travel – Page 2 – St GEORGIA & Boo

“You may have the universe if I may have Italy… -Giuseppe Verdi

It’s alluring, but complicated. It’s the kind of place that can have you fuming and then purring in the space of a hundred metres, or in the course of ten minutes.

Beppa Severgnini, La Bella Figura

ZàZà Ristorante Trattoria Firenze -Piazza del mercato centrale lovely Venice..Artists Apartment, Trastvere, Roma cobble stone paths and names for remembering Luca, waiting for un caffè, NO NAME CAFE, TRASTEVERE the open door bookshop, Via della Lungaretta, 23 Trastevere 00153 Rome,Italy Ph:+39065896478

artists apartment

Of all the places we stayed while on this wonderful adventure, this was probably the one I would say we fell in love with the most. Called the Artist Apartment set in the heart of Trastevere; it was love at first sight. From the moment the door opened and we were introduced my heart knew that this place was going to be hard to leave. We were welcomed with wonderful art, hanging plants, crisp white sheets.. it was like it already knew who we were. The windows were large and when left open, we would wake to the warm air and sound of Rome beginning its day, coffee grinders and pleasant chatter, the smell of fresh croissants and pastries. Such a world away from all that I have ever known. This place, lent itself to inspiration, for writing, for dreaming, loving and being still. It was here that we found our Italy,the one we held so close in our hearts. It was here that all we ever thought it would be, Was.

Artists Apartment Trastereve, Rome https://www.airbnb.com.au/rooms/1418867?s=2k-A

Piazza dei Ciompi, flea market

one of the most wonderful things to do is to get lost in a city that you have never seen before. the most enchanting of all our discoveries so far on this journey have come purely by accident or a touch of fate. my husband and i tend to wander with no plans or intent, except to maybe eat perhaps. This little endearing market discovery, we found on the outer skirts of Florence’s city centre. Tiny stalls lined and filled with Italy’s lost treasures. There was an abundance of old preloved paintings, books, and nostalgia quite similar to that of France’s Saint-Ouen flea markets (located in the northern suburbs of Paris, and as featured in Woody Allen’s 2011 film ‘Midnight In Paris’). There was something to be found here for anyone interested in grazing through the days offerings.

You will find this delightfully alluring market in Piazza dei Ciompi, Florence.

Roma’s own, shakespeare and company’

Roma’s secret, in the quaint cobble stone lane ways of the old town Trastevere, hides this priceless little book shop that quietly sits with its door open, awaiting or not any one who happens to pass by. It has managed somehow to remain untouched and unharmed by the many wondering tourists. For any respectful lover of books, to step into this shop you are immediately filled with a profound affection for the literary authors of past times. This is truly a memorable moment. This is not a place for hasty decisions but rather deep breaths of gratitude and contemplation of all that lies upon the shelves, each book having already passed through one or many hands before, touching fellow beings and shaping lives. The shelves are filled from wall to wall and to the high ceilings, calling you to look deeply and with a sense of faith that the right book shall make its way into the palms of your hands. This truly is the authentic Shakespeare and Company of Roma. If ever in Rome, seek out this untouched wonder and treat yourself to a little slice of literary heaven.

find,

OPEN DOOR BOOK SHOP http://www.books-in-italy.com, opendoor@books-in-italy.com

Via della Lungaretta, 23 Trastevere 00153 Rome,Italy Ph:+39065896478

our parisian apartment

pictures from our parisian apartment in the Latern quarters, St Germain. A parfait’ place to stay while falling in love with Paris.

rue du cherche-midi,paris france

paris moments

“There is never any ending to Paris and the memory of each person who

has lived in it differs from that of any other. We always returned to it no matter who we were or how it was changed or with what difficulties, or ease, it could be reached. Paris was always worth it and you received return for whatever you brought to it. But this is how Paris was in the early days when we were very poor and very happy.”

― Ernest Hemingway, A Moveable Feast

walking the streets of paris, going nowhere in particular

Paris, je t’aime

artist painting by the river seineparlez-vous français?

un peu

we are friends then?

paris, I’ll see you soon

Il n’y a que deux endroits au monde où l’on puisse vivre heureux: chez soi et à Paris.

