Where in the world is Lani?

Starting Again...

lani — Sun, 28 Dec 2008 02:54:00 GMT

Its funny how you always end up where you begin again somehow.

Rewind 2 years: Backpack in hand, vaccinations had, I set off for South America on the trip to change my life. It certainly did, and left me so inspired to travel that it's all I can think about.

Fast forward 2 years: I'm back home in Australia. Planning the next trip to change my life. The exotic lure of South America calls once again. Wasn't satisfied by my jaunts to Europe and UK since I left in early 2007. Don't get me wrong....I've seen some sights and met some memorable characters in those places, but I never got that feeling of freedom more than in Brasil, in Ecuador, in Chile, in Argentina....once you feel it, it stays with you.

So, I find myself making preparations for South America trip - the return - and the excitement it stirs is uncontrollable. This time round will be Bolivia, Colombia, Peru, Chile and back to Brasil in late 2009. In the meantime, its back to Spanish classes and keeping an eye on the finances to ensure that this time next year, I'll be living with the local Brasileros somewhere amazing.

Tchau for now x

Turkish Delights

lani — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 21:07:00 GMT

My new favourite destination for adventure is Turkey..... I stumbled across this place back in April this year when I set off for 10 days on an ANZAC day mission, tracing the steps of the Aussie diggers during WW1.

Started in Istanbul - a breathtaking city - fabulous mix of east meets west. Gazing across the city skyline you catch glimpses of the Blue Mosque, the Grand Bazaar, Turkish flags waving proudly in the wind and the turrets of nearby mosques. A must do is a wander in the Palace Gardens and a spot of Turkish tea overlooking the Bosphorous. I now understand why there is ALWAYS time for Turkish tea, in the sunshine, relaxing in the park!

Next stop was a journey to Gallipoli (Gelibolu) further south. Amongst the thousands of Aussies and Kiwi's there - the most hospitable and welcoming Turks in the world. We camped out overnight, the coldest I have ever felt in my life (under 10 layers and a sleeping bag, mind). The only thing that kept me going was the constant supply of sweet apple tea from charming Turkish grandma's for 1 lira (about 50p). Delightful.

The dawn remembrance service was spine tingling and the frozen night in open air was worth it. As the sun rose, the heat of the day defrosted us all and then before I knew it, we were trekking around the bay area - visiting the Australian, New Zealand and Turkish memorials before hitting the bus onto the next stop.

A quick night by the ocean before a day traveling to Cannakale ruins which takes our breath away. I've never seen so many poppies in full bloom, and such a rich history before. NEVER.

By this stage, my patience for being part of a 'pre-arranged' tour group had worn out, so I said adieu to the 30 others on the bus and jumped out on the side of the road (at Soke) to make my way somewhere off the beaten track.....no dorky tourist Turkish baths and organised walks for me thanks!

Found paradise (otherwise known as Didem, Altinkum) where the sun is always shining, the beach is always nice, the people are always smiling and you can have a Turkish shave, Turkish bath, Turkish dinner, Turkish drink or Turkish whatever for a decent price!

Whilst my fellow tour-goers spent days aboard the coach, I enjoyed the hospitality of some new friends, was invited (and attended) a Turkish wedding, spent some time with a traditional Turkish family, drank too much Turkish tea, tried the simple delights of Raki (local brew), homestyle cooking and fresh turkish delight!

How could I ask for any more?

London Life

lani — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 03:00:00 GMT

Well - it's been nearly a year since my last entry and over the past few days my feet have become itchy again..... so I logged back in to the journal for some inspiration.

Since July last year I've been mostly in London - working and trying to sort out what happens next. I've had some brief and memorable trips to Edinburgh, Belgium, Australia for a brief visit and back to Amsterdam in 2008..... in between it's been the northern tube line on which i've done most of my travels. A bit depressing really. But I have been getting out the camera and taking some cool shots of London town - this one is of some pretty blossoms at my front fence.

