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Sculpting a perfect morning in Bondi

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It takes a lot to break me out of my morning coffee routine but the promise of a walk by the sea and some culture does the trick.  Making our way to the eastern suburbs from the city, the number of people sharing our journey suggested many had the same idea. I suspected we weren’t in for a quiet stroll.

Sculptures by the Sea

Whether it is the walk you have come for, or the culture, today will tick both boxes.  Sculptures by Sea ( https://sculpturebythesea.com/ ) is Australia’s largest annual outdoor exhibition. Located at Bondi Beach, in Sydney’s Eastern Suburbs, since 1997 the festival features art from both Australian and overseas artists.  This long run may be coming to an end with an ongoing wrangle between the organisers and the local council threatening to make this the last year the event is held in Bondi.

The coastal path on Bondi's Sculptures by the Sea
A walk with a view

Whichever way the dispute is settled, the festival is sure to keep it’s late spring slot in the calendar.  Straddling the months of October and November, the festival avoids the heat of the mid summer months. The event is based predominantly in Bondi and along the start of the coastal walk, but we opted to do the journey in reverse.  Starting at Coogee proved to be a masterstroke with us being able to avoid the worst of the crowds for most of the 6kms stretch of coastal pathway. This made for a more peaceful stroll and allowed us to take full advantage of the scenery as the ocean beat a constant refrain against the cliff tops.

Waverley cemetery overlooks the ocean on the Sculptures by the sea walk
Waverley cemetery overlooking the ocean

Refuelling

As the walk meanders into the various bays along the coast you come down from the cliffs, giving you the opportunity to refuel.  There are numerous food and drink options along the way, from beachside shacks dispensing cold drinks and ice lollies, to cafes offering more substantial fayre.  Bronte Beach is a perennial favourite and is home to the original outlet of Three Blue Ducks (www.threeblueducks.com). This institution has now spread to Byron Bay.

Boats on the beach along the Bondi to Coogee coastal walk

Leaving Bronte, heading north, the walk takes you back up along the cliff tops and around to Tamarama Beach.  A lot smaller than Bronte, and still some 2kms from Bondi, this is where the sculptures begin. Seemingly scattered on both the grassed area and on the beach, this is your first opportunity to see the artwork up close.  You will also notice a visible increase in selfie sticks. The number of people taking photos increases exponentially. As does the amount of times you will be asked, or should this be ordered, to move so someone can get an even better photo!

Scupltures by the Sea, Bondi to Coogee coastal walk
Tamarama beach along the coastal walk hosting the sculptures by the sea
Tamarama beach

Swimming Upstream

Extricating yourself from someone’s family album, keep walking because just around the corner is one of the main draws of the walk.  Leaving Tamarama, like a salmon swimming upstream, keep following the path and soon the crowds become hordes. Your jaunty pace will slow to a crawl.  The perfect photo becomes harder to capture. Reaching the top of the headland, and rounding the corner, you will see the waters of Bondi shimmering in the distance. Surfers dot the sea like currants in a Garibaldi biscuit.  The world famous beach stretches out ahead of you and look closely and you might get a glimpse of the distinctive blue uniforms adorned by the professional life savers. Even closer up you may even recognise some of them from the TV show “Bondi Rescue”.

Bondi beach in the distance
“Is this where the queue starts?”
I wouldn’t mess with him

Reward Time

I won’t be going for a dip in the sea today but I am happy to be rescued from the hordes.  Once again the combination of the exercise, the scenery and taking in some culture leaves me feeling refreshed, but thirsty.  With the 6kms coastal walk finished it is time to head away from the main attractions and pick up that coffee that I skipped earlier. Checking the time I think maybe I should replace the coffee with something a little stronger, and a lot colder.

Anyone got a pencil sharpener?

The best of Mosman in one day

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Is it possible to see the best of Mosman in one day? Of course it isn’t. Just like it is not possible to see the best of any great destination in one day. All you can do is try and fit as much as you can in to the short time you have to spend in a place. It is still possible to spend a perfect day in Mosman. As much as I would have loved to have spent at lot longer at The Pipe and Glass on my recent trip to England, or had even more days in the Margaret River when I was last there at Easter, life, much like the realities of work, is about ruthlessly prioritising.

