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You alone are the captain of your own vessel. Navigate with courage, a kind and good heart and with a brave spirit always…..
To Market, To Market Newcastle Style and A Milestone……
I do love a market be it a farmers, fish, craft, food and wine, flea, country, flower, produce or fair trade and two markets in Newcastle hold particular appeal for me. Both are centrally located and in this blog, I will happily fly the flag for The Olive Tree Markets and Hunt & Gather.
Both markets represent that indelible community warmth and spirit which Novocastrian’s are, it would seem, renowned for. Throw in an incredible multicultural mix of food, diverse and wonderfully talented local artists, sunshine, perfect city locations and you have the makings for an ideal market day out.
The ‘Hunt & Gather’ Markets – to ‘Hunt and Gather’ at markets is a universal love for many and these markets certainly do not disappoint. This market showcases the talents of wonderful local artist, purveyors of amazing food, local musicians and collectors with pre-loved treasures all neatly tied together under the ambient shade of the massive Pacific Park fig tree. What could be more perfect. These fabulous markets are held on the 3rd Saturday of the month in Pacific Park, Newcastle East.
‘The Olive Tree Market’ – this amazing market showcases beautiful contemporary, bespoke and one of a kind items designed and handmade by some of the regions most talented artists. With over 140 stalls including gourmet and artesian food, workshops with artists and local musicians there really is something quite wonderful for everyone. This community event is held on the first Saturday of the month and is centrally located at Newcastle’s Civic Park. This is the uniqueness of the Hunter and its people right here.
I am also going to give a shout out to the Carrington Village Markets. These delightful community based markets, although small, are a lovely way to spend a Saturday. They are held annually and the money raised helps support the Carrington Public School. I loved that the parents of students are the volunteers manning some of the stalls – in particular the beautiful cake stall and the always favored sausage sizzle. There really is a lovely vibe to these markets and I hope that it continues to grow and prosper. My greatest belief is that education and the ability to read and write are the keys to unlocking the world. Supporting this market (or any school market for that matter), and you contribute to a beautiful expression of freedom and knowledge and from there, the world can be anyone’s oyster.
I will also say the funniest, cleverest and most magical childrens’ entertainer I have ever seen charmed both children and adults alike on Saturday 13 February at these markets. Just Brilliant!
At any number of markets in the Hunter you have the perfect opportunity to support local and if you can’t find something wonderful and beautiful at any of the markets I have mentioned, then I think it might be time to stop looking ……xx
Footnote: This, believe it or not, is my 100th blog post. My first blog was posted on November 8th 2013 and it is now late February 2016. There are an awful lot of photos and memories and stories in those years and to everyone who follows my blog, who reads it, who comments on it and who supports it I truly thank you so very much. I believe that to have gratitude and to say thank you with heart felt appreciation and love turns what we have into enough.
I also believe that when we experience, discover or reflect on something in the world it is always more wonderful to share it with others and I have had the opportunity to do so on 100 occasions. So happy birthday ‘oceangirl63 blog’, I shall celebrate your moment with cake…..and a cocktail xx
The Amazing Murals & Street Art of Newcastle……
Nothing will brighten your day more than the colorful, rich and diverse street art culture of Newcastle. This art work is the lovely suture in the fabric of social and community life and best of all, it is so easily accessible to everyone by foot or by pushie.
I do love the street art around this wonderful city and I like to think of it as being more like an open air community gallery for everyone to enjoy. I also believe too, some of this sort of imagery is as important as the most expensive art which hangs in the National Gallery.
To me, street art is a visual feast which can provoke and entertain. It can be imaginative and wildly creative and it can inspire and very often, it has an immensely powerful message. It is the artists’ unheard voice bought to life on an often cold concrete canvas which demands of the world to look and to think. Street art really has become a global culture and you can find it on surfaces all over the world.
Since I started hunting out and photographing these lovely works of art, I have discovered there is a ‘Street Art Walking Tour’ right here in Newcastle. This is a guided tour and from their site, SAW (Street Art Walking), you can download your very own street art walking map.
