Flying Solo

So today is my last full day of my 6 weeks away. I feel like this will be my last blog but no- doubt my travels will cause some sort of upset, so be prepared for more. I already know I’ve got to get a bus from Manchester airport and I’m predicting massive queues at passport control. The UK is literally the pits.

Today was a day of relaxing. I got to the pool at about 10 and headed straight for the little spa pool.

I then read my book and had a baby coconut! Before heading to the pool bar for a few margaritas and some Mia Goreng – stir fried noodles ✅.

At this point I started feeling a bit nostalgic. I’m so grateful for the last 6 weeks. It truly has been a trip of a lifetime. You could say you’ve worked hard so you deserve it but this hits something different. Six years ago I was supposedly finding myself in Europe and pretty much to the day I wrote the following:

As I began to love myself I found that anguish and emotional suffering are only warning signs that I was living against my own truth. Today, I know, this is Authenticity.

As I began to love myself I understood how much it can offend somebody if I try to force my desires on this person, even though I knew the time was not right and the person was not ready for it, and even though this person was me. Today I call this Respect.

As I began to love myself I stopped craving for a different life, and I could see that everything
that surrounded me was inviting me to grow. Today I call this Maturity.

As I began to love myself I understood that at any circumstance, I am in the right place at the right time, and everything happens at the exactly right moment. So I could be calm. Today I call this Self-Confidence.

As I began to love myself I quit stealing my own time, and I stopped designing huge projects for the future. Today, I only do what brings me joy and happiness, things I love to do and that make my heart cheer, and I do them in my own way and in my own rhythm. Today I call this Simplicity.

As I began to love myself I freed myself of anything that is no good for my health –
food, people, things, situations, and everything that drew me down and away from myself.
At first I called this attitude a healthy egoism. Today I know it is Love of Oneself.

As I began to love myself I quit trying to always be right, and ever since I was wrong less of the time. Today I discovered that is Modesty.

As I began to love myself I refused to go on living in the past and worrying about the future. Now, I only live for the moment,
where everything is happening. Today I live each day, day by day, and I call it Fulfillment.

As I began to love myself I recognized that my mind can disturb me and it can make me sick.
But as I connected it to my heart, my mind became a valuable ally. Today I call this connection Wisdom of the Heart.

We no longer need to fear arguments,
confrontations or any kind of problems
with ourselves or others. Even stars collide,
and out of their crashing, new worlds are born. Today I know: This is Life!

Those words still mean one hell of a lot today. It’s been an emotional 6 weeks. In all honesty I’m a massive softy and have cried everytime I’ve had to say goodbye. Seeing my Australian sister and my new little buddy (Baby Noah) has been a highlight. New Zealand was incredible, Bali has been stunning, the whole 6 weeks has been truly fantastic and if you’ve been following my blog, good effort.

So here’s to Betty! You made my dreams come true! So thank you. I miss you every day and I hope you’ve followed my every moment. You’ve definitely been with me from my side of the trip.

So that’s me. Over and out. My next blog will probably be me ranting as mentioned about the UK and the general uselessness of public transport and airport immigration 🤷🏻‍♀️.

I was grateful to have Parid as my driver again for today’s tour of more temples and some UNESCO world heritage sites. The first stop was Tanah Lot Temple. Tanah Lot is one of the seven Balinese sea temples along the southwestern coast of the island and its name in Balinese means “land (in the) sea”. The main deity of the temple is Dewa Baruna or Bhatara Segara, the sea god or sea power. It is claimed to be the work of the 16th-century religious figure Dang Hyang Nirartha, who was significantly influenced by Hinduism.

Sadly, we arrived at high tide and with the wild weather the ocean was rough. I wouldn’t want to be on a boat out in that. Non the less it was worth getting soaked for 🤣🤣.

The next stop was Taman Ayun Temple built in 1634 AD by the King of the Mengwi Kingdom, I Gusti Agung Putu, to serve as the royal family temple and a center of worship for his ancestors and the people of Mengwi. The name “Taman Ayun” means “Beautiful Garden,” reflecting its surrounding gardens, ponds, and water features. The temple, a significant cultural and historical landmark, features intricate Balinese architecture, multi-tiered meru towers, and represents the cosmic Mount Meru. In 2012, UNESCO awarded Taman Ayun Temple as part of a world cultural tourism site.

