Sunday Blog 247 – 23 August 2026 For a while, a week at least, my body still imagines how I’ll walk through my sixth-floor Paris apartment for my nightly toilet stop; return to my low-slung bed with its blackout screen on the dormer window in the attic roof. How in the morning, I’ll slip a …
Tag Archives: Travel
The Mill France
Sunday Blog 246 – 16th August 2026 And now to the meat of my French trip; the writing retreat. You may perhaps recall my unsuccessful French writing retreat experience in September 2025, when I bolted 48 hours into a nine night stay. With bare-faced lies about an invented family emergency, I managed to get a …
Paris (again) and Rouen
Sunday Blog 245 – 9th August 2026 I’ve been back in Perth since Wednesday 5th August. But I will continue to wallow in photos, and plunge myself back into the sights, sounds and smells of my French Extravaganza. Sunday Blog-wise, I’m still only up to Saturday 18th July on the trip, when I boarded the …
Bordeaux Love Note
Sunday Blog 244 – 2nd August 2026 As I cling to the last days of my fabulous five weeks in France, I’m eking out the travel blogs, still several weeks behind reality. You can expect more after my return to wintry Perth, as I savour holiday moments like macaroons. On Friday 10th July when I …
Walking the Chartres Labyrinth
Sunday Blog 243 – 26th July 2026 I’m a couple of weeks behind in posting; this was before the Bordeaux fires. Thinking of everyone impacted by fires across Europe. It all started with my misunderstanding about the distance between Chartres and Bordeaux. When initially planning my holiday, I mistakenly thought I could walk the Chartres …
A Week Alone in Paris
Sunday Blog 242 – 19th July 2026 Last Sunday blog, I was checking into my Airbnb at 7am on Tuesday 30th June, thanks to my kind host who took pity on me, a long-haul flight survivor. I didn’t dare test the wheeled backpack-plus-suitcase combination on the metro from Charles de Gaulle airport, opting for a …
On the eve of a journey…
Sunday Blog 239 – 28th June 2026 I’ve more to add to my post-traumatic growth series of blogs – but today just wasn’t the day. I needed to take a breath, bask in the nervous excitement of the-day-before-travel. Tomorrow I fly out to Paris for five weeks of research, writing, working, catching up with friends …
Shedding the Wood Snake Skin
Sunday Blog 219 – 25th January 2025 For those of you who have not yet jumped on the “New Year New You” bandwagon, one of my personal favourites, there’s still time. The Chinese New Year is not until 17 February. 2026 is the Year of the Fire Horse, of which more later. Right now we’re …
Thursday’s child has far to go
Sunday Blog 205 – 19th October 2025 When we pulled into my suburb in Perth, on the drive home from the airport 19 days ago, my heart sank. It was all over. Ireland, Italy, France, Greece. Focusing on writing. Honing my European driving skills. All over. Such a whiny baby. How could I even give …
That’s more like it…
Sunday Blog 201 – 21st September 2025 The Greek writing retreat I’ve been immersed in since last week has many repeat customers, including me. This is my third time at Limnisa, near Methana in Greece. With its ocean, olive trees, choice of apartment living or retreat centre it’s the perfect mix for me. Memories of …