back home in Luang Prabang

first day and so many things reminded me of why i love being in laos;
1. bumping into people - i met matt form free the bears at bangkok airport so had fab company for the journey
2. warm welcomes and generosity - a big welcome awaited at home and when my bike was needing repair everyone helped

3. the pace of life - we drove slowly and gracefully into town at 5 mph in that lovely tropical heat
4. great food - day 1 and i've been to my 2 favourite cafes, delicious!
5. massage - so good to experience that unique pleasure/pain laos massage
6. temples - said hello to the novices and caught up with their news
7. markets - yummy seasonal fruit in abundance, i missed the market and my favourite fruit stall
8. friends - dinner with chris and john, perfect end to a wonderful day

Australia wek 4

This is the life, feeling very spoilt having a lovely long holiday.

Drove to the Blue !ountains to visit Matty in his new home, spectacular view from his back garden!

Then on to Orange which was in full spring bloom, beautiful misty mornings and sunny days. Stayed with my beautiful friend Zippy Alex, she's now a professor of dentistry, loved ltalking about adult education with her, she's very insipiring making me realise how much I love working with educators. And Alex wants to retire at 47 to spend more time with her children, you can do both, you're family and students are all having a wonderful time with you!. And the zipper kids have made me a dedicated follower of a Taylor Swift, she's never "going out of style"!

Loved being part of the Zip family for the week and loved Orange, gorgeous countryside, yummy dinners, fabby wine yard and my favourite, the cafés.

And more birthdays, I celebrated  my 48th, lucky number so a good year ahead. Started the day with a zip family breaky and a final coffee with the girls at Byng Street Cafe, then lunch with Matty in the Mountains and more birthday cake, and to end dinner in Bondi overlooking the beach and ocean with my mates, seafood and a glass of vino collapso, a lovely day.

Last weekend in Sydney with some very special friends, so good to have time with Fi, Jenn and Adam and a last treat as the North Bondi Surf Livesavers did their drills wearing just enough!

Australia week 3

Time for a holiday within a holiday, yippee. I spent the week in the Royal National Park, where Jane and Michelle live. We had beautiful days; costal walks, cooking, chatting, knitting, reading, feeding the cockatoos from Jane's veranda and I've been running along the beach in training for the Luang Prabang half marathon. Lots of conversations about how life is so different in Australia and Laos (consumerism versus survival) and great to have time to get absorbed in a book, loving Donna Tart.
Feeling very relaxed, I'm a lucky boy.

Australia week 2

Sydney has beautiful walks, Judith and I bounced along the harbour and on it's beaches. I'm loving the Aussie fragrance, it's spring so everything is in bloom and smelling fab. They have a great life here, great to see life happening all around; surfing, yogaing, parenting.
We celebrated Marky's birthday. He was my professor at Sydney Uni when I worked here 20 years ago and became a great friend. Love his wisdom, gentleness and his interest in the world and people around him. Happy 92nd Birthday Marky!
And then to Tasmania! Great to see Ana and her beautiful family, her children are having such a happy childhood, they are fun-loving and free. So happy to re-visit Wineglass Bay which is unspoilt, beautiful and peaceful, I think they should keep it a secret.
Hobart has heaps of history, a beautiful harbour, fantastic food and now MONA, great story how the founder has donated this to this city.

I'm feeling very happy and also lucky to have so much more holiday time ahead.

Australia week 1

so good to arrive in Sydney, feeling very lucky with so much time ahead to relax and be with friends.
loved arriving to the familiar australian smell; clean, unique and comforting.

a rainy start so went to museums, usually i bomb around in 30 minutes and head to the caf, but this time i especially loved the history of aussie art, i must be growing up!

then, to southern highlands. great to see fi enjoying life and she's featured in this month's country style, her textiles are fab and based on aussie botanics, and she's also developed a wallpaper range, check out her website 4leafclover.com.au
and. great timing, it was luc's 10th birthday, happy birthday luc, my gorgeous aussie godson.
lovely to be able to walk in the spring blossom and bump into roos, very cute.
birthdaytastic, judith was celebrating 73 years, more cake! yummmm

back to sydney for a sunny weekend at bondi where the young and beautiful live, the average age is 32, i kept my clothes on!
lovely to be with Adam and his beautiful daughter, Isobel. checked out all the green areas he's created, his favourite eateries and walks.
Jenn also has a lively and beautiful family and I can't wait to housesit in bondi next weekend.

and, fortuitous timing, i gatecrashed the sydney uni class of 95 reunion, so good to see people i taught 20 years on, lots happens in 20 years, loved the volume of chatter and seeing how we've grown up, our idiosynchrosies more pronounced, there was a fabulous warm energy.