I am yet to download the map as I am happy to wander the streets alone and discover these pieces of art for myself, but I will recommend it to those who prefer a guided tour. On walks such as these, you will gain information on the artist who created the piece, the meaning behind the artwork and how the piece came to be….which I think is pretty wonderful. This really is a great way to appreciate fine art. When we educate ourselves we then better understand, protect and care for something for we all safeguard the things we love most.
Some of these works are enormous and they are enormously beautiful and the one I have posted below is one of my favorites. It also happens to be less than a one minute walk from my home and I see it almost daily.
Some of this amazing art is found in the most obscure and neglected of areas which is sometimes inhabited by the homeless and those ‘doing it a little tough’ but I believe that everyone, no matter who they are, deserve to see something very beautiful ….. xx
Newcastle, New South Wales…..
It is the month of February and here in Newcastle it is a time of heat, of big waves, of blazing sun rises, of fragrant frangipani, long days and of pale hot skies. I have unpacked my bag, recovered from jetlag induced by an almost 26-hour trip, the little cat is settled and very happy and I have filed away four months of memories but best of all, I am home and I find no words sufficient enough to express how truly lovely that feels.
I have always had a belief with travel and that is, I try to never go back to a place I have loved or enjoyed because in going back it will never quite be the same and it will somehow disappoint. That however, cannot be said of my return to Newcastle. All of my life I have searched for a place that was home and for a feeling of belonging. There has been a consciousness for me in knowing that Newcastle is my home and it is the one place I have long wished for. Some say your home is not a place but it is people however for me, home is an existence of where I can set my roots and it is where my heart is. When you love somewhere, its beauty becomes deeply buried in your soul and you have a terrible ache when away from it which was exactly what I felt when in America. For all of the places I have lived or travelled to, and there have been many, I was homesick for the first time in my life.
My attachment to Newcastle comes from its ability to have wrapped itself around me. It has enveloped me in its charm and loveliness and this city continues to show itself many times over why I love it here. The moment I arrived back, I walked out into the summer sunshine of this old coal and steel town and I knew that this was where I was truly meant to be.
My blogs will now include quite a bit of this lovely city and for those unfamiliar with Newcastle, I will give you a little bit of run down on it. Newcastle is Australia’s second oldest city with a 200-year-old past including maritime, indigenous and convict history. It is famous for its coal and steel and it is the largest coal exporting harbor in the world. In 2011, Newcastle was named by ‘Lonely Planet’ as one of the worlds top 10 cities to visit.
I find Newcastle to be a laid back and very uber cool city but as with most places, its past suggests it hasn’t always been like this. Perhaps to say it was once a little rough around the edges would best sum it up.
This area holds to some of the most stunningly beautiful coastline and ocean swells and it can proudly boast to having some of the hottest surf spots around and these places are where I love to be. Newcastle is also bursting with museums, iconic pubs, art galleries, markets, a great live music scene, bars and incredible national parks. It has culture, cafes, festivals, ship wrecks, restaurants and beautiful and historic architecture. Sydney is almost a 2-hour drive away and the Hunter Valley – which is one of Australia’s major wine producing regions – is less than a scenic hours’ drive. It would also appear that even the local Emo’s and Goths, notoriously joyless and difficult to please, appear to be very happy here too which is about as best a recommendation as you can find. From the heathlands to the ocean shore, there is something restorative to the soul for everyone.
For me, one of the ultimate joys of Newcastle is that every single bit of it is accessible via the old foot falcon….my preferred mode of transport. Where else can such history and beauty be well and truly under foot. Newcastle is also very push bike friendly. A push bike and me, well that’s about as safe as a circus clowns’ cannon, but for those who love to cycle there are miles and miles of on and off-road pathways, tracks and trails all over Newcastle and its surrounds.
I am so incredibly fortunate to live by the port and I love the late quiet at the end of the day when I can watch the small independent fishing boats leave their shelter and head out to open sea. In the early morning dawn, I watch for their return and this routine has become one of my most joyous of pleasures. I guess in the big of the world you can find small contentment sometimes.