Next week i'm packing up and heading to Hong Kong for Easter with Sally which is going to be great! Looking forward to Shenzen, Macau and all the wonderful little places we're sure to find in Hong Kong city!

So, i'm back in travel mode and ready to get in and plan some more adventures for 2008. Watch this space.......

Until then xox

Van Gogh and Copa America

lani — Sat, 14 Jul 2007 20:25:00 GMT

The moral of this story is not to try and ride bikes when you are drunk in Amsterdam!

Bikes + Dutch beer + Brazil winning the Copa America = good times

I AMsterdam!

lani — Fri, 13 Jul 2007 20:16:00 GMT

On the road again - this time only 45 minutes away on a plane - to the chilled out city of Amsterdam, Holland for a few days break.

One of the best things about Amsterdam for me was the fact that 3 of my favourite people in the world happnened to be there when I was - Jack, Borjao and Rapha. My Brazilian brothers. The only thing better than exciting adventures is being able to share them with great friends! How lucky I am to be able to create these memories with my belezas!

After some trekking to get from London-Leeds-Amsterdam, it was the best feeling to arrive in Zeeburg (an outside suburb of Amsterdam) and get big hugs and beijos from the boys before we ate an Italiano dinner to rival any in the world. We then hit the local Italian restaurant for some dinner before missing the last trem into the city. Doh!

After a few bus rides that didn't take us anywhere, we ended up hitching a taxi and getting to PARADISO - the biggest and best club around in Amsterdam (so we were told). A night of dancing ensued, with a very late return to the hostel a sure sign that we had a great night!

Smiling on the tube

lani — Mon, 9 Jul 2007 21:09:00 GMT

Londoners don't like to smile much. Especially when they are riding on the tube (the sub ground train system here in London). Favourite passtimes on the tube each day, between work and home, include reading trashy newspapers, listening to iPods and also sleeping - no matter what time of the day. No doubt most of these passtimes are also done with the typical London frown 'serious face' which is the done thing here in London.

So, I like to make a point of sending out at least one smile each journey on the tube. Whether its in the morning at 8am, sending a smile to a pinstripe suit reading the financial times; or at 6pm coming home sending a smile to the stressed out career girl who is trying to text message and catch up on the days gossip magazines.....

I like the random smile and I really enjoy getting one back. So if you're in London soon and you see a smiling Aussie on the tube, send one back!

London Town

lani — Mon, 25 Jun 2007 16:06:00 GMT

London for me at the moment consists of:

Working in a challenging job as HR Advisor, excellent experience!
Walking the streets of lovely suburb Kilburn in NW London, savouring the small delights of hot coffee, fruit vendors on the street and the local busking man who only knows how to play Bob Dylan, but thats alright with me.
Figuring out where im gonna live for the next 6 months.
Always taking a jacket and umbrella with me, even though its Summer here. Every day has at least 4 seasons.
Hanging out with my Brazilian amigo, Afranio and practicising my Portuguese for the next trip back to Brazil.

Life is good at the moment.

xoxox Lani

A day in the Garden

lani — Fri, 8 Jun 2007 16:37:00 GMT

So, I hear the weather back in Australia is haywire at present.... storms, floods, rains and winds! Its a different story here in Leeds at the moment, where the sun is shining and the weather is sweet!

Today I have been practicing my portugues (for my next trip back to Brasil) and soaking up the sun in our lovely backyard, which amongst other things features a lovely English style garden. Complete with poppies, roses, irises and all number of cute little flowers, each with a different personality!

All my prayers go back home to Oz to anyone affected by this crazy weather and I hope it subsides ASAP.

North England

lani — Sun, 3 Jun 2007 03:48:00 GMT

Leeds in north England reminds me alot of Newcastle in Australia. Its got a great university here, so there are always plenty of students roaming the streets. Along with the university always comes plenty of pubs and coffee places... One of my great discoveries here has been that the local supermarket sells......VEGEMITE!! I didnt realise how much i missed that stuff until I was able to have it again! Im in heaven, with vegemite on toast and tea for breakfast in the mornings. mmmmmmmmmmmmmmm!

