Meeting the fam and finding my royal roots

After a delayed plane, I finally departed Gatwick for Amsterdam. From there I caught train to Rotterdam. When I arrived, a little overwhelmed by the rain and gale force winds, I asked policeman for directions and he used the information booth when draws a map for you! So cool!

I braved the weather and eventually got to Room Rotterdam. It is really nice! Met Sam and Ali at the bar - twins from Sydney. We were a little short of cash, so I had to dress up in traditional Dutch dress and dance around for my gin and tonic! But it was fun and so worth it. Dutch gin is something else! But after that, it was definitely time for bed.

In the morning, after breakfast, where I met Alexander from Colombia, I looked around Rotterdam for a few hours. I saw the river, euromast, delfshaven and some quirky architecture! Then I caught the train to Maassluis West where Tante Gree was waiting for me. I am lucky she looks like Oma, otherwise I wouldn't have recognised her! We walked back (she scootered) to her flat where we crossed paths with Tristan and Micheal, Mirjams sons. When we got back we had some lunch and lots of tea as we chatted as we enjoyed the view over the town. Mirjam soon came home and we chatted some more! Getting into the chocolate and things. Mirjams brother popped in and I met him too. That evening, Tante cooked rochwurst with kale and potato mash, a traditional Dutch meal. After that we went to Mirjams brothers house for a while. When we came home we watched Alice in Wonderland and ate yummy Dutch biscuits.

In the morning, we had a little sleep in before breakfast. At 11 30 I jumped on the back on Tristans bike and we all rode to the station to say goodbye. A great little break!

AND GUESS WHAT? I found out that my great-great-great-great uncle was the bastard child of the then Dutch King, King William. So therefore, I am related to the Dutch royal family. I am basically a princess.

Bye bye lovely Mirjam!

It is my last full month overseas! What?

I started the month in the wake of the half term break. I was spending every spare moment organising university applications and auditions. The first weekend I had an inspirational lesson with Brigitte then on Sunday I went to see the Lion King. Wow. What a spectacle.

Monday night I popped over to Ronnie Scotts to see Brigitte singing. It was a pretty sweet show. Also, I met some cool musicians and some cool Italians, but I had to cut the night short because of a 7:30 start the next morning, our last rehearsal before the Autumn Concert! The Autumn Concert was on Wednesday at St. Johns, Smith Square. I spent the day with Charlotte and Dan setting up, running rehearsals and just managing the general chaos. At the concert, my year 7 choir, Voices, did me very proud singing Heyo and Song for a Russian Child; I lead Chorale, the year 8 and 9 choir who sang Zamina; Close Harmony, my senior girls ensemble sang an African medley (Shosholoza, Siyahumba and Sing Gen Gen) and All The Wild Wonders; I played in the Wind Band; and I sang in the Senior Choir. It was a massive night, finished in the pub down the road with all the Music staff. What a night! On the Thursday afternoon I had my VCA audition and rehearsals on Friday to end a busy week. 

That weekend, I went off to Cambridge to visit Susannah and Kiki. Woo. I had coffee with Susannah then met up with Kiki to see Kings College Choir and then we went for dinner. Afterwards she introduced me to all her way cool Cambridge friends. Sunday was BRUNCH DAY! Woo! After brunch we went for a walk around the town, saw Trinity Hall, Jesus and lots of other Colleges before going for a little shop and looking around the markets. In the afternoon we met up with the Selwyn crew and had afternoon tea which was super nice. That night, Kiki sang to me at Clare College Evensong, it was beautiful, followed by a yummy meal with the other Clare Colleg-ites.

Monday brought me another audition. This time for Melbourne. On Thursday I was joined by the Close Harmony girls n Bond Street to sing carols for the Great Ormond Street Charity. We raised over 100 pounds! Afterwards, Dan took Charlotte and I out to Gordon Ramsay's Claridges for martinis. Talk about classy!

That weekend I had a nice relax. On Sunday I went for a wander in town and through Hand Made and Bound market which was very cool. Then I went to the Barbican to see Hermeto Pascoal with Brigitte. MOST AMAZING SHOW I HAVE SEEN! It was so cool. He played the teapot, the bass flute, the keyboard... and every solo was greeted with a portuguese exclamation.

