Little Wandering Wren …. chats!

1. Beach boxes on the Mornington Peninsula!  We've been at the beach this weekend for some much need 'away from it all' R&R. Or in my case R&R&R rest, relaxation, and recuperation. Don't these gorgeous beach boxes look serene and pretty?  Take a lung full of that fresh salty air before you read on! 2. Life is busy at the moment.  I find myself throwing all those balls I am juggling, higher and higher in a vain attempt to stop them crashing down at my feet - so far so good. If there is one thing that life has taught me, it's how to send a ball up into the stratosphere with a smile on my face and a 'see you next later' send off... 3. Has anyone noticed I've become a weekend Blogger?!  My volunteer work with an organisation that supports over 3,000 people seeking asylum became a part-time locum role on July 1st. Which of course due to my complete incompetence at setting boundaries has become all encompassing.  There

Surf's up! We're slap-bang in the middle of Winter here as these windswept birds on Sorrento surf beach show... Hold on tight, Summer's coming! Infact, Brisbane, Queensland had their hottest winter day for 70 years  yesterday. The Sunshine Coast, only a two-hour flight away,  enjoyed 31 degrees Celsius - 87 °F Beam me UP  Scottie!  Here in Melbourne ' the cold wind doth blow'  and although we have not had snow,  our Alpine area, only a three-hour drive from Melbourne, is having a fabulous snow season.  As they say, every cloud has a snowy lining, or something like that! It seems like my family and friends in Europe are at last enjoying (sweltering?) with a bit of a heat-wave. But where ever you are, I hope you have a wonderful Sunday. Linking with thanks to Eileen at Saturday's Critters  and Darren at Photalife Save Save Save Save Save Save Save Save Save Save

We were given some gorgeous woven and hand stitched gifts from Bangladesh last week.  The placemats and napkins are hand woven, the shopping bag has been hand-stiched.  The work that has gone into these gifts is phenomenal.  Don't you think they are beautiful?  They were chosen for us from a shop called  Aarong ,   a Bengali word meaning village fair.  Aarong  is a social enterprise which creates livelihoods for rural women.  Aarong is dedicated to bringing positive change to lives of disadvantaged artisans,  85% of whom are women I have never been to Bangladesh,  and I Iove having a touch of Bangladesh in our home this week!  The nearest I have been to Bangladesh was earlier this year  when we visited the neighbouring country of Myanmar.  The sweet gifts reminded me of a visit we made to the lotus weavers at Inle lake. loom at Inle Lake, Myanmar At Inle Lake we watched women practice the age old tradition of weaving on ancient lo

Paris is the most popular tourist destination in the world. So is it any wonder that other countries try to recreate a little of the Paris magic elsewhere? Take a look at the pictures of the Eiffel Tower below. Do you notice anything strange? The Parisian Eiffel Tower, Cotai Strip, Macau Yes, you're right to think it looks a little different. It's the new Eiffel Tower designed to bring the glamour of Paris to China! Well if they can offer copy watches and handbags on every street corner, you wouldn't expect an Eiffel Tower replica to be too tricky to rustle up, would you?  The above photos are a half-size Eiffel Tower, one of the new landmarks of the soon to be opened hotel for Las Vegas Sands in Macau The Parisian:  澳門巴黎人 Below is the real deal. The Eiffel Tower on the Champs de Mars, Paris. The most visited paid monument in the world. It's iconic presence wherever found, is sure to bring a little magic to that corner of the world. The Eiffel Tower,

I love returning home after a long trip away It's fun to spot all the new things in the neighbourhood. Like this brilliant  Steen Jones    street art outside  Hello Sailor cafe on Auburn Road.  Nothin but Smooth Sailing: https://steenjones.com We've had a big weekend in Australia because we had a  General Election on Saturday which was far from smooth sailing  for all the political parties as we are still waiting on the final result! I am wishing you all 'Nothin but Smooth Sailing' this week With Love Linking at My Sunday Photo with thanks to Darren at Photalife

Wimbledon is Wimbledon:  This uniquely SW19 experience has  prestige, royalty, pin-striped mown lawns,  all white tennis attire, strawberries and cream and the world's best tennis players. Wimbledon, established in 1877,  is the oldest tennis tournament in the world and they know what they’re about. They are not a Grand Slam for the masses, you will not find the party-like 'happy slam' atmosphere that you get at Melbourne Park. Tickets are hard to come by, and spectator numbers are limited. It is all about the tennis, the tradition  and tough luck if you want free Wifi. (Quite right too, you're supposed to be here for the tennis!) Five things I loved about Wimbledon: 1. The beauty of the Championships The last time I was at Wimbledon hosting a corporate table, I remember the food we ate but have no idea who was playing! Fast forward twenty-five years I was here for the tennis and not the food! I was expecting to be impressed by perfect