The Jewel in the Crown

Often referred to as the jewel in Sydney’s crown, Mosman sits snugly within Middle Harbour, on the north shore.  An enclave of independent cafes, restaurants, and boutiques (called shops in Yorkshire), with Allan Border oval hosting summer cricket matches, it is home to a large number of expatriates.  It is not uncommon to hear French, mingling with the dulcet, northern tones of Yorkshire.  Mosman has a lot to offer, both locals, and visitors alike.  How will you spend 24 hours in this beautiful little village? What will you do to see, and experience the best of Mosman in one day?

Spend a great day in Mosman, reading at Allan Border oval.
Allan Border oval, great to place to read between innings

Rise with the sun (and the locals)

Set your alarm clock and rise early. It may feel inhumanly early, and you may think you are the only person up with the lorikeets and cockatoos chirping outside your window. Resist the snooze button. You will be surprised to see that you are in fact waking long after the early morning runners have laced up their worn sneakers and set off. And the swimmers have got their togs on and braved the temperatures of the bracing ocean.

Will you spend one day in Mosman down at beautiful Balmoral
Beautiful Balmoral Beach

If you fancy a less active start to the day, join the rest of us, just strolling along Balmoral esplanade, marvelling at the changing hues of the sky as the sun rises over Balmoral Beach. The early start, the brisk walk, and the fresh sea air may combine for you to have worked up an appetite by now. If nothing else, a dark, richly satisfying strong coffee is well overdue. As you would expect in Australia, the coffee is outstanding. Really really good. The question on my mind each day is where to pick up the first of my many daily brews. Favourites include the always excellent Cafe Mosman, and the coffee currently being brewed at The Source is amongst the best I’ve ever had.

Spend your one day in Mosman sampling the great coffee
My “usual”, a double shot latte

Breakfast

If it is breakfast you are after, then take a window seat at the Balmoral Beach House, and have one of my favourites, the baked eggs with chorizo. It smells just as delicious as it tastes. Looking out over the water, as the waves lap the shore of Middle Harbour, take a moment to breathe, and express gratitude. The proximity to such excellent beaches is just one of the myriad reasons I still call Mosman home.

Bathers Pavilion, across the road, and sunning itself in a prime beach front location, has been a Mosman institution for many years. So long in fact that is is due a face lift shortly. Another great option for breakfast. Tuck into a bowl of Brushwood’s farm oatmeal, or opt for the grilled olive toast with tomatoes, Persian fetta and baby rocket.

Let your breakfast settle with a stroll along the beach, the sea air tingling your nostrils. Hints of seaweed, and the squawk of hungry seagulls keeping you company.  Head past the Boat House, and meander through the leafy oval, stopping momentarily to watch the next generation of Australian cricketers, practising in the nets. Let’s hope they aren’t producing too many Steve Smiths.

Fill up your lungs and get your heart pumping, as the walk continues, up through the bush on a rather steep incline. Following a well-maintained pathway, often lined with bush turkeys on the ground, and the laughing Kookaburra up in the tress, you will arrive at George’s Head. One of Mosman’s best kept secrets in my opinion, Georges Head offers one of Sydney’s best panoramas. 360 degrees views across to the city, and back along all the bays and inlets, as your eye tracks out towards the Heads. Boxing Day sees this spot packed with picnicking families watching the start of the famous Sydney to Hobart boat race.

Sydney to Hobart boat race. One of the highlights of spending 24 hours in Mosman
The Boxing Day Sydney to Hobart race

If you have the energy, let’s get walking again. Not straying too far from the ocean, take in the fragrant eucalyptus trees, heading downhill on the path, to Chowder Bay. Once again you will see a couple of great food options for another day.  Ripples restaurant, a firm favourite, and East Coast Lounge, both come highly recommended.  Are you sensing a food theme in Mosman yet? There is a reason that I am regularly out walking these bush trails in Sydney.

A perfect day in Mosman must include drinks or dinner at Ripples
Enjoying drinks at Ripples of Chowder Bay

Where to Lunch

Mosman village is a short walk from Chowder Bay, (dare I mention that it is back uphill?) and if you want to delay lunch a little while longer, have a browse in the boutiques that line Military Road in Mosman.  You are sure to pick up something a little different, if your purse strings will stretch to it.  Make sure you don’t spend all your money in Lululemon, or The Upside, as Mosman village is a good place to rest your feet and enjoy a spot of lunch.

Fourth Village providore is an authentic deli, and restaurant that could have you wondering whether you have just woken up in Rome.  Italian speaking staff will help you navigate the excellent selection of cold meats and hundreds of cheeses, if you plan on having a picnic, and eating al fresco on the nearby oval.  If you wish to eat in, take a seat in the restaurant, at one of the tables out on the small plaza in front, and graze your way through a few of the menu items.