They have a great park here, Hyde Park, which is a lovely spot for an afternoon stroll and a sit in the sunshine. One of my best moments here has been an afternoon filled with reading a great book, a take away coffee, some tunes on my iPod and a sunny day in the park. What more could you wish for??

The shops here are very good as well!!!! I have spent some time in the city centre, and been tempted a few times to stoll down the malls and side streets where some fab boutiques are.....self control being the operative word!

So, in this moment, i'm looking for some work to help me finance some more adventures and to return to all the places ive seen so far! I have made some strong promises for return visits which I intent to fulfill, so its back to work for this little Aussie here in Leeds.

In the meantime, i'm spending time planning more travels to Amsterdam (Holland) in July, Italy in September, Germany in October and further down the track, some more of Europe..... how exciting!

Loving Leeds

lani — Fri, 25 May 2007 09:25:00 GMT

This time, 4 months ago, Angie and I would have been celebrating our first full week of travelling in Chile. Its amazing to remember back an relive how much has happened since January this year.... the events, the people, the places and the wonderful things that happen when you step outside of your comfort zone and travel!

So, after 4 months of backpacking I have arrived in Leeds, Northern England to set up camp for a month or so, look for work and join the rat race for a bit to earn some pounds to fund my next trip!

Leeds so far has been really nice, the weather is mild, the houses are cute and its a green city with lots of trees about which I love. I will endeavour to explore the city and keep you all updated with this next chapter of my travels.

Until then, take care

Lani

Day 123 - Park + Sunshine = Happy Times

lani — Sun, 20 May 2007 10:34:00 GMT

What to do on a sunny Sunday morning in central London?? Plenty of things, but one thing I have always enjoyed is sitting in the park, drinking coffee and watching life go by. What better opportunity than visiting London's famous Hyde Park, decribed as one of London's finest historic landscapes covering 142 hectares. With over 4,000 trees, a lake, a meadow, horse rides and more it is easy to forget you're in the middle of London. So that's what I did on Sunday morning!

As well as the people watching, I was pleasantly surprised to discover a place in the park called 'Speakers Corner' which happens every Sunday. Not strictly classed “entertainment”, this bastion of British free public speech and free assembly can prove one of the most absorbingly unique, theatrical activities the city has to offer.

Located on the corner of Park Lane and Cumberland Gate, opposite Marble Arch tube, Speakers' Corner is the spiritual home of the British democratic tradition of soapbox. Every Sunday since the right of free assembly was recognised in the 1900's people from all walks of life have gathered to listen to speeches about anything and everything... and to heckle. From Socialism to Sunday trading, sausages to space invaders, the opinions aired here are varied and fascinating. While Karl Marx, Lenin and George Orwell have all used this spot to express their ideals and beliefs, your average speaker isn’t quite as high profile. The coherence of the speakers also varies greatly, but as a whole it makes for great street theatre! I loved it, though wasn't tempted to jump up there myself and have a go!!!!

Loving London right now

Lani

Day 121 - Playing Monopoly

lani — Fri, 18 May 2007 10:15:00 GMT

I think Monopoly is the best board game around, so on my first proper day in London, when I didn't have a clue what to start with, I reverted back to my childhood days of playing one of my favourite boardgames! I bought a travelcard, rolled the dice and then set off to some familiar named locations, after passing go (with no £200 though...)

I started on Leicester Square, which also has a tube station nearby. This is a really busy part of London, with tonnes of shops, souveiner stands and food shops. It was really nice to wander around, people watching and looking at the sites. I went to the National Portrait Gallery while I was here and saw an exhibition on art in the fashion world which was great!

Next I went to nearby Regent Street which nearly wiped me out of all my cash (literally). Here I found some of the best shopping ive ever seen in my life, with great stores lining the streets.... a Starbucks Coffee shop on every corner and enough storefronts to keep me occupied for hours on end!