I spent the next week psyching myself up for the weekend. On Friday night I met up with Lisa and Kendra! Woo! We went out for curry on Brick Lane - Starter, main, naan, rice and drinks all for 10! Bargain!

Saturday we went to Portobello Markets which was a lot of fun perusing the clothes, makeup, food, antiques. Then we went into town to see CHICAGO starring AMERICA FERRARO. To be honest it was a bit of a let down. Poor singing, weak dancing, boring set. After that, I headed home for an early night while Lisa and Kendra went to catch up with a friend.

Sunday morning was a big sleep in (Lisa and Kendra didn't get home until 3:30am!) before heading over to Greenwich for my singing exam. Aah! But it all went smoothly. After that I met up with the girls (who had been at Camden Market) and we went to the Greenwich Meridian before going for High Tea at the cutest little cafe called Royal Tea! 

That evening, we just lurked facebook and packed before the girls early morning departure (4:30am, ergh). And that brought the end of the month!

We are on the final count down now! only 17 more working days to go!

October. The month with 5 Sundays.

This month began humbly and nonchalantly, creeping up on me like a squirrel in the park. I spent the weekend catching up with the lovely Mollie Powers in Hyde Park which was RIDICULOUSLY busy, full of Londoners enjoying the unseasonal warmth. From there we walked to Sacred Cafe in town. By complete coincidence we bumped into Paul Bently there, enjoying the home vibe too. After whiling he afternoon away over coffee, tea and brownies, we walked up to Regents Park and then through to Primrose Hill where we sat on the hilltop enjoying the revelry of the summeresque evening.
The next day I went to Camden Markets for a bit of a shop, before reading and working on my tan in Hampstead Heath. A pretty good weekend in my books.
The next weekend I caught up with Mollie again, hitting Portobello Road markets. Woo woo! From the markets we wandered through Notting Hill, the shops were so cute. That night we went to Niki's 30th birthday drinks out at Canons Park. It was a super fun night!

That Thursday night, I went along with the Music Scholars trip to the Barbican where I was treated to Bruckners 1st and Rachmaninovs 2nd. It was bliss. A total morgasm : )

The third weekend of the month brought the lovely Stephen Tabener to the city of London. I spent Saturday workshopping with him and a few girls I brought along from school.

The next weekend brought the wonders of Skern Lodge! Days and days of abseiling, rock climbing, high ropes, zip lining, rafting, dancing, singing, walking, skipping... From Sunday to Thursday. Some of the highlights for me were the Halloween Disco and Ewetopia.

October was also spotted with auditions and the like. I had my Gondwana audition (number 8 and going strong) and my Sydney Conservatorium audition. So I also was having lessons with Danny (Classical), Brigitte (Jazz) and rehearsing with Barry (Jazz pianist and accompanist), which was really cool, but exhausting at the same time. My brain has been on over drive. After Skern Lodge, I was awake 8 hours after getting home, ready to jump on the plane to Portugal, but that story is for another time.

Happy Halloween!

Rafting. Bring it.

Belgium in a waffle (or is it nutshell...)

Day 1: We arrived very very late at night, and after checking in, we grabbed a late night felafel (although technically, by this time it was day 2!)

Day 2:Today we slept in until 9:30 before heading out to start our day in the best possible way - waffles! We ended up getting them from the 'Australia' chain, how ironic. The guy liked us so much we scored free cream! We ate them as we sat in the Grand Place. Perfection. Our next stop was the Belgian comic strip museum where Lisa engrossed herself in the Tin Tin goodness for a while. I was also informed that it is apparently pronounced 'Tahn tahn'... Who knew!

After that, we went across town to Pl. du Jeu de Balle to the flea market. What a banonza! I got a jumper and a skirt while Lisa finally found the watch she had been scouring Europe for. Next stop was Place du Grand Sablon, Brussels chocolate central, to sample chocolates, macaroons and speckuloos. Yum. We decided it was probably time for something nutritious, so we went and got lunch in a super cute cafe. From there, we went to the Cantillon Brewery to see how Gueze beer is made, before doing some tastings. This stuff is crazy. It sends your tastebuds into a frenzy. We had the standard beer as well as raspberry and cherry infusions.We went to the hostel to sort out the next leg of our trip before going out to dinner. I had some of the local specialty - Mussels. So good. We went chocolate shop hopping after that, decidedly the best and cheapest way to enjoy Belgian chocolates. We scored 8 each, at least! We went home happy and full.

