7 Travel Cliches that Need to Die

I talk about travel a lot, I write about travel a lots, I read about travel a lot and I think about it a whole lot more. In all this travel chatter, I’ve come across a few common assumptions and beliefs perpetuated in the modern travel discourse that drive me absolutely bananas. 1. You “do” cities This is just semantics, but when I hear someone … Continue reading 7 Travel Cliches that Need to Die

Rush hour by the Rialto Bridge

By the time we arrived in Venice, we had worked up an appetite. We’d taken the train from Verona in the morning, but halfway through the trip a ticket inspector realised that we’d booked the train tickets for a month earlier – an admin error on our part that we hadn’t noticed. We were kicked off the train in Vincenza, and had to purchase new … Continue reading Rush hour by the Rialto Bridge

Postcards: Colour-coordinated Patmos

Cast in the Aegean Sea, the Greek Island of Patmos  is a popular site for Christian pilgrimages. It’s known for the Monastery of St John and his Cave of the Apocalypse, which is where he saw a vision of Jesus. It is here that he wrote his Letters to the Ephesians. I’d heard of these in primary school but for me, they had no meaning. … Continue reading Postcards: Colour-coordinated Patmos

Healthy Cafes on the Gold Coast

I just got back from a refreshing 24 hours on the Gold Coast with my boyfriend. He is not eating wheat or dairy at the moment and so eating out on the coast was looking like it was going to be a bit tricky – after all, healthy eating is hardly what springs to mind in the city that worships glitzy nightlife, showy restaurants, burger … Continue reading Healthy Cafes on the Gold Coast

Skip the Moulin Rouge! See The Lido

The Moulin Rouge achieved international infamy decades before Nicole Kidman sashayed across the stage in Baz Luhrmann’s film of the same name.  I’d seen the Moulin Rouge, but didn’t realise that The Lido was a similar cabaret in Paris until my uncle made the joke that I could work there with one of his friends, to fund my dream of living in Paris. As I’ve … Continue reading Skip the Moulin Rouge! See The Lido

Long Haul Inflight Essentials

Like many Australians who are privileged enough to travel overseas, I’m well practiced at taking long haul flights. A little bit of preparation can go a long way towards making a much more comfortable trip. In 24 hours, a lot of things can happen. There are a lot of unknowns and you can feel a little stranded without your safety blanket of your usual things. … Continue reading Long Haul Inflight Essentials

Monterosso: The best beach in Cinque Terre

Monterosso al Mare is one of my favourite Cinque Terre villages, for having the best beach. We had lunch on the deck of Nuovo Bar Eden, overlooking one of the private beaches.  The fact that you can charge people for a beach seems so strange to me – I know that wouldn’t go down well in Australia. How can anyone set up shop and own the … Continue reading Monterosso: The best beach in Cinque Terre

Paris Montmartre

Postcards from a rainy day in Montmartre

Almost every day we had in Paris was beautiful and sunny, except for the day we went to Sacre Coeur in Montmartre. We started the day wearing summer dresses but were shocked by a windy, miserable day when we got outside. Fifteen minutes later we’d cobbled together a vaguely warm outfit and were back on track. We started at the boulangerie on the corner with … Continue reading Postcards from a rainy day in Montmartre

Santorini Photo Diary

As one of the most photogenic Greek islands, I had high expectations for Santorini. What surprised me most was that Oia, the picture-perfect town perched high on the island, is very different to the rest of the volcanic island. We arrived by tender boat after hopping off the cruise ship and met a bus which would drive us up the island to Oia. We passed … Continue reading Santorini Photo Diary