Next door is the African inspired Hunter wine bar.  Plan for a relaxing afternoon, and take a post prandial drink here, watching the world go by.

If high tea is more your thing, and you can read here about what I think are the top 10 High Teas in Sydney, head to Boronia House.  A building that deserves a visit in its own right, but the high tea served up here makes this a must visit whilst in Mosman.

A perfect day in Mosman has to include high tea at the Boronia
Boronia House, Mosman

The Albert Hotel

Mosman currently has limited hotel accommodation options, but this will change in November, with the opening of The Albert, a luxury boutique hotel right in the village.  This first boutique hotel, which will have 28 rooms, will be a perfect base for visitors wishing to explore this beautiful part of Sydney, and those looking to go further afield, up along the Northern Beaches.

Dinner Plans?

Until the Albert opens its doors, Air BnB caters for many visitors, with rooms spread across the village.  You are sure to find one close enough to the Buena, where you should head for your early evening drinks.  Standing sentry, at Mosman Junction, The Buena has under gone major renovations in the last couple of years, turning a run-down pub into an upscale bar, with an excellent menu, and an Italian style wood oven that churns out pizzas to rival those of the best pizzaiolo in Naples.  Despite the renos, the pub has somehow managed to maintain its unique character, which still results in it being the most popular haunt for locals, whether you want an early dinner with the kids, or are in desperate need of a bottle of wine, or two, and an overdue catch up with your mates.

What is a good day in Mosman without a visit to the Buena Hotel.
The Buena, cornerstone of many a Sunday session

If you want to look at other options for dinner, there are enough in Mosman to keep you occupied for many months. DC’s is a standout, and slightly more upscale than some of the others. Great for that special occasion, or a stand out date night. There are several Thai restaurants, the best of which is Thai Kanteen. Not many weeks go by without a personal visit here. Greek is catered for with a couple of good options. And if you just want to do what Justin Bieber did whilst he was staying in Mosman, keep it casual with a feast from the ever excellent Chargrill Charlie’s.

It is very easy to spend a perfect 24 hours in Mosman. See the best of Mosman in one day. But with so much to see and do, why would you limit yourself to only one day?

What are you waiting for…

The rebirth of Halifax, a true renaissance?

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It was the smells that got me first. Aromas of Beef bulgogi.  Three pan fried dumplings, £1.50.  An excellent vegan cafe next door. This doesn’t sound like the small town I left almost 8 years ago.  A town of Greggs selling flaky pasties, the remnants of which would stick to the front of your jumper all day.  The Pride of Whitby, selling fish and chips to be rightfully proud of.  But a good old chippy all the same. And pizzas from the long gone Inn-Cognito.  Pizzas that I thought were the epitomy of Italian sophistication.  Until I first visited Napoli, and the home of pizza. Needing a late night drink?  Take your pick from Denny’s, or the Acapulco night club.

In the years since I left, I have read in some quarters that it is now described as the Shoreditch of the north.  My humble home town of Halifax, West Yorkshire has come a long way. Or has it? Is this the rebirth of Halifax. A true renaissance?

The Piece Hall, Halifax
Halifax, not Milan

The Piece Hall

If indeed it is, some will point to the money invested in the Piece Hall, a majestic 18th century masterpiece, as the turning point.  First opened in 1779, to trade in pieces of cloth, hence the name, the Piece Hall had been neglected for some years, and thus, in the 1970’s it was considered for demolition.  Thankfully, this never happened, and after a £19 million restoration, completed in 2017, the Piece Hall reopened. A sympathetic restoration, the building remains much as it looked back in 1779, but much more is happening behind those stone windows.  Taking full advantage of this unique site, there is now a selection of bars, cosmopolitan restaurants, and a rather excellent book shop, The Book Corner, taking the place of the wool merchants.  Being a lover of books, and an inveterate reader, I only wish every village and town had a bookstore of this quality.  An excellently curated selection of books, with a large focus on local authors, and local history. As the star of local author, Ben Myers, continues to rise, his books take a prominent position, as do a number of books on Anne Lister, currently hitting the small screens in Sally Wainwright’s “Gentleman Jack”.  A show that I unfortunately haven’t seen on TV at home in Sydney.

