Collage, natural objects and acrylic 40×58 cm unframedSummertide Acrylic 63×63 cm Framed canvas $500
Fire over the Hill Ink, acrylic and collage on paper 42×29.5 cm Unframed $350
Around the mulberry bush. 42×29.5 cm Mixed media on paper Unframed $300
Longerenong Ink and collage (gel print and cyanotype on paper 42×29.5 cm SOLD
Hot Day Wandering Ink and collage on paper 42×29.5 cm unframed $250
Woodland Drift Mixed media 61×61 cm Framed canvas $500
2022
Artemisia Mixed media 51×51 cm Stretched canvas SOLD
Working at Arkaroola 2022Channelling Joan Mitchell driving on Fleurieu Acrylic 91×91 cm Stretched canvas SOLD
Mel’s flowers using Layla’s new birthday pens
Warm Inside the Noise Acrylic.91 x 91 cm Stretched canvas $475
Distant Harmony. Acrylic 51 x 51 cm stretched canvas $475Landing Possible 51x41cm Mixed media $400 Stretched canvas
The way back, Arkaroola Acrylic on paper 41×58 cm SOLD
Long drought at Nooldoonooldoona Waterhole Arkaroola Acrylic on paper 55 x 42 cm unfrramed $350
Windy at Bolla Bollana, Arkaroola Acrylic 53 x 41 cm unframed $350
Arkaroola Spring. Acrylic and collage 51 x 51 cm Stretched canvas $550
Off to the Moon, Triptych Acrylic 30 x 90 cm Stretched canvasses $500
Off to the Moon 1 30 x 30 cm Mixed Media. Stretched canvas. $200
Off to the Moon 2 30 x 30 cm Mixed Media. Stretched canvas. $200
Off to the Moon 3 30 x 30 cm Mixed Media. Stretched canvas. $200
Currency Creek Eucalypts Acrylic 91 x 91 cm Stretched canvas SOLDOrange Zest Mixed media 51×51 cm Stretched canvas $475Pendulum Mixed media 51×61 cm SOLDGathering Acrylic and collage 51 x 51 cm Stretched canvas SOLDAutumn through the door 61 x 61cm. Acrylic and collage Stretched canvas $475Strawberry Fields Acrylic. 52 x 73 cm Framed $450
Oleander Mixed media 50×50 cm Stretched canvas. $475
Dracaena Mixed media 51x51cm Framed. $475
After the fire Mixed media 50 x 50 cm framed SOLD
Lakeside Meningie 50×50 cm Mixed media Stretched canvas SOLD
You and Yellow Air Acrylic and ink 60×40 cm Framed $475Tell Summer that I Died Mixed media 69×50 cm SOLDMany moons Mixed media 38 x 57cm unframed $475Fracture Mixed media 61 x 45 cm Stretched canvas $425FindingYOURWayBowralExhibitionFeb2022
Autumn Waning Collage and acrylic 50 x 50cm stretched canvas NFS
Tracks and Haystacks Collage and acrylic 50 x 50cm stretched canvas SOLD
Napkins and teabags Mixed media 40.5 x 60cm SOLDHanging in There Mixed media 60 x 90cm unframed $550
2021
Moon over Bourbon St Mixed media 41 x 62 cm SOLD
Transformed Acrylic and charcoal 50 x 70 cm SOLD
Moody moon Acrylic collage and paper 43.5 x 43.5 cm Framed $350
Abstract 1 Acrylic and collage 48.5 x 48.5 cm Framed $350
Abstract 2 Acrylic and collage 48.5 x 48.5 cm Framed $350
Ridgetop descent, Arkaroola Acrylic and charcoal 60 x 76cm Stretched canvas SOLD
Autumn Vine Collage, acrylic and ink 50 x 50cm SOLD
Storm Acrylic, ink and collage 35 x 45cm unframed $350
Whimsy 2 Acrylic and ink 70 x 50 cm framed $200
Whimsy 1 Ink and acrylic 31 x 31 cm unframed
Flight from storm 24 x 34cm Acrylic and ink SOLD
Meadows Eucalypts 2 Acrylic 58.5 x 60cm SOLD
Ash-leafed Maple Mixed media (collage, charcoal and acrylic 40 x 50 cm SOLD
Currency Creek Eucalypts Mixed media (collage, charcoal and acrylic) 52.5 x 52.5 cm SOLD
Meadows Eucalypts Collage and acrylic 43 x 53 cm Framed $400
Currency Creek Eucalypts 3 25 x 25 cm Collage, acrylic and ink SOLD
Autumn Oak Mixed media on paper 42 x 63 cm SOLD
Blue cranes (illustrating poem ‘Poor poor country’) Watercolour, charcoal, gouache and pastel Framed 96 x 70 cm SOLD
On the Eyre Highway WA Inktense and gouache Framed 42 x 52cm SOLD
2020
Making their Mark exhibition
Open at Old Police Station Gallery, Goolwa Terrace, Goolwa unit 17 January, every day.