Newcastle, you sure know how to win a girl over……
It seems to me, among the many complications of life, there is a tenuous aching pull to be where we belong and we are all certainly worthy of belonging. Sometimes you need to let go, be and just belong…..xx
The Beautiful Manatee Of Florida USA…..
The start of a brand new year and what better way to welcome it in than by doing a road trip. And as is the way of road trips, they tend to take you somewhere wonderful and my road trip led me to the Gulf of Mexico and to the manatee of Florida.
How could I best describe these West Indian manatees other than to say they are incredibly charismatic and sweetly natured. Although large and cumbersome looking, the manatee are actually very agile and quite delicate. They weigh up to 550 kg, can grow up to almost 4 meters in length (13 feet) and they are dependent on warm waters for survival.
Being near or in or under the water is where I know I belong and it is where I feel most at home and there was nothing more enchanting than to be under the water with these beautiful and very gentle one tonne creatures. Immersed in this wonderland, I saw beautiful mothers with calves who are the perfect duplicate of their parents yet so endearing. Being inquisitive creatures, the manatee will approach you. Sometimes they will be alone, sometimes in the company of other manatee or with a calf but you cannot help but let your heart tumble with love for these incredible creatures.
I was so fortunate to be in the company of Joe, a fellow conservationist, whose work is about the protection and preservation of these lovely creatures. We were on the water at dawn, the most beautiful part of the day, and long before any of the ‘big tourist’ boats were out. The tourist boats can carry up to 50 people at any one time and that sort of trip in those conditions is definitely not for me! We were also not in the clear ‘springs’ but in the open water of the river systems where the water was, at times murky, but again it was away from the tourists. I really could not have wished for anything more wonderful than to have spent hours in the water observing and enjoying these lovely sea cows.
Mid November to March 1st is the best time to see the manatee but you need to wait until the coldest of temperatures arrive. I was constantly reading and charting weather maps in anticipation of the coldest time in Florida and very fortunately, I managed to hit the coldest day. My patience and planning was well rewarded with the company of approximately 32 manatees on the day.
The Manatee are air breathing and slow moving as their swim is serene and unhurried. Given this, they spend a lot of their time on the surface of the water, and as a result, many of the manatee very sadly show the scars of propeller encounter. I have always thought, as with any healing wound, the scar suggest the hurt is finally over and recovery has perhaps begun.
Life is short and at times fragile and our world, although beautiful, can be a tragic and harsh place however we are so lucky to have the experience of this life so don’t ever waste a moment of it especially on maliciousness and spite. I do so believe with all of my heart, that every one of us has the power to make positive changes and a difference in this world. We should all strive to care for each other and to protect all living creatures through respect, compassion and love. Always measure your worth by what you do and by your humanity and your kindness because we as humans are the only ones who can do that. The potential for acknowledging that our careful acts of empathy and gentleness truly does have the greatest of impact.
The manatee’s plight is still very much in crisis. They are endangered and don’t let anyone tell you they are not. It was such an incredible privilege and experience to swim alongside the manatee and to do something like this will make you weep with immense gratitude. I was able to dive and swim and glide and gracefully somersault in the water with these gentle and beautifully natured creatures and given this, I acknowledge that all animals are depend on our compassion, our quiet and passive observation, our respect and our great love in order to survive.
And just in case I ever momentarily forget how truly fortunate I am……. swimming with the manatee will always remind me of how wonderful life really is xx
Last Road Trip In America. Florida Part I……
In the last week before heading back to Australia, I completed my final road trip in America. Whilst driving in the big sky country that is the US, I was feeling a little sad and somewhat sentimental however I realized the great fortune I had been blessed with in all of the wonderful experiences and opportunities I have had.
On this my final road trip, I was headed to Florida. The main purpose for my road trip was to swim with the Manatee (next blog post) however as I left Warner Robins behind in the rear view mirror, I thought about the beauty of infinite possibilities which lay ahead.
The rural road stretched out in front of me taking me past freshly cut cotton fields and long abandoned pecan orchards. It was a trip of old barns, deserted gas stations, bridges, the Suwannee River, swamps, river basins, the panhandle, the ocean and of sunshine.
