks made from the lava of Mt Vesuvius….

On a warm day in AD79, Pompeii was entirely destroyed, and approximately 2,000 people were buried during a long catastrophic eruption of Mt Vesuvius over 2 days.

The volcano collapsed higher roof-lines and buried the entire city of Pompeii under 60ft of ash and pumice, and was lost for nearly 1,700 years before its re-discovery in 1748.

A heart chilling plaster cast of a Pompeii civilian in a prayer position…

One of the water fountains….

Us at the Arch of Caligola at the main intersection of the city…

A house/villa…

Columns of the Pompeii Forum..

An old amphitheater…

The entire day was downcast with dramatic clouds overhanging from the sky.
This is a picture of Leo with Mt Vesuvius in the background…

We left Pompeii absolutely in awe at the destruction left by the quiet Mt Vesuvius, overlooking the entire excavation site. Even though the whole town was wiped so many years ago, with nothing left but ruins, artifacts and charred remains, it was a hopeful sight to behold that some things did survive, and Life, still goes on…