When we first arrived it wasn’t raining, well my oh my did the heavens reopen, I’m sure the rain cloud had followed us from Tanah Lot. During the walk around Dom had sent me a message saying “Tropical rain hits different! Like is the umbrella really helping?!” Cheers sis. No the umbrella was not helping and I was soaked, and I’m sure Parid had given me an umbrella with a hole in it 🤣🤣. Again another beautiful temple that I’m sure would look even better in the sun.

We then headed towards the Jatiluwih rice terrace but first we stopped at the Junglegold chocolate factory. Here you could try all the different flavour chocolates for free presumably that some sucker will buy some on the off chance – that sucker was me. I can’t even remember what flavour I bought, I think milk chocolate, watermelon and perhaps orange or was it Earl Grey. I will find out when I unpack, actually I wonder if I should put it in my hand luggage – it will be hot in Dubai?! But then Bali is hot so surely they don’t sell chocolate that just melts. 🤷🏻‍♀️

The Jatiluwih Rice Terraces are Bali’s largest rice fields, a UNESCO World Heritage site renowned for their impressive, expansive views and the ancient Subak irrigation system. Located at about 700 meters above sea level in the central highlands and surrounded by fertile hills near Mount Batukaru, the name “Jatiluwih” translates to “really beautiful” in Balinese. Whilst here we walked through the terraces, tried some dried fruits, had a drink and got soaked when the heavens opened once again. Oh and Parid tried on one of the hats 🤣.

Our final stop was the Ulun Danu Beratan. This temple lies on the shores of Lake Beratan up in the mountains. On the way up to the temple you could barely see the moped in front of you as we were up in the clouds and rain. Before we arrived we tried some freshly cooked corn from a stall on the side of the road, it was so sweet and crunchy.

I was thinking that I wouldn’t even be able to see this temple, but when we arrived the cloud lifted slightly to show an impressive temple in the lake waters. Built in 1633, the temple is used for offerings and ceremonies dedicated to the Balinese water, lake and river goddess Dewi Danu, due to the importance of Lake Bratan as a main source of irrigation in central Bali. The 11-storey  pelinggih meru is dedicated to Shiva and his consort Parvathi. Buddha’s statue is also enshrined in this temple. This temple is also called the “Bali temple on the Lake” because it looks as if it is floating when the Bratan River rises.

This was my final “touristy” day. The remaining 48 hours will be left to relaxation 🙏🏼.

Upon waking today I was slightly concerned that I’d got the dreaded Bali Belly, I had my hydration salts, my probiotics and some anti-pooping tablet I got for South Africa that I’ve never used and hope for the best! You will be all pleased to know that I survived the day 🤪🤪.

I was picked up at 7.30 by Parid, my driver for the day. For the first part of the day we were heading for the waterfalls. It took just over an hour to get to the first stop, Kanto Lampo. This waterfall was pretty spectacular and you had the option of doing some sort of goddess pose on the rocks, alas I refrained as a) the queue was huge and b) I’m not sure I fancied posing like a mermaid in front of loads of people 🤪. I learnt however Parid was quite the photographer.

We then continued on to two more waterfalls, Timbumana and Taman Sari. Now all of these waterfalls were done about 200 steps and not just your normal step, one that needs a giant leap to get up. You can imagine in the humidity of the jungle, the extra water from the waterfall, the fact that it was about to piss it down and the general heat of being near the equator, every time I walked back up the steps I felt like I had been in a shower!

We then headed for lunch at this point the heavens opened! It poured down. The location for lunch was connected to a coffee place. Prior to coming to Bali, Dom had proudly told me that the coffee in Bali is from the poo of civets (a nocturnal animal) so as you can imagine I was a tad apprehensive to trying this, particularly when your not quite sure what’s happening inside your own body – but hey it can only get worse 🤷🏻‍♀️. I ended up trying 14coffees and teas and then a cup of the Luwak coffee. I also ended up buying a bag of turmeric tea, Bali coffee and some Luwak coffee. The science department are going to get a treat on Monday.

