Manning Park

A few weeks ago, we spent a couple of nights in a cabin in the mountains with my dad, brother and his girlfriend. We started coming to Manning Park with my dad when we were kids; it's where I learned to snowboard and the scene of many happy memories. After not visiting for so long, it was a real treat to go back and see that not much has changed.

My dad calls it the "anti-Whistler" and he's spot on. It's not trendy or fancy in any way, but the resort has everything you need and a rustic charm that can't be ignored. More importantly, it's breathtakingly beautiful at this time of year. I felt like I was in a postcard and despite the frigid temperatures, I kept trekking back outside to take photos.

Clementine, however, was less than impressed with all the snow. We've learned on this trip that she is definitely not a winter baby. It snowed in Vancouver shortly after we arrived, and when we finally convinced her to get out of her stroller, she leaned over, touched the snow and exclaimed dramatically, "NO, NO, NO, NO." So you can imagine what she thought of Manning Park… She seemed to be getting the hang of it all by the third (and last day), but I think she was happy to get back to the milder weather of Vancouver.

away: to the central coast

Last week we spent a few days up the coast, just for fun. Theresa had generously told us that we were welcome to stay at their place while they're off globe trotting, and I had been dying to take her up on the offer. Their home is so nice, and it honestly felt like arriving at a hotel. Not to mention the fact that Mason's room is set up identically to Clementine's (with the same crib, same bumpers, same books and even the same artwork hanging), so she felt right at home! For the first night, my friend and her toddler joined us and then we had a day on our own.

The weather was terrible the first day and we didn't do much, but on day 2 we visited Jodi and Poet, then headed to Avoca to check out Like Minds. It came highly recommended and it didn't disappoint. They were even nice about our two crazy toddlers running around! If you go, please have a chai and a brownie for me. 

Before heading back home, we took a quick pitstop at Bohemian Traders HQ so I could pick up a top I haven't taken off since… We then headed to East Gosford where we stopped at the divine Piccolo Pear, grabbed coffee at Oomph and then walked over to a lovely playground. After a short walk we found ourselves at the Gosford Art Gallery, where the Japanese Gardens kept Clementine entertained for ages.

I'm already planning our next trip up. There are quite a few more places I want to visit, and if my husband comes next time, I might actually be able to sit and have lunch in peace! If you're planning a visit, this post from Jodi is great.

away: to the south coast

While my mom was here last month, we went down the South Coast for a few days. When we left Sydney we intended to stay for just one night, but we changed our minds as soon as we got there. It was just too good. I always love getting out of the city, and the South Coast really is the most magical place. The green rolling hills come right down to the ocean, and while you're swimming in the sea you can see cows grazing in a field next to you.

Some of our favourites from our short trip include:

• In Kiama, we loved the shop Deer Willow. My mom and I picked up matching Turkish beach towels that are so nice, they double as a drapey scarf.
• We stayed here, which was very kid friendly and has a beach and a pool. Score.
• In Berry, we had lunch at the famous Berry Sourdough Cafe. I know the lines there can be insane (we were there midweek and it was totally fine) but luckily there's Milkwood Bakery if you just can't wait for your pastries and coffee.
• Upon a recommendation from a friend, we checked out Harp Handmade in Berry. Beautiful Australia-made clothing and gelato, what could be better?
• Me oh my did I love the rock pool at Werri Beach. 

the art of doing nothing (in Colombia)

"What if you pulled away from this constant stimulation? Stepped out of this forward-gushing wave of modern life and did something else? What if you found your own rhythm, one that's insightful and nurturing like the lapping of waves on a sandy shore — sometimes rough, sometimes quiet, sometimes still like glass?"

- from The Way of the Happy Woman by Sara Avant Stover

While we were in Colombia, we spent a week in a small town called Villa de Leyva. Several of my family members, including my mom, have holiday homes there.  My mom's house belonged to my grandparents, and as they hadn't been in a long time it was needing some TLC. My husband and my mom spent the whole week gardening, cleaning, decorating, organising repairs and then gardening some more. Me, I took care of Clementine.