As I was travelling alone, I did wonder when I first came back to America, if my travel would evoke the same warmth and wonderment of the trips I have done previously. And the answer to that……well, it was a resounding YES! I don’t think any of us should ever be afraid to go it alone and where ever your journey takes you, you should truly go with all of your heart. I think too that solo travel can, to a certain extent, make you a little more courageous and the best gift you can always offer yourself is bravery in the wonderment of adventure.
My journey this time ended at the Gulf of Mexico. I watched the sea birds, marveled at the expanse of sea stretched out in front of me, swam and dived then I sat on the sand to dry myself in the pale winter sun of Florida. I drew sailing boats, hearts and sea horses and I wrote messages on the shoreline. Nostalgia is free so with the fragile sand of the gulf threatening to be difficult I built a ‘sandcastle’…….just because I could. I shaped an alligator simply because it was different and I always believe there is absolutely nothing wrong in ever being your unusual and unique self.
What a wonderful gift it is to travel and for me, there is nothing more wondrous than to find a road that ends at the ocean. I guess we all have our oceans to swim, but it will be our ability to find our beauty of courage which will enable us to do so. Running up against the sharp edges of life and the painful events, although heartbreaking at times, are worthwhile in end and to take on that big ocean and swimming the hell out of it will sustain and sooth those with gentle souls always….. xx
The Gulf of Mexico…..
The humble sandwich and other musings in Georgia….
I’m all packed, the little cat is home in Australia and all is right with the world. I have just received word too that F.B. has just picked Zoe up from the quarantine station in Melbourne, Victoria after her ten day stay and they are on their way back home to Newcastle in New South Wales. This really is wonderful news. It has been a somewhat bitter sweet journey but there has been a very happy ending and sometimes, you can’t ask for more than that. I also completed my last road trip in America just the other day but here are a few more snippets of how I spent my last couple of weeks in America.
Italian: I am happy to report that my Italian is still going very well or as I like to call it ‘learning Italian in my underwear’. I’m picking up some phrases and expressions now which I am hoping I will get to try out in Rome and Sardinia. Since picking up this little book of knowledge, I have taken a bit of an interest in languages and here is something fascinating. In Mandarin the shoe and the vagina are the same word! I’m guessing I will need to be very careful what I ask for if ever shopping for Converse in China.
Toast: Zoe’s flight left Atlanta mid morning headed to LA. Next stop was Melbourne Australia. I drove Zoe up to Atlanta which is about a 90 minute drive from where I am based…….when the traffic is good. It was a very early start and as I operate best on a full stomach, I popped a couple of pieces of sourdough in the toaster to have with a cuppa. Amazingly, while buttering it, I thought this piece resembled a map of Australia. This I believed, was a wonderful omen x.
The humble sandwich: The toast has given me a segue to the toasted sandwich I made myself for dinner the other night. I named it ‘Pear Grylls’ in honor of my camping trip. It consisted of thickly sliced pear and French Blue cheese smack bang in the middle of two slices of amply buttered sourdough then pan fried golden brown. Pretty darn good and it hit the spot nicely paired with a Pennsylvania Pinot Gris.
I read somewhere once that when travelling, and if you really want to appreciate and understand how the locals eat, then you need to head off and find their version of ‘stuff that is stuffed into any bread like stuff’! And I guess there is something to be said for jamming delicious fillings between a couple of slices of bread. Of course being an Aussie girl, I love a jaffle. I’ll give you the low down on the jaffle because you just never know when you are going to need this knowledge. A jaffle to the uninitiated is basically a toasted sandwich but not really….if that makes sense. It is usually made with any left overs or great imagination. Place buttered bread and filling on to your ‘metal compartmented precision scissor action (cuts your jaffle perfectly) jaffle iron’. And every home in Australia pretty much has a jaffle iron as it is considered un-Australian not to love a jaffle. What comes out of your jaffle iron are perfectly sealed edged triangles with a magical golden crust filled with something mouth blisteringly HOT!! They are dangerous and treacherous snack perfection. With a jaffle iron you can create culinary masterpieces and you don’t even have to know how to cook. I am so having a jaffle when I get home……and a chiko roll!