Aubergine in red Acrylic 48 cm x 50 cm $400 framed
Celebration Acrylic on canvas 76 cm x 61 cm $500
Colour indulgence 2 Mixed media Framed 107 cm x 112 cm SOLD
Colour indulgence 1 Mixed media Framed 107 cm x 112 cm SOLD
Nullarbor evening camp Acrylic 46 x 60 cm Stretched canvas SOLD
Fireground Lobethal Watercolour and pastel 34 x 52 cm $250 unframed
Grampians walk Mt William Watercolour, inktense and pastel 74 x 54 cm Framed $500
Abstract Watercolour, gouache, pastel and ink 30 x 40 cm SOLD
Abstract 2 Watercolour and acrylic 30 x 40 cm SOLD
Abstract 3 (Fred and Ginger) Watercolour, ink and acrylic 52 x 34 cm SOLD
Bottle Abstract Mixed media $250 unframed 53cm x 37cm
Fireground Acrylic, collage and pastel 90 x 60 cm $400 unframed
Survival Oil collage and gouache 33 x 31 cm SOLD
Tokuremoar wetlands Oil, oil pastel and charcoal 27 x 33 cm $150 unframed
Mid North Canola Collage and ink $250 34 cm x 41 cm framed
Path to Bashams Pastel unframed $200
The Breakaways, WA 1 Pastel 20 x 35 cm SOLD
Leucadendron Pastel and inktense 65 x 52 cm $250
The Breakaways, WA 2 Acrylic 51 x 76 cm $350 stretched canvas
Arkaroola 5 Mixed media 72 x 53cm SOLD
Arkaroola Ridge Top Pastel and charcoal 55 x 54 cm SOLD
Rugged Landscape Acrylic 38.5 x 48.5 cm SOLD
Aubergine Pastel, ink and charcoal 25 x 30 cm SOLD
Aubergine 2 Acrylic and inktense 25 x 30 cm $250 framed
Grette’s Aubergine Oil 50 x 60 cm SOLD
Aubergine 3 Acrylic and oil pastel 27 x 34 cm SOLD
Around the side Acrylic 61x51cm stretched canvas SOLD
2019
Old Telegraph Station, Eucla Acrylic 49 x 36 cm SOLD
Promenade Inktense and charcoal 59 x 42cm $250 unframed
Arkaroola 1 (Echo Camp) 42 x 59 cm Acrylic $350 framed
Arkaroola 2 (Stubbs) 59 x 42 cm Acrylic $350 framed
Arkaroola 3 42 x 59 cm Acrylic $350 framed
Arkaroola 4 (Bolla Bollana Springs – Plain air, outback creek bed) 59 x 42 cm Acrylic SOLD
9 x 5 exhibition
St Jean-de-Luz headland Acrylic 13 x 23 cm SOLD
Rose bush Mixed media 13 x 23 cm $190 framed
Nicole’s cyclamen Gouache 13 x 23 cm SOLD
Museum, Parque de Maria Luisa, Seville Acrylic and ink 56 x 38 cm $350 framed
Cordoba Courtyard Acrylic 55 x 37 cm $350 framed
The old post office Mixed media 43 x 23 cm $250 framed
Orange still life Acrylic 45 x 45 cm $385 Framed
Mt William walk 2, Grampians Watercolour, ink, pastel 37 x 19cm SOLD
Seville 2 Collage, gouache and pen 26x 19 cm NFS
Seville 1 Collage, gouache and pen 26 x 19 cm NFS
Seville 3 Collage, gouache and pen 26 x 19cm NFS
Seville 4 Collage, gouache and pen 26 x 19 cm SOLD
High Street, Willunga 2 Collage, gouache and ink 19 x 24cm $150 framed
2018
Coast, Beachport Acrylic 53 x 80.5 cm $350 framed
Penguin Is Beachport Pastel 45 x 53 cm $350 framed
Dry wetlands Oil 41 x 50 cm SOLD
Water falling, Uluru Acrylic 39 x 58 cm $300
Kingsbrook, Currency Creek Acrylic 39 x 56 cm SOLD
Pete Acrylic NFS
Pots and plant Inktense 83 x 57cm $250 framed
Glass on white Acrylic SOLD
Quinces Acrylic 38 x 38 cm $250 framed
Island backyard Inktense SOLD
Dusk, Point Malcolm Oil 28 x 49 cm SOLD
Whitby and the Abbey Acrylic SOLD
