How to finally see a platypus in the wild in 8 steps (it only took me 16 years)!

Step 1: Tag along to one of my mens regular "fishing weekends" in countryside NSW.

Step 2: on the last day of the weekend, get up at 4.45 in the morning to take my first born fishing because... I can't remember the reason, but I swear, it sounded like a good idea the night before!

For the record, and as my son noted it: it was the first time ever I woke up so early to go fishing, well watch him fish!

Step 3: after driving for 50 minutes (actually my son was driving and I was trying not to fall asleep because he is still on his L plate), get to "THE fishing spot!" just in time before sunrise!

Step 4: Start the walk by having to climb over barbed wire, trying not to rip my pants while my beloved son is too busy recording it for posterity to help his old mother!

Step 5: walk for 25 minutes, tripping and stepping regularly in cow poo because it is too dark to see anything.

Step 6: get to one of the fishing holes and wait, wait, wait... hoping that every single little ripple is actually a platypus.

Step 7: spotting one!!!!! and then another one!!!!!

Step 8: just stay there and watch them until they disappear, with the biggest grin on your face especially as they swim past very close and seem to have all the time in the world.

In my son's words: "it was so worth it, wasn't it?"

On my own!

The Australian writer, Lucinda Holdforth in her book: "True Pleasures: A Memoir of Women in Paris" noted that one of the things she likes when in Paris is the fact that she can sit in a cafe by herself, eat or even just have a glass of wine and not raise any eyebrows.

Reading that made me realise: in the 16 years I lived in Sydney I probably never did that, whilst it is one of the things I enjoy when I am in France. Before reading the book, each time I was back in France, I did not even think about it when walking into a cafe for lunch on my own, order a nice meal and a glass of wine.

Even meeting with girlfriends in Sydney for a night out, the first one who arrives usually waits for the others outside... in France you sit down and sometimes start drinking while waiting for your friends....

Today I had a business meeting in Crows Nest which finished just before lunch, so I went for a little walk and came across "Charlie Lovett" offering gorgeous lunch options, walked in and ordered a beautiful omelette with smoked salmon followed by a coffee and enjoyed a nice moment "on my own" looking out onto the lively street, all the traffic and the people walking past just like I would have in Paris - I might wait a bit for the glass of wine, I am not that confident yet!

I Loved it! And it did, indeed, made me feel a bit more at home!

what I love about Sydney: the water!

Yesterday we took our boat out for the first time, from Apple Tree Bay (Cowan Creek) to Pittwater. Perfect day for it. Beautiful weather, very sunny but not too hot.

Which takes me to one of the thing I've always liked about Sydney: the water. Wherever you are in Sydney, as soon as you start moving about you see the water. Whether it is bays, harbours, the sea, it is everywhere. And it is definitely one of the big charms of this city.

Still torn

When I was in Paris last November, a friend told me that after 16 years of living in Sydney I was still torn between France and Australia. Well if you knew me you would say it is pretty obvious, no big revelation there! 
It is more what she said after that still resonates with me: "you have to find a way to reconcile the two and realise that you are a citizen of the world". 
Ok, I do have the dual citizenship, does that count??? She also gave me lots of ideas on how to achieve that, or at least try to.

So I guess I just wanted to find my own way and after quite a few months of reflecting on it; here it is: why not sharing what I love about Paris and Sydney, about Australia and France and by putting it on paper - so to speak - finding a way of bridging the gap. Teleportation or digging a tunnel are apparently not an option! Yet!

I am not sure what will become of both this blog and me through this journey, but I will do my best to be honest, and opened to whatever comes my way. 

So here we are at the start of a new adventure, yeah!