Yoder’s of Perry, Georgia: In a town, not far from where I am based, I discovered a fabulous little sandwich store called Yoder’s Sandwich Shoppe and let me just say – they really have upped the ante on the humble sandwich.
From the moment you walk in you feel at home. The staff are so warm and incredibly friendly. This really is a lovely place to eat and all of the food and sandwiches are fresh, home-made and created with much love, heart and soul. This little place gets really busy with the locals so that’s always a good sign and, it is as cheap as chips.
I had the Cajun Roast Beef with Pepper Jack cheese and Bleu cheese dressing on a French sub. The hot roast beef was melt in the mouth and a perfect match with the cheese and dressing. Served with chips and a pickle (which F.B. loves) and a fresh lemonade.
Before going home I am heading to Yoder’s for the Club Sandwich. A multi-layered creation of ham, turkey, bacon, Swiss and cheddar cheese, lettuce, tomato on Texas toast with mayo and mustard. Yoder’s really is home town goodness at its very best and luckily for me, I don’t need to travel far for a little sandwich excellence.
Mason jars and moonshine: Now, have a look at this which is also just down the road from where I live. Don’t you just love it. Somehow, I always expect to drive by and see a couple of overall-clad, bearded men sipping moon shine from Mason jars and tinkering away under the hood of this dear old car. This is what the beautiful South is all about.
A few more random photographs, all taken within a stone’s throw of where I live:
![SouthernRoute_TamaraReynolds_ST23[1]](https://oceangirl63.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/southernroute_tamarareynolds_st2311.jpg?w=640)
Not long now until jaffles, chiko rolls, Ice Break coffee and my beautiful and very wonderful Australia…..xx
Cumberland Island, Georgia USA – Part II
Random photos from my camping trip to Cumberland Island or as I like to call it, photos of ‘that was some kind of wonderful’……
Leaving the dock in St Marys early morning…..
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When in the beauty of solitude you see things with so much more clarity. The sky is far bluer, the blades of salt meadow cordgrass soft and windblown like a cowlick and you see the grace in the lonesome shoreline. You value the delicateness of catkins and the harsh discarded shells of the horseshoe crabs and in these moments, the only sound you will hear is that of the exhalation of your own breath in wonderment to it all.
The ruins on Cumberland Island, preserved by the National Parks Service, are the remains of the ‘Dungeness Mansion’. This once four story home of tabby was built in 1803. Tabby is a construction material made from crushed oyster shell, sand, water, ash and lime (the lime being made from burning oyster shells). The mansion was destroyed by fire, thought to be an arson attack, in 1959. I recently did some research on the mansion and the family who lived there and I found a few early photographs showing the grandeur and elegance of the original building. The photographs below are courtesy of ‘The National Parks Service’ and ‘The Living History of Cumberland Island’.
![1fde1f3d590c3939e1158a95c0be9b8069ce68f8b5b806aa77c27df1.jpg.1000x770_q85[1]](https://i0.wp.com/oceangirl63.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/1fde1f3d590c3939e1158a95c0be9b8069ce68f8b5b806aa77c27df1-1000x770_q851.jpg?w=293&h=226&ssl=1 "1fde1f3d590c3939e1158a95c0be9b8069ce68f8b5b806aa77c27df1.jpg.1000x770_q85[1]")
![cumberlandungeness[1]](https://i0.wp.com/oceangirl63.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/cumberlandungeness1.jpg?w=339&h=226&ssl=1 "cumberlandungeness[1]")
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And below, is a glimpse of how it remains today.
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Travel somehow changes you. It leaves an indelibly mark on your memory and on your heart. I will always follow my own path because although I do not know where it leads, I know the journey getting there will be an amazing one……xx
Cumberland Island, Georgia USA- Part I
You have to believe me when I tell you this, because as unlikely as it sounds, I am NOT a camper. My idea of ‘roughing it’ is not having a stocked mini bar in my hotel room! I should also say that I am not a camouflage wearing, multi-tool carrying or peeing out in the wilderness kind of woman either. As a rule, I also happen to like my hot bath, electricity and food that does not come freeze dried or in a can.
