Year: 2019

From the warm sea to the cooler mountains with a new driver – our very own G. A luxury to be driven to the Solea Valley and Kalopanayiotis. We set off immediately for some wonderful walks in the mountains, where we wandered through a valley of chestnut and plane trees, wild grapes, walnuts, quinces, pomegranates,…

And after our journey along the old road- our destination, the part of Famagusta beach that we are allowed to access. We used to call it Glossa and we still do. The sea here is shimmering and clear and the sand is white and pliable underfoot. Swimming is just wonderful as the sea has warmed…

To Famagusta brought back many happy memories – reciting the list of villages our father encouraged us to learn off by heart which were found between the towns of Nicosia and Famagusta-  Afania, Assia, Vatili, Lysi, Kontea, Kouklia, Kalopsida and Varosha. My mother’s trick of distracting us pointing to an “elephant” outside when we were…

Friends kindly offered to take me there. The last time I was there was in the 1970s – Anna and I spent happy weekends on this secluded beach cove, which at the time had a few bungalows on it. It’s changed a little since then, three massive hotels and rows upon rows of sun beds…

The lines at the border to cross to the North were massively long. Our hopes were dashed. Getting across would take at least an hour – let alone the journey to the village we planned to visit. We abandoned it and were heading back, a little deflated until we came up with a plan. When…

I dont need many reasons for days to be good – Here is why yesterday was fabulous. I had a Royal Visit.  Its been several years since they last came by. I heard their gentler chirp from the kitchen. It was not the shrill shriek of the lorikeets who can be crowned most colourful but…

I posted a fascinating video from the BBC yesterday about Edward Burtynsky who has travelled the world and recorded what we do with the planet and shown these scenes as art. He said he is not an expert environmentalist but that the planet was ours collectively and what we did and how we did it…

Back from our travels in NT and it is always lovely to come home however wonderful the trip. The birds are back and wanting their little seeds and tit bits and Dougall is waiting patiently at his gate for more Discoveries. Last night on the deck a possum with a baby on its back.The garden…

We travelled some 80 kms down the Arnhem Highway enjoying the many mango orchards along the way. The reserve was remote, with a good road central road but no one else around and no signal. We were hoping to find billabongs with birds. We visited a few but most were almost dry. One in particular…

East Point Reserve is our next outing – this is the eastern most point of the Harbour mouth. Its quite pretty and it has been developed into a recreational area with Lake Alexander being a safe lake to swim in. You look out onto the coast line and after this sign every rock in the…