Italy was high on my list of places to visit during my time here in Europe and although I really enjoyed the experience and seeing all the sights with all the massively long history I have to say it did not stand out as the best place I have ever been and I was sadly a little disappointed. I know now that there should have been some more planning with this trip and you CANT always wing it. I really wanted to go into the country areas and see where cheese, wine and food were made – experience the fields around Tuscany and due to time constraints and travel plans we ended up staying in Rome most of the time and only got to travel down to Naples and Pompei.

The first night was wandered around to try and find a restaurant and seemed to be coming to a loss and needing to settle for a pizzeria and around the last corner back to the hotel found a place wall to wall in fairy lights – and WOW I keep saying oh my god! Oh my god was the best meal I ever had of the freshest home made pasta and Osso Buco that melted before you even got it to your mouth. It was amazing place with amazing service with the best Italian food I could have imagined. A definite night of food to be enjoyed.

Rome has amazing history and goes back with so many stories for many many many years and it was great to see the Vatican, Colosseum, Plaza de Spania, Fountain de Trevi, Old City, Naples, Pompeii and a few museums. I have to say and I hope this does not offend anyone – for a beautiful area with the most intelligent discoveries and potentially beautiful culture I found myself in a strange mix of emotions – the Vatican although amazing art completed by the one and only Michelangelo was wall to wall with tourists costing $15 euro a person fascinated by the statues that to me seemed to go on and on and on and on and on, there was gold lining the walls everywhere, then you walk outside to hear and see for yourself the poverty and financial turmoil that exists in the city and country – this seemed strange to me some how.

The Colosseum was also a conflicting building – aside from the face we got lost on the top level and seemed to cut laps wondering if we would ever get out ha ha. I had an idea I guess about this building and its history but until being there and having the privilege to see and read for myself of what these so called civilised races of beings (as they constants portray themselves to be) had found as a form of entertainment, then venue would completely fill up so that the communities and royals could sit and watch a massacre of other humans in what I feel to be the worst way possible, and they pride themselves on coming up with new and innovative ways to do this.

I lived in such an amazingly privileged time of life where history education and the access to information is at hand. It is an innovative world and the time is now I feel very luck to be apart of that and to be exactly who I am.

Off to Naples and Pompeii for a tour seemed like a great way to fill in a day and of course it PISSED DOWN rain for the first half of the day which was of no great concern to me as we were travelling on the bus and it was quite nice to sit listen to the rain and relax. Unfortunately this mean we did not get to see as much of Napels as we would have liked. Then off to Pompeii where for some reason as we finished lunch came out and the rain went away just in time for us to wander through the ruins – it was amazing to see all that has been preserved from the ashes of Vesuvius Volcano and the work that has gone into restoring the city to it’s original state. Walking through you can imagine exactly how life would have been back in 79AD and it was surprisingly more civilised than I expected. We meet great girls traveling with family from Canada and america and had a great day and lots of laughs with them – it truly made they day to have them along the trip great sense of humour. Thanks ladies. (there are more images to come I just need to get the time to do some downloading)

I was going through my images the other day and I have started to notice something about the shots that I really like to take.

LOVE – there is so much love here it is not overwhelming in any way it is truly touching. I have been so caught by seeing people in love and the display of kissing all around it catches me for a moment and I can’t help but have a minute and smile.

Last weekend Glenn and I went to Sitches just a twenty minute drive from Barcelona. I have heard a few things about Sitches but it was a place that for the first time I had really felt as though I was really in the Mediterranean. It was a beautiful place to spend the weekend it did make me a little home sick as it was on the beach and although it was not Portland it did remind me of how lucky were are to have access to the beaches and coast line. We walked about and saw all the sights along the beach, we ate lunch at this cafe where we all had something very Spanish or as my friend Enric calls it “Catalan Cuisine” Paella, Fidiua, and black rice was shared amongst us all – I had never had black rice and I have to say it was a bit weird to eat but it did taste very nice. See pictures below of my trying ha ha.

More sights after a 3 course feed where Glen discovered why I am saying I can’t help eating so much − lunch in Spain is a 3 course meal inclusive of dessert and coffees ect.. then dinner is generally a smaller meal at about 9pm. So none the less this is my trying to explain why I will come home a whole size larger and now Glenn is starting to understand.