Old cheese factory, Hindmarsh Island Inktense $50 unframed
Hahndorf cottage Pastel $50 unframed
Red gold Acrylic 48 X 65 cm $350 framed
2017
Above Waterport Road Acrylic SOLD
Lights Beach WA Acrylic 51 x 61 cm $385
Pankhurst’s view (On Hindmarsh Island) Inktense SOLD
Stansbury Mixed media 30 cm x 20 cm $250
Mt William walk 1 Mixed media 55 x 32 cm $150 unframed
Flowers and buds Ink and acrylic 45 x 60 cm $250 framed
Poinsettia Inktense 50 x 40 cm $200
Wild bunch Acrylic Collage 72 x 48 cm $250
Birthday poppies Oil 43 x 42cm $200 framed
Tokuremoar melaleucas Acrylic SOLD
Red landscape Oil 50 x 60cm $350 stretched canvas
Mark Lane, Goolwa Acrylic 51 x 76cm $350
Townscape after Cezanne Acrylic NFS
On the island 1 Acrylic 27 x 45 cm $200 framed
On the island 2 Acrylic $200 unframed
On the island 3 Acrylic 32 x 23 cm $150 unframed
Goolwa Channel Inktense SOLD
Ploughed paddock Mixed media 49 x 68cm $300 framed
Local bunch Mixed media SOLD
Shopping Inktense and charcoal SOLD
Apples and jars Inktense and charcoal 42×44 cm SOLD
Zucchinis and jug Inktense $100
Autumn leaves Inktense 54 x 54 cm $250
Jo Oil SOLD
Still life abstract Mixed media SOLD
Mitta Mitta estuary Oil 46 x 46 cm $300 Stretched canvas
Seeking shade Oil 40 x 51 cm $350 stretched canvas
Native bunch Inktense SOLD
Path at dusk Acrylic 48 x 32cm NFS
River Bend, Denmark WA Acrylic, 51 x 50cm NFS
Lucky Bay sketch 2
Lucky Bay sketch
Porongurup Pastel SOLD
Denmark riverside Pastel 15 x 20cm $100 framed
Shifting shadows Inktense 50 x 35cm $150 framed
Pears Inktense and charcoal $100 framed
Chillies Acrylic 35 x 25 cm $100 framed
Tomatoes and jugs 1 Acrylic 31 x 31 cm $250 stretched canvas
Tomatoes and jugs 2 Acrylic 31 x 31 cm $250 stretched canvas
Vegetables and vessels Acrylic 31 x 31 cm $250 stretched canvas
2016
Hill from hill Mixed media 25 x 40 cm SOLD
Carrickalinga Creek entering Gulf Mixed media 29 x39 cm SOLD
Devils Elbow, Murray River
Lilies Oil SOLD
Olives on the hill Oil 30 x 40 cm $250 stretched canvas
Currency Creek Oil SOLD
Almerta Road Acrylic SOLD
Cliffs, Almerta Mixed media SOLD
Devils Elbow, Murray River Oil 46 x 60 cm SOLD
Jugs and bottles in blue
Garden Pond Mixed media
White teapot
Graham’s beetroot Inktense 50×70 cm NFS
Bay Pencil
Drawing Almerta Road
Leucadendron Inktense SOLD
Hibiscus Inktense 50 x 40cm $100 framed
Blue bowl Acrylic
Melaleucas Linocut
The Rocks, Almerta Watercolour 25 x 35 cm SOLD
Cliffs Almerta Mixed media 50 x 70 cm SOLD
Natural Springs, Almerta Acrylic 29 x 36 cm $300 framed
Dusk, Almerta Rocks Acrylic and charcoal 50 x 76 cm $300 stretched canvas
River journey 1 Acrylic SOLD
River journey 2 Acrylic 30 x 40 cm $300 stretched canvas
River journey 3 Acrylic SOLD
Forest 2 Acrylic 70 x 50 cm
River banks Mixed media 39 x 35 cm $300 framed
Forest Acrylic 70 x 50 cm $150 unframed
Maksim 4 years old 2019 NFS
Layla 2016
Uznach Mixed media SOLD
Rugged Acrylic 50 x 60 cmNFS
Sandbar Mixed media
Beach calligraphy Mixed media SOLD
Morning eastward Mixed media SOLD
