This time last year by Amy Andrews

This time last year, I was in Frace, with my family. My extended family too - my brother and his family and my dad was there as well. 

We went for the 100th anniversary of the battle for Villers Bretonneux fought by the Australian army which just happens to fall on another very important day for Australians and NZ'ers - 25th of April or Anazac day. 

We spent 3 weeks in rural France travelling all around the old Western Front as well as Normandy and went to the dawn service at the war memorial at Villers which was very moving (also freezing and rainy..)

After that we spent 2 weeks in a tiny village in the Loire valley in a gorgeous old house where 2 sets of friends joined us over the course of that time. It was wonderful and relaxing. The weather was lovely and we drank French wine and ate French cheese in the lovely gardens and visted all the nearby markets and several of the chateaus that make the area famous.

It was the first time we'd really explored rural France and I cant recommend it highly enough! And I can't wait to go back.

So, what about you? What were you doing this time last year?

March Madness

by Bronwyn Jameson

Next March, I am off to the UK for a short visit. I am joining a sister-in-law after she finishes a freeze-her-butt-off tour to see the Northern Lights. She opines that England should be balmy by comparison. I remain unconvinced.

Despite the probability of dismal weather, I quickly put ip my hand as travelling companion. “Pick me, pick me!” Firstly, I’m an extreme Anglophile. I’ll take any visit I can justify. As for justification: I thought I’d spend the rest of my trip in London visiting my one grandchild. Oh, and her parents.

But, as happens most every time I plan a big trip, things have changed. Son, daughter-in-law and grand-daughter are in the throes of moving back to Australia. I will be visiting them in Sydney instead of London, next month instead of in six months’ time. Super-duper happy about this turn of events, don’t get me wrong, and I am in the process of changing my plans for March.

So. I now have a week on my hands and too many enticing options. I would love to settle on just one.

My priorities:

Barcelona

• I would prefer somewhere within a few hours’ travel of London. I don’t want to waste a whole day travelling to and fro. 
• Somewhere I’d feel comfortable travelling alone. 
• Somewhere I don’t need a car (I love road trips, but not solo.) 

My short list currently looks like this:

Cornwall or a similarly wild coastal county (which is probably miserably wet in March.) I picture myself curled up with a blankie and my laptop, making use of the bucolic atmosphere to outline a story or three. Drinking tea and devouring scones with clotted cream. And later, fish and chips and a half of ale down the pub.

Paris. I am drawn by the idea of wandering the city, but my imagination is filled with light and sunshine and stylish shoes. Not short bleak days and ugg boots. I do not want to break up with the City of Light over the weather; I have loved her for too long. On the other hand, I could spend many long grey days in the Louvre and Musee d’Orsay without jostling with unbearable crowds.

Nice

Cote d’Azur. The south of France is high on my bucket list but not my husband’s. So this is an opportunity BUT would I be able to do it justice? I want to visit hilltop villages and sip cocktails in Monte Carlo and stroll around ALL the seaside resorts. I would need a car, right? And more time.

Somewhere in Spain. This option is gathering impetus after strong recommendations from my sister and my son. March temperatures in Seville are double what I could expect in Cornwall or Paris. Barcelona and Nice (as an example from south of France) are halfway between. I need to research harder because right now all I’m thinking is Sunshine! Tapas!

Do you have any further additions for my list? 

Where would you choose to spend a European vacation in March?

Paris

Tassie Travels

For those of you who are my friends on Facebook, you’ll know that I’ve been traipsing around Tasmania for the last fortnight. For sheer rugged beauty, Tasmania is hard to beat. It’s one of those places that can quite literally take your breath away, but it’s also endearingly quirky, so I thought I’d share three of my favourite things about my recent holiday with you.

1. The Beach! Obviously. ;-) Down the road and around the corner from my accommodation was Bellerive Beach. Happy sighs. I spent many a happy hour ambling there. But what was even better was if you went the long way around (along the little headland), you were treated to the most spectacular views of the harbour and Mount Wellington, as well as the beach. This is a small sample of the pics I took:

The beginning of the walk

Steps! They always make me want to explore further.

