Hello Again,

Sydney is a little brighter today than it has been over the past two weeks, which have been cold and rainy, and overnight nature has been at work. I went down to my favourite beach, Manly with a friend and her dog for our regular long Sunday walk (and swim, weather permitting ) along the boardwalk from Harbord to Shelley Beach. When we arrived we were amazed to find that storms and wild weather have actually washed metres of sand off the beach. Overnight, tonnes of white sand has been scooped from almost the whole stretch of the beach exposing rock once metres underground.  Crowds of tourists and locals strolled along the boardwalk to have a look. A (hopefully temporary) 150 metre long fence has been erected along the beach to prevent anyone from falling onto the rocks a couple of metres below. In the past it was quite simple to jump from the boardwalk onto the sand below.

While there must be many disappointed ‘Little Nippers’ and volley-ball players, the kids were still making the most of it, scrambling across the rocks exploring the rock pools and searching for beach treasure in competition with the metal detectors which were also out in force. And off-shore the kite-surfers were making the most of the wind and the huge swell and keeping the onlookers entertained. It was still a great day at the beach.

 And, it could be worse – this could have happened in summer!

Happy Travelling!

Hello Again,

To-day I got a call from a neighbour to help her change 16 light bulbs in the ceiling of her newly renovated family room.  I was mystified because the builders left only yesterday.   Problem is that the local council would only approve environmentally friendly lights for this room.  Shame, but these bulbs don’t even give off enough light to be able to read a newspaper even when standing beneath one – I tried it!  So after the council had approved the environmentally friendly lights my neighbour was then forced to pay another $10,00 each for sixteen more bulbs and replace the lot so she could at least read in comfort and ensure the kids wouldn’t cost her a fortune in optometry expenses. Surely from an environmental and practical perspective there is a better system than this?

Happy travelling!

Hello Again!

I have just received an email from a friend who has the good fortune to live near a beach on the east coast of Spain. I am quite envious as the temperature is around 9 degrees here in my office in Sydney, but in sunny Castellon it is closer to a warm, welcoming 24. My friend attached a photo of his local beach and seeing all those swimsuit clad beach goers soaking up the warm rays, splashing happily or strolling leisurely along the long stretch of white sand, gave me a sudden urge to ring Flight Centre! (It passed.)

My friend said that high up in the mountain range behind the beach lie the ruins of a 500 year old Carmelite monastery, which is a popular destination for walkers and hikers in the area. In the 1800s the nuns who occupied this isolated monastery were forced to relocate further down the mountain owing to the threat of a landslide. They established the Monastery of the Desierto Las Palmas which is now run by a community of Franciscan monks and nuns who also operate a popular retreat and conference centre. The monastery is only a few miles inland from the resort town of Benicassim. 

The Carmelites have left their influence on the town and the local Convent Museum in Benicassim provides a glimpse into the area’s solid religious past. Monastery produced wine and liquor can be purchased at the Bodegas Carmelitano (Carmelite Cellars ) in the town and each tour of the cellars includes a sample taste. An aromatic herbal liquor called Liquor Carmelitano and a luscious, sweet white wine, Moscatel Carmelitano are among the varieties available. You might find the following websites interesting.

Happy Traveling!

www.desiertodelaspalmas.com/                                                                   http://benicassim.costasur.com/en/index.html