Little Wandering Wren …. chats!

Hello everyone, I'm glad I've caught you.  How is your week going? We're doing fine, I'm having a lovely time in Paris in the Spring. I have just finished a pilates class in French! Woo hoo for still being able to find my toes and vaguely keeping up. I managed to carry it off until the end of the class when I thanked the instructor and she said in a loud voice: 'Argh, Vous êtes Anglais?' At which point I firmly replied in my very best  français : ' Non, Je Suis Australienne' I mean who the bloody 'ell would admit to being English at the moment? Pardon my French! This all takes me back to my days living in Belgium when I lived my daily life muddling through, only getting half of was said.  Nothing has changed. I am here pouring over the French newspapers, it is slightly more fun enjoying the Brexit news in French. However in English or French, it is a sad state of affairs.  And no, to all my friends back in...

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,...

Wow, Roland Garros 2016!!! I never expected to be back in Paris, let alone at my second tennis Grand Slam of the year.  I am as surprised as some of my Facebook friends 'Are you at Roland Garros?'  I'm asked.  Well, there's just no sneaking into Europe  unannounced these days  is there?! It is with massive thanks to Irina Falconi  that only a few hours after arriving in France  I'm pinching myself with the excitement,  jet-fresh from Hong Kong, to be courtside at Roland Garros.  They were pleased to see Melbourne Mum,  I brought the sunshine, they said.  How sweet, I smiled. 'No really, it's been freezing!' So I don my big, floppy 'I come from a land Down Under'  hat, you know the one rescued from the river in Inverloch  -  style being my middle name, and feeling a lot like Crocodile Dundee, I set out to explore what's new this year. We're in before the crowds which give me the opportuni...

2015  a very delightful year! Family highlights: Schools out for ever ! All Kids at University.  Travel:  Bangkok, Singapore, Hong Kong, UK, Belgium, France, Vanuatu Career highlights: returning to paid employment with Asylum Seekers.  Isn't it interesting to see your most popular posts,  compared with what you believe are your best posts ?! Here are the most viewed each month  with March's My Sunday Photo "Escape" coming in the winner! JANUARY Happy Australia Day 2015   FEBRUARY Welcome to our Melbourne Madhouse  Australia I love having the Japanese girls to stay! MARCH My Sunday Photo: Escape  Australia APRIL Good Friday Royal Children's Hospital Appeal Melbourne  - Australia MAY I remember Wren  - UK JUNE Paris memories  - France JULY Alice in Oxford  - UK AUGUST Spring in Melbourne SEPTEMBER When two world's collide ...

When I think back to my carefree  summer in Paris  and  remembering all my favourite things, it  seems so long ago.  Paris the city of dreams;  Stylish , sophisticated, cultural,  historic, artistic, sporting,  memorable, beautiful. Paris the City of Love is now the city of heartbreak. Whereas once we had lots of words to describe Paris, this weekend, we have none.

'A few of my favourite things...' SOUND OF MUSIC LYRICS  by RODGERS & HAMMERSTEIN ... staying in an apartment close to the Parc des Princes and seeing the Paris St Germain crowd excitement for the last match of the season. For Blue Monday! Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens ...or roses in a French street market in Boulonge-Billancourt sprinkled with tennis water! Bright copper kettles and warm woollen mittens ...Or the Eiffel Tower through the copper gates of the Jardin des Tuileries Brown paper packages tied up with strings ...or smelly goats cheese These are a few of my favourite things . ..the Eiffel Tower through the sunroof of our taxi ----------------------- Photo credit: M deVries-Wiering  Cream coloured ponies and crisp apple struedels . ..or Napoleon's horses celebrating victory on the Arc de Triomphe du Carrousel  Place du Carroussel and the Louvre Doorbells a...