The excellent Book Corner book store in Halifax
Come for a book, leave with several

Unless you haven’t left the house in the last few years, you will know that the drink to be seen with is gin.  No longer considered “mother’s ruin”, gin is now so fashionable, and dare I say trendy, that every town worth its salt now has at least one gin bar, offering a confusing number of gins.  Halifax is no exception, and is on the bandwagon with Gin Lane.  My experience whenever I try and order somebody a gin is that you are bamboozled with so much choice that you simply choose the same gin every time.  Another example of the paradox of choice. And don’t dare order Gordons. Or if you do, make sure you whisper it, for fear of upsetting the gin connoisseurs. In fact, unless your gin of choice is described as artisanal, and comes with herbs (it seems rosemary is no longer just for your lamb henry), fruits, and flowers sticking out the top, don’t embarrass yourself.  

Top Door espresso, Halifax
Halifax’s home of quality coffee

The Borough Market

Another underused, and neglected masterpiece in Halifax is the Borough Market, in the centre of town.  Over the years, butchers, haberdasheries, and cheap cafes have proliferated, with the town never really taking advantage of what is under their nose, in the way the Leeds makes tremendous use of the Corn Exchange, and the Victoria Quarter.  Further afield, look at how well London makes use of their Borough Market, with top class restaurants and coffee shops taking pride of place. Halifax Borough Market is finally trying, and has improved since my last visit, with Top Door Espresso now offering quality coffee, and giving Monmouth Coffee of London’s Borough Market a run for its money.  It has taken Halifax some years to catch up, and realise how terrible the caffeine offerings are from the bland high street chains, but the rise of quality independent coffee shops is slowly improving things. The fact that these live side by side with the “old” Halifax only adds to the quirkiness, in my opinion.

The Halifax Borough Market

The redevelopment of the Piece Hall also brought with it a brand spanking new library.  Often the centerpiece of a community, the value of libraries can not be overstated. A library is the bedrock of learning.  A space that is open to all, and available to everybody, regardless of creed, race, or wealth. The more people that we can get through library doors can only be a good thing, in this age of social media, and fake news that proliferates in the trashy daily newspapers on offer.  The old library had sat on Southgate, long before the bus station was relocated next door in 1989.

Duke of Wellington watching over the shoppers of Halifax town centre
Watching over the shoppers of Halifax town centre

The changing face of Halifax

Wandering the town centre, in the drizzle, I also noticed that Woolshops got a new statue of the Duke of Wellington.  Town centre stalwarts remain such as Pearsons fish and chip shop. Always serving up a reliable lunchtime special, with bread and butter, and a pot of tea.  Simplicity at its finest. La Luna in the Westgate Arcade seems to be going from strength to strength, with the very hospitable brothers coming a long way from the original, small cafe on Commercial Street, Café Luna.  Many of my lunchtimes from the Halifax head office, across the road, were spent sipping coffee and putting the world to rights in the cosy upstairs section of the café.

Las Vegas in Yorkshire?

The rebirth isn’t limited to Halifax town centre.  Looking slightly further afield, a small village called West Vale, less than 4 miles from Halifax, has been rechristened West Vegas.  Without the neon, and some would say the glamour, of Las Vegas, West Vale has seen the introduction of craft beer, wine bars and many restaurants offering fayre that would have been called distinctly “cosmopolitan” just a few short years earlier.  Café Thai brings the flavours of Bangkok, with a traditional restaurant on the ground floor, and the rather excellent, if somewhat different, Thai Tapas upstairs.  Cinnamon at the Mill, sister to the ever consistent Cinnamon Lounge at Ripponden, brings authentic Indian to the locals.  And Catch, located underneath the curry house does excellent, traditional fish and chips, whilst also serving up seafood of a quality not often seen in these parts.

The future

What next for the future of Halifax?  Further growth and development I hope, cementing the rebirth of the town.  More gin bars, probably. A second hand book store would be good.  And definitely, more places selling high quality espresso based coffee.  Whatever opens, I hope to see increased numbers of visitors happy to spend, and support the local businesses doing much to breath life back into this glorious little northern town.

My Korean Kitchen, Halifax

In the meantime, as I only have a short time left to explore my former home town, I am following my nose, and am off to try these exquisitely scented dumplings at the Korean stall in the Borough Market.

Some of the perils of living overseas

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As I countdown to my next trip “home”, the first in two years, I have been thinking about some of the perils of living overseas.  Now, when I say perils, fear not.  I am not intimating that living in Sydney puts me at risk of anything more dangerous that a high phone bill, but there are a number of things that you learn to adapt to when living overseas.

