Series of a Sunset

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Glorious Sunset

 

There was once a sunset... so glorious, so splendid, so magical that a little girl was completely enchanted by it. 

 

 

"Where do all the colours come from Daddy?" 

 

"It was painted by the Great Artist"

 

"Why is the sun so big and beautiful?" 

 

"So that we can see it clearly and enjoy it and thank the Great Artist"

 

"Why is it going down Daddy?" 

 

"All things in life has an ending Little One, but usually it means the start of something else"

 

"But what will the ending of this day mean?"

 

"That a new night has started and nature and people can rest and recover"

 

"Will it be dark then?"

 

"Yes it will be dark - except for the light of the moons and the stars"

 

"I don't like the dark Daddy.  Why does it have to be dark?"

 

"I think the Great Artist knew, that it takes a certain amount of darkness for us human beings to appreciate the light"

 

"I do love the light"

 

 

And she drank in the sunset while feeling safe in her Father's arms....

 

 

 

Mere Moments

In a mere moment
someone can be here for a while
as someone else decides to leave

In this moment
A smile can lighten the world
but facing the world
fade into darkness

A pulse can quicken
and sometimes
slow
down
to
death

In some moments, a second can become a lifetime
And a lifetime can be no more than a second

In a mere magical moment
I met you

In that moment
my life stopped



If I blinked
I would have missed it

And my life would just continue...

in a mere moment

Holiday Planning - Part 2

Okay, so here I am again.  Ready to do some more holiday planning (or at least blogging about it and then I can start doing the actual planning).

 I am happy to say that I have sorted out all of my music on my laptop, entertained my mother-in-law for three weeks, designed a pamphlet for my business, read a book about Nelson Mandela and also about a Saudi-Arabia princess, made lots of gluten-free goodies and still made time to sit on the porch looking at the sea and playing with our cat. 

Since I last blogged, our plane tickets have been booked and we are officially leaving on the 10th of September.  Whoohoo!  My task is to book our accommodation and tour activities and I will keep myself busy with that over the next few weeks :)

So here follows part two of the tour -  Italy (where my husband's forefathers reign from, which I guess is why his pasta sauces are always so delicious!). 

Day 8 and 9:  From the French Riviera we will continue on to Cinque Terre - one of the most beautiful places in Italy according to many people and definitely one of the places which I am looking forward to see the most. 

 

Wow is all I can say!!!

 

 

Some random information about Cinque Terre:  "The Cinque Terre is a rugged portion of coast on the Italian Riviera. It is in the Liguria region of Italy, to the west of the city of La Spezia. "The Five Lands" comprises five villages: Monterosso al Mare, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola, and Riomaggiore. The coastline, the five villages, and the surrounding hillsides are all part of the Cinque Terre National Park and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

 

Over the centuries, people have carefully built terraces on the rugged, steep landscape right up to the cliffs that overlook the sea. Part of its charm is the lack of visible corporate development. Paths, trains and boats connect the villages, and cars cannot reach them from the outside. The Cinque Terre area is a very popular tourist destination. *

Love this little blue door and I think there are many different coloured doors and houses around these little villages...
 



 

The Postcard of Italy - Cinque Terre

 

 

We plan to hike most of the two days between the little villages (there are 5 of them) and also do some kayaking or go on a paddleboat on the beautiful glassy blue water.  There is even a pesto- making class that we can attend if we have time.  I loooove pesto and CT is known for it's famous pesto. 

 

 

I would also like to see the Il Gigante at Monterosso.

 

 

 

 

Day 10 and 11:  From there we will be on route to Florence and make a pit-stop in Pisa.  If only for the signature pictures :)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



 

The Leaning Tower of Pisa or simply the Tower of Pisa (Torre di Pisa) is the campanile, or freestanding bell tower, of the cathedral of the Italian city of Pisa, known worldwide for its unintended tilt to one side. It is situated behind the Cathedral and is the third oldest structure in Pisa's Cathedral Square.

The tower's tilt began during construction, caused by an inadequate foundation on ground too soft on one side to properly support the structure's weight. The tilt increased in the decades before the structure was completed, and gradually increased until the structure was stabilized (and the tilt partially corrected) by efforts in the late 20th and early 21st centuries. *

 

 

I am not sure yet how my OCD nature will feel about something so obviously skew...