Shallows stroll, Port Elliot Mixed media 35 x 45 cm
Jugs and vases Mixed media
Abstract landscape, Tuscany Mixed media SOLD
2015
Vale d’Elsa Mixed media SOLD Prize winner Goolwa Art and Photographic Exhibition 2016
Abstract landscape Mixed media SOLD
Still life with jugs Mixed media SOLD
Tuscan farmland Mixed media SOLD
Tuscan landscapes Mixed media collage SOLD
Arcade, Casole d’Elsa Mixed media SOLD
Strada, Casole d’Elsa Mixed media SOLD
Descent, Casole d’Elsa Mixed media
Last light Goolwa Beach Oil SOLD
Glistening shallows Oil SOLD Commendation Solar Art Prize 2015
Beach track Oil SOLD
Natives Mixed media SOLD
Fleurieu roadside Oil SOLD
Deep Creek track Pastel 35 x 35 cm
Wool Bay Acrylic
Near Killarney, NSW Oil
Dark trees Pastel
2014
Cockling Goolwa Acrylic SOLD
Dusk Waitpinga Beach Pastel NFS
Near Cowra Oil SOLD
Near Lyndoch Acrylic NFS
Goolwa sands Acrylic NFS
Macclesfield landscape Acrylic NFS
Dusk at the Mouth Acrylic NFS
2013
Kitchen bench Acrylic Commendation Port Community Art 2013 NFS
I’ve started using dates in the attempt to keep track of what has happened, when. You may be confused by that, but the places are more interesting than the dates, of course. The countryside is often a bit drier now.
28 MAY 2023
La Roque-sur-Cèze
A nearby, beautiful ancient hilltop town
Cascade near the town – people swimming despite signs warning not toAn ancient vaulted street/walkway Looking over La Gard (a ‘department’ in southern France)Looking down on the steep villageWe had fig ice cream in this small restaurant courtyard
Serviers-et-Labaume
‘Our’ home village for a month – a walk around it doesn’t take long. It is very quiet, and no boulangerie (bakery). There is evidently a chateau (castle) but we can’t find it.
27 MAY 2023
Saint Quentin-la-Poterie
St Quentin-la-Poterie is a potters’ town and so there are many galleries exhibiting ceramics. The day was perfect but we were there late afternoon and so many galleries were closed. However, there was one potters’ cooperative where a potter spoke good English and we learned a lot about the gallery and the town. As we strolled further we could hear jazz being played, and found ourselves invited into the opening of a painting exhibition – wine, nibbles, and very friendly people. What fun, and luck!
25 MAY 2023
Aix-en-Provence (Ex)
From Serviers it was quite a long drive on impressive freeways to the famous city, Aix-en-Provence – well it is Cezanne country, so I think it’s famous. We did try to see his atelier but so did many others, and it was a 2 hour wait, which we didn’t do. Aix is another beautiful city. We were there to see two art exhibitions which were huge and great – Englishman, David Hockney (still working at 85) and Max Ernst (German/American/French) died 1975. Seeing original work and the artist’s development over decades was very special.
20 MAY 2023
Uzes
We drove from Clermont-Ferrand to stay for a month in the very small village of Serviers-et-Labaume, which is near the bigger, beautiful old town of Uzes (oo-zes) for a month, until 20 June.