Day 3: Today we went to Bruges. After we dumped our stuff at the hostel, we headed in to see the sights. We went to the Belfry at Markt square, and then to the Basilica at the Burg square, where the silver vial holding Jesus' blood is! (apparently). We saw the oldest bar in Bruges, est. 1515 and then on to the bar with 300 beers. There we had a tipple and met some very cool Americans over a cherry beer. From there we went on a free walking tour with the coolest NYC'er Kai. He was hilarious. We saw the oldest bridge in Bruges, scenes from the film 'In Bruges' and Bruges smallest alley. That night for dinner we went to a traditional Flemish restaurant for some Flemish stew. So so so good.

Day 4: Today we headed out early on our Quasimodo tour of Flanders Fields and Ipres. We saw a whole pile of amazing things: Tyne Cot Cemetery, NZ Memorial, ANZAC memorial, Polygon Wood (Where my Great Great Uncle Norman D'Angri died on 26/9/1917), Hooge Crater Museum, The Iron Harvest, Hill 60, Field Dressing Station where John McCrae worked, a restored trench, Ipres and the Menin Gate - where I found Norman D'Angri's name! I was so excited!!! We learnt so much. It was so great. On the tour we met these two great Canadians who were in Belgium on a NATO exercise. That night they shouted us drinks and dinner. So great.

Day 5: Our last day in Belgium, we left Bruges that morning, enjoying the extra hour sleep. We went to Ghent for a stop over. We walked through town, enjoying the sights. We stopped in at Mass in St. Baarts. We ended up at a little market out the back ok St.Jakobs which was fun. From there we went back into town and got some well deserved waffles. After that we went back to the train station to catch the train to the airport to end a wonderful week in a wonderful country.

We have had such a great week, eating and drinking our whiles away. Thanks Lisa!

Nutritious AND delicious

I'll Port-u-gal! Think about it.

Day 1: After getting back late from year 7 camp in Skern Lodge, I was up bright and early to go to Lisbon, Portugal. I arrived safely, and all was going smoothly, until I got to the Altis Hotel, to be told that there was no knowledge of my booking or my tour. Confused I called Lisa, who said she was in the lobby. But I was in the lobby. It was then that I realised that the Tourist Information Office had directed me to the Altis Hotel, instead of Altis Park, which is on the other side of town. Great. I eventually found Lisa, dumped my stuff and headed off into town. We wandered the streets of the city and grabbed a bite to eat. During the afternoon we saw the Castle, walked along the harbour and saw the Se Cathedral. That evening we went back to the hotel to meet up with our tour group… we waited and waited and waited. After a lot of hassle, I finally got in contact with the company to be told that they were running late on their way from Seville. Phwef! While we were waiting we met the lovely Skye who kept our company.

That night, we went out to dinner at a little seafood buffet, but after that I went to bed and let Lisa party the night away. I had been up since 5am!

Day 2: Today began with our 4 star breakfast buffet. So good. After we were all filled up, we piled onto the bus for a tour of the city. Sights included: Spanish Square; Edward VII Park; Avenue da Liberdade; Rossei Square; Eiffel Elevator; Commerce Square; Barri Alto; St. Jerome Monestary; 25 April Bridge and the plane which made the first flight over the South Atlantic, amongst other things. That afternoon, Lisa and I found some super local flea markets, the old ladies kept on talking to us in Portuguese even when we said we didnt understand. The goods were being sold in the old currency - Escudos! After that we met 2 Australian girls who we walked to Edward Park with and had a good chat. 

 That night, we went out to dinner and had the national Portuguese dish – Cod. So so so yummy! After that, we danced the night away, fuelled by free shots. Our ride home was in one of the craziest taxi rides ever. I actually feared for my life at times.