 

Florence:  There are so many things that we want to see in Florence, Rome and Milan that my head started to hurt when researching it.  I just chose a few random photos that I thought looked good, but there are many things that we want to do including the Basilica of San Miniato al Monte (free of charge - he he), the Statue of David (although I might want to put a leave on it), the Piazzale Michelangelo for a panoramic view of the city, the characteristic Duomo Santa Maria and hopefully attend an opera or concert at the St Marks Anglican Church (depending off course on our funds), the Cupola climb, Ulfulzi Gallery and the Medici Chapels.  Too many things to name.  We might take the hop-on-hop-off bus here to get to as many of these things as possible in the short amount of time we have.  

 

 

 

Beautiful bridge of which I can't remember the name. 

 

 

 

I love lamp :)

 

 

So happy there will be something I can eat in Italy (except for the bread off course) 

 

 

Day 12, 13 and 14 and a bit of 16:  Rome. If we thought there are too many things to see in Florence, then Rome overwhelmed us even more.  It is just impossible to see everything (and afford everything) in 3 days.  We have decided the only two things we really want to see is the Vatican City and the Sistine Chapel and also the Coliseum.  The other things we will discover as we go. 

 

I found this really cool link on how to spend 3 days in Rome.  So we will follow some of the steps on there, with a few adjustments :) Here are some of them.

 

• Hit the historic Roman landmarks: the Coliseum, the Roman Forum, the Pantheon, and the Circus Maximus.
• One of the most historic landmark of Rome is the Coliseum (70–80 AD), the largest amphitheatre ever built in the Roman Empire.It reflects the architectural beauty of Roman engineering.
• The oldest and most important structure-The Roman Forum is located between the Palatine hill and the Capitoline hill of the city of Rome. Roman Forum is also referred as the "Forum Magnum" or just the "Forum".
• The Pantheon -one of the oldest standing domed structure in Rome was built as a temple to all the gods of Ancient Rome. It was believed to be built in the 126 AD.
• Spend the first evening at a local restaurant and then go to the Spanish Steps for the night.

• Spend the entire second day at Vatican City. Go to the top of the dome; see the crypts, monuments, painting, and statues along the way. You can even decide to visit the Vatican Museums: the ticket costs about 14 €. It is worth to see if you are fond of Arts. The only bad thing is that the line could be very long and it would take you hours to get in it. If you are interested in visiting the Museums, go there early in the morning (around 07:00-07:30....quite early it is) to avoid long waiting.
• Spend the second night at the Trevi Fountain. Enjoy dinner at a local cafe.

• The third day is for catching up. Walk to the historic places you missed, and do some shopping for your family and friends.
• Have a special farewell dinner before you leave the "Eternal City".

 

 



 

Day 16, 17 and 18: Milan:  The Fashion Capital of the World some say, not that I really want to go for shopping :)  I will go for:

 

 

 

The Opera

 

These kind of buildings

 

 

This kind of street atmosphere :)

 

 

 

This beautiful portrait of the Last Supper by Leonardo da Vinci

 

 

 Here is another link for 2 days in Milan.  

 

Map Data

Map data ©2014 Google

 

 

 

 

Map

Satellite

Terrain

45°

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Day 1

Museum of Twentieth Century

The museum offers insight into the history of various 20th century artistic movements. See Futurist, Spatialist and Arte povera artworks.

 

Milan Cathedral

The largest Italian Gothic cathedral was under construction for 600 years. Its grandeur and elaborate artworks are simply breath-taking!

Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II

An absolutely stunning example of Art Nouveau architecture. Built in 1877, it belongs to the oldest shopping galleries in the world.

La Scala

Hugely reputed opera house built in 1778 which is a star attraction of Milan's artistic scene. Book tickets ahead to see a performance here.

Via Sant'Andrea

A luxurious shopping thoroughfare where you can find high-end boutiques such as Hermès, Chanel, Kenzo, Giorgio Armani or Miu Miu.

Via Monte Napoleone

A fancy boulevard which overflows with high-end boutiques, prêt-à-porter stores, HQs of famous designers and shoe-maker shops.

 

 

Map Data

Map data ©2014 Google

 

 

 

 

Day 2

Brera Botanical Garden

Lovely botanical garden which spreads across 5000 m² and prides itself on more than 300 different plant species. A tranquil oasis.

