Beautiful Brisbane!

Just a happy snap of our beautiful city on a sunny spring morning run. Soft colours in the sky. Sunshine beaming across the river... Ahhh!

Springing back into morning runs!

Mornings are back! 6am this morning was already full of sunshine- beautiful streams of early morning light. I have been trying to sort my exercise routine for the last couple of weeks since returning from Canada. I have a couple of regulars locked in each wk but I had been trying to use Monday as a rest day... Until I realised that in fact, I love the feeling of a Monday run! It makes me feel as though I've started the week right, and I have more hope for continuing in the right direction for the rest of the week! Here's to more morning runs (especially on a Monday!) as we continue merrily into spring! L. x

Baking for breast cancer!

Tomorrow morning, rain, hail or shine (probably rain!) I am going to a picnic brunch in the park. Why am I going to sit in a damp, cold park just so I can eat muffins and drink tea? Because a friend has organized this picnic as a breast cancer fundraiser and I know what it's like to have support around you when you're going through tough times. It can get you through bad days, it can make you laugh when you may have felt only like crying. It genuinely makes you feel as though you're not alone. That is why I have left Friday drinks early, to come home and spend the night baking! Here's to some bright sunshine or at least to making sure my biscuits don't burn and we raise lots of money!
L. x

more Van love!

So, after reviewing yesterdays post on Vancouver I decided I needed to share more vancouver 'love' images with the world... here ya go y'all:
 

views from kits beach...

post riot wall of love @ the bay store front

more wall of love...

it captured the city and the worlds attention- crazy to be amongst it

biking the sea wall!

view across to shakespeare by the sea festival... and mountains... always mountains...

heading to jericho beach

good night vancouver- thanks for being beautiful!

family time out!

I have had a 360degree life flip in the past few days. On Wednesday I was in bustling San Fransisco. On Thursday I was mid-air (yes the whole of Thursday!). I was back in Brisbane on Friday morning and spent the day washing, printing photos and catching up before packing again and setting off on a road trip on Friday night. Destination: Cunnamulla! Well close enough anyway, I have family with a property on the Warrego River and it is a super special place. Time there was spent fishing, eating, cooking (lots of cooking- I think we had 25 at meal times!), walking, talking, reading,  running (a bit) and just being. Being amongst beautiful, dear family and friends. Being away from phone reception, email and work. And not just away... really far away. There is something so wonderful about being able to completely switch off and detatch from the real world. I need to remind myself to do it- to make the effort to do the 9(ish) hours drive each year- the reward is more than worth it.

life/canada summ up!

I'm not quite sure how I managed to summarise Vancouver so succinctly... and with only 2 photos! The rest of my Canada trip has been fantastic... in fact, I'm a little unsure how exactly to summarise how great the past 3 weeks have been. I will try... With the help of brief sentences, lots of links, and a few photos!

Canada is beautiful. Beautiful scenery. Beautiful people. I have met new friends, caught up with and reconnected with wonderful old ones. This second part has been doubly important for me- not only is it always good to catch up with friends but it was a timely reminder that with real, true and dear friends, it doesn't matter how much geographical or physical time passes- when your soul sings to the same tune, your beliefs lie in the same sphere, your heart laughs at the same tricks, you can always pick up that friendship again.
Having made a life in London for 2 and a half years, itself a city with a transient population of internationals and travellers, I now have friends spread wide around the world. At times this is hard, when that one person I need urgently to share my news with or crazy dance with, or d+m with over tea is far rather than near, however the past couple of weeks have reiterated how lucky I am to have these people in my life. In fact it is no coincidence that these people are my friends- travellers, adventurers, people wanting to explore the world- these are my peeps! To keep any or all of them cooped up in one spot would make them bored and also far less interesting to talk to!
So, this has been a little deep for a Canada summary but it does make my heart sing to think about the time I have had here.
As well as the social aspect, there has also been lots of Lucy time, which is great and something I was craving. I have had some interesting and inspiring chats whilst travelling via bus (interesting random on the Toronto-Orillia Greyhound), train (to Montreal, where I sat with the travelling hobo and swapped travel and eating tips- check her travel blog!), canoe (Call of The Wild trip in Algonquin Park, Ontario was amazing- old friends and new and some amazing time on the water), bike (see pic left- awesome Canada Day/Pride weekend ride in Toronto,
car (Road trips! Hello new Rocky Mountain Bear Crew!)... and also quite a bit of down time for writing and journalling, Lucy-style!
Journalling also crept in as a way to pass time and observe life whilst simultaneously trialling every cafe in the country... Lapin presse for Grilled Cheese and coffee in Plateau Mont-Royal... Olde worlde charm with new world wholefood goodness at Olive + Gourmando in Vieux Montreal... coffee and croissant at Ezra's Pound in Toronto... Best bread (pic below) in the world from St John's... oven fresh... warm... crusty... sourdough.... Baked deliciousness for post-hike refuels at Wild Flower in Banff...
I have also managed to move my butt and run and hike (and canoe) in order to earn (some!) of the deliciusness... hilights were definitely Sulphur Mountain in Banff, Hiking part of the Sulphur Skyline from Jasper and hiking up from Lake Louise past Mirror Lake to Lake Agnes Teahouse, which was still partially iced over and wintery (according to this Subtropical gal!)... It has also opened my eyese to the possibility of hikes (previously an old people sport!) back in Oz... lots to look forwrad to in this life- all of it to be shared with friends and good people, new and old!
L. x

magical mont-royal run

Just a quickie! Loved the Mont Royal run path today- summer sunshine + beautiful trees = lovely dappled light covering the track that winds up and up the mountain until you get to the top for views of the city...
Then winding back down again and finding caffeine courtesy of Cafe Olympico... In my journal I wrote:
Vrai Italiano. Vrai Communite.
Dads with kids. Grandparents with kids.
Smoking grandfathers (not nr the kids!).
Philo. Convo's.
Barista pauses to embrace Mamma when she walks in- orders on hold despite the queue. How it should be!

Post caffeine I had a community moment of my own when I passed by one of the best patisseries I have ever seen. Staring in the window (drooling!) another girl came up and looked in too. We were both holding pieces of fruit at the time- obviously trying to be healthy- so she suggested we share something. Just like that! The patisseur (?!) was happy to oblige- cut an almond croissant neatly in half, wrapped each half up with paper and string and sent us on our way. Already delerious with community good faith, the chocolate and almond mix melted in my mouth and sent me to foodie heaven!
Thankyou Montreal!
 L. x