See apartment we stayed in – it  is nice to have friends here that are generally lovely and want to show you around makes the stay so much better http://www.tripadvisor.es/VacationRentalReview-g187502-d2217413-Rafael_Llopart-Sitges_Catalonia.html#slideshow

We all went to the supermarket and obviously gathered groceries which was good fun. Then Glenn cooked up another wonderful meal of Salmon, salad and sweet potatoes (which Enric found strange as in Catalan they have them as a dessert) dinner was on the terrace at Enrics apartment overlooking the town and listening to the waves crashing while talking about anything and everything eating and drinking. It was good to talk to Enric as I knew after our chat that I had made the right decision to cut my internship short (long story but lets just say it has been a challenge and one I am happy to move on from but one that will always be remembered and treasured that I am sure will be benefit me from here on)

Back to Sitches – At about 12:30pm we ventured out to see the night life an as much as I am going to say here was that I had an amazing time out and an eye opening experience. WOW I have lived a sheltered life until now ! Good times!

The next day was enjoying the sunshine and getting a small tan on the decking, Enric made us breakfast one in which I have never tried before but have come to enjoy very much, fresh orange juice with bran cereal – Yummy and good for you. Then out late for Italian food and walking through more of the sights along the cliff this time and what a wonderful day. We ended up at this apartment building on the edge of the cliff that was white and watched the sunset over the ocean and as I said earlier – I truly knew I was in the Mediterranean then.  Pictures say it all -enjoy.

Each day here has what seems to be a different feel to it – Monday’s seem to have this crazy busy behaviour where everyone just needs to get to work, pick up their  daily food (lots and lots of Baguettes) and rush around organising for the week ahead.

Tuesday’s dont seem to have a feel to them really just another day that floats by and blends into each other day. A gap filler.

Wednesday’s the worlds starts to get motivated again and the streets are lined with people eating out, here I should actually say one thing that has stood out to me is that families not people are out and about – children run around in the squares playing soccer riding bikes running after each other, while the adults chatter about what I can only guess is life in general. It is lovely to see that all the family gets involved there doesn’t seem to be the segregation I notice at home, all activities include the children and the relationships between parent and child is something that has come to stand out to me. (More of the love)

Thursday’s are almost like a Friday but with work during the day, people are planning for the weekend and getting into the relaxed mode that I will definitely miss upon my return home to AUSSIE. It is strange but in Aus we seem to create this feeling that work is a very important part of life and a necessity to have each day “hussel and bussel” then we strive so much for time off to enjoy our time. Since I have been here there is a culture that life is to be enjoyed first and then work later – like closing down at 2pm for a long enjoyed lunch and coming back for work later, shops close from 2pm – 6pm, then eating dinner with friends and family and more enjoying of food and wine – it is custom I have come to very much enjoy and want more of when I return.

Friday’s have a certain sense of relaxation to them as everyone knows that Saturday follows. People venture out on Friday’s it has a certain liveliness to it after 9pm you can walk through the little streets of the Provence and there seems to be nothing going on then as you step into the local squares there is a hive of activity, the sound is amazing, the people are sitting in restaurants or on the ground of the square talking about their weeks and lives, children are running around playing, there is food and wine being consumed by all, music on every corner and an atmosphere that you can just sit, feel and watch.

Saturday well Saturday is to do what ever you want with – enjoy sights, cook a great meal, see friends watch the world go by, eat out, see a show..the possibilities are endless on Saturdays. Even visits to Magic Fountains!

Then there is Sunday – It is a day I enjoy for several reasons – it feels as though the world stops, everything is put on hold the streets are quite except for a random few that venture out. Relaxation is the theme on Sunday’s and everybody gets on board. I like that this is the day that inspires me the most to be artistic for some reason I really get a feeling on Sunday’s that consumes me. Another day I want to bring home with me.

A deep one for today.

I went to bed last night feeling a little lost and home sick seemed to me that the only one that answered my calls was my Mum. Then as I slept a strange dream happened that reminded me of all the moments where comments from facebook, messages from people that I least expect and phone calls have occured. You forget sometimes being so far away and feel a little alone of the people that really think of you always – I miss them.