Sforza Castle

Sturdy buildings formed into a magnificent castle complex. Its purpose changed across centuries and now it houses museums and collections.

Simplon Park

A large and tranquil city park surrounded by several major sights. See the lake here, feed ducks or let your kids enjoy the playground.

Church of Holy Mary of Grace

An inconspicuous church which hides a jewel inside – the mural of The Last Supper by Leonardo da Vinci. Inscribed in the UNESCO list.

Spazio Rossana Orlandi

Peep into this interesting art gallery housed in a former factory building. See the avant garde designer artworks.

 

 

We will then take an overnight train back to Paris and spend one more day in Paris before flying back late that evening. We haven't decided what we will do on that last day, but we will see what we feel like  :) Starting to count down the sleeps... (50)

 

 

 





 

*Wikipedia 

Something Ridiculous

There are many ridiculous things in the world.  I will often exclaim:  “That’s so ridiculous!” when  I witness certain events on the news – the latest one about the uncontrollable biter playing football for Uruguay -  Luis Suarez or as some like to call him:  Jaws.  I used that sentence the other night while we were watching a comedy show done by Trevor Noah who talked about how “being gay” is illegal in countries like Zambia and how a person will get arrested if they are found to be gay.  He thought this was really ridiculous and tried to see the funny side of it.  What would a police force look like who investigated people who are gay and how would they identify them?  Do they ask them:  “What is the purpose of that flamboyant scarf you are wearing?”  The concept is so ridiculous that it is actually funny. 

There are also many things that I observe in the world around me and in everyday life that I think is ridiculous. 

For instance people who only drink tea and never experience that satisfying feeling of your first sip of coffee in the morning.  That feeling of pure bliss and suddenly knowing that no matter how down you are, everything will be okay in the end.

Another ridiculous thing is when people go through all the trouble of going out to see a movie and paying all that money for tickets and then they talk throughout the movie.  According to my husband (who is a bit of a movie fanatic) there is a special place in hell for such individuals. 

I do not understand people who never listen to any music.  How can you discover and become more aware of the melody of your life, if you don’t listen to any songs?  My life would be very bleak if I didn’t constantly fill it with all kinds of weird and wonderful music.

Many people (and definitely also me) sometimes forget to dance in and enjoy the rain.  Isn’t it a bit ridiculous that we decide that sunshine means happiness, but rain and cold and clouds means sadness.  Shouldn’t we appreciate all the seasons and all the aspects of nature?  We as humans are so fickle and ridiculous in our demands and perceptions of life.

I find it extremely ridiculous that a lot of people never read and that parents don’t introduce their children to the imaginative world of books.  It’s sad that many people only read from their kindle and Ipad and never go into a bookshop and smell that new-book smell.  They will never turn the pages of a book that you just cannot put down.  All my childhood memories are filled with images and characters from all the books I’ve read.  I was completely lost in the world of books and it was really hard to get back to reality and find a balance between the beauty of books and the sometimes-harsh-but-if-you-look-really-close-just-as-beautiful-world we live in. 

But I guess one of the most ridiculous things is that when I had to write this piece, I struggled for a while to get my imagination flowing, so I turned to the only resource I could think of in case of a writer’s block in that moment; my good friend Google. 

I must admit, I did find some ridiculous things.  Did you know that you could fit 360 teardrops in a tablespoon?  Which is ridiculous if you think that somebody had the time and the motivation to cry and then catch their tears with a tablespoon (which couldn’t have been an easy job) and then counted each drop until the spoon was full.  What’s even more ridiculous is that this story makes me want to try it and maybe even write a song about it… “Just a spoon full of teardrops make your worries go by… in the most delightful way”.

I also learned while I was on Google about a high-energy juggling and acrobatic act performed by two slapstick stuntmen, called “Something Ridiculous.”  They seem to have made “being ridiculous” a way of life. 

But nothing I found stirred my wild imagination in action.  It actually just made me sad to think that we live in a world where little is left to the imagination.  We never have to wonder about things anymore or ask inquisitive questions to our parents, teachers or friends.  We never go look for the answers in libraries filled with knowledgeable books and encyclopaedias.  Most of life’s answers are but a click away with the technology of today.  You can even Google something so ridiculous as:  “When someone waves to me, should I wave back?”  The internet is truly making us smarter and dumber at the same time.  

