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Fresh From the Mind
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A NORMANDY HERITAGE JAUNT – JUNE, 2024
It’s easy to see why many Impressionist artists flocked to Normandy to find inspiration: the lush landscapes and quiet serenity of the countryside, just a short schlepp away from Paris, would provide the perfect setting to paint in peace. No doubt they also nibbled on local cheese—the iconic Camembert, the smooth Pont L’Evêque, the pungent Livarot,…
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ISN’T KOFU IN GREECE? CHERRY-BLOSSOM TIME IN JAPAN PART 2
Cherry-blossom shots are the quintessential heart of the Japanese travel brochure cover shot, but Japan in cherry-blossom season is unlikely to live up to your dreamed experience if you limit yourself to the overtouristed areas of Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka. NARITA In March 2025, our Jetstar flight from Brisbane landed at Narita Airport after dark. Rather than…
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RITES OF SPRING, JAPAN 2025
After three weeks in less touristed parts of Japan, my husband and I are bulleting through semi-rural Gunma Prefecture towards Narita Airport, laden with presents for the grandkids and a shared head cold. Blinking at passing scenery with dull, red eyes, over soggy masks, we’re afforded tantalising glimpses of iconic ‘sakura’—cherry-blossom trees. They’re scattered throughout…
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The Arctic’s hottest spot: Reykjavik—36 hours in the coolest season
36 Hours in Reykjavik: The Cool Capital “Greenland is actually white because it’s full…
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Insights gained on a Trafalgar Tour of Christmas Markets
It isn’t safe to visit Bethlehem in December, so the next most Christmassy experience…
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A Sacred Sanctuary in the Mountains: The Essence of Real Japan
It is early spring in Japan. We are to the west of Mount Fuji,…
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The Cusp between the years in Tuscany
After Rome, the most bucket-listed part of Italy is probably Tuscany. I spent New…
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Lenses on Lilac: Jacarandas in Ipswich
Where I live, in South East Queensland, there’s a saying that when the Jacarandas…
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THE WHITE GIRL By Tony Birch
The story revolves around Aboriginal Odette Brown, a resident of the fictitious town of…
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Margaret R Kelly 