Place aux Herbes (the main square)A very attractive boulangerieTypical row of plane trees in the areaField of poppiesAn ancient church tower (la Tour Fenestrelle), part of a newer churchPainters outside the Chateau
Previously …
I had some time to ‘kill’ in London before I caught the Eurostar to Paris. I only went through Paris and caught a train to Angers (‘onjay’), about 300 kms south-west of Paris. So, I went for a walk through Chelsea and Sloane Square – I had heard about the ‘Sloan Rangers’ but not sure I saw any! There were some very fancy shops with interesting window displays (not great photos). As I walked, I was walking along with a group of young men who were happy and polite. They were in London for 9 months from Nepal, and posed generously for a photo.
16 MAY 2023
Angers, France
I was met by my friend, Nicole, in Angers, and stayed in her father’s house in a nearby village, Bouchemaine (meaning mouth of the River Maine), where the Maine joins the River Loire.
Gallery La Fayette department storeMural in AngersView from Nicole’s father’s house in BouchemaineNicole at lunch – we ate galettes (buckwheat ‘pancakes’)Cafes on the River Maine at Bouchemaine – it wasn’t warm, so few people!
Nicole’s brother, Hérvé, was there as well, and we spent one lovely afternoon touring the nearby villages. In a very small village, Rochefort-Sur-Loire, I was impressed by the size and beauty of the church.
Church in Rochefort-Sur-LoireInside the Rochefort-Sur-Loire churchSun through a colourful windowNicole and Hérve in Béhuard – the village is a UNESCO site
CLERMONT-FERRAND, FRANCE
On 19 May, Nicole and I travelled about 450 kms south, on motorways, to Clermont-Ferrand, to stay overnight before continuing further south the next day. We had time (of course!) to visit the local art gallery.
Dinner in busy Brasserie La MadeleineSchool childen, in the basement of the art gallery, painting silk banners for a local festival Bags for sale in the art gallery shopA drawing lesson in the gallery foyer.
We are now staying in a very small village, Serviers-et-Lebaume, near a very beautiful town, Uzès. More later!
16 MAY 2023
LONDON
It was exciting to be met at St Pancras by a ‘distant’ cousin, Michelle, and her husband, Mark, who I hadn’t seen for about 40 years – although she was convinced it wasn’t that long ago. We had dinner at the nearby German Gymnasium which was built in the late 19th Century, and was England’s first purpose built gym, in 1865. I didn’t envy the waiters having to walk up the stairs to deliver drinks and food.
I stayed overnight in Kensington, near Earl’s Court. Many signs of King Charles III Coronation which I had deliberately missed by one day, because of the crowds I assumed would gather. Architecture in the UK now very different from France!
EDINBURGH
My sister-in-law, Essel, lives in Edinburgh and I wanted to visit her. I’ve been there at least half-a-dozen times – as everyone says, it is a lovely city, and the sun shone for two of the four days I was there. One walk I’ve repeated most times, is along the Water of Leith to the art gallery, and another time to Leith, the port.
The Spring flowers were particularly beautiful in Edinburgh.
Typical Edinburgh buildings/apartmentsA city parkThe Meadows – a large park adjacent to Edinburgh University, used well by the studentsAn allotment – individual gardens for a community
Essel’s ‘backyard’
Essel and me at The Bailie pub in Stockbridge
After three changes of tickets (strikes and engineering works), I was finally on the train from Edinburgh, through London to Brighton.
Friendly young women on the train (crowded because of strikes, no seats together, and so standing), going out to celebrate a birthday.
BRIGHTON (and LONDON again)
I was warned there would be train strikes, and there was one which delayed my trip to Brighton by a day, to catch-up with Pam, Pete’s sister. Fortunately, we were able to spend a day together in Brighton/Hove, and another in London before I caught the Eurostar to France.
