My Journey Round The World

Boulogne-sur-Mer, I already feel like home! Such a pleasure to meet everyone again – or almost as Catherine & Isabelle are already on holidays… – Lunch with Emma, dinner with Baptiste, Lulu, Gaëlle, Corinne, Clara & Ariane, and the next day with Sabine & Renaud and their twin Axel & Quentin, who are nearly 4 years old now! Walk along the coast with a great view on England’s cliffs! Opal Coast is also a beautiful part of the world!

Sunday morning, brunch with Ariane before heading to Paris by train and back to my parent’s place Champ Fêtu Little green corner paradise, back after 9 months, just on time to taste the last strawberries and first raspberries from the garden. What a pleasure to enjoy home made food and in the evening a nice fire in front of the chimney… Home sweet home…

Still a week to pack, say hello & goodbye to family & friends before heading back to Belgium & Germany to work from July 1st. You might not believe it but I feel so happy about it! So far…

Soon, I’ll give you my last Australian feedback as well as one on this amazing journey!

After 2 resting days in Twyford with Steph, Freddy and little Talya – who is now 16 months and walking! - I’ll be in France tonight after meeting Katie  in London – who just finished her exams after an intensive year at the London School of Economics -  before taking the Eurostar to Calais. 2 more days to meet my dear friends in Boulogne-sur-Mer before finaly heading to Paris!

I safely arrived to London this morning after more than 20 hours travel and less than 3 hours sleep… At least I could enjoy the sunsrise on the  Caspian sea, had a small glimpse of Warsaw, missed Berlin as I finally fall asleep just before breakfast! and get a great view of London and Windsor castle just before landing. What a pleasure to see Europe from the sky after such a trip

Sorry no pictures, my camera was stuck in my hand luggage and as all my neighbours were asleep - lucky them! – I didn’t want to disturb them.

I’m so happy to be back to Europe!!!

Ready for more than 20 hours journey! London Tuesday morning… Back to the routine life I so much wanted to escape few month ago and that I’m so looking forward to be back to… See you soon!!!

As said, Lynne & Kevin are wonderful host!!! One of Kevin’s hobbies is to show his country as best as he can, he even has a tourist guide licence now On Friday he drove, Karen, Robert & me around Sydney shore to see: The Domain, Fort Denison, Watsons Bay, show us the secret breathtaking view of the city from the reservoir, Bondi Beach, Tamarama – the beach to be seen! –  Bronte, Coogee, Maroubra beach, La Perouse, Kurnell, Cape Solander where we’ve seen the blow of a whales from the shore! and Cronulla – Bate Bay, where I was delighted to look for whales again! We’ve spotted 5 in the distance, and it was still amazing! I loved it!

On Saturday, Lynne joined us and we went around the Royal National Park – the second oldest national park in the world after Yellowstone in the US, as Kevin told us – again, breathtaking views and a great pic-nic organised by Lynne, close to a place which reminded me of Elli Creek on Fraser Island I spent a wonderfull day with all of them! THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!

Blue Mountains National Park - 267 183 hectares –  is part of the Greater Blue Mountains World Heritage Area, a million-hectare conservation area that stretches for 230 km along the range.

Thanks to my host Kevin who let me know how to get there and what to do and even if from time to time I would have love to share the breathtaking view with someone – those reminded me of the Grand Canyon in the US, not for the colours – it’s winter here but it’s all green! – but for the immensity!!! - I spent a wonderful day all by myself!

Sydney, last stop before heading back to Europe… I can finaly see the famous Opera House which I found… small! next to the city building and Harbour Bridge… After spending all night on the plane, I follow my host advices and went on a ferry trip to Manly. What’s great is that you can buy a ticket which allow you to use train, bus and ferry all day! Being in Sydney, I couldn’t miss the aquarium. I have to say that I wasn’t really impressed…  except by the huge reef tank! That was amazing!