I have also always thought camping to be a somewhat potentially lethal and hazardous activity when placed in the wrong hands (mine) although I do have a certain level of very high regard for those who do camp. I’m just not one of them……or so I thought.
A while ago, I had been asked by a once dear friend if I would go camping with them and trust me, this person seriously camps. She really is the female version of Bear Grylls. It’s the whole: dig a hole, forage your own food and make your own shelter type of deal with her and she absolutely loves every moment of it. From the view of my well ordered world my initial reply to her camping invitation was a mix between this: ‘You do understand I’m not a camper’, ‘Yes, I can probably do under a three star rating’ and ‘You do know people used to camp but that was before hotels were invented!’ But deep down, I thought this invitation to be very wonderful and I found myself really wanting to do it. Sadly, the invitation fell silent but I continued to think very seriously about the camping trip to Cumberland Island and I realized I really, really wanted to do this.
So, all of this meant one thing and that was, Google and I were about to become the very best of friends. I mean seriously, I had absolutely no idea how to camp. Even the very basic fundamentals of what I would need were completely foreign to me although I did know a hair dryer and a full time Sherpa were out of the question.
To say the weather was bone-chillingly cold is very restrained as it’s winter here in the US, but you will never experience what it is you do not choose. I knew too this would be the only opportunity for me to do this and in my wanting there was enough for me to make the decision to go it alone. Also to camp on Cumberland Island, you are required to hike all of your own items in as you cannot take your car to the island so travelling light or as light as possible is a must. The only access to the island is via sea passage. The island supports and observes the ‘leave no trace’ principle which I respect immensely so every single thing you take on to the island you must take off again at the end of your stay including any rubbish (garbage). There is also a limit of 300 people at any one time on this southern most 56.9 square mile ‘wild’ barrier island. Very luckily for me, I went after the school break and there were around 39 people on the entire island and some of those were just day visitors. This alone for me, was absolute bliss.
Although my tent erection and camp site didn’t look much to the seasoned and experienced camper who trekked camp chairs and overly large Coleman products in, I was very impressed with my effort and that was all that truly mattered. My camp site had a serene and neat simplicity to it which was perfect for me.
![Cumberland-3-1901[1]](https://oceangirl63.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/cumberland-3-19011.jpg?w=640)
What I loved and valued the most was that I stayed sheltered under an apparatus that I actually put up. As fragile as it appeared, especially against the impressive backdrop of live oaks and palmetto, it shielded me from the entirety of the outside world. I felt very safe and content in my little structure. I am also a terrible insomniac and I manage to survive on very little sleep each night but these particular nights under the immense starry skies, I slept more fitfully and sounder than I ever have in years.
![16778570498_fa0294c109_k[1]](https://oceangirl63.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/16778570498_fa0294c109_k1.jpg?w=640)
Each day I explored a different part of the island. Everyday I literally walked for miles and miles and miles along trails, the seashore, small tracks, the occasional boardwalk and off the beaten and well worn paths. At times my walking was without intent for my mind was quiet and very clear as I was just fully appreciating the remote beauty of the island. Other times, in each step, my mind was busy. I was thinking, rationalizing and I was reflective.
I thought about life and all that it holds. I thought about being here in America and of my impending return to Australia, of the bigger and longer journey unfurling ahead of me, of challenge, of love, of uncertainty and of wisdom learnt. I thought about strength, bravery, longing, of bullshit and of the bull-shitters, of the corrosion of ones soul and of just simply being. It had all gone to pass and I was now leaving it behind on those sandy and very windswept dunes of the island.
I swam in the frigid (understatement!!!) waters of the Atlantic Ocean because it was there and I knew that I would never ever pass this way again and I would not forgive myself easily, as I my trait, had I not stripped off to my undies and jumped right in. Please note: For inexperienced ocean swimmers and those who cannot read the conditions I do not recommend doing this as this expanse of sea has strong rips and very strong undercurrents.
I saw the sun set and the sun rise, the great starry sky which was more beautiful and profound than I had ever witnessed it to be before, I saw my reflection in the eye of a wild Cumberland horse and I watched a majestic bald eagle spread its shadow over Cumberland Sound but for all of that, my best experience was what I actually gave to myself.