People are watching television (and I am including myself in this statement) rather than curling up on the couch with a good book.  And it’s not that television is a bad thing, it’s just that if all the images are given to you (and sometimes in very violent and explicit ways), you don’t need to use your imagination.  And I think growing up and even being a grown-up without imagination is something very ridiculous.

So maybe I should have rather written about this land far, far away called Flutterby, where a little girl lived who was called Inara.  She was born with fairy wings, but a wise old lady told her that she shouldn’t tell many people about her wings as people can sometimes be ridiculous when they see beauty different to their own.  So she grew up knowing she was a fairy and she died without anyone knowing about her wings. 

Perhaps if they sometimes tore themselves away from the television, their emails, facebook status updates and connecting without every really being connected they would have caught a glimpse of the glitter and magic they were surrounded by. 

 

Ons het `n rukkie oor die alledaagse dinge gesels…

“Ek glo nie meer in God nie”

 

Al het ek dit vermoed, skok die woorde nogsteeds…

 

“Ek verstaan” se ek sag.  “Dankie dat jy eerlik is”

“Dit het net gebeur.  Een dag was daar net die twyfelinge van kinderjare en toe skielik die sekerheid.  Hy bestaan nie en al het Hy gee Hy definitief nie vir my om nie.”

Ek bly `n rukkie stil.

 

“Ek kan jou nie oortuig van God se bestaan nie, ek is nie so goed met woorde nie…  Wat ek wel weet is dit:  elke keer wat ek van God praat is daar `n roering in jou oë en ek is seker jy voel dit in jou hart…  Dat alles nie net vir niks kan wees nie en dat soms wanneer jy `n kind sien glimlag, jy`n stukkie hemel kan proe.

Hoop is net `n tree weg van Geloof.  En net jy kan die eerste tree  terug gee..."

 

Opgedra aan almal wat bietjie ver van God af voel…

 

 

 

* We have been talking about everyday things for a while...

 

 

"I don't believe in God anymore"

 

 

Even though I expected this, the words still shocked...

 

 

"I understand", I said softly.  "Thanks for being honest."

 

 

"It just happened.  One day there was still the  doubts of childhood and then suddenly the  certainty.  He doesn't exist and even if He did, He definitely doesn't care about me personally."

 

 

I was quiet for a while..

 

 

"I cannot convince you of His existence.  I am not all that good with words.  What I do know is this:  every time I talk about God there is something in your eyes that tells me what you feel in your heart...  That everything cannot just be for nothing and that sometimes in the smile of a child, you can taste a bit of heaven.

Hope is only a footstep away from Faith.  And only you can take that first step back."

 

 

Dedicated to everyone that sometimes feel a little bit far from God...

 

Holiday Planning - Part 1

You will be happy to know that I have indeed made some progress with my boring sorting-out-my-laptop task. (I won't mention that I am leaving my music and photos folders for last which will probably take the longest...).  Between that and spring-cleaning before my mother-in-law comes for a visit, I also need to do some holiday planning.  So I have decided to do a quick post about my planning so far :)

Me and my husband have decided on the itinerary and we are getting very excited for our get-away.  It has been a while since our last overseas-adventures and we are ready to put our travelling boots back on.  The itinerary is probably the easiest part and yes we haven't booked tickets, accommodation, transport or any of those important things, but at least we are sure of where we want to go and what we want to do. 

Here follows our 16-17 day itinerary.

Day 1:  Arrive in Paris.  I just recently finished my Paris blogs and you can have a look at the lovely photos we took over here. We are not yet sure how our flights will work and just how much time we will have to explore the city of lights, but I think since we did a lot of the touristy things the previous time, we will maybe just go sit in a street café and drink in the Parisian atmosphere (and some café off course).  I need to practise my French (okay no, rather do a crash course into a few basic communication lines) before we go and also remember to rather start speaking to them in Afrikaans first - even if they won't understand them to hopefully get a bit of a warmer welcome than before. 

 

 

 

 

Day 2 + 3:  Off to Burgundy and the wine estates.  We are very excited about this part as we both miss the Cape and the wonderful wine tastings you can have there.  I am sure this will be a different and wonderful experience.   So far, we are going to sleep in Beaune for the two nights.  I still need to work out the specific things we are going to do, but hopefully we can do some biking in and around the vineyards , taste lots of wine and maybe do some mustard-shopping in Dijon and enjoy the beautiful scenery. Everything depends on our budget off course.  We might just have to look at the vineyards and imagine what the wine tastes like...

