Sunset at Seahorse Coastal Villas (Peterborough, VIC)

How nice it was to experience the sunset overlooking a field across the road from the villa where we are staying. The orange light of the setting sun creates patterns of absolute beauty over the hay covered fields. As I waited to capture the sun falling behind the horizon I enjoyed every minute of the dying day looking at the simple beauty nature provides us with every day. If only our lives were less preoccupied with racing towards unattainable or unimportant goals we could be living this everyday. 

Peterborough and Surroundings Expedition

The main beach of Peterborough has two parts...on one side of the Curdies River there is the rocks area, where there are many rock formations with rock pools. I don't really like to swim there cause when I tried it I hurt my feet. But I sat there and read my book and picked up some nice looking shells.

On the other side of the river there is the long beach with light coloured sand and waves and sand dunes. Beautiful but has to be accessed on the other side of the river, which I did a later stage and killed myself trying to climb the dunes at noon with 40 degrees. My feet would sink into the hot sand and get stuck with my thongs flying in opposite direction..it was a funny but hot experience. Adding to that the sand flies that bit me everywhere. But despite that little misfortune I have to say that the beach is perfect...nobody around, and sand and blue water as far as the eye can see. I really enjoyed the sea and the beach that morning.

This is the view from our unit's deck.

There were the first places we visited on the day of our arrival. Stunning views and practically desolated. Tourists drive, park, take pictures, get back on their cars and drive away. No many people stays in this area and I just find it strange. Not that I mind because there is nothing worse that a crowded beach in the summer. I think we might have found the perfect spot for a Zalewski style holiday.

These photos avobe are of Port Campbell. A few more people there, since there is at least a block of shops and cafes. The bay there is stunning with a huge wall-like rock on one side and the pier on the other. The water is a bit cold but swimming there was something out of a dream. The other two times we were here was Winter so I always wondered what would it be like to swim there.

Then we stopped and saw the London Bridge. An awe striking place. The half that remains sits there surrounded by light blue-greenish waters. When the waves curl and just before they break they give you the gift of their colour. It only last a few seconds before they violently break into white foam. The London Bridge used to have a second arch connecting it to the mainland, but in 1990 it collapsed. Fortunately nobody got hurt but two people were stranded in the part that still remains and had to be rescued by helicopter.

These images above are of a place called The Grotto. We had to descend many, many steps to see this up close, but it was worth it. The beauty of this place is indescribable and the water sits so still there...but behind and below lies the fury of the ocean. I wouldn't want to be there when it strikes.

Peterborough main beach and dunes...gorgeous!

Holidaying in Peterborough

On the road to Peterborough via the inland route. The trip felt very short, in fact it only took us 3 hours and a bit to reach Peterborough from Melbourne. Only half an hour more than it takes us to get to Lorne via the Surfcoast Road. We were very pleased! We are staying at a place called the Seahorse Coastal Villas. Great place, very quiet and calm. The unit is big and has a decking with a nice view of the country. The host is a very nice guy too.

New Year 2014

Welcoming 2014 the Zalewski style, with food! It was a quiet one and a strange one at the same time, since it was the first year that we spend it by ourselves without Anton, who went to a party instead. I still cooked like it was 20 of us, so as a result I ate like a pig. The year started well, nice and fresh, and with lots of ideas brewing in my mind. Love the celebrations!

Last Day of 2013

As the end of the year approaches I stop and think about everything that was. 2013 was a full year, tucked with events that stacked themselves in a small compartment of my brain. Neatly folded, almost glued to one another; like a pile of clean and ironed linen begging not to be disturbed. Every memory stacked in the cupboard like a sheet expecting to be taken out but perfectly aware that at the moment of the pull, the rest of the pile will tumble down, unfold and wrinkle. Some memories I want to keep intact, I don't want them messed up or altered. I want them forever to feel like they do now, warm, alive and fresh as it they just happened: My time spent with my family overseas, hugging my frail grandfather, holidaying in Tathra, seeing my son graduating, eating chips at Grill'd on Saturday afternoons with Ric and Anton and walking into my classroom on my birthday and seeing the whiteboard filled with a massive drawing of a cake and a caricature version of me devouring it, all around it messages from my students. Those are the moments that I treasure this year, the ones that I tuck into the compartment in my mind and keep for when I am old and senile and decide to take them all out and spread them in the sun to relive again.