Last city and last couchsurfing experience for now with Lynne & Kevin who also hosted an American couple: Karen & Robert in the meantime. All together they drove us around Sydney during 2 days and for our last evening, we went to one of the Sydney’s oldest pub: Fortune of War – http://www.fortuneofwar.com.au – before heading to the last performance of The Rocks Fire Water event: “relive the tragedy and adventure of the crew from the tall ship Sydney Cove as they sail from India to Australia in 1797 as told through the eyes of an 11-year-old Indian-Australian girl”. http://www.therocks.com/sydney-Things_To_Do-The_Rocks_Fire_Water.htm - and doing a night tour of the city where we had the chance to see the Macquarie Visions, exhibition: “a free public event celebrating in immersive light displays, the 200th anniversary and story of two visionary leaders, Governor Lachlan Macquarie and his wife Elizabeth.” - http://www.macquarievisions.com.au

On my last day, I also met David, a Swiss guy, with whom I did some rafting in Chile last February! So nice to meet on another continent – the world is small finally! – and found out that we have the same opinion about travelling such a long time… After 9 & 10 months, you have to push yourself everyday a bit more. He still have 3 month to enjoy and I’m glad to go back to Europe now

During the long weekend – Foundation Day – Mon 7 June, Duncan & Fleur took the opportunity to drive me to Margaret River – http://www.margaretriver.com/: the wine, chocolate & cheese region south of Perth. We arrived just before the end of the CowParade: the largest and most successful public art event in the world – staged in over 50 cities worldwide since 1999 – http://www.cowparade.com/ so we tried to hunt cows as much as possible during the weekend between visiting the region through the beautiful kauri forest, eating, watching surfers and for me whales! What an amazing weekend…

Duncan & Fleur: THANK YOU SO MUCH for welcoming me! I’m already missing your delicious evening meal!!! As Duncan & Fleur cook perfectly -Duncan use to be a chef de cuisine in France! - which didn’t help my silhoutte to get better

I arrived to Perth and jump in a shuttle direction Stirling Street and the Sunday Times where Fleur is working today. She kindly show me around the newsroom which reminded me good memories about my former job as a Press Officer for Nausicaa  After lunch I went to visit the city center and the Art Gallery hosting an interesting exhibition: RELATIVITY of one Australia’s contemporary artists: Patricia Piccinini – http://www.patriciapiccinini.net/. I had already seen one of her strange sculptures in Adelaide Art Gallery and was glad to learn a bit more about her work where she “explores the unending connectivity of her fantastical creatures, new communities and bio-ethical conundrums. Piccinini’s sculptures give form to her fascination with the relationship between the ‘natural’ and the ‘artificial‘” – Art Gallery of Western Australia. I’m wondering if this exhibition will end up in France one day?…

Next day, Fleur is working from home and she takes the time to bring me to the newly opened French backery: Jean Pierre Sancho – www.jpsancho.com.au – for whom she wrote an article published on the Sunday before. Surprisingly enough the manager already prepared a delicious chocolate cake to thanks her and offered us our picnic lunch – sandwiches, onion soup, baguettes, and 3 pâtisseries: tarte aux fraises, tarte au citron & flan – as we where unable to choose! - which we went to eat at Kings Park, surrounding the city. What a pleasure to eat such a good french baguette and patisseries after such a long time! In the evening, she brought me to a nice restaurant-bar: Kitsch - http://www.perthnow.com.au/lifestyle/kitsch-bar/story-e6frg3pu-1225840352308 - where we had a delicious meal… Working as a freelance journalist for the food & wine feature is a really great job!

On Fleur advices, I went to the 4WD Pinnacles, Beaches & Sand Dunes trip: we first stop to the Caversham widlife park to see the inevitable Australian animals before heading toward the Pinnacles Desert: limestone formations within Nambung National Park and my favorite part, the white Lancelin sand dunes where we spent some time sand surfing!

The next day, I went by bike along the beach to Fremantle – where we’ve seen the UK rugby team having fun at the Little Creatures brewery - https://www.littlecreatures.com.au/ - 2 days before and with whom Fleur spend a all day with for an interview just after I left! – to visit the lovely city & famous market opened only on Friday, Saturday, Sunday and bank holidays.

Tonight: on my way to Sydney. One more week in Australia before going back to Europe…. And guess what?! I’m so looking forward to it! Pics & comments from Perth are on the way… Little problem with sending pictures, sorry!