Mount Wellington standing guard over the harbour

Glorious views

I fell in love with this house! Naturally it had the best views :-)

Little paths and railings led off the main walkway, which had to be explored

Bellerive Beach in the distance

My destination: Bellerive Beach

2. The headstone. Now around the other corner and down the other road from my accommodation was this lovely old church with an array of weathered headstones.

You can’t read it here (you could hardly read it there either!), but it says: Margaret died age 57 years. She was a most pious woman who has in death, as she did in life, found comfort in her redeemer. Beneath it is says: Joseph died 70 years. Long-term resident.

Long-term resident--that's the best they could say about him? Doesn’t that just make you chortle? Don't you wish you had an inside line on that story. Obviously Maggie was a bit of a favourite with the congregation, while Old Joe wasn’t so popular. ;-)

3. Tarraleah: We took a trip northwest from Hobart towards Lake St Clair in Tasmania’s Central Highlands. We were on a bit of a time schedule so we didn’t make it all the way, but we did stumble across the de-commissioned township of Tarraleah (which was once called Ticklebelly—what a great name!). It was a town built in the 1920s and 1930s as part of the hydro-electric scheme. Workers had to walk in with pack-horses as there was no road. But it became a booming township with a population of 2000 before automation made the workers’ jobs defunct.

The view from Tarraleah lookout

BUT, and this is the interesting bit, the town (the whole town!) was sold and restored, and it's now a tourist accommodation hub. There’s a grand art deco lodge, fifteen 3-4 bedroom art deco cottages (built for the engineers and architects), accommodation in the old schoolhouse, as well as cabin-style accommodation on the grounds. You can hire the entire place out! I was dreaming of the writing retreats we LoveCats could have. Happy sighs. The lodge comes with its own butler and chef. Happier sighs. Oh, dear reader, there’s a book in that. And I believe I’m the woman to write it. :-) What do you think?

Oh, and who is now dying to visit Australia's Apple Isle? Seriously, the air was constantly scented with apple blossoms (and jasmine, wattle and freesias), the breezes were crisp and clean, and the traffic slow. Nearly every person I passed on my walks said hello. I felt like I'd gone back in time.

In Praise of Coming Home...

I’ve been travelling a lot the last few months, and as much as I’ve had an incredible time seeing new places and meeting up with writer friends, I always love coming home. I guess that’s a good thing – I’m always excited to leave for a holiday and always excited to come home.

So I thought I would share with you my favourite things about coming home after a trip away:

1. Sleeping in my own bed – this is almost the biggest one. My bed was a bit of an investment, but it’s the comfiest bed going around and I love sleeping in it.

2. Not living out of a suitcase – it’s nice to be able to walk into my closet and pick out my outfit for the day without everything being rumples (I pack neatly at the start of the trip – but by the end all bets are off!)

3. Eating well – I tend to indulge on holiday with food and drink, so by the time I get home I just want a huge veggie soup!

Home Sweet Home

4. Getting back to work – I love my job, so I actually miss it when I travel! Inevitably, I will come up with a new story idea during my travels and so when I get home I take all the notes out of my phone and put them into my computer so they don’t get forgotten.

5. Seeing friends – of course!

6. Getting back in my routine – I definitely thrive from having a routine. I sleep better and wake up easier. Boring, I know! But I’m a creature of habit.

7. Not risking spoilers for Game of Thrones – when we were in Australia, I could barely use the internet for fear of spoiling myself. The night after we got back, we went to a friend’s place and had dinner while catching up. And then the internet was safe again.

What are your favourite things about returning home after a trip?

Montana Mountain High

by Bronwyn Jameson

For as long as I can remember I’ve been mad about horses. Despite being a somewhat timid and bookish child, I managed to gather enough courage to pester my parents incessantly for a pony. It took many years of pestering – okay, so my temerity may have meant I didn’t nag hard enough in the early years – but eventually my persistence was rewarded.

That first pony was named Creamy and I loved her with complete devotion. The only thing better than setting off for a long ride on my pony, was stuffing a book into the waistband of my jeans (so my Dad wouldn’t notice; he did not approve of this multi-tasking.) I would stop somewhere along the way and read while Creamy grazed or napped. The happiest of happy days.