Day 3: Today we had an early start and a breakfast buffet again, readying us for the trip to Coimbra. In Coimbra we saw one of the worlds oldest universities and its breataking chapel where mass was going on. I think the beautiful choir just made the tiled inside seem even more stunning. We also sat the Old and New Cathedral before lunch. After that we had a wander around and jumped back on the bus. When we arrived in Porto, our first stop was a Port tour at Offley cellars. We had white port and tawny port, followed by a river cruise in the rain. That night, defeated by the weather, I grabbed a quick dinner and watched TV with Skye in our room.

Day 4: Today we said goodbye to the group and Laurena our lovely guide. After a lazy morning enjoying the luxury hotel, we went to our hostel, the Eden House. From there we went on a wander through town passing a whole lot of history: São Bento Train Station, Igreja da Misericórdia, Avenida dos Aliados amoungst others. We ended up at the river, so we walked along towards the Crystal Palance, which ended up being a confrence center of some sort. Although, in the surrounding gardens there were a lot of peacocks, so it was worth the walk. From there we went back along the river and crossed over Luis I bridge (i.e mini Sydney Harbour) to Vila Nova de Gaia, home of Porto's cellars. Taylors was our choice an we whiled away the afternoon tasting tawny and white ports. For dinner we found a cute little family restarunt where we both ate a 3 course meal for 19.50 all together. I had half a piri piri chicken, for 3.50! After that, we walked home : )

Day 5:Over breakfast we met a lovely pair of Belgians, Anaise and Elias who excited us about the next leg of our trip. Our first stop was the Wine and Port museum where we learnt a lot of history behind the city and region. For lunch, we found the cutest local cafe, the tables and chairs had been set up on the road out the front. We both ate lunch (after many animated charades to the waitress) for 3.20. Bargain! That afternoon we spent at the wine cellars again. Croft this time. Then we went back to the hostel to chill before grabbing some dinner.

Day 6:Our last day in Portugal. We were praying for sunshine, but instead it gave us rain. Lots and lots of rain. So we made a b-line to the shopping centers. Woo. But they were all empty and closed because of the GFC. Now Woo. We still managed to burn a few hours before jumping on the metro and headin out to the airport to fly to Brussels, Belgium!

Thanks Portugal.

There are a few important things to be noted:

- Portuguese are nicer then the Spanish

- Sem carne (without meat) is often met with bewildered looks

- Portugal is filled with sexy men who run

- You don't get harassed by sleazy men in Portugal

It might as well be Spring!

Oh September, where did you go? I am stuck in a little bit of a contradiction at the moment. My Summer holidays feel like an age ago, but at the same time, September has slipped right through my fingers. This month involved a fir bit of catching up on all the things I neglected during the Summer, namely my university and conservatorium applications, so I have been keeping a low profile in terms of my gallavanting around the city. Nonetheless, here are a few adventures to keep you going.

My first week back I was blessed by the sounds of Kate Rowe and the Spooky Men's Chorale. I left early because I felt like rubbish : ( But the half I did see was magic. On Friday I went to see a jazz show at a Hampstead bar. I met a few cool cats there too. That weekend I treated myself to Jersey Boys down at the West End, which was awesome. Frankie Valli, with an i.

The next week I went to my first Merbecke Rehearsal of the season which was blissful. That Saturday Robbie and I had a good catch up at the Holly Bush up in Hampstead and Sunday involved a lot of Skyping.

Monday brought me a free iPhone! I love Alex from the Apple Store. I got through a week of work and rehearsals. On Friday Charlotte, Jessamy and I went out for some birthday drinks followed by Thai. Talk about a fun night out.

I felt pretty sick that weekend so I spent a lot of time just bumming around and reading. Sunday I had Compline at Southwark. Then the last week of the month I worked away. Generally I spent most of my time recuperating from my summer holidays and planning my nexst trip to Portugal! 

Brigitte at the Rif Raf at the Gallery Bar

Viva Italia

The final stretch of what was an AMAZING summer break. I zigzagged my way from Venice across to the west coast and the Cinque Terra, before heading south through Pisa and Florence and down to Rome.