The pace was slow and the days were long. With no wifi, I found myself bored for the first time in, well, a very long time. It was so good for me. I couldn't edit photos, write blog posts, watch tv, check comments, scroll through instagram or look at Facebook (boy am I disliking facebook more and more these days!). Instead, I took photos, gave Clementine my undivided attention, ate well, watched the fire, contemplated, admired my aunt's beautiful quilts, did nothing, napped, and read books. Two whole books: Death Comes to Pemberly and Z: A Novel of Zelda Fitzgerald, both of which I loved.

It was grounding and made me hyper aware of my surroundings in a way I haven't been in a long time. I was present, because there was nowhere else to be. It's a practice I think I should embrace more often, perhaps for shorter stretches here and there and for one long stretch a year.

How do you unplug?

p.s. do you bring your iphone to dinner? and do you check your phone first thing in the morning?

adjusting

To be completely honest, I haven't been adjusting back to life in Australia very well. I'm much more homesick that I normally am when I get back to Sydney. I had such a wonderful time in Vancouver, and I guess I just wasn't ready to leave.

While we were away, I got used to having my husband home with me. My mom was also around to help whenever she wasn't at work, and between the 3 of us, taking care of a baby was made oh so much easier! I didn't have to cook any meals or do any laundry, and in the morning, someone would take Clemmie so I could sleep in (until 7 or 8 am, my new idea of a sleep in). The day after we got back to Sydney, my husband went to work. It was such a shock to spend the whole (long) day alone with Clementine and to have to cook and clean too.

The other struggle has been that we're all jet lagged, Clementine especially. She's been waking up at 3 or 4 am, ready to party. So I'm operating with an even greater level of fatigue than before, and it's making me most unproductive. The suitcases remained on the floor for a good 5 days before I could get to them, and even now, half of their contents are just strewn around the apartment.

Sorry for the whinge; I just had to get that off my chest. And it's really not so bad. It has been quite nice to sleep in my bed and see my friends here, and people (my in laws especially) have been very helpful to me as we get back in the swing of things. I'm sure I'll start to feel better as the jet lag eases, and in the meantime, I'll enjoy the beautiful summery weather that we're having.

bogota baby

We are home from our whirlwind adventure abroad. Over two months we visited two continents, 3 cities, 1 island, and 3 towns. We caught up with old friends, introduced Clementine to nearly all of her extended family, and had some precious family time while my husband didn't have to go to work. It was marvellous, but it was also exhausting. By the time we got in on Sunday I felt like hibernating for a week.

You already know all about Canada, so today I bring you Colombia. Part 1. The above photos are from our brief time spent in Bogota, which is where my family lives. On our drive home from the airport, I immediately remembered what always astounds me about this city - the traffic! So much traffic. And so many roads with no lanes at all; however many cars fit, that's how many lanes there are. Occasionally you'll even see a horse drawn cart on the freeway, quite a sight for this Canadian.

Mostly we hung out with my aunts, uncles, cousins and my 95 year old abuelo. But we also enjoyed some shopping, lunch at the Bogota Beer Company, eating my weight in areas and the views from a penthouse apartment overlooking Bogota. An absolutely massive city, it was amazing to get a bird's eye view of it.

For our last weekend in Colombia, we ventured to Choachi, a funny little town an hour from downtown Bogota. My husband said it was exactly how he imagined Colombia to be - tropical, warm and lush. We stayed at an amazing house, surrounded by coffee plants and banana trees.

One of the days we were there we went for a walk along the river. Where the white river and the black river meet there's a tiny town called La Union. It was a Sunday so most of the town was at church, and while we sat in the shade enjoying our popsicles we could hear them singing hymns. A guy rode down the main street on horseback and a stray dog followed us; it felt like a Gabriel Garcia Marquez novel and it reminded me why I love this country.