OUR HOLIDAYS AROUND TASMANIA - PART I

Hello everybody,

It has been such a long time since my last post that I almost forgot that I have a blog.  Seriously, between mid-December and the whole month of January so many activities of all kinds were crammed into a relatively short time-frame that it took me some time to get back my lost equilibrium.

Luckily, 2 weeks of holidays in Tasmania that we took over the Christmas and New Year break were exactly what the doctor ordered.  Now, I am back, rested and re-charged and ready to take 2017 head on.

Neither of us had ever been to this part of Australia which is a small island in itself about 2 hours flight from Sydney and renowned for its natural beauty.  A few of our friends went there and absolutely loved it, so we decided to give it a go.

Our first stop was the city of Launceston where we arrived on Christmas Day.  I never imagined that there would be so many people travelling on that day, the airport lounge was absolutely packed with travellers.   Anyway, we landed in 37 C degree heat, picked up our rental car and headed straight to Peppers Hotel.  During the short drive, we didn’t see a single soul anywhere, the city was totally deserted and looked rather eerie in comparison with Sydney where lots of shops and cafes were open, people milling around and the beach was full of sunbathers.

It was lunch time when we checked in and the lady at reception informed us that we would not be able to find anywhere to eat including their own restaurant.  She did, however, suggest that we should take a short drive to Cataract Gorge, one of the many of Tasmania’s natural wonders.

We still had to find food so I suggested a petrol station.  There we were advised that McDonald's was open and went straight there.  I have to admit, I hadn’t been to Macca's (it is unique Australian way to refer to McDonald's) for more than 13 years but I was quite impressed by the changes.  We opted to create our own burger which turned out to be delicious.  It was served on a small wooden board with the chips placed in a small wire basket – exactly the way all the gourmet burger joints do, but for a fraction of the price.

After lunch we went to explore Cataract Gorge which I would have enjoyed much more had it not been so unusually scorching hot.

We left Launceston the next day and set our course to Strahan.  It is a very small settlement situated at the bottom of George River and it's main attraction being an array of water activities including boat cruises which we took the next day.  The day was warm, the air was cooled down by a slight gentle breeze and we spent most of the time sitting on the top deck basking under the sun, watching the world go by while sipping chilled white wine of the region. Despite the size of the place, they had a couple of good restaurants with lovely waterfront views and excellent food and we had a lovely dinner at one of them called Risby Cove.

We spent a night in Strahan and the following morning were on the road again. I really enjoyed the pace that we had set for ourselves.  Since the major attractions of Tasmania lie in its natural beauties and fresh produce, there was no reason for us to rush anywhere in particular, just drive around stopping at occasional cheese factory or a winery for a wine and cheese tasting.

A collection of cows outside Ashgrove Farm Cheese shop

For people like us, who live in big cities with all the consequences that come with it, the change of pace came initially as shock but over time we came to appreciate the lack of cars and traffic on the roads, the streets almost devoid of people, the absence of shopping centres and malls, how all the activities died down as soon as the sun disappeared over the horizon.  We enjoyed the fresh air, the green rolling hills, the mountain and the lakes and our lungs welcomed the clean, fresh and unpolluted air.   The only thing that we found quite difficult to adapt to was the lack of mobile coverage to a point that we couldn’t even follow the Google maps and had to rely on the road signs for directions.  Luckily for us, there is only one major highway that criss-crosses the island and it is almost impossible to get lost there.

Joseph Chromy Winery

The distances between the places that we planned to visit were no longer than 2 hours drive which is just about enough for me to endure and soon we arrived at our next stop – Cradle Mountain that forms the north end of the National park in the Central Highlands region of Tasmania and is one of the most popular natural areas in Tasmania.  It is quite a remote area isolated from everything including the mobile network so the only thing was left to do is explore it, which was quite ok with me except that the weather turned its back on us and sent us quite a bit of rain but despite it we were determined not to let it ruin our holiday and dampen our spirits, so after we checked in into our lodge at Peppers, we unpacked our rain ponchos, laced up our hiking boots and set off for a long walk into the woods.  After being in a car for quite some time, the walk was really enjoyable.  This kind of environment is totally different to the one can find around Sydney and we were fascinated by the flora and fauna of the forest.

Walking in the woods

Walking in the woods

The next day we continued to explore the area and following the advice of friends, we took a short drive to nearby Dove Lake and take a closer look at Cradle Mountain, its jagged contours, streaming creeks and its alpine flora.  Sadly, the rain continued and the view of the nearest mountains was partially obscure by mist.  The temperature dropped and I was relieved that the time came to say goodbye to the wilderness and return to civilisation. 