Kings Cross Station is the main tube station here in London, and so i have been visiting there every day to change trains on the way to different places I'm visiting.

Other places i've seen are:

Picadilly
Coventry Street
Oxford Street
Park Lane
Mayfair
Marylebone Station; and
Marlborough Street

Its crazy seeing all these places in real life after knowing them for so long! One things for sure, you need to be the banker when you are in London. Prices here are really expensive, so it helps to have extra cash when you are visiting!!!

Arrived in London

lani — Thu, 17 May 2007 10:54:00 GMT

Well, after 4 hours in Barcelona airport, 2 hours flying and over an hour on the tube I have arrived in London. The weather here is quite nice, sunshine and blue skies, but alas, of course I have a headcold from Barcelona!! Always the way....

So, today Ive bought a pass for the underground and im going exploring in the city!

Will keep you all posted with my adventures as they happen.

Signing off from Hendon Central, London

xoxox Lani

Day 117 - An excuse to go to the Aquarium

lani — Sun, 13 May 2007 15:46:00 GMT

What to do on a rainy day in Barcelona? Parks... no. Museums... closed on Mondays. Walking the city... don´t have umbrella.....

I had been secretly looking for an excuse as to why I could visit the Barcelona Aquarium, after reading rave reviews on the displays on the internet, and today I found my perfect reason. The rain forced me to do something indoors, close to my hostel.... perfect! I went to the aquarium with school kiddies and young families to enjoy the underwater delights!

I saw displays from the Mediterannean tanks, Tropical tanks, and other displayes from all over the world. I have to admit that I felt a pang of pride when I saw the display from the Great Barrier Reef, Australia!

The highlight was definitely the Oceanarium - the only one of its kind in Europe, is the largest tank and the one with the greatest number of species in L’Aquàrium de Barcelona. With a diameter of 36 metres and 5 metres in depth, it contains 4,500 m3 of water. Such species as giltheads, morays, ocean sunfish, rays and two kinds of sharks: the sand tiger shark (Carcharias taurus) and the sandbar shark (Carcharhinus plumbeus) are found in the tank and you can just spend hours watching the fish swim by.

Im so glad it rained today!

Day 115 - Getting Gaudi

lani — Fri, 11 May 2007 15:35:00 GMT

Ask anyone here in Barcelona and they will tell you the first thing you should see as a tourist is the the work of Gaudi - Barcelona’s most famous and brilliant modernist architect, Antoni Gaudí (1852-1926). Even now, many years after his heydays, Gaudi's work is admired by architects around the world as being one of the most unique and distinctive styles.

His work has greatly influenced the face of Barcelona architecture and anyone who comes here to Barcelona will see Gaudi's work all over the city.Gaudi's work was greatly influenced by forms of nature and this is reflected by the use of curved construction stones, twisted iron sculptures, and organic-like forms which are traits of Gaudi's Barcelona architecture.

Gaudi also adorned many of his buildings with coloured tiles arranged in mosaic patterns. This added another important dimension to his buildings which is so often overlooked by architects - the use of colour. The combination of original design, interesting shaped stonework, and vibrant colours in Gaudi's work gives a truly breathtaking visual experience!

Some of the places I visited today:

Sagrada Familia

A giant temple, probably Gaudi's greatest works and is the No.1 most visited attraction in Barcelona

Parc Guell

A magical park with amazing buildings, sculptures, and tile work designed by Gaudi. You will also find Gaudi's old home in Park Guell which is now open to the public as a small museum.

Casa Batillo

One of the most interesting and unusual houses in Barcelona.

Casa Mila

The façade, which was covered with black soot from urban pollution, now proudly shows of its sinuous curves and elaborate metalwork. The staircases and interior courtyards have also been restored to their original state with the careful recovery and restoration of the original mural paintings.