After my lunch of chicken sate, we headed to the Pura Tirta Empul, a Hindu Balinese Water Temple famous for its holy spring water, where Balinese Hindus go to for a ritual purification called Melukat. Whilst here the heavens opened again, but it was good to learn about the culture of the Balinese people.

I now want to make reference to the photo below. As you can see it is an image of a Swastika. In the western world it is associated with Nazi Germany, and the horrors of world wars. However, in Hinduism, the right-facing symbol (clockwise) (卐) is called swastika, symbolizing surya (‘sun’), prosperity and good luck. While the left-facing symbol (counter-clockwise) (卍) is called sauvastika, symbolising night or tantric aspects of Kali – a goddess primarily associated with time, death and destruction.

From the temple we headed to the Tegallalang Rice Terrace, I could’ve opted to zip wire across, or sit on a swing to get a photo. I opted for a gin in the terrace bar – absorbing my surroundings, the teacher in me told me the risk assessment probably wasn’t comprehensive and health and safety wouldn’t be a thing over here, I’d seen the roads and electrics, not sure a zip wire across the rice fields would be high on the agenda.

From here we headed back to Kuta. It took over 2 hours to travel the 30 miles back, as previously mentioned traffic in Bali was crazy.

I headed for the seafood bbq in the evening, the grilled Ikan Tenggiri a mackerel like fish along with the grilled prawns. The bbq also had a tamed down version of the dances from the Saturday night – hence the lack of photos 🤪.

Now I’m not going to lie I was looking forward to today’s activity. A trip to a local market and a Balinese cooking class.

If you follow me on Instagram you will know that I’m a bit of a foodie and love to cook. So 5 weeks of not doing any food prep I was excited to learn some new skills. Today did not disappoint.

I was picked up from my hotel at 7.30 and taken to the meeting point. Once all of the group has arrived we headed to the local market. The first stall we stopped at was the stall which sold the items required for the offering. Now bare with whilst I get the facts correct (I’ve noticed that there is a class where you learn how to make it, I may book in for Thursday, we shall see). A typical Balinese Hindu offering, the canang sari, includes flowers, cooked rice, incense (dupa), holy water (tirta), sweets or small treats, and small symbolic items like coins or pandan leaves. These offerings are daily acts of gratitude and a way to maintain balance with the spiritual world. There are 6 parts to them:

1.  Flowers (sekar): Vibrant flowers are central to the offering, with specific colors sometimes representing different prayers or deities. 

2.  Cooked Rice (rarapan): A symbol of prosperity and sustenance, rice is a common and essential component. 

3.  Incense (dupa): Incense sticks are burned, believed to act as a bridge to the spiritual realm and carry prayers to the gods. 

4.  Holy Water (tirta): After the offering is made, it’s sprinkled with holy water to consecrate it and bless the surroundings. 

5.  Sweets or Small Treats: Small cookies, crackers, or other sweets are often included to add a personal touch to the offering. 

6: Small coins or even fragrant pandan leaves can be added to further symbolize generosity and add a sweet scent to the offering

We then learnt all about the ingredients that were going to make up the pastes, the basis of the foods we were going to cook. Now apparently if you want to get rid of garlic breath you must do the following, eat parsley, followed by orange and black tea. There’s clearly a reason why you get a shabby piece of parsley and a slice of orange on top of the pointless bit of salad from an Indian takeaway. You also use shallots rather than red onion as they don’t burn as easily, oh and the word sate (satay) means skewer not peanut, as most would believe.

On to the cooking class. I was on a table with 2 ladies from London (one was a drama/English teacher) and an Italian couple, not going to lie the bloke was a waste of time when it came to chopping!

The menu:

1. Base be Siap (paste for chicken and meat)
2. Base be Pasih (paste for fish)
3. Ayam Betutu – Bali (roast chicken in banana leaf)
4. Be Celeng Base Manis (Pork in sweet soy sauce)
5. Urab Jagung (sweetcorn and coconut snack)
6. Sate Ayam (Chicken skewers)
7. Tum Ayam (minced chicken in banana leaf)
8. Lawar (green bean salad with chicken)
9. Pesan Be Pasih (grilled fish in banana leaf)
10. Pecelan (vegetable salad in peanut dressing)
11. Mie Goreng (fried noodles)
12. Nasi Goreng Ayam (fried rice with chicken)

Once all the food was prepared and cooked we got to eat it. My personal faves, the green bean salad with chicken (may appear next week at work), the pork in sweet soy sauce, the chicken skewers and the rice and noodles! It was all great if I’m being honest.

