Success

 

For years, my rose bush has only bloomed one rose at a time, and I have been most excited by this single flower appearing, feeling like it was a success.

I came home to a mass of flowers in bloom, and I delight each day they are still holding together or more have taken the place of the ones that lost their petals.

What changed? I've no idea.

Sometimes it's not what you do, it's just how it happens.

Linking with #FloralFridayFoto #Thankful Thursday

More Street art in Paris

I was very lucky while in Paris to meet up with Kwarkito - his blog is my favourite, with very insightful and poetic posts on a range of topics. Often very beautifully sad on memory and life, often with gorgeous photography. It was lovely to put a person to the words, and we had much to discuss (fortunately we did not need to rely on my terrible, long forgotten French.).

He kindly took me on a little tour of the 5th, and I'm sure I drove him crazy with my endless snapping! But there was so much wonderful art.

 

It is always lovely to flesh out the blogger we know so well through their words with an actual person. Especially as all the bloggers I knew through the blogger brunches or the travel bloggers meet ups have gone. Funnily in recent years I have met more bloggers from Europe than I have from Australia! (Though my readership is more overseas these days so maybe that makes sense?)

As I mentioned in this post, history is everywhere in Paris - you just need to look. This little restaurant was the home of Hemingway's studio which they proudly show with a small picture in the window. It was also where the poet Paul Verlaine died in 1896, thus the name. 

This is just the start of our walk, there is so much more to come.

I did want to say thank you to Kwarkito for giving up his Sunday (Monday?) morning and taking time to meet with me. I really enjoyed it.

Linking with #MuralMondays

Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards. Soren Kierkegaard

Because we had no time to go to Versailles, we took our youngest on a tour of the magnificent Garnier Opera House in Paris. The hall of mirrors and the jewel box rooms are reminiscent of the magnificent grandeur of the palace, at least to our Australian eyes.

There are two rooms that have infinity mirrors, plus the hallway that reflects on either side.

Sort of like us, the sum of every person we were before making up the present individual that we are. What you see is the human that is a reflection of every existence they've been in the past, Stretching all the way back to birth. We can't erase it, it's there if we look, but we can mould ourselves into the best version we can or just shift our focus to the best light and narrow down on the person we are now.  

"They say that a person's personality is the sum of their experiences...[but] we're more than the mistakes we made yesterday...we are all of our next choices, too, all of our tomorrows." Fredrick Backman, Anxious People

Linking with #WeekendReflection

 

January Reading

I've been pretty slow on the reading this month, to be honest. Not 100% sure why I've lost my concentration. So as I do when that happens, I dip back into comics. I got two from a street library by a prolific writer I've never read.

I mentioned Aussie, Actually in this post so I won't repeat myself.

By it's Cover - I took this on holidays to read while in Venice. I tried to check that I hadn't read it before, but once I started reading it, I had. It didn't matter as I'd forgotten it all, but it had that familiar feeling as each new fact was revealed. I enjoy the familiarity of the streets and locations as I am in them, both in the book and in real life. 

Under the Net - we did this for book club. I loved it. I thought it was rollicking existential fun. Our book club was split - we either thought it was funny and delightful or they hated it. So I don't know what to tell you. Iris Murdoch writes very cleverly, and there were a number of quotes I noted for discussion. I feel it was a little like Marty Supreme but funnier and charming (with a much more satisfying ending). I really enjoyed this book!

When in Rome - I read this when I was in Rome - it's fun to have the characters touring about some of the sights I was. As a mystery, very much like Agatha Christie. Very hilarious descriptions of drug use and antiquated descriptions of homosexuality (warning it might be offensive - I did find it really weird to read some of it, but the drug talk was equally weird so it just seemed old fashioned and a bit daft but I'm mindful it's not personal to me so I might be being a little clueless - It was published in 1970).

I got these two comics out of the street library, so I was unfamiliar with the writer.

i love this part - This is a short sweet love story, of young people who can't stay together. I will admit I'm probably too old for it and it means a lot more to a teen. LBGT themes.

Spinning is more accessible. A tween/teen moving cities, fitting in, LBGT themes. Again, as an adult, I find it so sad that the world is unnecessarily difficult for these kids. I do think by now it shouldn't be. But again, that is the adult lens reading the book, rather than someone feeling that teenage angst. I liked Spinning, and I think young teens would really like it. It covers broad themes that a lot of teens feel re isolation, fitting in and friendships, bullying and so on. (I've still a little to go so will amend this review if any trigger warnings are needed - the adult reader is a little uneasy)

When I was a kid, my parents were mad for I, Claudius, a BBC series based on the book. They would talk about it with friends at dinner parties and we'd have to be home to watch it on Sunday nights. I decided to listen to it before going to Rome, and it was fun to know all the Emperors and some of the stories that came up in the tours. It is a crazy history, you wouldn't believe half the stuff except the guide is telling you, and a lot of that comes up in the book, except it's recounted in the first person by Claudius. It's funny and entertaining. 

