Un bouchon monstre

We arrived at 6.00am and glided through Charles De Gaulle airport straight into a taxi... too easy!!! We shot out of the airport into un bouchon monstre - a traffic jam for 14 km. As we crawled past trucks, cars and vans we noticed a couple of things.  Most cars had their windows open and arms were dangling out... often holding a cigarette! so no air con.  Or if they had, typically the French don't use it.  There were hardly any electric cars and the temperature was gradually getting hotter!

By the time we got to our hotel (with no air con!) the temperature had risen to 35 degrees .  We headed for the nearest bar for coffee only to find that it didn't have air con either.  The plan had been to check out the train trip for the next day and then to walk the viaduct greenway before visiting some of the artisan workshops around the Gare de Lyon.  

The temperature rose to 44 degrees and the heat defeated us!

Checking the internet. for somewhere cool .. museums, cruises, libraries admitted defeat too and shut their doors

We finally found a bar with shade and had lunch Formule of course! With that we headed back not ot our hotel but to the Novatel who did have air con and had rashly set it at I'm sure 30 degrees! A couple of hours reading before heading back to the hotel to sleep under a limp fan before heading out for dinner... not quite the experience we expected but... Hey it was so  good to be back in France with all its quirkiness!

Trausse-Minervois tomorrow!  

Oh yes and the Parisiens totally ignored the ban on drinking alcohol!

Champagne and Clouds - Sydney to Ho Chi Min City🥂

A farewell from the team and it was time for our 2026 adventure to begin!

It was a wet, miserable morning in Sydney, but we had a secret weapon: the business lounge.

Recharged by the business lounge breakfast, we boarded our Vietnam Airlines flight for stage one of our trip to Carcassonne. I was a bit nervous remembering my last trip home from Vietnam. The remedy? A couple of glasses of champagne and a fully flat bed.

An eight-hour flight later, we touched down in a warm and humid Ho Chi Min City. Instead of braving the weather, we spent our four-hour layover treating the business lounge like a luxury pit stop - showering, grazing, and snagging some last-minute gifts.

Then, it was time for the final 11-hour stretch. Our itinerary for the rest of the flight? Eat, sleep, repeat. And honestly? It was a pretty good way to spend the day!

 

Woo Hoo! Time to travel again.

I think this is the longest blog entry I have ever made!!! I usually do a quick post everyday while I am travelling but so much happened in May and June I thought I should use my time on the plane from Sydney to HCMC  to blog the Crazy month of May!

I'm sure the universal law of the Universe is, that right before I start to pack a bag, life decides to turn the tempo up to a ridiculous level. This year May and June didn't just feel busy they stormed through like a symphonic hurricane!  It was a glorious whirlwind of community art and connection.

The Blockbuster was the Poulenc and Duruffle performance at the Opera House. Five stars!!!! Here is a quick run through of some of the events.  I didn't get a chance to do collages for all the festivals Manly Writers, Sydney Writers, Rise and more... but you get the idea it was an amazing two months!

May! 

The first day of the month was Open Mic. We never know what to expect.  It started as usual with the tone deaf singer with his untuned guitar but unfolded into a spectacular night of storytelling and music. Great to see Laurie, Vivien, Helen, Bea, Roger, Patricia and Carol there… dinner at the Ivanhoe later.

Next day we were off to Raymond Terrace for the day…. Freaked out by car on fire on motorway which exploded just after we passed.  

 First time I had seen the new archway at Kangaroo House - very impressive.  

Lunch at the Terrace restaurant and then armed with a box full of cumquats home to make marmalade! We returned again in June and picked 6kg just from the lower branches! That is one hell of a cumquat tree!

Roger started back at sketching YaY!  

I was busy with rehearsals Duruflé tricky but gorgeous – Poulenc pure joy! As for Vine!!!!

Rehearsals moved from the Inner City to Ascham and then to the House.  It is always so goosebumpy when we get to the Opera House.  It sounds so different to anywhere else.  It’s like you are the only person singing even though you are surrounded by people and of course when you get the audience in there, its different again… just LOVE it!

Wendy flew down from Brisbane and so we had a great party for the concert - Astley, Rosie, Anne and of course Roger.  It really was one of the best concerts ever- especially as we got 5 star reviews from the critics... always a relief. 

The post-concert adrenaline hadn't even faded by the time we hit the Everleigh Pub the next day. We caught up with Phil, a friend of ours since our 1976 (Wollongong Uni days) and Sue and Uti, who became part of the Gong crowd too. Wendy, became my partner-in-crime when we went back to uni in 2000 We've had a few adventures since then meeting up in London and around Oz. Crazily by chance Wendy met up with Phil on the Gold Coast and found out that he knew us!  Wendy introduced us toYanni and Lorraine and so we became a group of Jazz fans!

The Eveleigh is a great venue and the band especially Kate was fab.  Lots of storytelling and funky jazz beats.

So we are halfway through May at this point and I am starting to panic that we have a two month trip coming up.... Eek! NO time to panic because we had a U3A workshop coming up... Great to have so many BeanZ writers there and co-presenting with Laurie was terrific. Some great reviews too. 