The most spectacular project was the recovery of the original attic, one of the most original aspects of Gaudí’s work. In the 1950’s the attic was converted into apartments (13 separate ones!) and to take them apart and recover the original structure was a slow and arduous task. The restoration of the roof, with the chimneys that are a symbol of Barcelona, involved cleaning by hand the thousands of pieces of tile fixed with mortar that Gaudí used as a kind of mosaic.

My advice is that you really should make a point of seeing these places if you are in Barcelona, as its an awesome experience to see some unusual and very Spanish architecture in a city so passionate!

Barceloneta Beach

lani — Thu, 10 May 2007 15:26:00 GMT

In Barcelona you are never far away from some interesting architecture.. not even on the beach! Today I braved the masses to head to Barceloneta beach, and some amazing sites. One of them being this sculpture on the beach - but the designer of this building may have had a few too many drinks when he was drawing up his designs! hehe.

The beach here is different to my experiences in Australia and Brasil.... I hesitate to say the beaches in Australia and Brasil are better, but they are! I guess its just different here as well.

The sand is a grainy, dirt like consistency, still looks like sand, but is rougher on the feet..... and blows all over your bag and towel when you lie at ground level. So, as you can imagine, the bloke who rents beach chairs to punters for 5 euros a pop is making a good living!

Its also much more acceptable to go topless on the beach here in Spain as well. And I dont just mean for the guys.... I have no problems with people comfortable with their bodies doing whatever they want. The only annoying thing was the loads of English hooligan guys who use this as an oppotunity to oogle anyone and everyone like they've never seen the human body before.... oh well.

But the sun was shining, the beer was cold and it was a great day... my last opportunity to top up the tan before heading to London! Yikes!

Day 113 - Beating off the backpacker blues

lani — Wed, 9 May 2007 17:27:00 GMT

I have to admit that after 4 months of backpacking, I reached Barcelona feeling exhausted, mal-nutritioned and generally fed up with living out of a bag every single day. I did, however, remember that I only have the opportunity to live once, and that this trip has brought me some of the most wonderful times of my life!

So, I spent my first day here resting, eating well and generally getting myself back on track to tackle my last few days in Spain before hitting the UK for the next phase of the trip...

This morning I decided to grab Barcelona with both hands and make it a wonderful day. And i´m so glad I did!

I started by doing something which I knew would make me smile. I visited the foundation gallery for Joan Miró - whose art has bought me so much happiness! I spent a wonderful hour wandering the gallery, seeing his artwork and feeling on top of the world! How fantastic!

Afterwards, I wandered the beautiful park in the Montijuic district of Barcelona, admiring the wonderful view and the immaculate gardens, which included a spectactular display of water lillies (one of my favourites!)

In the afternoon I visited the Picasso museo, the chocolate museo and a small gallery called Iguapop in the Arc d´Triomf (yes thats how the Spanish spell it!) region of Barcelona. Amazing! Picasso was certainly a genious, and so was the person who thought to establish a museo of chocolate! Yum!

I have spent the remainder of the afternoon in the plaza surrounding the Spanish Arc d´Triomf, watching life go by and just marvelling at the Spanish zest for life and enjoying the sunshine.

So, I am definitely back on top of the world (after beating the backpacker blues) and the view from here is amazing!

Ciao xoxox Lani

Day 110 - Holy Toledo!

lani — Mon, 7 May 2007 10:06:00 GMT

Well, we don´t say the phrase `Holy Toledo`for nothing!

Today I took the 1 hour bus ride from Madrid centro to Toledo for the day, stepping back in time to tiny cobblestone streets, small shop windows in cute little curving alleys and views of the Spanish countryside to die for!

I started by feeding my newly re-acquired addiction for nice coffee (now that I can buy it here in Europe - sorry south america, you may grow good coffee beans but instant Nescafe just doesn´t cut it!!!). I enjoyed a lovely cafe con leche (coffee with milk) overlooking the Toledo main sqaure, in the sun, lamenting over how wonderful life is!

