It’s a lovely thing to open up a garage door and be scared silly by a horde of dear friends yelling SURPRISE at the tops of their lungs. That’s just what happened to me my first day in Australia, and I loved it. 🙂 Before I could even catch my breath, I was enveloped in big squeezy hugs from folks I had only ever known online, and who are now like family to me.
We laughed, we cried and suddenly I was blindfolded as they led me to a “surprise” they’d been alluding to for months. When I opened my eyes I couldn’t believe it!! Knowing my love of cooking they had planted an herb garden months before to be ready for my arrival. It was beautiful! Full of delicate cosmos, fragrant allysum and cheery nasturtiums in lovely old pots alongside basil and rosemary and a whole slew of mint. I couldn’t help myself, I cried again. 🙂
We had such fun poking about in there, my friends pointing out this and that, giving me ideas on what to do with a thriving sorrel plant (more on that another day!) and how to cut back the mint just right.
They even set up a little wrought iron chair and table for me where I could do my writing. Such incredibly loving people. I learned so much about selflessness, kindness, and love from them.
After our wander we settled on the back porch with cold drinks and dug into my first Aussie barbecue. Mmm, mmm, good! I was introduced to the most bizarre hamburgers I’ve ever seen in my life – that deserves a post all its own – and devoured my friend Robbie’s deeeeelicious potato salad.
It was NOT your average potato salad, not by a long shot. He started out with a tub of regular ol’ potato salad from the deli, then folded in a dizzying array of delectable additions: toasted walnuts, caramelized onions, bacon, sun-dried tomatoes, fresh parsley, toasted almonds, kalamata olives, and who knows what else. All I know is that it was fantastic, and I happily ate leftovers for the next few days without ever tiring of them.
What is the best surprise you’ve ever received?
Aussie Potato Salad
Ingredients:
1 tub store-bought potato salad olive oil 1 cup chopped bacon 1 onion, halved and sliced thinly 1/2 cup walnuts 1/2 cup almonds 1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes 1/4 cup kalamata olives, sliced large handful parsley, chopped
Directions:
Place potato salad in large bowl and set aside.
Heat olive oil in frying pan and add bacon and onions. Fry until bacon is crispy and onions are soft. Add to potato salad.
In same pan fry walnuts and almonds until toasted. Add to potato salad.
Add remaining ingredients and stir until well incorporated.
Let sit in fridge 2 or more hours to let flavors meld.
Good morning, dear ones. It’s my last day in Australia and I’m feeling very sad about leaving my dear folks and this beautiful country. I have never visited a place where I felt so thoroughly loved, accepted, and welcomed as Australia. I’m going to miss it terribly.
The sun is shining so cheerily this morning, birds twittering away, the horses snuffling and swishing their tails outside the window. It’s so peaceful, I love it.
Today I’m going to share a few pictures of rural Australia. I’ve spent nearly my entire trip in the country, visiting the farms of my friends throughout Queensland, marveling at the staggering beauty of each place, basking in the serenity and peace sitting on their back porches sipping cold Aussie beer or icy Lemon Lime and Bitters.
This weekend I visited Kris and Jeff’s place. How I love their wrap-around veranda that captures every breeze and makes you feel cool and refreshed no matter how hot it gets.
We wandered through Kris’s gardens, admiring the flourishing tomatoes and citrus trees. Her marigolds are stunning! Huge bushes full of glowing blossoms in rich orange and russet.
We wandered down the back of the property to view the damage from the floods. Their once smooth driveway is now rutted with deep gutters that make it impassable. It’s going to take heaps of work and a lot of money to fix it, but in typical Aussie fashion Jeff and Kris just shrugged and talked about how lucky they were to have their lives and home. Amazing.
After bravely attempting to teach ME how to drive a tractor (heavens!!!), my friend took the driver’s seat and I hopped on back as we went for a drive through the trees to see the dam. Along the way we saw flowering prickly pear, lovely gum trees and a cute little wallaby that bounded away at our approach.
It’s so amazing to see Australia so lush and green. The flooding was horrible, scary and traumatic for so many, but it also resulted in stunning vistas of emerald hills and bright green meadows full of wildflowers.
I can’t wait to share more of my adventures with you. I’ve got recipes and photos and all sorts of lovely things, and will start posting when I get home. 🙂
Good morning, luvs! I’m writing to you from sopping wet Australia. I don’t think I’ve ever seen so much rain in my life – and I live in Washington! In a few minutes I’m going to go hiking in spite of the wet and hope to get some pictures for you. 🙂
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After a scrumptious breakfast my first morning in Fiji, I decided a ramble was in order. I only had one day there and wanted to make the most of it, so I grabbed my camera and walked out to the beach, keeping a wary eye on the black storm clouds rolling ever closer.
I love the beach at Sonaisali Island Resort. While there are portions of white sand (see below) the real beach is a gorgeous, silky soft black sand with ribbons of gold that glisten as the waves roll in and out. I walked up and down the beach, the warm salt water and soft sand pure therapy to my feet still sore from tramping all over the Netherlands and Germany.