El fin de ano se acerca y paro a pensar en todo lo que fue. 2013 fue un ano lleno, plegado de eventos que se apilaron juntitos en un pequeno compartimiento de mi cerebro. Prolijamente doblados, casi pegados unos a otros, como una pila de sabanas limpias y planchadas en el placard pidiendo que no se las disturbe. Cada momento apilado en el placard como una sabana que espera se la saque pero que sabe perfectamente que en el momento de ser retirada, el resto se caera, desdoblara y se arrugara. Algunos momentos quiero mantener intactos. No quiero que se manoseen o se alteren. Los quiero asi para siempre, quiero sentirlos como los siento hoy, calidos, vivos y frescos como se recien ocurrieran: Mi tiempo en Argentina con mi familia, abrazando a mi abuelito fragil, vacacionando en Tathra, ver graduarse a mi hijo, comiendo papas fritas en Grill'd los sabados a la tarde con Ric y Anton y entrando a mi clase el dia de mi cumpleanos y ver el pizarron cubierto con un dibujo enorme de una torta y una version mia caricaturizada devorando la torta, todo alrededor mensajes de felicidades de mis alumnos. Esos son los momentos que valoro como un tesoro de este ano, los que pliego en el compartimiento de mi mente y mantengo para siempre para cuando sea viejita y senil y decida sacar a ventilarlos y desparramarlos en el sol para revivirlos otra vez.

Walking by the River

Today we walked to the city on a beautiful afternoon. The temperature was perfect and there was a cool sea breeze that blew my gorgeous curls (made by the new hair curler device I got for Christmas) away. We sat by the Yarra River for a few minutes to rest and enjoy the perfect afternoon before we headed home. It is so strange to see the city so empty, it's like a ghost week between Christmas and New Year. It has a nice feeling as well because it becomes a little bit more of your own. It's like when visitors come and even though you enjoy the company the house is a mess, noisy, crowded and then eventually when they leave everything goes back to normal, quiet and kind of in control. I sort of like that feeling.

Hoy fuimos caminando a la city para disfrutar la hermosa tarde. La temperatura estuvo perfecta y soplaba una brisa fresquita del mar. Mis radiantes rulos (hechos con la nueva rizadora que me regalaron para navidad) volaban en la suave brisa. Nos sentamos en las orillas del rio Yarra por unos minutos para descansar y disfrutar la tarde perfecta antes de volver a casa. Es tan raro ver la ciudad tan desierta, es como una semana fantasma entre Navidad y Ano Nuevo. Tiene una onda linda porque es como que la ciudad te pertenece un poquito mas. Es como cuando vienen visitas y a pesar de que la disfrutas la casa se enquilomba, se pone ruidosa, sucia y se llena de gente y despues eventualmente, las visitas se van y todo vuelve a la normalidad, tranquilo y como en control. Me gusta esa sensacion.

Christmas 2013

Christmas this year was kind of quiet, we spent it at home just the three of us. It was nice even though I was exhausted after a Christmas Eve of busy preparations. The day started with an early trip to the shops to avoid the crowds. At 8.15 am the supermarket's car park was almost full and the bakery was already crowded. I spent the day cooking and decorating with loud music in the background and as always I enjoyed the preparations. To me it's all about that, the smells, the cutting, the wrapping, the setting up to spend a magical day together. Everything looked and tasted divine and we enjoyed our company. Merry Christmas to everyone!

Navidad este ano fue bastante tranquila, la pasamos en casa solo los tres. Fue lindo a pesar de que quede exhausta despues de las preparaciones culinarias. El dia empezo con un muy temprano viajecito a los negocios para evitar las multitudes. A las 8.15 am el estacionamiento del supermercado ya estaba casi lleno y la panaderia tenia cola. Me pase el dia cocinando y decorando con musica de fondo y como todos los anos disfrute mucho las preparaciones. Para mi de eso se trata, de los olores, de cortar cosas, de envolver, de decorar para pasar un dia feliz y magico en familia.Todo se veia y salio divino y disfrutamos nuestra propia compania. Feliz Navidad para todos!