A fascinating photo exhibition by award-winning photographer, Roger Bamber, who lived in BrightonThe Royal Pavilion, BrightonOld stables/garages in Hove.Adelaide Crescent, HoveSpring in Hove
Covent Garden
Tenor performing at Covent Garden marketVery pretty dresses for young girls at Covent GardenThe message about aluminium can recyclingMade with aluminium drink cans
Walking around central London
Parents’grandparents waiting for children after schoolQuirky ‘Artists’ garden’ near the Embankmentsame gardenLined up for something – colourful
7 MAY 2023
LYON
I forgot to mention one important fact about Collioure, that I joined three other South Australians; Alison and Chris had just walked the Portuguese Camino (phew), and Sandra had spent the same time in Morocco. After Collioure, they went to Lyon and then I joined them there, after Tarragona. We had a lovely, huge home exchange for six days in a suburb, Tassin-Demi-Lune, an easy train ride to the old town.
On my first day, and after a boulangerie breakfast, we joined a tour of, almost secret, covered passageways (traboules) which originally allowed workers and craftspeople to transport goods through the city and avoid bad weather. Most traboules are now on private property, and are entrance passageways to apartments. Many traboules have been blocked off and used as storage areas.
Breakfast from a boulangerieInside a trabouleEntering the traboule passagewayNot great photos in poor lightingPassageways at upper levels as well
We caught a funicular up to the Basilica Notre-Dame at Fourvière, a district on a hill above the Saône River.
Inside the BasilicaAgain, the photo is poor and doesn’t capture the beauty of the mosaicIn the crypt is a mosaic mural about St James (Camino pilgrimage).After a hard day, with Chris
The Lyon food market
Lyon’s indoor food market has an international reputation for offering the finest gourmet food – Les Halles de Lyon–Paul Bocuse. Lyon is dubbed France’s capital of gastronomy. Paul Bocuse was a French chef based in Lyon who was known for the high quality of his restaurants and his innovative approaches to cuisine.
Our precise planning for the day!Portrait of Paul Bocuse on the side of a building opposite the market bearing his nameWe couldn’t resist eating one of these mango-filled eggs
The Confluence Museum
Lyon is built where the Saône and Rhone Rivers meet, and this museum is built at that confluence, hence the name.
The museum includes four major exhibitions. The first deals with questions of origin, the second explores evolution of different species, the third is about human societies, and the fourth is about the death of humans, and how it has been dealt with in different societies
The exterior of the museumThe museum foyer and upper walkwaysAmazingly, a thyocene!It can only speak for itself!An Inuit wooden sculptureA Japanese horse armourOne of a few Australian Indigenous paintings
The others left for Australia and so I ‘rattled around’ in the big house for a couple of days. Of course, I went to the Museum of Fine Arts, Lyon, seen as one of the largest galleries in Europe. It is housed in a magnificent, former Benedictine convent.
The courtyard of the galleryI had lunch on the first floor terrace restaurant/cafeI couldn’t find any explanation of this unusual sculptureClose up of part of the sculptureLyon Opera HouseMany levels of the city from the edge of the River RhoneSandra, Margaret, Chris and Alison waiting for their taxi to the airport at the front of ‘our’ houseIn the kitchenThe puppet characters are Guignol and GnafronThe Charvet Clock featuring Guignol and Gnafron puppetsExterior of the Gadagne Museum about the history of Lyon, and of marionettes
2 MAY 2023
Travelling across southern France to the Mediterranean coast by train to Collioure, we went through an extensive coastal wetland area. Etang de Salses is a shallow lake with a surface area of 54 km2, designated as a protected Ramsar site.
Étang de Salses – a shallow lake
COLLIOURE
Collioure is a charming coastal village in the Vermilion Coast of Southern, France only 30 km from the Spanish border. The old town, with a dominant ancient castle, is a maze of narrow streets where each morning fresh produce is brought by vans and carts to the shops and restaurants. Even though it is only mid Spring there are still many tourists and the local businesses are ready. The Catalan heredity/influence is very evident.
from my balconyTwo of the many restaurants, and the castle behindI wasn’t sure if it was a drain or a street – both?Le Petit Cafe
We arrived at the Collioure railway station to be met by Margaret’s French friend, Jocelyn, who kindly took us to our separate accommodations (mine in the old town, and Margaret’s further away), and then food shopping. Next day we caught a local bus to visit Jocelyn in Port Vendres, a fishing port, a little further south along the coast, built on steeper slopes.