After the lunch I made my way back to the hotel. I could’ve taken a taxi, instead I walked the 7km ish walk back along the beach path. I suppose if you are eating and drinking it’s good to exercise, although it was sweaty. Two things that really have baffled me over here:

1. The traffic – mopeds and cars coming at all angles and no pedestrian crossings. You just have to back yourself and go for it.
2. The electrical grid, see photo below. There’s just wires everywhere. I’m no electrician but I feel that this is not the most efficient way of providing electricity and I would dread to be the person who needs to find the faulty wires.

Whilst writing I have a 3rd item which isn’t something which baffles me, just annoys me. The constant Ma’am or Lady would you like…no I bloody well don’t want a hair braid or a beer or a bracelet or a massage, if I wanted one I would ask or look in my own time. It made 4km of the 7km quite a stressful walk, at one point I did think perhaps I should just reply in Spanish that I don’t speak English 🤷🏻‍♀️🤷🏻‍♀️ and I would categorically not go into a bar called the Casanova Bar with the quote “suck my piss!” Even I have standards.

The rest of the day involved me reading my booking, and catching some rays by the pool. I was at a predicament of what to eat as I really didn’t fancy anything heavy. I ended up with fries. Not the ideal but didn’t want a “meal” I will regret it on Sunday when I hop on the scales 🙄🙄.

Today’s planned activity was silver jewellery making. I woke early as normal and headed for breakfast on the ocean front. An iced flat white and some smashed avo, poached eggs on toast with a side of beans set me up nicely for the day.

It was about a km walk from where I had breakfast to the jewellery making place, I was a bit early and expecting more people, however it was only me.

On arrival I had to decide which ring I would like to recreate. I went for a dinted silver ring which is adjustable so I could wear it on different fingers.

The process was as followed:

1. Melting the silver to form a silver bar
2. Hammering to harden the silver and make it less prone to breaking
3. Rolling to make thin sheets of silver wire
4. Shaping to get the desired design
5. Sanding to get rid of the antioxidant that was applied
6. Polishing to make a silver beauty

From the making of rings I walked back to my hotel via the Kuta art market and picked up some souvenirs. Now I’m not quite sure why but there seems to be a lot of wooden willies on sale, you can have key rings, bottle openers, models all of varying sizes, lots of different patterns. Half of me is tempted to buy one a pop it in my lounge to see if any visitor notices 🤪🤪.

Once back at the hotel I attempted a gym session. It was a fail, I couldn’t work out how heavy the weights were and it was hot, I got a stitch and only managed 1km on the treadmill. I figured the pool and a book was the best place for me.

I then sat and watched the sunset, the question is how many sunset photos can one take over a one week period. It’s a bit like guess the number of sweets in a jar 🤪🤪.

I was brave this evening and ventured out of the hotel. Although I did at one point think the street was a bit dodge, so texted my dad that I would let him know when I was back at the hotel 🙈🙈. It was actually perfectly fine and I should’ve gone that way to begin with. For dinner I had some chicken satay skewers, and beef rendang 🤤🤤. The traffic was mental even at 8pm when I walked back. Why don’t people just like sleeping 🤣🤣.

There’s a 2 hour time difference between Melbourne and Bali so it was inevitable that I would wake up early, even though I didn’t go to sleep until 3am Australian time.

The hotel I booked is a lot more expensive than the traditional Bali experience, but I figured I work my bum off for the majority of the year so why can’t I treat myself.

First stop breakfast. I hadn’t included breakfast in my room as I didn’t know what I would be doing but it was easy to add on. It was buffet style and I opted for noodles when in Rome 😂🤪.

It was then time to get my bearings, find the pool and the beach – not that I will be going on the beach as I can’t deal with sand in all areas of the body.