It was such a peaceful outing and I felt the stress ease out of me with each crash of the waves and gust of warm, salty air. Soon the rain arrived, falling gently at first, more like a fine mist than a downpour, but then the heavens opened and it fell in sheets, drenching me to the skin. It was so warm I didn’t mind a bit, and continued to wander through palm groves, eventually making my way back to my cabin where I sat on the porch and enjoyed the torrent.
A bit later I went for another walk and tomorrow I’ll tell you all about my discoveries. 🙂
The day of Christmas Eve we were cozy and warm in a tall, narrow house in Maastricht, Netherlands, watching in amazement as snow continued to fall. It hadn’t stopped since our arrival the day before!
I got to stay in the attic room, reached by two steep winding staircases. I had one crooked window placed in the roof at a jaunty angle, through which I could watch the snow fall. I have a great fondness for attic rooms. They seem special somehow, tinier than all the other rooms, almost like a treehouse. I always want to stay there for hours, like Jo from Little Women, wearing a quirky hat and writing marvelous stories by candlelight until the wee hours of the morning.
After packing up our belongings we donned caps and scarves, wool socks and boots, and as many layers as we could fit under our coats, and went for a morning wander through Maastricht in search of breakfast.
The town square is a beautiful spot, especially in the winter. Curving streets and gabled buildings are trimmed with evergreen boughs and bright red bows, and at night it is alight with the warmth and bustle of the Christmas market. We’d gone the night before but the snow was falling so thick and fast pictures were nigh impossible to capture! I’ll try to remember to post a few for you anyways. 🙂
I loved wandering through Maastricht, heading down random streets and narrow alleys, discovering warm bakeries laden with freshly-baked rolls and loaves, shops with handmade wares and fabulous boots, and restaurants that serve piping hot coffee and big slabs of schnitzel cooked to perfection.
I’ve never experienced such extreme cold and snow in Europe since I spent a frightfully cold spring in Russia back in 1993. If I were at home in this weather I’d be staying inside, enjoying the show from my warm apartment. But here it seems perfectly sensible to head out in a blizzard, walking for hours through nearly deserted streets, popping into cafes to warm up over steaming cups of kaffee für kir (the delicious Dutch version of a latte).
Now I must dash! Time for coffee and breakfast with my family before we brave the snowy streets of Stuttgart, Germany for a day of shopping and exploring.
Yesterday was cold, snowy and absolutely GORGEOUS as we tramped through Amsterdam, clinging to each other to keep from falling on our backsides.
We decided that such a heavy snowfall required a walk in Vondel Park, a beautiful expanse of water, trees, and bench-dotted lawns in Amsterdam.
We loved it! We trudged through fluffy white snowdrifts and sand-laden patches that we decided looked and felt just like when you beat together butter and brown sugar for cookie dough, before you add the eggs. Talking about it made me crave chocolate chip cookies!
In spite of the bitterly cold temperatures, all sorts of people were in the park: lovers smooching, cute elderly couples walking hand in hand, little kids sliding down every teensy bit of hill they could find.
The ponds were frozen over, every leaf and tree branch rimmed in white.
Mid-way through our adventure in the park, my brother led us up a metal staircase to a toasty warm cafe overlooking the nearby lake, and treated us to hot chocolate spiked with rum and topped with whipped cream. They even included tiny cookies! It was the perfect warming treat after our stroll.
Before long we were heated through and ready to brave the elements again. All too soon it grew dark and we were heading home, our way lit by snow-topped street lamps and glittering Christmas lights.
Warm seas, hot sand, salty breezes. These are the things that occupy my dreams when frost coats my windshield and icy winds find cracks to blow in through my house. At such moments I can close my eyes and remember the bounce of a catamaran over the waves just off the coast of Fiji or the feel of blazing sun warming my skin as I swam the crystal clear waters of Cozumel.
With such fancies dancing through my mind, I was delighted when my friend Cailin of A White Picket Fence invited me to join her in a blog challenge featuring warm winter escapes.
I’ve not had many winter getaways in my life, but oh how I cherish the ones I’ve had!
Walking the beach in New Zealand was glorious. Flowers dotting the sand dunes charmed me no end and I loved sitting there, gazing out to sea, letting the breezes toss my hair while the waves lulled me into sleepy peace.
Cancun was a wonderful escape. Traveling on the off season I spent hours on the nearly deserted beach swimming, resting, napping, looking, walking, just soaking it all in. Here’s a video I took with my phone that will give you a little visual escape to white sand and turquoise water.
Cozumel was one of my favorites. As soon as we left the main town, life slowed down beautifully and I loved driving the back roads, discovering flower-filled neighborhoods, deserted beaches, and lusciously cool waves crashing onto craggy rocks and dazzlingly white sand.
Next month I’ll be wending my way to Fiji and Australia for a true winter getaway with dear friends. It will be my first time to Australia and I can’t wait to explore that amazing place with people I love to bits.
What is your dream place to get away to?
Be sure to stop by Cailin’s blog today for excellent tips on planning a winter escape to the Caribbean. Click here to visit.