SO, Today I started my day with a few tears not of sadness but of how you can loose yourself some days in the small things, that really in the big scheme of the world mean nothing. My changing point believe it or not was after I decided to break out of my comotisim of selfishness and venture out for a morning, I sat in a little cafe with my ¨Kafe con letche, and baguette tortilla patata¨ pondering the world and my place in it. I was watching this older lady beside me order her I assume regular daily baguettes and sit down to a coke a cola and baguette, her hands were shaking as she poured and ate and strangly in that moment I had an opfinony of sorts. Of how lucky I really am to be me and to be here and young to live life as I can and how I really was in Spain experiencing some of the most amazing experiences I have ever before in life.

I began to wonder back to my apartment and the man I see everyday playing the clarinet was sitting on his regular corner playing tunes that consume the streets with music. I stopped to absorb the sound travelling down the long road to home and the eccos caught me – ¨üno momento¨ I called to him I raced back to my apartment to gather my camera gear with inspiration. After 5 Euros I took some images that are by far not my best but made me feel great.

As I wandered down the street s following the locals participating in their regular Sunday activities I pondered a few deep things about life. How do people become who they are? What makes them, them. What experiences have they been through to create the person they have come to be today? I can tell you what has made me who I am and sculpted me as a person, but I always as I look through to people in the lens of my camera wonder ¨How do people become, them¨ This thought keeps me wanting to take many more images of people see into their eyes and keep me wondering.

I know that my passion is for people and that my skill in photography is seeing a little about a person and wanting to show that through my images. I am each day finding out more about who I am and I like it.

A little video of Catalunya so that you can share in some of the experiences I have had.

http://www.youtube.com/embed/JVV3yAX3xM8

There is only a few sights on this video I have not yet experienced.

Glenn Perkins (a good friend of mine) decided that he would come over to Spain while I was here to get away from home for a bit to have his first (7 week) holiday since he was 15 – I find this hard to believe sometimes. He has been a very successful chef for such a long time, starting out in French cuisine at a young age and working his way to running and owning his own restaurants. Now at 47 he has decided to be inspired by my leap of faith and is getting himself out from behind the hotplates and seeing another part of the world. It is truly flattering to know that he would not have been doing this if not for me.

It was nice to see Glenn just slow down for his first few days here and find himself again. I can relate to exactly where he is it reminds me of my first trip to Vanautu.

On Glenn’s first day  I managed to trek him to the highest point in Barcelona looking for the cable car to the beach and ended up walking I think every stair in the North of Spain – it was crazy but a great day and I got to see some things that I have not seen myself so that was great. We got to the top with me  claiming “it is only just up this last set of stairs” and behold I looked down and it was half was down the mountain. I totally should be a tour guide.

We have in only the week he has been here managed to try a different cuisine each night and Glenn says he is feeling bloated as well so it was a relief to me as I thought it was just me. It must be the fresh food in a way, eating a tomato will never be the same again at home unless it is home grown – the food is so fresh it has a completely different taste.

We have been doing alot of talking about life – there is alot I didn’t know about Glenn. We have also been talking about the kind of things that we both want to be doing when we get home. “Good dinners with great friends, listen to music more, play music, hang out away from the pubs, go to the beach, do more art” and many more depending on the amount of wine you have. It is good to be inspired. There is nothing against my wonderful little Portland I love it just the way it is, but we can be so far away from amazing experiences sometimes it can take a little more effort to organise great times. I look forward to coming home inspired again, and it is summer so look out good times.

Sight seeing so far – La Rambla, La Boqueria market with all the fruit you can lay your eyes on. I have become accustomed to Pineapple and Coconut fruit juice YUMMY! We went to go see Sangrada Familia but the line up was for 3 hours and “stuff that” so we will go back another day that is not a weekend to experience this sight – Park Guell was great wandering around in the sun and soaking up all the sights. The man playing the upside down WOK had the most amazing sound coming out – it was memorising.

Dinner last night was with Steve, Dani, Ryan (Steve’s friend) and Catherine (Ryan’s partner) – Ryan is also a chef and cooked up an amazing salad and I cooked Vegetable soup while we al sat around the lounge and talked about great songs of the past. It was a fantastic night I really enjoyed it. Dani has volunteered to model for me so I am looking forward to seeing what comes out of that. She is such a great person reads/understands me well we have these chats about life that I will treasure for along time to come.

I am still taking photo’s of people kissing – it is everywhere. I really like to see love.

Sorry it has been ages but my precious laptop has been having Diagnostic Analysis – so sad, I need to have a part repaired but due to the cost it will have to wait until my return home. Even Sadder that Steve Jobs has passed away. It is a definite end of an era.