Before I had arrived, I had booked a massage at the spa. As a welcome drink I was given some butterfly pea flower tea. According to google it has the following health benefits: slows down aging, nourishes hair and skin, aids weight loss, improves heart health, boosts brain power, supports eye health and balances blood sugar. I was mostly baffled by the fact it was bright blue and upon the addition of acidic lime it turned purple – so you can imagine I’m now wanting to buy some for chemical experiments/ human trials on me 😂😂.

I’m not going to lie. I’m not sure if the massage was relaxing or the most painful experience of my 35 years on planet earth. The noises coming from my back were unreal and the pain as the lady pummelled me. At one point she said “ma’am is everything ok” as she jumped on my back, I am going to have one more before I leave.

Post massage I headed to the pool! Found myself a good little spot and started to read my book. It was then time to hit the water and accidentally have a margarita at the reef bar!

Another chapter later and it was time for some lunch. Nasi goreng and a bottle of bintang ✅✅

Lunch was followed by more reading and an afternoon coffee aka an espresso martini. I was living my best life (absolutely not sustainable).

All of the excitement of the day meant that I needed a nap. I also couldn’t work out if my back was getting burnt or it was just bruising from the massage. I’m still not sure. After a nap aka a proper sleep where you wake up thinking I could just stay in bed I headed to see the sunset. Seeing as I’m just south of the equator the sunsets at 6.15pm, not going to lie it wasn’t too shabby, neither was the glass of local white wine. No idea where it’s from. Local could be Australia for all I know.

Every Saturday at the hotel I’m staying at they do a BBQ with traditional dancing by the pool. I got a front row seat with my table for one 🤪. The king prawns fresh off the bbq were fab, as was the fish skewer. Whilst watching the traditional dances I did pose the question, if you were staying at a fancy English hotel let’s say Rudding Park what dance would be their go to “traditional English dance” – answers on a post card will be greatly appreciated. For those interested the Balinese dance is a religious and artistic tradition. It is known for its dynamic, angular movements of fingers, hands, head, and eyes, often accompanied by the music of a gamelan orchestra. The dances rooted in Hinduism, express ancient narratives These dances, rooted in Hinduism, express ancient narratives. Meanwhile all I can think of in my head for that “English dance” is YMCA and that’s not even English 😂😂.

The evening ended with a fire dance. Traditionally, Kecak dance is a sendratari (dramatic art) inspired by the Balinese ritual of Sang Hyang. It is a means of spiritual communication between the community and the gods or ancestral spirits. In an unconscious state, they will dance and be accompanied by songs of worship and accompaniment of tetabuhan. I’m not sure the music was traditional but who cares.

Considering today was a “relax” day I feel like I’ve done a lot…since leaving Australia my eye/ cheek has started twitching again…apparently it’s a sign of high cortisol…not sure what’s stressing me out 🤪🤪.

My final few hours in Melbourne, wow what a few weeks it’s been! I’m genuinely gutted to be leaving. Spending time with Dom, Stricko and baby Noah has been great. Who would’ve thought that back in 2004 when Dom and I first met we would be here 21 years later 🥰🥰🥰.

Noah had another great sleep, so we had a relaxed morning and I did my final barista duties, will have to get my A-game on when I get home and actually use my coffee machine – which reminds me, I must order some North Star beans! Once we had got ready, Noah had napped and I had packed we headed to Blackwork for a breakfast bagel and my final Melbourne coffee for a while (they are pretty good and actually fairly cheap for a coffee)

Dom then took Noah for his first swimming lesson 🥰🥰. I had a little cry and watched some more Ted Lasso. It was then time to head to the airport 💔💔. Sunglasses on, hide the wet eyes and hope Noah falls asleep. He nailed it, for 45 minutes, needless to say he didn’t enjoy the final 15 minutes. A quick goodbye, waterworks from me (and Noah) and I was back on my solo adventures.

Once through security I had a fair bit of time to kill as my flight was delayed by at least 40 minutes, I was flying with Jetstar which I would say is Ryanair equivalent perhaps slightly better. A few beverages, a pre flight snack and a cry, I was ready to fly.