Then it was time for walking the religious path (literally). The main cathedral of Toledo is the most amazing building I have seen so far on my travels - with 26 separate areas for partons it was absolutely unbelievably huge and magestic. Just goes to show the amount of power and $$ that the catholic church had in those times.

After touring some other places, like monasteries and other smaller churches I stopped in to a small convent where the nuns are cloistered. I really didnt know what this means until it was explained that the nuns do not have any ´sight´contact with the general public... i.e they can only talk to you but not look at you.

It was strange because they had a small shop there which sold handmade treats from the nuns kitchen, so I bought some handmade marzipan cakes which were served from behind a small trapdoor... crazy but memorable. And the cakes - delicious!

So, Toledo is definitely a place worth visiting if you like the religious aspects of grand cathedrals, historic monasteries and marzipan cakes made by cloistered nuns!!!

Day 109 - Discovering my new favourite artist

lani — Sun, 6 May 2007 09:50:00 GMT

Here´s a hot tip for Madrid - all the museums and galleries are free on a Sunday! So on Sunday, I hit the galleries - ready to be overwhelmed with fantastic art in Spain. I visited.....

The Prado Museum:

Without any doubt, this the Prado is one of the world's most important museums since it opened in 1819 (when it became one of the world's first public art galleries). This massive collection is a testament to the centuries of devotion to art accumulation by the Spanish monarchy and church and is full of old style gems that you just don´t see in Australian galleries.

To name just some of the artists represented in the Prado: Brueghel, Van der Weyden, Van Dyck, El Bosco, Durero, Rembrandt, Rubens, Fra Angélico, Mantegna, Botticelli, Bronzino, Rafael, Tiziano, Tintoretto, El Greco, Velazquez, Murillo, Ribera, Goya, ...

The Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum:

This (once private) fabulous collection of paintings is housed in the Palacio de Villahermosa (19th century) which was completely remodelled by the Spanish architect Rafael Moneo. The collection was started in 1920 by the Baron Thyssen-Bornemisza's father, who upon his death distributed the work among his various heirs. Keen to reunite his father's collection, the last Baron (Hans Heinrich, 1921-2002) bought together most of the works from his relatives and the proceeded to acquire large numbers of new works to produce what is one of the world's finest private art collections. The museum was opened in 1992 after an agreement was reached between the Baron and the Spanish government, originally as a loan. A year later the collection was bought outright and now the gallery is a popular and beautiful place to visit in Madrid.

My favourite pieces here were the Salvador Dali´s - so strange, but you just can´t look away!

The Reina Sofia: My favourite!!!

Once the San Carlos Hospital, the remodelling of this building began in 1981 and in 1986 the Centro de Arte Reina Sofía was inaugurated, becoming the principle location in Madrid for national and international exhibitions. It is home to a variety of art-related activities, such as conferences, courses, poetry recitals and contemporary music concerts (though none of these were happening when I was here!)

In 1990 the collection of modern Spanish art was added to the museum, and this is the stuff that I really love. Not long afterwards a decision was taken to move Picasso's famous Guernica, with its preliminary sketches and drawings as well as a work by Juan Gris into the Reina Sofía, all of which had been previously kept in the Casón del Buen Retiro, a part of the Prado Museum. The areas with Picasso are amazing and I couldnt believe I was actually seeing Picasso!!!!

Amongst the works at Reina Sofia, I discovered an artist called Joan Miro who I totally feel connected with and as I saw more Miro work, I felt more and more inspired and happy!

After a busy day visting all 3 museums, I was so happy to have learnt some new things (particularly about Spanish art) but also about some wonderful artists that I hadn´t heard of, or had the opportunity to see before. I guess thats what travelling is all about!

Day 108 - Walking tour of Madrid

lani — Sat, 5 May 2007 09:27:00 GMT

I came here to see the `real`Madrid and not just the lonely planet version. The first thing I discovered was that in Madrid you have a few options for seeing the city:

Take the gringo tourist bus for 15 euros which takes a loop of the city, but makes each tour member a target for theives as the bus is bright orange and very conspicuous!
Catch the very efficient metro service around (1 euro per trip), but miss the above ground sights on the way to your destination....
Strap on your walking shoes and hit the pavement to discover how much walking is humanly possible in one day!