There are only two places in the world where we can live happy, at home and in Paris

HEMINGWAY

picture borrowed from glamorousmonk.com

beach moments

we headed off down the coast to Phillip Island for the easter school holidays. this is fast becoming our home away from home. We are fortunate enough to have a regular place to stay that makes it really easy to take very little with us, besides five kids packed into the car doesn’t leave very much room for too much more. So with just the necessities we make do, it’s a nice opportunity to live a little more simplified. It was a welcomed change spending our mornings on the beach, playing and forgetting our usual patterns of lunch making and school rush mornings. It was just the six of us this time, we left daddy behind to tend to the house and chickens.

summer holidays

we spent a week of the summer holidays in Phillip Island, four out of five children came with me, we left dadda home working hard over his lap top in the unusual serenity of our house. I’m not sure he quite new what to do with himself in the emptiness other than work work work. we happened to be here over a heat wave, spending days trying to stay cool, reading books, lazing around with naked toddlers and plenty of icy poles. In the afternoons we headed to the beach spending hours playing in the sand and water and eating pizza. My big girls traded internet and social networking for endless hours of wandering through vintage and second hand shops. The children had a really good time, our Boo discovered a few more words… pizza, moon, beach, georgie managed to empty every cupboard and draw in the home we were staying in and my girls, well, i really think they appreciated the isolation from the demands of their teenage lives.. it was nice just being away, not worrying about routines, home work and bed times, pausing long enough to see the sun setting, watching the lightning in the thunderstorm, getting our hands dirty in the sand, even washing the dishes in a new sink had a sense of grace about it. Life on the whole slowed right down for an entire week. there was a sadness in packing up and heading home. Not because home isn’t wonderful and daddy is there of course.. but home means getting ready again for another busy year, early mornings and school lunches, long days and tired grumpy children,loads of washing, washing and more washing. If only i could find a sense of grace in those chores. We have decided to come again for the easter holidays.

one night

my husband and i were married on new years eve two years ago. following our wedding night we spent the next two nights at the CROWN METROPOL. we had such a good time hanging out in the city, eating, drinking coffee and simply taking the time to enjoy our moment of togetherness without the children, that we thought we should do it again. we moved our anniversary night forward into November so we can spend new years eve with our tribe. Again, we had such a great time i think this could become a welcomed tradition of ours.

we stayed at CROWN METROPOL we ate at ROSTETTAS RISTRORANTE desert was insisted by our lovely italian waiter TORTA VERONA simply a trifle of mascarpone,lemon sponge liquor,blueberry and sugar-coated almonds this i must highly recommend tapas at YOUNG & JACKSON best coffee from DEGRAVES ESPRESSO shopped at CAMPBELL ARCADE

smart alec hatters

SMART ALEC HATTERS, 235 gertrude street fitzory melbourne

down on the farm

It was the most beautiful day in Melbourne yesterday, for the middle of winter. We decided to pack up the children and head off to the Collingwood Children’s Farm for the morning. Once a month they hold a farmers market and sell everything from organically grown fruit and vegetables to wild flowers, home-made chai tea, giant hash browns, eggs, free range meat, sourdough bread even beer. This is a fabulous market to go to especially with the kids and the dog if you have one, there’s so much room for them to run. The farm itself grows all its own produce and the animals are hands on with the kids. They can watch a cow being milked at 10 am, pat sheep which are incredibly friendly, walk amongst the ducks, talk to the chickens, feed the goats and I’m sure much more. We had a really, good, stress free time here, which is a rare thing when travelling with toddlers and babies with an added bonus of a great coffee. If you live in Melbourne and have kids, pack up the gum boots, a change of clothes just in case and head there one weekend.. it really is a fun day out.

these hands

these hands… I imagine they hold so many stories, have had a life time of use, held tools, held food, held hope. I imagine they are the heart and soul of this man’s adventures, the man with the divine hands.