Now for the soppy part. 21 years ago I was put on a plane with some peers and no member of staff, I met Dom and her family. We were 14, hormones were raging, we enjoyed our own bubble. We got through our ups and downs, 14 year olds can be bitches, but here we are today – I’m an emotional mess, Dom has 3 month old Baby Noah. When Betty aka granny passed away I knew it was time to travel the 10,000+ miles to see my sister. For the last few years it was always difficult, what with covid, I was meant to come for my 30th in 2020, and then my queens sadly deteriorating health I could never have stepped on a plane to the other side of the world. The trip was planned pre baby Noah, Dom had by chance got annual leave. The addition of my new bestie baby Noah has made the last 3 weeks incredible. He has been a dream. I’m pretty sure I’m going to continue to call him Baby Noah for as long as I’m alive, but he will always be welcome to come and stay with his Aunty Charlotte 🥰. But to his mumma, I thought I would’ve perhaps overstayed my welcome staying for just short of 3 weeks, but I honestly could’ve stayed forever. I’ve loved every moment and regardless of being 10,000 miles apart our friendship (I believe) hasn’t changed. I know you are going to be reading this whilst feeding the champ, so hey, thank you for putting up with me for the last 21 years 🥰🥰 you are the best and I look forward to the next 21 years (not the ageing part).

There was a 1hour20 minute delay with my flight and I eventually made it to Bali! This place is mental. It’s half midnight, it’s like being in a sauna and I already feel like something has bitten me on my leg! Now for the final part of my adventures 💃🏻💃🏻✅

So today is my last full day in Australia. I fly tomorrow early evening. It’s currently 9.44pm, I’m watching the football (AFL), I have a gin and everyone else is asleep. I’ve been putting off writing today’s blog as every time I think about leaving I shed a small tear – I really don’t want to leave, but what I am going to make sure I do, as staying is unrealistic and I will end up being deported, is make sure I don’t leave it another 15 years until I return.

I will save the emotional post until I’ve said goodbye to Dom tomorrow, I will cry like baby Noah when he’s over tired and can’t get himself to sleep, Dom will tell me to get a grip. I’m hoping she doesn’t start to get naked like she did today to try and do skin on skin with baby Noah who was just so overtired he couldn’t cope 💔💔.

Anyway, back to today. Stricko kindly cooked me bacon and eggs and I just added the avocado 💚, followed by a lovely morning walk in the Melbourne sun with baby Noah. Side note: he slept, I pushed.

When I returned Moan (Simone) had arrived ready for our adventure to the Yarra Valley. Our first stop the Yarra Valley Chocolaterie, well what a stunning settting, vines, mountains, sun and top company, beautiful.

In reference to good company and the first photo, I did have company they just didn’t appear in my photo.

After a short walk around the grounds and a little stop in the shop, I didn’t buy chocolate that you could eat, as I didn’t think it would survive a week in Bali and a transfer through Dubai, we headed to our next stop Zonzo.

Zonzo is a winery, with an Italian restaurant in the Yarra Valley. Sadly, they don’t sell to the UK as I would highly recommend their wines. For lunch we shared a lamb shoulder 🤤🤤, a prosciutto pizza and some fries. Zonzo is also famous for its limoncello so we had a spritz to start 💃🏻💃🏻.

After a lovely day out and catch up with Moan we headed home. I’d temporarily forgotten that it was GCSE results day but whilst Noah was having his first and I really hope last “I’m tired but I don’t know how to get to sleep” meltdown, I was having I feel sick, why do I care so much anxiety.

By 6pm we had both recovered, Noah was asleep and I had calmed with a beverage. We were ready for the last supper, a trip to the el chivi food truck for a steak sandwich 🤤🤤.

It’s now 10.32 pm I’m watching Ted Lasso and I’m hoping that perhaps if I don’t sleep this little part of my trip doesn’t have to end.

An early morning breakfast was on the cards this morning as Dom was going to pilates, as much as I think pilates would be good for me the thought of pilates reformer sends shiver through my bones. I would be the one that ends up face planting and in a whole heap of bother 🤣🤣.

Stricko, Noah and I met Dom and her friend Laura at Blackwork and today’s menu testing was pork belly benny – phwoar. It was basically thin slices of pork belly, poached egg, on a croissant style roll. It was goooooood.

I offered to walk Noah back home to give Dom a chance to get a shower and for me to walk off some of my breakfast 😂.