So, armed with a city map, a list of interesting things to see and do & as much spanish as I could remember from all those weeks ago when I learned in Argentina - today I hit the streets to see what Madrid has to offer.

I saw so many beautiful places, full of history and with loads of character its hard to remember them all...amongst the highlights were some beautiful plazas with statue monuments to the great Spanish leaders; amazing churches and cathedrals; the royal palace and surrounding parks; and old cobblestone streets that seemed untouched for a few hundred years!

Other highlights of wandering the city of Madrid included.....

An impromptu performance by street performers in the Plaza Mayor which was hilarious and very entertaining
Enjoying a traditional spanish paella and sangria for lunch.....
Shopping for Real Madrid merchandise at any one of a million gringo stores
Checking out the beautiful styles of the Madrid dwellers - so european and so funky - I love it!!!!

So, at the end of the day, after a dinner of tapas and some red wine I am starting to feel like I have seen some of the real Madrid. Beautiful. Busy. Expensive.

Where in the world is Lani?

Starting Again...

Turkish Delights

London Life

Van Gogh and Copa America

I AMsterdam!

On the road again - this time only 45 minutes away on a plane - to the chilled out city of Amsterdam, Holland for a few days break.

After a few bus rides that didn't take us anywhere, we ended up hitching a taxi and getting to PARADISO - the biggest and best club around in Amsterdam (so we were told). A night of dancing ensued, with a very late return to the hostel a sure sign that we had a great night!

Smiling on the tube

I like the random smile and I really enjoy getting one back. So if you're in London soon and you see a smiling Aussie on the tube, send one back!

London Town

London for me at the moment consists of:

Working in a challenging job as HR Advisor, excellent experience!

Walking the streets of lovely suburb Kilburn in NW London, savouring the small delights of hot coffee, fruit vendors on the street and the local busking man who only knows how to play Bob Dylan, but thats alright with me.

Figuring out where im gonna live for the next 6 months.

Always taking a jacket and umbrella with me, even though its Summer here. Every day has at least 4 seasons.

Hanging out with my Brazilian amigo, Afranio and practicising my Portuguese for the next trip back to Brazil.

Life is good at the moment.

xoxox Lani

A day in the Garden

North England

They have a great park here, Hyde Park, which is a lovely spot for an afternoon stroll and a sit in the sunshine. One of my best moments here has been an afternoon filled with reading a great book, a take away coffee, some tunes on my iPod and a sunny day in the park. What more could you wish for??

The shops here are very good as well!!!! I have spent some time in the city centre, and been tempted a few times to stoll down the malls and side streets where some fab boutiques are.....self control being the operative word!

So, in this moment, i'm looking for some work to help me finance some more adventures and to return to all the places ive seen so far! I have made some strong promises for return visits which I intent to fulfill, so its back to work for this little Aussie here in Leeds.

In the meantime, i'm spending time planning more travels to Amsterdam (Holland) in July, Italy in September, Germany in October and further down the track, some more of Europe..... how exciting!

Loving Leeds

So, after 4 months of backpacking I have arrived in Leeds, Northern England to set up camp for a month or so, look for work and join the rat race for a bit to earn some pounds to fund my next trip!

Leeds so far has been really nice, the weather is mild, the houses are cute and its a green city with lots of trees about which I love. I will endeavour to explore the city and keep you all updated with this next chapter of my travels.

Until then, take care

Lani

Day 123 - Park + Sunshine = Happy Times

Loving London right now

Lani

Day 121 - Playing Monopoly

Next I went to nearby Regent Street which nearly wiped me out of all my cash (literally). Here I found some of the best shopping ive ever seen in my life, with great stores lining the streets.... a Starbucks Coffee shop on every corner and enough storefronts to keep me occupied for hours on end!