 

Beaune

 

Cute little restaurant

 

 

 



 A portrait of life in Beaune
 

I love how Dijon looks. 

 

Some interesting facts about Dijon.  It is the old capital of Burgundy.  Its mustard and cassis (black currant liqueur) are famous, and Dijon is also an important shipper of Burgundy wine. It is at least equally noteworthy for its art treasures. *

 

 

 

 

The Owl Trail in Dijon

 

*There is a lot to see and do in Dijon and it’s easy to find your own way around town.   Just follow the Owl’s Trail or “Le Parcours de la Chouette“.  The trail is named after the stone owl at the Notre-Dame church.  Look for the tiny owl on the facade of the church and don’t forget to stroke it for good luck and to ensure you will return!

 

 

Day 4 + 5:  Moving on swiftly to Provence.  We will be staying in Avignon for the two nights, but with lots of visits to other places like Saint Remy de Provence and an ancient stone village called Les Baux.

 

Something interesting that I have learned while planning our holiday is that Provence actually has a big Roman history and influence. 

 

*The Romans made the region into the first Roman province beyond the Alps and called it Provincia Romana, which evolved into the present name. It was ruled by the Counts of Provence from their capital in Aix-en-Provence until 1481, when it became a province of the Kings of France.^[2] While it has been part of France for more than five hundred years, it still retains a distinct cultural and linguistic identity, particularly in the interior of the region.^[3]

 

 

I am not so sure if we will still be able to see the lavender fields in bloom as I think that they are actually at their most beautiful at the moment.  But I am sure there are lots of other beautiful things to see in the country side.

 



Some beautiful buildings to go discover in Avignon.
 

 

Apparently this carousel is in the middle of the town and will I have to go and  find it... Carousels make me extremely happy.  Not as much as lamps, but close.  :)  

 

Beautiful photo opportunities in Saint Remy de Provence. 

 

*Saint Remy is a small, sleepy town with a whole lot of history. Not only was it once the site of a Roman city, it was also where Van Gogh was housed at the Monastery de Mausole when he was being treated (unsuccessfully) for his many psychiatric problems.

 

 

 

 

 Luckily the olive theory works for me and Jaco, so I will get to eat all the yummy olives that we buy.

 

 

 

 

I can live with these things...

 

 

We will explore St Remy and the surrounding country side on bikes again,  as this is the cheapest mode of transport except walking off-course.  I found a website to hire electrical bikes which can be quite an adventure. 

 

 

Day 6 + 7.  The French Riviera.  We are not exactly sure of our plans here yet, but we will probably be based in Nice.  And we are thinking of hiring a car for two days and just driving along the coast (not so sure if you will be as close as we get here in Mauritius), and stopping wherever we want and stay for as long as we feel like.  We do however first have to find out whether we will be able to drive there or what you need to do to get an international licence.  Seeing that it will be on the opposite side of the road.  Eeeek.

 

Some possible places that are on the list include: 

 

• Monacco (I'm not so sure about all the hype over Monacco.  I am actually pretty sure it is not my cup of tea, but Jaco really wants to go, so I will join him as a good wife).
• Menton (this one is for me and you will see why in the picture below).
• Antibes (where apparently there is a lot of Picasso's paintings).
• Vence (where there is a lot of Matisse paintings).
• Cannes (where they have that film festival).
• St Tropez ( The inhabitants of Saint Tropez are called Tropéziens and the town is familiarly called St-Trop). 

 

 

Nice, where we will be based.

 

 

 

Monacco - it does look very exciting at night time. 

 

 

 

Apparently is this a good dress code in Monacco. 

 

Menton - I love love love how this place looks. 

 



 

 

 

 

 

Look at this cute street in Antibes. 

 

 

 

 

A side street in Vence.

 

 

 

 Saint Tropez - this looks familiar :)

 

 

 

 

A picture of the women in Saint Tropez who apparently live by the motto:  "Do a little and do it always".  He he

 

 

 

 

 

Delicious macaroons in Cannes.

 



 Some street art in Cannes.   

 

Stay tuned for Holiday Planning Part 2 - Italy :)

 

 



 * Encyclopaedia.com

*  Travel Signposts

*  Wikipedia

*  Why Go France