Through my teenage years I progressed to Sooty then Jimmy and finally Cerise. My last riding horse before university. My devotion didn’t wane, but it took a sabbatical and while we still own horses they are not saddle horses. I’ve ridden my sister’s horses, driven our horses, and taken an occasional trail ride while on holidays. And as the years passed, the idea of a holiday devoted to nothing but horse-riding rose to the top of my Bucket List.

In June I did just that, at a Montana dude-ranch. My assigned horse was a dude named Woodrow and we spent a wonderful week riding mountain trails and loping across high-country pastures. It was everything my horsemad-teenage-heart could have wished for. With rustic cabin accommodation. A cowgirl hat. And pie.

Day 1: Meeting Woodrow

Day 2: on the trail

Day 3: with Emigrant Peak as a backdrop

Day 4: hay-ride with these big Belgian beauties

Day 5: the high country

Boots off, my cabin home

Pie anyone?

Do you have a "bucket list"?  Is there one thing right at the top of your list, or one thing you've longed to do/try with a backstory dating back to your childhood?

A Roman Love Affair - Annie West

I'm in love - with Rome. It started early, watching Audrey Hepburn and Gregory Peck in 'Roman Holiday' and then there were all those years when I studied the history and culture of the ancient city. But there's nothing quite like spending time there to turn an affection into love!

 

In May this year I was lucky enough to spend a week in Rome. The intention was to do some research for future books, but to take it slow, getting over jetlag ready to attend a readers' festival in Paris. But instead of taking things slow I found myself out and about from early in the morning till late in the evening, revelling in this marvellous city.

 

Here are just a couple of the things that appealed:

 

1. The view from the hotel room. How could you not love that? Added to that was that it was right next to a big park and from the balcony I could hear birdsong.

 

2. Speaking of hotels, there was the rooftop terrace and bar and the chance to watch the sun go down over the city before heading out for dinner.

 

 

3. The unexpected finds when wandering around the city, like a piece of beautifully carved marble, ignored by everyone as too mundane.

 

 

4. When they do spectacular in Rome, they really do spectacular. Here's the ceiling of a corridor in the Vatican that was just stunning.

 

 

5. The food. Sigh. This lemon and saffron risotto that was one of the best lunches I've ever had!

 

 

6. The museums. Yes, I'm a nerd but I loved them. Here's one of my favourite things - a glorious Etruscan terracotta sarcophagus built for a loving couple.

 

 

7. The sheer theatre of the place. Where else would you find a couple of Roman soldiers hanging around the street ready for photo opportunities.

 

 

8. The early evening stroll (passeggiata) and the opportunity to relax at an outdoor cafe and watch the people go by. In case you're wondering, the bright orange drink is an Aperol Spritz, something I've only had in Italy.

 

 

I'm hoping to visit Rome again sometime but meanwhile I have hundreds of photos and a huge store of happy memories. Plus I'll be revisiting the city as I write some future stories.

 

Is there a place you visited on holiday that you can't wait to return to? I'd love to hear!

 

And if you want a touch of Italian goodness, Annie has a new romance out. BOUND TO THE ITALIAN BOSS is (you guessed it) an office romance set, not in Rome but in the beautiful north of Italy. It's the 3rd book in her HOT ITALIAN NIGHTS e-novella series. For more details, visit Annie's website, or you can buy it at the usual places. Here's the link to it at Amazon.

 

Stefanie London's Top Travel Packing Tips

By the time this blog post is live I'll be on my way back from a trip to Vermont, USA. I'm heading to a writer's weekend where there's going to be plotting, brainstorming and general writerly shenanigans. Since moving to Canada, I've started travelling a lot more as Toronto is a hell of a lot more central to things than Melbourne.

So, I thought it might be fun to share some of my top travel packing tips.

Tip #1 invest in a pair of noise-cancelling headphones
Yes, they're expensive. But plane engine noise gives me a shocking headache and I seem to be a magnet for screaming children on planes. Now I simply pop on my headphones and either watch a movie, play music or use a white noise (or rain sounds) app to block out the world and keep my headache at bay.

Tip #2 less is more
Since travelling more often, I've started to get a hang of this whole 'packing light' thing (which in my case, is more packing lighter than light, but I digress). This means I try to take carry-on luggage only, for shorter trips. One area where I'm strict is shoes: they're heavy, they take up a lot of space and it's not necessary to have four pairs of shoes for a long weekend. I try to wear my heaviest shoe (usually a boot, unless I'm travelling in summer) and then pack things like sneakers, flats and heels (if I even need a pair of heels. Blasphemy, I know) in my suitcase.