Finally I have it back and can get back to communicating on a machine I understand. LOL

So last week we ventured off to Madrid for a work trip – I had no idea what I was going along for but it turned out to be an a meeting with the Princess of Litchenstein and then an awards night, in between we got to see some great sights, so all in all it was a good trip was a good trip.

It has officially been a Mother since I have left home and although there are some things I miss about it, I have come to settle in here really well and loving life. Work is not quite what I expected but hey as Jackie says “you get lemons, you make lemonade” so I am into the making lemonade at the moment – I have never really stepped out of my comfort zone this far and as sometimes I feel frustrated it is preparing me for what ever “Lemons”life might throw at me. Smelkieade ha ha.

Madrid was lovely, I did not enjoy it as much I love Barcelona but it was very pretty once we ventured up into the small villages. We also stopped at the Franco monument – hey it’s a big building built by a dictator that was secretly in line with the Germans and let them bomb certain parts of Spain for practice. I can’t say I was overly impressed but after we had lunch at a El Escorial so cute loved it so much little stone roads ect… See pics

Madrid was a six hour drive so we did get a lot of time to chat and get to know each other – I have made a new friend Estrella (she even posed for some portraits and then wanted to learn how to take one so that was great) and she is very lovely, We had a day of sight seeing and got to get to know each other and had many fun times. I like to make new friends and feel as though I am making a few during my time here so even if work does not work out as planned I have made connections and friends that I will have for life and that I feel is more important.

I was invited to attend a Catalan dinner with Friends of Estrella’s (thinking it would be a few of us and arriving to 20 people) wow do they know how to feed you, everyone made an effort to speak English and make me feel very welcome it was a great fun night. I went home feeling very very full and satisfied.

I have also started to try an improve on my English skills for a few reasons, 1 – I am not as clever as I first thought (it’s when oyu try and learn a language and people say things like “you know the way that your adjectives work” and you go “Shit I can’t remember” so I have gone back to primary school and am going through Grammer 101, this brings me to reason 2 – I want to read a book Dani and Steve have recommended “Elements of Style” that will assist me with writing styles and improve my skills in preparation for Uni. Fun Fun and more Fun you say but I am actually really enjoying it. You take for granted the things you know.

Glen has arrived and I am trying to let him get settled into life here, catch up from Jet Lag and just generally relax so there will be a Glen’s arrival post coming up very soon. For now back to work. Chao!

Sadly I have to start by saying there are no photos with this post I my prescious Laptop has had to go into be annalised as it is heating up and sounding like a jet engine and I am a little scared that it may crash. (if this happens I will have a small melt down so be ready for that)

The last week or so I have just been relaxing and reading a new book which I am getting quite into – there is a punch line I am sure of it but it will happen later in the book so I am looking forward to that. Steve and Dani reccomended it ¨Never let me go¨by Kazuo Ishiguro

A little note on Steve and Dani – I have come to really look up to them as people I like their outlook on life, they are both we smart (intellectual) people, active adventurous and to top it off really down to earth. I have many of these friends at home for sure but I think I have lucked out by having meet them. It is funny how life cna work out for you sometimes. They have made me very excited about the prospect of Uni next year and I am even thinking of taking on an Engligh litrature type subject (as it has become obvious my Engligh skills need much work ha ha) But no really they are fantastic people I enjoy my little chats with Dani each day, it´s the small things.

I have become inspored about photography again and very comfortable with what I believe my style to be and can see this growing as a passion also.

As in any extended holiday not every day is perfect I miss home, get hasseled by randoms at night sometimes (wankers) see more homeless beggers than I have ever before, miss my bed and especially my couch. Miss so many of my friends – but they are very few and far between days and I love that I am finding more of myself here each day I grow as a person.

Laurelle, cause I know you keep up to date and I love you for that it is special to see people keeping in touch. I know you are a little intimidated about your up and coming ventures but mate from personal experience you will never look back – take your dream and attach it to a star, each time you loose your way all you have to do is look up!

I am off to Madrid today and am very excited – I don´t really know what I am going for or am going to do but after one day of aprehension I went ¨Hey what are you here for?¨so bring it on – Here I come Madrid.