Day 26: Today we travelled by train from Bled to Venice, arriving at 2. This time, in the company of Tomi's large German ground manager, we went into the old city. We began winding our way to San. Marco's when I got a message from Federica Falagiarda, my cue to run excitedly back to the train station. We had a happy reunion, but apparently my jumping and exclaiming was embarrasing for her. We went and got some gelato and iced coffee before going to see Constitution Bridge. After that, we went to San. Marco's Basillica, but it was closed, so instead we went to Hard Rock Cafe so Federica to get her obligatory T-shirt. From there we wandered through the city to meet up with the group for our goodbye dinner. After a good feed, we all did our goodbyes, took lots of photos, exchanged e-mails and laughed a lot.What an absolute champion

Day 27: This morning, Federica and I met up for breakfast before moseying in to the city. Our first stop was San Marco's Basillica, seeing as it was closed the day before. We waited in a looooooong queue, and dodged all the puddles of water left over from high tide. Inside is even more elaborate than the outside. I stood and watched the service for a while. For the next few hours, I dragged Federica around to every leather bag shop in Venice until I could find the one I wanted.  We caught the ferry over to the Lido.Just cruising on the ferry Yay, beach! No, wind! I jumped in the water for a dip but we left quite soon because the wind was just unbearable. We found a little cafe where we had some lunch. We ferried back to the main island and walked back towards the train station via a lovely large boulevard to go to the hotel. On the way, we stopped to get a big slice of pizza and Federica got a granita, which she spilt all over herself! Haha.

We went back and I met my new Intrepid group. Everyone was super nice and most of us were from Australia too. That night we went for dinner at a little local restaurant where I got a yummy pizza before seeing Federica off at the station.

Day 28: Today I had a quiet morning, before going down to breakfast where I bumped into Rebecca. We had similar plans, we set off together. First stop was Murano. We went and saw some glass being blown, and strolled for hours through the shops. We moved on to Burano. By 1pm we were engulfed in the multicoloured beauty of the houses. We walked around and grabbed a snack before settling down in the park to read for a while. Rebecca went back into Venice, but I stayed on the park bench, working on my tan. Eventually I decided to head back to the main island to meet up with the girls for dinner. After some yummy pesto I walked to the train station to meet up with Kat my new group leader, Heather, Lisa and Frank, gelato in hand. We went to a little bar and had spritz's - a local favourite, before calling it a night.

Day 29: Today was a travelling day. 4 trains and 6 hours later, we were in Monta Rosa on the Cinque Terra. It is SO BEAUTIFUL! The water is the bluest blue and the smell reminds me of Eden at christmas time. First stop, the beach! After a lot of swimmimg and sun baking, I walked to the other end of town and got a chocolate gelato. After a shower, I went to dinner with the group. We were right on the water front and I treated my tastebuds to the most amazing gnocchetti with salmon followed by a tiramisu I shared with Frank : ) Yum yum yum yum yum.@[524260199:2048:Frank] and I share a yummy dessert

Day 30: Today we walked the Cinque Terra. Starting at 9am in Reggiomaggiore. We explored the town and I walked up to the castle before we regrouped and walked along the Lovers Walk to Manarola. It was very picturesque and all of the lover locks were a real spectacle. In Manarola I found a chair and read and ended up falling to sleep. The next walk was closed, so I caught the train to Corniglia. When I got there, I had an espresso at the bar. I met up with Heather, Lisa and Janie who I walked with to Vernazza. Janie and I ended up walking in front of everyone and we had a really good deep and meaningful. It was really hard, but I was glad I did it. In Vernazza Janie and I separated while I grabbed a foccacia for lunch. After that, I found a big flat rock to sunbake on for hours and hours and hours, occasionally taking a dip. I did the last walk back to Monta Rosa and met up with the other for our picnic on the beach! It was just so perfect. The sun setting with yummy food and wine and friends. After the picnic Janie, Heather, Lisa and I got our gelato hit for the day.

Day 31: Today we travelled from the Cinque Terra to Florence via Pisa. We caught the train to Pisa and made a beeline for the "field of wonders". The Leaning Tower is so cool!Oh no! Its falling! We went way overboard with the tourist shots. I took alook around the market stalls in the neighbouring streets before going to the restaurant for lunch. From there we went to the train station to catch our train to Firenze! I am sharing a room with Lisa, Heather and Janie. Once we had settled in, we went for our orientation walk with Kat in the UNESCO protected city center. We walked through the old city wall, over the Ponte Veccio, through the Uffizi gallery and to the Plazza Della Signoria. There we saw a hilarious street performer. He pulled a gag on me and looked up my skirt!

