Gathering the minutes of life...Sydney, Hong Kong, Saigon

I am setting you up, 

leading you gently down the blogging post path.

Inhale...slowly...deep breath..out..slowly

Gaze at the lovely orchids below, shimmering in the glow

of the morning sun in Saigon..with a Buddha

ushering in tranquility in the distance.

How are you feeling?

Hold onto that thought (if you are somewhat relaxed)

It is about to change.

But first...

The thing about chaos, is that while

it disturbs us, it too, forces

our hearts to roar

in a way we secretly find magnificent.

-Christopher Poindexter

Are you ready?

Greetings from Sydney!

Travels around Sydney

I recently returned from Sydney where I had a wonderful catch up with family and friends. Sydney is familiar territory to me, having lived there for nearly twelve years. I slip into it with ease and enjoy every waking moment. My weekends were spent with my son and daughter, Connor and Christine while the weekdays were filled with appointments and catch ups with friends. As much as I enjoy the travel pace, I like to find time to disconnect too.  For me, it is a matter of popping in the earphones and walking long distances. Sydney is the perfect place for disconnecting. If you are so inclined, I suggest starting at Circular Quay and following the shoreline past the Sydney Opera House and into The Royal Botanic Gardens. Be sure to weave your way around the gardens, they are spectacular. It takes little effort to come onto the Art Gallery NSW...a must. After a wander, stop for a coffee or tea in the cafe and you will feel completely restored and ready to pick up where you left off. Before I pass onto my next collage, I would like to introduce little Napoleon, in the upper left corner. He is the resident pup in Christine's apartment, shared between four girls. I can tell you that little fellow gets plenty of TLC...I was totally smitten. 

Napoleon

When in Hong Kong....

Travels around Hong Kong

Prior to my trip to Sydney, I tagged along with Mr. H to Hong Kong. He worked...I played. Something I found very easy to do...especially with a camera. You may have gathered from my photos that I am a bit of a romantic. A travelling romantic. I often go into dream like states as I wander around cities...completely lost both in thought and in person. I always reckon this is the best way to explore a city. Only once, did that theory prove me wrong. Fortunately, I had no problem this time around. I am like a homing pigeon to afternoon teas and there are plenty of choices in Hong Kong. Give me an afternoon tea for one and easy access to Shanghai Tang and I am one happy traveller.  I took this trip to Hong Kong nice and easy having just completed a whirlwind tour of Saigon with a visiting friend....

Have Vespa will travel...

Travels through Saigon

If you are still with me, you may recall that I started my travel jaunt with a trip to Laos. I wrote about it here...and then another wonderful thing happened. A dear friend, Paula, came to visit Saigon by way of a business trip to Tokyo. The world surely turns in wonderful ways, as Paula and I had yet to meet two years previously. She came into my life with Tahilla Farm...and the rest is history. Paula said she wanted to see "Jeanne's Saigon" and I was thrilled.  I took her to my favourite shopping areas, signed us up for a cooking class, organised two Vespa tours, one around Saigon and the other to the Mekong Delta with spa time thrown in the mix. Always great when you have a kindred travel friend with you...it was a lot of fun!

HIPPO TALK...

Speaking of my way (or rather, Mr. H's way), some of you have asked how Henrietta Hippo is settling in. Henrietta came to us by way of Mr. H who had a remarkable idea to hand over a 12" wooden statue of a hippo he had from his days living in Africa and ask a local Vietnamese craftsman to replicate the very same into life size form...with interesting results. The first was that it was a complete surprise to me. 

I must say...

I have tried, in earnest, to accept her. 

I dressed her up..no luck.

When I returned from Sydney, I noticed that

she had a terracotta bowl which I had marked

for future succulents, postioned just so. 

I can see that Tika was not impressed either.

I am still trying to figure out who the "imp" 

was that put it there in the first place.

So..life at Chateau Mango carries

on it's extraordinary ways...hippo and all.

I am flying off to Tahilla Farm next week...

amongst other things, there is a small matter 

that I need to speak to our architect about..

and it involves a hippo. ;)

Until next time!

Jeanne :)