Gosh I can be so silly sometimes …. and I amuse myself

Matt and Niki took off today to start their next chapter in London – I am very excited for them and can´t wait to see where they end up. Meeting all of their connections and making some new friends has been fantastic  I will miss them but my budget will be greatful – to many good times. No really Mick and Sergio have been amazing taking us to all the little places they know of experiencing all the food and wine has been better than anything Lonely Planet could offer. Gotta love local knowledge. So until Niki´s Birthday in a few weeks when we´ll be partyingin London. Farewell guys it has been fantastic to experience this place with you both.

Well I better get back to doing some actual work – it is why I am here. ha

Until next time ….. Kell,

“A pre apology to grammer ans spelling mistakes – I have limited time on line to perfect these things”

So each day I get up at about 8:30-9 ish depending on how I feel. (I am loving the late starts – see people we can have a relaxed work day) then I head downstairs to the Bakery below our apartment and get what I am finding is my favourite breakfast food – A Custard Croissant ! Yum Yum

Then I walk about 15 minutes to the metro station listening to any random music on my IPod. I get to work at about 10am and work pretty hard to get all the things done needing doing, until 2pm when the office closes and my fellow work colleagues and I go down to Eric’s Cafe, which is a little local place that only the locals seem to know about and we then enjoy a 3 course feed that each day changes. Eric and his wife are made Soccer fans and  the place is riddled with photo’s of them with ever named player there seems to have ever been (massive exaggeration) but it is pretty cool. Each day we have lunch they try to teach me a little SPanish and I try to teach them a little English it is turning out to be a great venture and I enjoy the company. Lunch costs $11.90 and you do not need to eat dinner after that – however I seem to fit it in.LOL

We say our Adios’ or Hasta Mananyas and I am off again with my trusty IPod to the metro station. The walk home seems to give me more pleasure than the morning walk maybe because I get to take my time and soak up all that is around me. The little homeless lady is there in the mornings and in the afternoons I almost find it comforting to see her each day – I wonder where she is when she isn’t there.

I respect those travellers that want to see as much of a place as possible in the shortest period of time but I have come to know that I know what make me happy and I am content with that. On this note I will say that I love to travel and experience new things but I have definitely decided that I am happy to just immerse  myself in one place and feel every part of it. Each day I experience a new thing or see something I haven’t before that give me a great big smile.

The walk home has bought me many different sights and people and places, I seem to have not yet master the very large Metro station I come out of and exit in a different street each time, at first it annoyed me but I now get to see a new area each day. From the metro I walk 15 minutes to home, walking through the little street a different way day and always end up coming into the market square near my house that comes alive with energy of people having their lunches and children playing Soccor in the middle below this massive Clock tower. As you walk around the corner there is a butcher, a bar, a gelati shop, a bakery and all the smells and sounds along with my IPod just make me smile and bounce along enjoying each moment. There are people in love here everywhere you can’t help but notice it – I love it – there should be more love in the world.

Afte I drop my backpack off home I head back down to the market and grab a few things for dinner SO CHEAP and so fresh amazing a feast can be cooked for 3 on $15, the new foods I have never experienced, colours, smells and freshness is all you really need I am eating like a hose (observed by the guys at work – “you eat a lot for a girl” is a comment I hear each day) then down to the bakery again and just on the corner below the apartment is a Bodega and the wine there is approx $4 per bottle form 2007 of local produced wines that seriously S$&T all over anything I have had at home – Except Henshky Jamie!

Relaxing on the terrace after work soaking up the sun and sounds is a great way to wind down before you cook up a feast and enjoy that. I have been getting into reading photography books and watching some podcast that I have been meaning to do for so long it is crazy – thanks Ian for the copies they have been inspiring. I hope to produce some beautiful shots from the learnings and inspirations I have gained.

The apartment is a good size, it has the smallest and weirdest quirky bathroom you have to sit sideways to go to the toilet, but the kitchen lounge, terrace and my room are just perfect. I really feel at home living with Steve and Danielle (Canadians her for 18 months) they are very cool people with a great outlook on life – they are both very smart people I really enjoy just sitting and talking about the world and people, religion (yes people religion) stimulating conversation over wine and food with good people. We have no TV and I really like that – no brain numbing. (Although I do love my brain numbing as you all know – will have a dose of Sex in the city when I return for sure)

I seem to be having enough time to reflect on a few things about my life and have the time to think about who I am as a person. It has been fantastic t have that chance and there is much more time to go so watch this space….LOL Wow that was a bit deep back to the fun stuff.

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