Keeping in touch with friends and family ‘back home’

Technology is a wonderful thing. How wonderful, most of the younger generation will not really appreciate. When I first came travelling to Australia, in June of 1994, there was no internet. Well, there was, but it wasn’t widely available, and thus not widely used. No mobile phones. No fancy little laptops and tablets to blog about your trip. Just a smattering of Internet cafes, where you could purchase a block of time, join the queue, then furiously type as fast as you could once seated so you didn’t run out of allotted minutes, mid email.

Picture of an old internet cafe
Ever used one of these?

If traditional pen and paper was more your thing, and it was, and remains mine, we had “poste restante”. Yeah, I had never heard of it either, before that first trip to Australia in 1994. A quaint little idea, that served me perfectly well. And has resulted in me having a comprehensive, written, documentary record of my trip, and a collection of letters that I treasure. Who knows, some of the words you sent me may one day end up in my magnus opus.  My memoir.  But don’t worry, I will change the names to protect the innocent.

“Poste Restante” was (maybe still is?) a service offered by the post offices. You let your friends and family know which town, or city, you were hoping to be in, at a certain time, and they could send a letter addressed to you, care of the said post office. All I had to do was, firstly make sure I was actually in that town, then take my ID and go queue up, with all the other backpackers, and collect my letters. Simple as that.  Left town before you got your letter? Then I am afraid you never got to know what important musings you were destined to read. When you think of it, this could actually change the direction of peoples lives.  Peril alert. You could have left a loved one, on the other side of the world wondering why you never returned their proclamations of love.  We will never know.

Telephoning home was possible, but not from one of those nifty little smart phones that we all now have difficulty in lifting our heads up from.  We were some years from that.  The iPhone was still 13 years away.  You had to use a public phone box, (do we still have them?), and usually through the use of a pre-paid telephone card. Due to the time difference between Australia and the UK, this usually meant that calls were made late at night, on a weekend, after one too many schooners. Drunkenly struggling in a payphone cubicle, scratching off the “PIN” code required to enter into the phone, chatting away as fast as you can before your credit ran out. Which wasn’t very long. I later found out that most of these calls I made consisted of me blathering away incoherently, with my parents just happy that I was obviously alive, in good health, and enjoying life.  Hardly in any kind of peril.

Life now for the traveller, or expat, is much easier.  I think we often forget how far we have come in terms of technology, allowing us to bridge the gap across countries, and continents. This is the changing face of travel.  There are a plethora of instant messaging apps. To the point that it is confusing at times working out which ones people have, what devices support which apps, and whether to do just audio, or video too. Skype. Facetime. Google Duo. What’s App video call. And Google Hangouts.  The paradox of choice.

That said, I probably communicated a lot more in the “old days”.  Letters and calls were done weekly. And now, I instant message a lot, but only probably speak to family and friends once every few months. Hardly makes sense does it? But I think that because the world now seems so small, I have less of a divide to cross. Less of a bridge to gap. I feel that everybody is right there, at the touch of a button.

All this is making me think that maybe I should make more of an effort. Write more letters. And definitely make more calls. Hmm, I have a new objective.

Language “difficulties”

Apart from deciphering the local lingo, and trying to understand why everything in Australia is suffixed with an “o” (Dave-o, Serv-o, Amb-o, Fire-o, please don’t ask!), I don’t have many language issues in Sydney.

Granted, the Aussies can not work out where different UK accents originate from, as a result of them not having many regional accents themselves. This always results in being asked, “right mate, I’m good at this usually. Irish or Scottish?“.  Simply that.  When I say English, I get a very disbelieving look. “Nah mate, you can’t be.  You don’t sound very English.  Not like the lads from Earl’s Court, or Fulham, where I lived for a while.” When I ask how many Irish and Scottish people they have met, I get a blank look.

Cue, me eye rolling.  Again.  Almost without exception, the question about the accent is the first thing I am asked when meeting people. Apart from the local waiter at The Bather’s Pavilion, who complimented us on our very good English, after previously observing us over lunch chatting away in French to each other.  What?  French?  Mon dieu. Two Yorkshire folk, happily chatting away, in English.

“England”, I say, which results in further blank looks.

“You don’t sound English”.  Here we go again, I thought.

“Don’t I? That is odd. I lived there for first 40 years of my life, so I kind of assumed I did”.

“No. Not English, English. You know. Like other English people.”

Yes, it gets weary. Having to explain to almost everyone you meet, that I am indeed English.