For others, I know this camping trip would have just been a Sunday stroll in a manicured park with cream cakes and tea but for me it was so very much more. I also peed in the middle of absolutely nowhere and so impressed was I with myself, I did a few more for good measure.
![dunes2_copy__flexslider[1]](https://oceangirl63.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/dunes2_copy__flexslider1.jpg?w=640)
Choose wisely the beautiful opportunities which will come to you in life as one day something will fill you with such wonder and gratitude you will be overjoyed with yourself that you did not pass it up. This was a profound experience and I knew too from this camping trip that everything was going to be okay. It really was all going to be okay. I have also discovered that I am far more resilient and capable and accomplished than I ever give myself credit and I think, as much as I feared camping I may have earned its respect…..and camping has certainly earned mine xx
Postscript: After leaving the island late in the afternoon and docking in St Marys around 6pm it was then an almost 4 hour drive home. Once home in the apartment, I soaked my weary body (which now consists of 75% snickers bars) in a hot bubble bath until my skin resembled that of a prune and the next night, I took myself out for the biggest steak and mashed potatoes I could find x
Georgia on my mind…..
I have just come in from sitting out on the balcony after a morning coffee and listening to my little resident mockingbird. The days are much colder and shorter now which is a pleasant replacement to the unrelenting heat and rain we have had in recent weeks. I have been here in the US for just over two and a half months now. As it is the start of the new year Zoe will be heading back to Australia soon and I will not be far behind. The second time around, and navigating life here alone, has been both joy and sorrow in that delightfully messy way that only life can be and while outside in the pale winter sun, I caught myself thinking a lot about Georgia.
I will miss the south when I leave but I will fondly remember and appreciate the rich cultural experience of living here. The wonderful and fascinating south with the sweetest of crawdads, the cotton fields, pecan orchards, the swamps, the Spanish moss, the music and its murderous ballads, the rich customs and the living on a shoe string yet generous people of this region. And there always seems to be two very strong bonds which are utterly and completely southern and those are food and family with both being dished up abundantly.
As I don’t like to leave my moments standing still I have been very productive with my time whilst here. It has been with a slower pace of life and mainly spent in the company of our dear little cat and the four walls of my apartment, but my time has been rich and I will share this over the next few blog posts.
But in the mean time, here are a few of my favorite moments so far:
Italian: I find the Italian dialect to be one of the most beautiful and seductive of languages. Each word is love and it is more alluring to my ear than French. In these quiet lovely Georgia evenings, I have been attempting to teach myself Italian. ‘Per chi’……for whom? For who am I learning this. ‘Per me ovviamente’……. for me obviously x
![italian001[1]](https://i0.wp.com/oceangirl63.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/italian0011.jpg?w=145&h=242&ssl=1 "italian001[1]")
And I have also been cooking…..
Library: I love a public library. They are my enchanted palace and I find nothing more pleasing than to be surrounded by books. When not teaching myself Italian by lamp light I am voraciously reading the books I borrow from both of my local libraries. And frankly, nothing makes our little cat happier than to curl up on my lap while I settle in for the night with a very good book.
![CentervilleLibrary[1]](https://i0.wp.com/oceangirl63.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/centervillelibrary1.jpg?w=317&h=211&ssl=1 "CentervilleLibrary[1]")
![NolaBrantleyLibrary[1]](https://i0.wp.com/oceangirl63.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/nolabrantleylibrary1.jpg?w=315&h=211&ssl=1 "NolaBrantleyLibrary[1]")
The ‘Houston County Centerville’ and ‘Nola Brantely’ Libraries
Eddie Izzard: The brutally honest, courageous, funny, beautiful and blisteringly caustic Eddie Izzard. He is one of the few comedians who can actually make me laugh….and think! He is also one of the few men who can carry off painted nails, very well applied makeup and heels and sadly for me, he looks better in a skirt than I do! It was so very fortunate that he was in American on his ‘force majeure’ 2015 world tour while I was here so I booked a ticket, travelled up to Athens and enjoyed an amazing night of comedy brilliance. And later that evening, a very good cocktail….. or three.