Just started Prophet Song for bookclub. So far so good...but we shall see. I believe it gets hard going.

Milano Cortina 2026 - Winter Olympics

It's finally here and the excitement is building - I loved watching the torch arrival in Venice flood my Instagram and the cauldron will be beautiful! 

Differing to the Summer Olympics, the Winter games has a feeling of fun and the atheletes often seem to be having a good time, which is an infectious joy to watch.

I am astounded by the Women's Nordic Combined being excluded, when the Men's is in the schedule. I'm equally astounded that they say there's a lack of interest, as it's a brilliant sport to watch! (News of it here and a petition here.) Honestly, how in this day and age this is even allowed is beyond me.

Starting from the 6th of Feb, we have two glorious weeks of snow sport action and icecapades.

I will be cheering for every snowless country if an Aussie isn't in competing in the event. 

The Olympics, uniting the world when we really need it. 

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Wandering in Paris

One thing I loved about Paris is that you don't even need a guide book to learn it's history - just look up. Everywhere you go there are signs of who lived and died in buildings. It brings a vibrancy of the past to the present.

The other benefit of looking up is the abundance of street art. It's everywhere - the mosaics of Invader, the large murals of SETH and so many more...

Paris is a delight for lovers of street art, it's everywhere.

You just need to look....

Linking with #WordlessWednesday #FineWatever #MuralMondays #WordlessWednesday

 

The Little Things

The Little Things is a new blog linky over at CosyWithCoffee and a great way to appreciate the month you've just had.

READ I really haven't read much this month. Not sure what happened. I did read a book I got from the street library and read it on the plane. It's an interesting look at Australians from a new migrant. It's interesting the things I didn't know were uniquely Australian (street give aways for one! I give so much stuff away on the fence and am amazed when people ask me what it's there, or if they can buy it - we recently gave away a double bed matress away to two German backpackers and even got them a trolley to borrow to wheel it to their place.) She also thought thanking the bus driver was an Australian quirk but I did a poll and it seems pretty universal - though the yelling it if you get off at the middle doors might be our pecurliarity). It's not a must read but I did think it was interesting to see us through others eyes.

HEARD We went and saw David Byrne's magnificent gig, so I've been hearing a lot of his music when my husband puts on the music and I finally got to see Timmy Trumpet (though I have to say Brois Brejcha was an absolute vibe. I never would have picked him for me, but live, he was excellent! And Loud Luxury. So dance bangers have been flooding my playlist. Interestingly I also haven't gone back to my podcasts but work begins so I guess I'll get into that soon.

WATCHED We just reawatched season 1 of The Night Manager, having completely forgot what happened when we watched the opening recap of Season 2, and it's still great. So we begin season 2 tonight. 

Loved No Other Choice. It's funny, playful (with the audience) and satisfying. A very dark comedy. Interestingly saw Marty Supreme on the Saturday of the long weekend and No other choice on the Monday - I felt the Korean film successfully did what Marty Supreme was trying to do. I have to say I agree with this article - how did F1 and Marty Supreme get Oscar nominations and this didn't?

The heavy coat (and my ugly theft proof travel bag)

WORE I got this brilliant coat in Venice and wore it to the Opera in Rome. I got fab gloves to wear with it. I also got to wear my huge coat that is usually to warm for here, so it was lovely stomping about in the snow and cold in Europe, blending in with the locals, largely ignored by touts. (Though the gloves are for tourists, sold everywhere and cheaply so no doubt made in a different country, as is the furry coat).

MADE This dog ramp. I'm worried about my ageing baby's legs and joints so trying to get her to use the ramp to climb onto the things she jumps on. So far, no good. But I did put it together by myself.,,,Ha!

AND LASTLY How to narrow it down to three? Too many top moments to list - but being back in Paris and sharing my Paris with my youngest was very special, as was sharing her joy at Disneyland. Getting a water taxi from the airport and up the grand canal was definitely a highlight for me - when I spent 10 days in Venice for Carnivale in the 90's, I had no money so only went on vaporetto. I've still never been on a gondala, but the water taxi - worth every cent! I loved every minute of it! I could not stop smiling.

Linking with #WeekendReflections

Linking with #AwwMondays

I've had a month of restuarants, arts, gigs and catching up with friends but the biggest smile on my face was the first walk of my little furry baby when I got back. She gets cross with me for going away (she did stay home with my middle child!!) and punishes me by ignoring me for a bit, but on the walks, all is forgiven momentarily. As Frank Sinatra sang 'It's very nice to go travelling but it's oh so nice to come home!'

Linking with #TheLittleThings and #WeekendCoffeeShare #Skywatch #GaleriaHimmelsblick

 #TalkaboutitTuesday #TheRandom 

#MyMonthlyWrapup