Tip #3 less is more (makeup edition)
Being a makeup lover, I used to travel with makeup for all occasions: multiple lipsticks, false eyelashes, different types of eyeshadow, foundations and powders. Then all the brushes required to apply those products. The list goes on. These days I look for products that can be used for all situations (like a nude lipstick that will go with any eye look) and aim for ones that don't require a blush for application (like a cream blush instead of a powder one).

Tip #4 use a colour palette
This is one of the best things I've started doing with my wardrobe in general, but it definitely applies to travel. Stick to a colour palette for your clothing by using 1-2 neutral base shades (e.g. black and grey) and then add 1-2 accent colours (e.g. light blue and yellow). That way, each item you bring will work with every other item in your suitcase and you won't get stuck on the last day of your trip with a top and a pair of pants that don't go together.

Tip #5 always pack a durable plastic bag or two
You never know when you'll need one. They work great for containing dirty laundry or for wrapping up shoes with dirty soles. They can act as a shopping bag for food items or gifts, or as a way to keep items separate in your suitcase. Then can even be used for extra carry-on space if you need it.

Tip #6 use your socks and shoes to protect delicate items
I'm one of those people who always travels with a bottle of perfume. I can't be without a pretty scent! If I'm packing my perfume into checked baggage, I encase it in a sock for protection against breakage. Then I add the second sock over it as another layer, and stuff the whole thing inside a shoe. This works great for delicate items like an souvenirs, as well. Just remember, if you're only taking carry-on luggage your perfume will need to be in a clear bag with all your other liquids!

That's it for today. I hope you found something useful in this post. What are your best packing tips? Leave them in the comments below.

European Adventures

First off, I'd like to say that I hope you all had a fabulous start to 2016. I love being part of the Lovecats pride and reading all the comments from the people who take the time to read our posts - you are all wonderful! I wish you all the best for this year and hope that all your dreams come true xx

One of my goals for 2015 was to fit as much travel in as possible, given my husband and I moved overseas to enable us to see more of the world. So it was fitting that the very last thing we did in 2015 was to take off on a European adventure. As we don’t like to do things by halves and we fit A LOT into our three weeks of travel.

ICELAND

All I can say is that if you’ve never been to Iceland before, YOU MUST GO! It was an incredible place. We happened to be there for the Winter Solstice (aka the shortest day of the year) where the sun rose at 11:45am and set around 3pm. Sadly, the three days we were there were very cloudy so we missed out on the Northern Lights…but that’s just an excuse for us to go back.

 Highlight: Feeding bread to a beautiful Icelandic horses on the side of the road

ENGLAND

Our trip to England was actually more about seeing friends than it was about sightseeing, although we still managed to fit a few things in. Our travels took us to Buckingham Palace, Harrods, Liberty London, Museum of London, the Tower of London and the Borough Market.

Highlight: Christmas lunch with our beautiful friends and their extended families, roommates and other random guests.

GERMANY

We did two stops in Germany: Berlin and Nuremberg. Berlin was amazing; incredible food, so much history and we caught the very last two days of the Christmas Markets. Walking around the market in the winter chill, drinking hot chocolates and soaking in the atmosphere was a memory I’ll treasure forever. 

Highlight: New Years Eve party in Nuremberg where we were setting off fireworks from an apartment balcony.

AUSTRIA

We hadn’t initially planned to go to Austria, but our friends in Nuremberg suggested it and they have a car. So we drove the four hours to Vienna and it was such a treat! Although VERY cold, we got to see some of the most amazing, opulent buildings I’ve ever come across in my life. We also ate a ton of schnitzel and strudel…because Austria.

Highlight: morning tea at the Sacher Hotel where we ate the famous sacher torte and felt like royalty in the incredibly opulent dining room.

After three weeks of travel I was definitely happy to come home to my own bed, although I have photos and memories that I’ll cherish forever. It certainly made me want to do a stint in Europe…perhaps that could be a goal for a future year!

Have you been to any of these places? What’s the best holiday you’ve ever had?