Kings Cross Station is the main tube station here in London, and so i have been visiting there every day to change trains on the way to different places I'm visiting.

Other places i've seen are:

Picadilly

Coventry Street

Oxford Street

Park Lane

Mayfair

Marylebone Station; and

Marlborough Street

Its crazy seeing all these places in real life after knowing them for so long! One things for sure, you need to be the banker when you are in London. Prices here are really expensive, so it helps to have extra cash when you are visiting!!!

Arrived in London

Well, after 4 hours in Barcelona airport, 2 hours flying and over an hour on the tube I have arrived in London. The weather here is quite nice, sunshine and blue skies, but alas, of course I have a headcold from Barcelona!! Always the way....

So, today Ive bought a pass for the underground and im going exploring in the city!

Will keep you all posted with my adventures as they happen.

Signing off from Hendon Central, London

xoxox Lani

Day 117 - An excuse to go to the Aquarium

What to do on a rainy day in Barcelona? Parks... no. Museums... closed on Mondays. Walking the city... don´t have umbrella.....

I saw displays from the Mediterannean tanks, Tropical tanks, and other displayes from all over the world. I have to admit that I felt a pang of pride when I saw the display from the Great Barrier Reef, Australia!

Im so glad it rained today!

Day 115 - Getting Gaudi

Some of the places I visited today:

Sagrada Familia

A giant temple, probably Gaudi's greatest works and is the No.1 most visited attraction in Barcelona

Parc Guell

A magical park with amazing buildings, sculptures, and tile work designed by Gaudi. You will also find Gaudi's old home in Park Guell which is now open to the public as a small museum.

Casa Batillo

One of the most interesting and unusual houses in Barcelona.

Casa Mila

The façade, which was covered with black soot from urban pollution, now proudly shows of its sinuous curves and elaborate metalwork. The staircases and interior courtyards have also been restored to their original state with the careful recovery and restoration of the original mural paintings.

My advice is that you really should make a point of seeing these places if you are in Barcelona, as its an awesome experience to see some unusual and very Spanish architecture in a city so passionate!

Barceloneta Beach

The beach here is different to my experiences in Australia and Brasil.... I hesitate to say the beaches in Australia and Brasil are better, but they are! I guess its just different here as well.

The sand is a grainy, dirt like consistency, still looks like sand, but is rougher on the feet..... and blows all over your bag and towel when you lie at ground level. So, as you can imagine, the bloke who rents beach chairs to punters for 5 euros a pop is making a good living!

But the sun was shining, the beer was cold and it was a great day... my last opportunity to top up the tan before heading to London! Yikes!

Day 113 - Beating off the backpacker blues

So, I spent my first day here resting, eating well and generally getting myself back on track to tackle my last few days in Spain before hitting the UK for the next phase of the trip...

This morning I decided to grab Barcelona with both hands and make it a wonderful day. And i´m so glad I did!

I started by doing something which I knew would make me smile. I visited the foundation gallery for Joan Miró - whose art has bought me so much happiness! I spent a wonderful hour wandering the gallery, seeing his artwork and feeling on top of the world! How fantastic!

Afterwards, I wandered the beautiful park in the Montijuic district of Barcelona, admiring the wonderful view and the immaculate gardens, which included a spectactular display of water lillies (one of my favourites!)

In the afternoon I visited the Picasso museo, the chocolate museo and a small gallery called Iguapop in the Arc d´Triomf (yes thats how the Spanish spell it!) region of Barcelona. Amazing! Picasso was certainly a genious, and so was the person who thought to establish a museo of chocolate! Yum!

I have spent the remainder of the afternoon in the plaza surrounding the Spanish Arc d´Triomf, watching life go by and just marvelling at the Spanish zest for life and enjoying the sunshine.

So, I am definitely back on top of the world (after beating the backpacker blues) and the view from here is amazing!

Ciao xoxox Lani

Day 110 - Holy Toledo!