View from ‘outer’ CollioureThe hills outside CollioureFrom Jocelyn’s living room in Port Vendre
These illustrations in an information brochure really captured the essence of Collioure
TARRAGONA, CATALONIA, SPAIN
I was excited to be met by Ingrid and Iris at the bus station in Tarragona, a beautiful, small, coastal city south west of Barcelona. The Medrano family came as home-exchangers to my home in 2015, and I went to theirs later the same year. Pete and I visited them again in Tarragona in late 2018.
Ingrid and me in the old Roman townMarc, Marti, me and Iris with the Tarragona Cathedral behind
I had a wonderful time with them and their extended family – Ingrid’s parents Rosa Maria and Josep Maria, and Marc’s parents, Dolors and Santi. It will be sad to leave them.
We all went to see an exhibition of postersThe familly lunch in a favourite restaurantIngrid was a great translator in the exhibitionRosa Maria prepared berenar i sopar (a mix of lunch and dinner) with lots of traditional dishes
We went to the summer home and specially-built studio of 20th Century Catalan artist, Juan Miro outside the village of Mont-Roig Del Camp. I saw illuminated reproductions of his work that I had never seen. Then to the hilltop church where he walked in the afternoon.
Juan Miro’s impressive studioThe small chapel at Mont-RoigMiro’s family home car Mont-Roig Del Campwith other friends at Miro’s homeThe view from the church at Mont-Roig
Rosa Maria put the finishing touches on a traditional Catalan dessert (Crema Catalana) – some like it plain
Adding sugarheating the ironduring the sugar
24 APRIL 2023
We have really loved just strolling in the country lanes or villages, hope you do to. It is very different from Australian countryside, as you know. Today we hoped there would be a cafe in a very small village nearby, and there was.
GroléjucLe cafe, GroléJucNo idea what that’s about.Cycle/walking track along old railway lineFanlac near Lascaux
23 APRIL 2023
PERIGORD/ DORDOGNE (in South west France)
Sarlat
A fast train ride took us east from Bordeaux to the ancient and beautiful town of Sarlat in the Perigord/Dordogne (not far from the Dordogne River). Périgord is famous for black truffles. As well, we see many farms raising ducks and geese for producing foie gras – so they are everywhere.
Typical street in Sarlat – lots of restaurants, cafes and shopsOur first sunshine for a whileSarlar rooftops from our accommodation 8 a.m.
Marqueyssac
Beautiful sculpted gardens over 22 hectares, with tens of thousands of boxwoods that have been developed and hand-trimmed since the late 17th Century, on cliffs above the Dordogne River.
The fascade representing the shape of the caveA model of the shape of the caveExcellent activities for childrenCopy of one of the painted walls in the exhibitioAn external view between the buildings in Lascaux IV
Chateaux
We’ve been to a couple of castles/chateaux, both quite different from each other.
Chateau Milandes (15th Century) was bought by Josephine Baker (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Josephine_Baker), a black American singer, dancer and actress who became famous and highly regarded in France in the early 20th Century. She adopted 12 children from different countries to show how different races could live together. She was significantly discriminated against in the USA.
Chateau Beynac (12th Century) was a fortress and seemingly impregnable, perched high above the Dordogne. It has family connections with Richard the Lionheart, King of England, during the religious wars (The Crusades).
Chateau MilandesChateaux BeynacChateau Beynac
La Roque Saint-Christophe
Th Roque Saint-Christophe is a huge rock formation on the River Vezere where people have lived and made dwellings for centuries.
One level where people lived and workedHow the dwellings were attached to the wallsSteps carved into the rockA model of what might have existed
MARCH 2023
As you may know, I’m heading to Europe in April. I’m mainly spending time in France but will have two brief trips, one to Spain to see ‘old’ Homeexchange friends, and the other to visit ‘sisters-in-law’ in Edinburgh and Brighton, UK. The longest part of the trip will be spent in Provence with my French/Australian friend, Nicole Messie. I’m also joining my friend, Margaret Gadd, in Bordeaux, Carsac, Collioure and Lyon. I’m starting this blog in Penola, and it’s still March, but I wanted to make sure you receive this, and will, as I travel. Pete is staying Penola.
SINGAPORE (on 11 April)
During the long stop-over at Singapore on our journey, Margaret and I walked from Changi Airport to the Jewel shopping complex. The attraction was the huge waterfall with walking bridges, elevators, and trains moving through on elevated tracks. Continue reading One in Europe