First of all, I have to say, when I go on vacation I don't usually feel like bringing my "good" camera along (ie: my Canon DSLR). Sure, I love the look and quality of those images so much more than my point and shoot images but there are many reasons why I prefer to leave it at home. For one, it's heavy. It takes up a lot of room and it's bulky. For two, I have to go back and edit all the pictures I take because my camera isn't spot on with colour balance SOOC. For three, I find that it disconnects me too much from the people I'm with when I'm immersed in taking pictures. Yes, I love taking pictures and finding new ways to be creative, but it takes a lot of mental space and that tends to mean that I have to block out other things that are going on around me. On one hand I feel like I can take in so much more of my surroundings by photographing them, but on the other hand I feel like I'm missing out. I just want to be in the moment, in the location, in the experience. So, that's probably the main reason why my camera tends to stay in my purse or back in my room during my travels. And, I also prefer taking pictures of people, not just places and things, although there are times when I thoroughly enjoy taking pictures of my surroundings (like in Tofino).
All that being said, I did take a few pictures here and there. The following were taken in Heidi's house and on our lunch date at The Austral in downtown Adelaide. I'll commentate as we go long!
First I want to say that I love Adelaide. It was probably my favourite part of our first visit to Australia in 2008. I love that when I visit there, I get to live with Australian families and love in a more suburban area, away from all the tourists and busyness. I love being immersed in their culture and community and experience their everyday. I love that, only a few days into my trip, I already pick up on their sayings and their different words. I would love to go back there for a bit of an extended trip one of these days!
The "thing" in Australia is to drink tea. At least I think it is. I was shocked when one of the girls I met there said she didn't drink tea. Is that even possible?! I thought Australian's were born with the love for tea! Anyway, I love tea. So I was thrilled to have ten days of tea, multiple times a day! Heidi had such an amazing array of tea selections, including delicious loose leaf tea from a Melbourne tea company called T2. I might need to look into seeing if they ship to Canada! And this lovely orchid plant sits on the windowsill above her sink, overlooking the trees and the beach in the distance.
This is the view from her kitchen and living room. It was cloudy and rainy this day so you can't really see the beach, but it's right in the nook of the trees in the horizon.
Heidi's house was so her. I walked in and felt like I was walking into her soul. All the small details and hand crafted items just screamed "Heidi". =) And her husband, Joel, is such a fabulous guy! I'm thrilled they found each other and got married. Love them both. Joel sums up who an Australian is to me. He's got long dreads, goes surfing every weekend, sometimes more often, when you get in his car the radio is sure to be playing the reggae station, and he's got didgeridoo's in the corner of the room. And the way they both speak, so classic! We had a good time making fun of each other's vocab's and terminology for different words. I could write a blog post on just that! haha. Maybe I will!
I spent much of my time on this couch, overlooking the view, drinking my tea, catching up on facebook, and chatting with Heidi. And trying to escape the millipedes!
On Monday, Heidi took me downtown to have lunch at The Austral and then to walk and shop along the streets. My husband and I visited this same restaurant and streets when we came out in 2008 for Heidi and Joel's wedding so I was a little nostalgic while we were there. Such a great place! And their beer is amazing! I tried something new, I added some lime cordial to my Cooper's Pale Ale, as per Heidi's suggestion and it was amazing! Needless to say, I bought some Lime Cordial to bring home to have that same taste over and over and over again!
We also went out for coffee nearly every day! We basically did all the things I love doing with friends... chatting from morning till night; drinking tea together; going out to cafes and drinking lattes; driving around, still chatting; shopping; eating at and tasting wines and some South Australian Wineries; and so much more. It was really fabulous!
Am I ever going to cover everything that I experienced while I was in Australia? I really don't think so! I have another chunk of photos that I need to edit yet, too. Slowly but surely I'll get there. At least give you a good glimpse into my time there.
That's all for now. I have lots of work to catch up on! Enjoy the rest of your day!
good photos of a great culture!
ReplyDelete...whatever happened to 30for30 outfit posts?
i want to see more of your style-genius.