Kyoto

Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed Vietnam, but oh I loved Japan. My third visit and I left wanting to relocate there more than ever. Visiting in Winter was cold, but it meant a lot of the time we had the streets to ourselves. So very peaceful. I can't begin to imagine how beautiful these streets would be in cherry blossom season. Next time perhaps?

Abundance

I enjoyed walking through the markets in Vietnam. Everywhere we went the produce looked fresh and vibrant. This translated into the food we ate throughout the trip.

The two standout eateries that we visited were Light Candle in Hoi An. Here we were served wonderfully home cooked food by the most affable Vietnamese women, the passion she has for food and people was compelling. I've never experienced anything quite like it. We enjoyed the place so much we went back a second time, admittedly for breakfast.

The second place was in Hanoi (though there's also a place in Saigon). The premise is to take the best street food vendors and have them all in one place. The choice of tasty morsels was overwhelming, but once we'd chosen, with help from other travelers at our communal table, we weren't disappointed. I would happily have gone back to sample the rest of the menu! You'll find Quan An Ngon, in the French Quarter.

Yesterday

..was just one of those magic days on the beach- crystal clear waters, warm sun and a gentle breeze. Spent the morning windsurfing (felt definite improvement from last week - but still a way to go) and the afternoon hanging out with the crew, swimming and lazing about.

A perfect Sunday? Pretty close, just a long bike ride missing from the equation, thanks to my haphazard packing and forgetting a vital piece of clothing.

Withdrawals

I am having serious withdrawals from Vietnamese coffee. Outrageously strong/bitter coffee tempered with sweetened condensed milk to create an almost chocolate-y caffeine hit. Happy times (or heart palpitations) after one of these.

The weekend

Japan
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Vietnam

Whether you're getting out and about, or staying in, may your weekend be a satisfying one.

Joyeux Anniversaire - Part deux

I mentioned yesterday, Mum's 59th, next year to celebrate her 60th (and my 10 years long service leave) the Rosies will be in Paris! Well almost. We might be a month late...

Hence learning French being on the list of things to do this year. I've been listening to the Coffee Break French series at work and on the train, but I need to step it up a notch. I loved speaking Japanese (albeit poorly) in Japan and know that learning French will enhance the travel experience.

Joyeux Anniversaire - Part un

We awoke to one hell of a sky this morning. A little bit ominous for my Mum's 59th - Happy birthday! So far so good.

She's been a bit of an inspiration in the last couple of months, she's taken up road cycling, sustained some falls, but still gets back on, and is in the midst of sussing out a little business venture. Go Mum.

Thanks to Lance for the bike quote on the present envelope, it's exactly how I feel. Though I imagine winning le tour 7 times would feel pretty freakin' awesome too.

Village life

One of my favourite places to explore in Vietnam was the fishing village of Mui Ne. Possibly because it was such a contrast to the resort Mui Ne we'd stayed in for the previous two days. This, to me, felt like "real" Vietnam, untouched by the tourist dollar, locals living everyday life.

Mr T got a kick out of it too. Our taxi driver abandoned us and the only way back was by motorbike. My aim of the trip was to avoid them at all costs. Obviously I lived to tell the tale, but I'm sure the driver still has my fingertip impressions in his flank because I was absolutely petrified.

10 things in 2010

It's starting to feel like 2010. I only just got a diary today. At lunchtime. I tell you, celebrating the new year in a different country has thrown me. Ending our holiday in the cold that was Japan I feel as though our Summer hasn't begun and it's nearly over! We're one month into 2010 and it time to get down some aspirations for the year. 10 things in 2010, to follow on from the 9 things in 2009. Which worked for me better than resolutions. Last year the focus was on the marathon and living a more creative life. This year I'd like the two to play nicely throughout the year. I want to be able to focus on fitness & creativity all at once. It's going to take some fine tuning, but I think I can do it.

On the list:
1. Take French language lessons
2. Read 12 books
3. Climb the 1000 steps (left over from '09)
4. Run something with the word marathon in the title (half or full - I haven't decided)
5. Finish the large cotton crochet blanket started last year
6. Rack up 10 hours of windsurfing - I'm still learning to pull the sail up!
7. Engage a personal trainer/run coach or join a running group
8. Continue Botanical Illustration classes
9. >Insert Financial goal here< Savings. Lots of them. I can smell the next OS venture already.
10. Master 5 fish dishes - including a whole fish.

Reality

Back to real life it seems. Thank goodness for Australia Day and as a result, a very short working week. As expected snowed under at work. But it's the weekend now and the plan is to head down to the beach to relax, because we haven't done enough of that recently.

When is experiencing different cultures, exploring new places and not working not fabulous? Mr T and I had a wonderful time and hopefully soon I'll share some more images and catch up with all that's been happening in blog-land.