From there we went up to Via de Calzaioli to Piazza Duomo - wow wow wow wow wow wow. It really is amazing. We also saw the gold doors of the baptistry which took 40 years to complete apparently. We left Kat here and headed to the leather markets to get a feel for the prices and stock. We made some 'friends'. One shop owner even came up to me and started kissing my neck! Ergh! At 7:30 we headed back to meet up with the group for dinner. I had Riboletta, traditional Florencian vegetable stew. After dinner we all walked home.

Day 32: This was our day to conquer Florence. Heather, Lisa, Janie and I started early, destination: Galleria Accademia. We arrived before the crowds and saw Michelangelo's David. We even got a few sneaky pictures : ) From there we went and got coffee before venturing back to the leather markets, with our haggling faces on. We came back with lots of good bargins too! Regardless, it still left a gaping hole in my bank account. Then we went to meet up with the non existent walking tour, which was dissappointing. So instead I went to the Medici Chapel and church; Nuovo Market; Republic Square; The Duomo; and the Paghazza Tower. I met up with the girls again at 1:30 for some lunch. We went to the Market Hall to eat with the locals, which was fun. From there we went to Can Croce, the burial place of Gallileo and Michelangelo. Heather and Lisa went back to the hostel while Janie and I got gelato and waffles. I slowly made my way from there to the group meeting point via Ponte Vecchio. Kat lead us up the Piazza Michelangelo where we had the most exquisite picnic as we watched the sunset over the city. It was perfect. That night when we all got back, Jani, Heather, Lisa and I were in fits of giggles because we were all just so exhausted from out massive day.

Me and the Colosseum go way back

Day 33: Bring on Rome! We arrived after lunch and immediately set out on our orientation walk. Our first experience with Roman Gypsies was pretty interesting. They were adament that the ticket machines were theirs. When Lisa tried to push past one of them she shouted this at her "Stop that you crazy lady, I'm pregnant!" Hahaha. Kat took us to all the main sights: the Spanish Steps, Trevi Fountain, Pantheon, Piazza Navona, Piazza Mignanelli, Palazzo Baberini and a whole pile more. We stopped at Kat's all time favourite gelato place. I got ginger and cinammon, and liquorice flavour. Loopy. We stopped for a recharge at the Ducati Cafe, where Kat and Lisa left us, because LIsa wasn't feeling well. We continued our walk to the Collesseum, passing through Piazza Valencia, the Roman Forum and the Vittorio Emanuele II Monument (which looks like a giant wedding cake). From here things started to go down hill. When we got back, I found Lisa in tears to be told that our room had been broken into. They had smashed the balcony door. Miraculously, they hadn't taken anything from my bag, only rummaged through it a bit. Lisa, Heather and Janie on the other hand, weren't so lucky, losing macbookpro's, ipods, iphones, passports, cameras, money... Absolutely insane. So our night consisted of a lot of back and forth between the police station and the hotel, and lots of takeaway pizza.

I could have danced all night!

Day 34: My last day in Rome, Italy and Europe! What an adventure it has been! Frank and I met up at 8, to get into the Vatican before the crowds. After some confused wandering around, we found the queue for the Vatican Museum, and about 40 minutes later we were in! Which apparently, is very good time. We split up and arranged a meeting time. So I took it all in, ending up at the Sistine Chapel. It really is quite amazing. And it was so special to be there before the real crowds arrived. I went back there about an hour later and it was chaos. After that, Frank and I tried to use the sneaky entrance to get to St. Peter Basillica, but only I got through, so we lost eachother. I had a good look around the Basillica though before heading back. Coincidently, I bumped into Janie, Heather and Lisa at a cafe where I was getting some lunch. After that we caught the bus to the airport so fly home.

Italy really is a fantastic country. Although, I think if I see another carbohydrate in the next week, I might scream! It was the best end I could imagine to the mose amazing month in Europe. I hope you have enjoyed hearing about my travels!