![04300_show_portrait_large[1]](https://i0.wp.com/oceangirl63.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/04300_show_portrait_large1.jpg?w=316&h=422&ssl=1 "04300_show_portrait_large[1]")
![cocktailDiningDestinations_bg[1]](https://i0.wp.com/oceangirl63.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/cocktaildiningdestinations_bg1.jpg?w=316&h=422&ssl=1 "cocktailDiningDestinations_bg[1]")
Please note: The Eddie Izzard promotional poster is from the ‘San Francisco Golden Gate Theatre’ website.
Athens Georgia: Athens is just over a two hour drive from where I live and the drive takes you through some of the loveliest country side. It really is a rolling green hills, dairy farms and quaint old forgotten townships road-trip if you stay off the interstate. I had travelled up to Athens to see Eddie Izzard and I decided to stay overnight which gave me the opportunity to haunt the streets and back lanes of this rather hip ‘uni’ town. Athens is home to the Georgia State University and with that comes some very good restaurants, bars, fab craft beer, juke joints (which I tend to favor) and great independent coffee houses. As with any southern town, Athens has an immense American civil war history underfoot and this town also has a great music and arts scene (it is home of R.E.M and the B-52’s), Pulitzer prize winning authors, abundant green space and some grand old buildings.
Gorgeous Vintage Athens Style: Where ever I travel, I will pretty much hunt out a great vintage store or two and Athens did not disappoint.
- The Pope on Prince – this is a wonderful and eclectic little store located above the Daily Groceries Co-Op. Head up the stairs to find a dimly lit loft chock full of fabulous and fun vintage treasures. I really loved this place and the prices were very reasonable. If I am ever in Athens again, I will certainly go back. Located 523 1/2 Prince Avenue, Athens GA.
- Dynamite Vintage – another great little store. Quirky and once again full of great handpicked items. I found a neat little vintage AC/DC concert tee in here…happy days my friends. 143 N Jackson St Athens. The bonus of Dynamite is that it is located right in the center of downtown Athens.
- I have saved the very best until last – Community. This really is beautiful. It too is perfectly located in downtown Athens and the idea of the store is centered around the concept of sustainability without sacrificing style. And who doesn’t love that. From the moment you walk in the store you are met with a wonderful array of vintage and contemporary pre-worn items, re-designed vintage apparel and lovely hand-made artesian items by local crafts people. The store demonstrates such great values as repurposing, reusing and redesign. They also offer sewing classes and workshops which enables you to refurbish your own vintage items making them uniquely yours. I was there just prior to Christmas and they had the most delightfully decorated tree but this tree was very different to all other Christmas trees. It was a ‘wishing tree’ and I adored the concept. There were tags and a marker pen in a basket under the tree. You selected a tab, wrote your wish on it then you hung your wish on the tree. There were beautiful messages from those who wished for peace, those wishing to get into college, for love, for happiness, for the safety of their loved ones, someone wished for a bigger booty! and another for good vibes. And my wish, I wished for everyone’s wish to come true. Community is truly what community spirit is all about. Find them at 119 N Jackson Street.
I know I will miss the south when I leave and I understand that the south still evokes images of slavery, rednecks and hillbillies, banjo plucking, poverty and racism and small backward towns but that is somewhat stereotyping this beautiful region. I don’t think any of us are in a position to speak lowly of that which we do not fully appreciate or understand. I guess the continually negative ones will always so easily fail to value the restrained dignity of the people who live here. They miss the beauty too in the fierce love and loyalty the people of the south hold so dear for family, god, their country and this state. I struggle with those who carelessly and continually lambaste the people and this region but I understand their criticism comes only from a place of ignorance and disillusionment of their own misplaced superiority. My understanding is that we should all be a little more purposefully mindful and kinder in how we view the world, those in it and for this beautiful broken place called the south for we ourselves are far from mirrors of perfection.
My leaving America will come very quickly now as the days are slipping by but where ever I am, I will always have a little Georgia on my mind…. xx
oceangirl - these are my stories 