Sport (well, football), (REAL football)

In many respects, Australia is much like its colder cousin.  But, the longer you live here you start to feel some of the very marked differences in culture.  A big one that continues to impact my life is football. And this brings one of the biggest cultural differences. Football was a part of my life in the UK. Not just something I chose to do. But was intrinsically woven through the fabric of my life. From playing in the school football team, and captaining it, through to playing regularly at weekends as an adult. Both full 11 aside, and lots of weekly 5 aside games. It was an ever present.

I had hoped it would be even more. As a school child I had been put forward for trials at county level, for Yorkshire. And in the trials, I was played out of what I thought were my best positions, and I didn’t make the cut. This was hard for a 10 year old. Even more so when I saw local lads from that same weekend going on to become professional footballers, even enjoying stints in the Premier League. Oh what might have been.

And then there was following my own club. Every lover of football has their own team. Something that never changes. Through good times, and bad. And I was lucky enough to have a season ticket for my team, Manchester United. Going to my first game at the age of 7, and then continuing the tradition as I grew older, to the point when I could afford a car, and a season ticket.

Football in England is ingrained in the national culture. In much the same was it is in European, and South American countries. It is a religion. And the stadia are the churches. Here in Australia, I have to adapt to the fact that football is a minority sport. It plays second fiddle to the various codes of rugby, and even bloody cricket.  Does a more boring game exist?

I do miss the banter that comes from having a beer with mates, all supporting different teams. It can get quite serious, but then, it is football. Here, I can go through a cup final, a local derby, or even, the height of rivalry, a game against Liverpool, and yet it wouldn’t even make a blip on the radars of my colleagues. Well, there are a few from the UK, and even Europe, who do understand, but to everybody else, football might as well not exist.

The tyranny of distance

Yes, I could live somewhere a lot closer than a 24 hour flight away.  Or 17 hours should I move to Perth.  But where would the fun in that be?  I get amused that some family members still struggle with the time difference, some 7 years after I got here.  The other day I awoke to a message that asked, “how happy are you now that it is Friday?“.  OK, I was tired.  I hadn’t got through my first coffee of the day yet.  I was still rubbing sleep from my eyes.  But, I was sure that after Wednesday, comes Thursday.  Unless I had slept for over 24 hours, which would be welcome, but a first, it was not Friday until tomorrow.

One benefit of being this side of the world though is the opportunity to spend time in places like Ubud in Bali, which is only a 6 hour flight away.  Half that if I move to Perth.  And Thailand becomes a regular destination, which for those of you that have been there, is the definition of paradise.  Fancy a wine tasting trip to New Zealand?  Maybe a long weekend in Queenstown?  Only a 3 hour flight away.  And it has to be said, I do love to travel.

From peril, to positive

For every negative, there is a positive. And with Australia, these positives are massive, and many.  Enough to keep me here for what is my 7th year.  I often get asked why I moved here, alone. Making what most people see as a big step. Firstly, I didn’t, and don’t see it as big. For me, it was just choosing to live somewhere else for a bit. See how it was. Have a little adventure.  Write a new chapter. But also, one of the biggest reasons, was to enjoy a warmer climate. I am not a fan of the harsh European winters. In fact, I am forgetting how harsh they can be, not having endured one for over 6 years now.  We are currently one week away from winter, and even at 18 degrees, I am wondering whether I need a light jacket as I walk about the village.

With the weather brings an outdoor lifestyle that is hard not to enjoy. I love cafes, and cafe culture, and most of all, I love coffee. And the coffee here in Australia is amongst the best in the world. Weekends are all about finding your favourite spot, and settling in for an amazing brunch, with sublime coffee. Take a book, do some writing, or just watch the world go by, but this is something I just couldn’t do regularly enough in the UK. The weather is often too cold and unpredictable.

Perils of living overseas. To the positives.
One of life’s pleasures.

The weather also determines your wardrobe for most of the year. And outside of July, which is the coldest winter month, flip flops are de-rigeur. I like that, in Australia, there are no airs and graces when it comes to dress code for all but the most formal occasions. How I hate the stuffiness of formal events. Having to dress a certain way just to go for dinner. Well here in Australia, oftentimes you just wear what you are comfortable in. Shorts at dinner?  No problem.  Want to head out in your Stan Smiths?  Go ahead. That said, I still find it odd that will see many people in the streets with no shoes on. And not just in the beach suburbs like Manly, or Bondi Beach, but also around your local village. Don’t their feet get dirty? Are they not worried about walking in dog poo? (there is enough of it).  That is one peril I want to avoid.

For those of you that live overseas, or have in the past, what were your perils?  How did you keep in touch with friends and family? What did you miss the most?  Let me know in the comments.