Time to head off to Concord to film Lynne Vertannes who was the winner of our Society of Women Wrtiers Prize.  A great way to spend a Saturday morning!

Reconciliation Week brought a great opportunity to join Sydney Dance Company to sing Midnight Oil's Beds Are Burning.  

Peter Garrett talked about composing the song ...   "I always felt that this song was like an 'executive summary' of the injustices perpetrated on the First Peoples of this continent. But it is more than that, it is a call for action. It belongs to them, let's give it back! The song is a call for all Australians to be all in for truth, land rights and reconciliation. I encourage all choirs to sing it with power and passion for change."

Finally May drew to an end with Northern Beaches Volunteer Awards.  Bravo! to Judy Elias and HUGE thanks to her for stepping in to cover me while I take a break!

Happy New Year!

 

Happy travel Christmas from Julie & Roger

 Happy Christmas and we hope you all have wonderful travel adventures in 2025

These boots (sandals) are made for walking

Did I say three days and then I'll be fit?  I find that my only respite from the pain is walking (assisted by very strong painkillers).  So walking is what we do.  There is always something to see in the bustling streets but there are always oases of charm and peace.  Snuggled into a corner of the Medina is one such place - the Legation of the United States of America - a little pocket of history!

 

1777 Under Sultan Moulay Mohammed III, Morocco is the first country to recognize the fledgling republic of the United States during the American War of Independence. 

1786 The Moroccan-American Treaty of Peace and Friendship, still in force today, is signed, commencing America’s longest unbroken international relationship. 

1839 The U.S. consul reluctantly accepts a lavish gift of a live lion and lioness for President Martin van Buren from the imperial court of Sultan Abd al-Rahman.  MMM... wondered how they coped with that!

The legation is located in a beautiful 5 storey mansion that houses some fabulous artworks, photos and a cultural educational centre. Weird seeing all those American Presidents.  I especailly loved the painting of the sevant girl by James McBey

The legation has played a key educational role in providing literacy programs for women from the old city of Tangier as well as training diplomats in Moroccan language and culture.

I decided to take a break and leave Roger reading the plaques he loves so much. Just around the corner is a myriad of tiny streets where kids fly around the corners chasing balls, riding bikes and playing hide and seek. I found a small street stall selling vgetarian food and decided to chill watching women and family groups come and go shopping, chattering and enjoying the same delicious street food I was eating. 

It was the best of times it was the worst of times!

One of the things we love doing is exploring the back streets especially when the disgorged cruise ship passengers flooded through the Medina.  On one of these trips Roger ducked into a little barber shop!  What fun!  There has never been a haircut like it...it included trimming of nose & chest hair, ear cleaning and a facial. 

All with laughter and banter.  Younes was an expert.

I stood and watched. 'Sit' he said 'No I'm fine' I said, I'll stand.' 'Why?' he asked.  Eventually I said that I had hurt my back.  'Massage 'he said.  'Oh No!' I squeaked, the very thought bringing tears to my eyes.  There followed an intense discussion.  'You need cupping' he said, 'not massage. ' 

Mmm, I've had cupping before, maybe it would help with the pain.

A runner was dispatched immediately.

Now in Tanger, if you pause for a minute (as we had found out when we arrived in the Kasbah), there will be someone ready to help or direct you.  'Kasbah?' 'Medina?' they call out.  This time a scrawny man who set off at the speed of light, led us through the tiny crowded streets.  Impossible for me to do anything more than a slow walk.

Eventually I caught up with them at a tiny barbers shop.  A man emerged and looked at me shaking his head.  'No woman' he said.  'Come back in two days.' 

The runner held out his hand for his tip and then disappeared into the crowd.  We wove our way slowly back to our haven 'La Maison Blanche'. When we told Aziz of our experience he said. 'I know a great person (of course he did), she will do cupping for you. 

Next morning Aziz had organised a taxi for us.  Slowly, slowly I said, yelping out with pain every time we hit a cobblestone.  Over the next hour we drove around eventually landing up at a clinic in the middle of town somewhere.

Yes they could do it in fifteen minutes.  I spent the time walking trying to ease the pain.  I was ushered into the cubicle where the doctor said 'hop on the couch.' Hah!  As if?  

I finally managed to lie face down on the couch and he attached the cups.  Then came the point where I had to get down but I could not move.  The pain was excruciating.  What had I been thinking?

Four people lifted me off the table and somehow I stumbled back into the waiting room.  Roger's face turned white when he saw me!

We walked back to La Maison - walking was (and still is) the only way to ease the pain.

By midnight that night I could not move and my back was constantly spasming. Arghhh! Roger and Nushka somehow got me out of bed and down to Aziz's car and we were off to the hospital!

Three hours later Aziz, drove us back.  I was floating with all the drugs they had pumped into me!

Its only on the way. home that we found out it was Aziz's birthday and he had left the celebration to take me to hospital.

Seven O'clock next morning after 3hrs sleep, he and Nushka were serving us breakfast.  What amazingly kind generous people.

We cancelled Riad in Fes, postponed our train trip and booked another three nights at La Maison Blanche.  I was going to be fine to travel in 3 days time, wasn't I?

Nuska, Aziz and Roger - what would I have done without them?