One of the main reasons why I wanted to come to Australia was to visit my godmother, Caro, who lives in Wombarra, a small town on the coast about an hour south of Sydney.
It was such a joy to see Caro and her husband, David. Caro and I have always gotten on well though, being continents apart, we've not spent all that much time together. Having a whole week together was heavenly. I think we covered pretty much every topic for discussion under the sun. She showed me an absolutely excellent time. I realised that I could have conversations with her that I probably couldn't have with anyone else. I'd always thought she was fantastic but now I reckon she's one of the most awesome people I know and I feel hugely lucky and privileged to have her as my godmother.
I absolutely fell in love with Wombarra and the surrounding towns (Coldale, Thirroul, Austinmer) along the Illawarra coast. They are unremittingly charming. Unlike the beach towns north of Sydney, known as dormitory suburbs because they are essentially commuter towns, the towns to the south still have a character of their own. They're just so sunny, not just in terms of the glorious weather (though it was glorious) but also that everyone I met there was of such a sunny disposition. I was blissfully happy the whole week. I'm not sure I ever stopped smiling.
It all got off to a very good start with a trip down to the local beach. Amongst her many talents, Caro is a photographer and has produced a beautiful range of pictures of the trails the snails leave when moving through a thin layer of sand and exposing the mineral-rich rock beneath. She calls these 'snail songlines'. I have long been familiar with these images, so it was a thrill to see the place where they were created and take some snaps of my own:
For Caro's photos, check out www.carolinebaum.com.au
The beach where they were taken:
Caro had sent me an e-mail when I was still in Nepal promising a change of dietary pace. My request was for meat that wasn't chicken or mutton, and she came up trumps on the first night with osso bucco, one of my all time favourite dishes, though she didn't know this. It marked the beginning of a week of total gluttony with Caro and I, who both love food, increasingly egging each other on in pursuit of the tasty. Ice cream, cakes, dim sum, sushi, scrumptious cheeses and figs, fresh local seafood. You name it, we probably ate it.
It was such a joy to see Caro and her husband, David. Caro and I have always gotten on well though, being continents apart, we've not spent all that much time together. Having a whole week together was heavenly. I think we covered pretty much every topic for discussion under the sun. She showed me an absolutely excellent time. I realised that I could have conversations with her that I probably couldn't have with anyone else. I'd always thought she was fantastic but now I reckon she's one of the most awesome people I know and I feel hugely lucky and privileged to have her as my godmother.
I absolutely fell in love with Wombarra and the surrounding towns (Coldale, Thirroul, Austinmer) along the Illawarra coast. They are unremittingly charming. Unlike the beach towns north of Sydney, known as dormitory suburbs because they are essentially commuter towns, the towns to the south still have a character of their own. They're just so sunny, not just in terms of the glorious weather (though it was glorious) but also that everyone I met there was of such a sunny disposition. I was blissfully happy the whole week. I'm not sure I ever stopped smiling.
It all got off to a very good start with a trip down to the local beach. Amongst her many talents, Caro is a photographer and has produced a beautiful range of pictures of the trails the snails leave when moving through a thin layer of sand and exposing the mineral-rich rock beneath. She calls these 'snail songlines'. I have long been familiar with these images, so it was a thrill to see the place where they were created and take some snaps of my own:
For Caro's photos, check out www.carolinebaum.com.au
The beach where they were taken:
Caro had sent me an e-mail when I was still in Nepal promising a change of dietary pace. My request was for meat that wasn't chicken or mutton, and she came up trumps on the first night with osso bucco, one of my all time favourite dishes, though she didn't know this. It marked the beginning of a week of total gluttony with Caro and I, who both love food, increasingly egging each other on in pursuit of the tasty. Ice cream, cakes, dim sum, sushi, scrumptious cheeses and figs, fresh local seafood. You name it, we probably ate it.
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