The next morning we packed our bags, got in the car and following the route which we had prudently mapped the night before with the help of the hotel staff, sped off towards Hobart where we were going to spend New Year celebrations.  But I will save this story for the next post,

Until then.....

WHAT I WORE FOR A "NUDE" EXHIBITION AT THE ART GALLERY

Hello, my dear readers and fellow bloggers,

Last week my husband and I went to the National Gallery to view the “Nude” exhibition from London’s Tate Modern museum.  I was not very keen to see it but, when we were in London, we didn’t go to the Tate but since, allegorically speaking, the mountain has come to Mohammad, I thought: "Why not?"

The day was fresh and rather windy (as you can see from the images taken outside the Gallery) but somehow I ended up wearing a double-split maxi skirt that I bought and wore in Bali, topped with a long sleeve top.

When I picked up my hand bag on the way out, I saw a bright yellow scarf that I had left there from the day before.  Not giving it too much thought, I just added a yellow bracelet that I bought on our trip to Madeira earlier this year and a pair of black and yellow earrings for a matching trifecta.

My pink thick sole sandals have the same provenance as the skirt, ie also purchased in Bali, so I thought they could keep each other company.

As I feared, I didn’t enjoy the exhibition.  I am not a prude but somehow all those nude bodies taken out of their original place in a museum and jammed packed together felt like being out of the context and rather too much of exposed flesh for one day.

Sadly, we were not allowed to take any photographs, so the closest I have come to capturing the moment was a replica of the famous “Kiss” by Auguste Rodin made out of sand and placed on display at Bondi Beach in anticipation of the upcoming exhibition.

And that, my friends, is a wrap.  I am taking a time-off from and temporarily disappearing from the bloggersphere.

Wishing you all a very Marry Christmas and a Happy New Year!!!

See you all in 2017!!!

Linking up with Elegantly Dressed and Stylish, High Altitude Style, Fashion Should be Fun, Shelbee on the Edge, Not Dead Yet Style

WIDE LEG WHITE PANTS TWO WAYS

Hi everyone,

Last week a work friend of mine and I went to attend the “2016 Designers Fair’ not far away from my home.  I like this type of events for a number of reasons.  First and foremost, it is a great opportunity to meet and learn from cutting edge designers, media gurus and the like, to hear them talking about upcoming trends in design and interior styling whether it is about colours, shapes or new materials.  It is also a great creative hub where you can find interesting ideas for your own home.  

There were plenty of stalls dedicated to fashion and all sorts of accessories so normally it is a full on affair and a place to see and be seen.  We all too familiar with the saying “Do not judge a book by its cover” and yet first impressions count as people, more often then not, perceive you by the way you are dressed way before they can form an opinion about what kind of person you are.

Knowing this only too well, I decided to put some thought into my outfit.  For quite some time I was on the hunt for a pair of white pants for the upcoming spring and summer but couldn’t find anything that I liked.   All I saw where two extremes:  skinny jeans or wide-legged pants and at the moment I am not crazy about both.  I already have the former, as for the latter, every pair I’ve tried; the legs were so exaggeratedly wide and totally unpractical to wear.   I am guessing that this trend will not be around for long and I wanted something more classic.

Then one day I stepped inside “Maison Scotch” store and the first item I saw was a pair of white wide -leg pants with thin black and a little bit wider, light blue stripes.  I loved them immediately.  Not believing it was my lucky day, I took a pair into a dressing room but even before I checked myself in the mirror, I knew that they were made for me.

The weather that day the fair was held was coolish and sunny, perfect for my new purchase.  I didn’t want to look like I was trying too hard to make an impression and since it was a day-time affair, nor did I want to look too serious but yet stylish.  So as a top, I chose a plain black button down shirt.  We all know that it is almost impossible to go wrong with black and white combo.  For fun, I chose a long string of faux pearls that went around my neck a la Chanel style. 

When deciding what to put on my feet, I had to compromise style for comfort, hence my flat sandals.

We had a great time, but true to my word (read here), I was very good and stayed away from the temptation just enjoying the creative atmosphere around us.  My friend, on the other hand, indulged herself to the fullest.

I couldn't resist the temptation to take this photo next to this cute red Vespa

Next day for a casual lunch and a stroll around the park, I wore the same pants paired with a white loose-fit top and white Converse shoes.  Very casual, very relaxed, that is a Sunday for me.

Linking up with The Pleated Poppy, Beauty 101 by Lisa, Fashionista Momma, My New Happy, The Blended Blog, Posh Classy Mom, Fine Whatever, Style Nudge