Once we had got ready and watched Noah smash a milestone and roll over we were heading for today’s adventure, a trip into Richmond. Richmond is the home of the MCG, the home of Australian cricket and the home of the mighty Melbourne Demons (they are not doing very well this season). On a side note the G is the largest stadium in the southern hemisphere and the second largest cricket stadium globally. I had the privilege of watching the Boxing Day test there in 2006 where England were absolutely thrashed and Shane Warne grabbed his 700th test wicket. I think it was also the time I met Paul Collingwood down on Southbank, I’ve a photo somewhere, although this was pre Facebook so it could be anywhere, I have found the photo of me doing the tour of the MCG in 2010 (see below)

Back to today. My main reason for wanting to go to the MCG was because I wanted to get a hoodie from the Demons store. I was successful and got a navy hoodie along with a penguin 🥰.

Once we had finished doing some shopping and Noah had experienced his first of many visits to the G (he was asleep on this occasion) we went for lunch at a little cafe in Richmond.

As we pulled up I said to Dom, I’m pretty sure that is Ash, low on and behold Ash was grabbing coffee with a friend. Of all the places to meet😂.

For lunch today was corn fritters with some halloumi! Melbourne really does know how to brunch. I’m going to miss such fodder upon my return to the UK.

It was another beautiful day, so the afternoons activity was a lovely pram stroll with my new bestie 🥰.

Tomorrow is my last full day, how is it that time already. Funny how I got an advert on instagram for teaching jobs down under 🤪🤪.

Day 29

Today was a very quiet day. We pottered! Everyone loves to potter. Dom cooked me her famous pesto eggs. A bagel with pesto, chilli, egg and cheese cooked in the air fryer. I will have to recreate this upon my return to the UK, must put bagels and pesto on my shopping list.

Mid- morning I did my couch to 5k week 5 day one and in the afternoon we chilled and went for a walk.

That evening we had chicken parmas ✅. A good rest day as the rest of the week is a bit jam packed 🤪.

Day 30

There was a frost in Melbourne today, a rare novelty, but the forecast was sun sun sun ☀️. Today I was going on a little adventure to Castlemaine to see Pam and PJ, Doms mum and dad if you’ve just started reading the blog. To get to Castlemaine I needed to get the train from Croydon to Southern Cross and then another train from Southern Cross to Castlemaine, just short of a 3 hour journey. Cost of travel in Melbourne is ridiculously cheap. If you think about a 3 hour journey in the UK, pushing £100, this journey cost me $11 or £5.50 in easy language. You can see why people commute using public transport rather than drive 🤷🏻‍♀️🤷🏻‍♀️.

Castlemaine is about 123km north west of Melbourne by road. It is known for its rich gold rush history, thriving arts scene, and growing reputation as a fine food destination. 

I arrived into Castlemaine at lunch time and Pam was waiting for me at the train station. We took a short drive to the old mill and grabbed some lunch at a lovely coffee shop/ cafe called Das Kaffeehaus yes you guessed it was an Austrian vibe cafe. I had a traditional Austrian sandwich, pork with gherkin and mustard and a flat white. Think I may look like a flat white by the time I leave.

We had a little mooch around Castlemaine then headed back to the house of Pam and PJ out in the bush. They gave a lovely little house with some land, and apparently sometimes on an evening they get kangaroos in their back yard. After a cup of tea and cake, I said my goodbyes to PJ and Pam and I went on the hunt. I wanted to see a kangaroo in the wild. I was in luck, we saw 2 just chilling in a field then a few km down the road there were 4 grazing in a field. Pretty cool. I had seen a kangaroo a few weeks earlier when we went down to Wilson’s Prom but sadly it had lost its battle with a car and was lying dead at the side of the road!

It was almost time to get the train back to Melbourne, but before that we called in to see Arni, Doms grandma and her aunt. It was lovely to see them both after so long. We even had time to a have a little drink in the railway hotel before I got an earlier than planned train (it was delayed and pulled onto the platform as I arrived) little did I know I was going to step back in time onto a train from what I sense was long ago. It was great to see Pam and PJ and such a shame that I couldn’t spend longer with them.

It did get me back to Melbourne where I was then able to navigate my way back to Croydon to get picked up by Stricko ready for a steak cooked on the BBQ 🤤🤤.

Another good day! Do I have to leave on Friday?! 😭😭