Bonjour Mon Lovlies

I have just arrived in Paris after a wonderful five days in and around Barcelona. This is our last stop before we set down some roots for a while. We have five months planned in one city but I am not going to let you know where just yet. There is too much to tell you about so far.

This is just a quick one as I am about to head off to bed but feel that this little space has been some what neglected recently with all of the fun over at Sow. Give. Grow. (i do hope that those of you getting your next season seedlings on the go have had a read about the next Giving Day and have decided to join in the sneakiness.) I always feel a little lost with no real internet connection.

During our evening walk to gather some supplies for dinner, we stumbled across some bicycles for rent in the streets. This is such a wonderful idea and was amazed after a bit of research how many countries do something like this.

I am reading a great book as I travel called A Sweet Life in Paris by David Lebovitz and he talks about what a great system this is apart from the fact that the ones near his house are either always out or have been locked up by someone with their own lock.

As I am from a city that is spread out and not really cycle-friendly, I would love to get some comments from people in cities where this sort of system operates, or where cycling is easy to do. Do you like it? Does it work?

Off to bed to get ready for a day of exploring tomorrow. If only we had been here a week ago to bask in the glory of Cadel Evans' win. Oh well.

Take care

Butterfly Spotting in the English Countryside

We arrived in England this morning and, as we felt rather bedraggled, thought that a bit of fresh air would help us feel a little less jet lagged.

The weather was a welcome change from the constant air conditioning of airports and planes. Feeling the sun on bare skin warmed us right through.

This walk was not just a gentle meander, but a walk with a purpose. We were taking part in the Big Butterfly Count. This is a great project aimed at taking a survey of the butterfly population.

Although many of the subjects were too fluttery for my dozy eyes and tired shutter fingers, I did manage to snap a few of these precious little insects.

And while out and about I couldn't help but feel a little Hugh Fearnly-Whittingstall gathering some blackberries from the 'wild larder'.

Those of you that are in the U.K. and have joined in the Big Butterfly Count, I would love to hear which sorts you found.

Take care

Public Transport that Works

While away from home, I always love using public transport, especially in big cities like Hong Kong where a lot of forethought and planning has gone into the whole system. I am from a city where bits are just added as the city gets bigger.

The MTR in Hong Kong in fabulous.

It is used by so many people that the trains run every few minutes which make getting around the city so easy. We have used the public transport every day and feel more and more confident every time we enter a new stations. Also because this form of transport is so popular, the prices are amazingly cheap. In Perth, travelling 3 or 4 stops up the line costs me nearly $4, which doesn't really encourage use. The regularity of trains in incredible too. If you miss one, you really only need to wait for about 3 minutes.

Each of us has an Octopus card and this has allowed us to jump on and off trains, trams and ferries easily.

We even managed to get up The Peak and across to Kowloon using these cards.

I can't really see the need for a car with system that works this well.

Take care

P.S. To those bloggers who I regularly read, I will get back to stopping by to your blogs as soon as I have more regular internet access. I am looking forward to catching up with everything you have been doing in a few weeks.

Out of the Loop

I just realised how long it has been since I have been here.
So much has happened in the last week or so.
My family and I are off on a bit of an adventure. We are in Hong Kong at the moment and heading for Europe, so for the next six months I will hopefully be sharing with you my adventures in trying to live sustainably and frugally while travelling.
Make sure to come along for the ride.
Take care

Nothing Earth Shattering

Just a bit of fun.

I know that many of you use and read Blogger blogs but I don't know how many of you know about view.

If you type /view at the end of any blogspot blog url, a different interface comes up. I thought you might like to have a play around.

Take care

What a Load of Rubbish.

Giving Day was great fun and it was lovely to get such positive feedback, as well as another Giver. (Thanks, Farmer Liz). Hopefully all of the seeds and seedling found new homes.

I came across this video about six months ago and really like it. Although many of the figures are from the U.S., I love the message. The one fact that has really stuck with me is the one about the fact that every bit of plastic ever made is still somewhere in existence. Scary.

Use Less Plastic from TakePart on Vimeo.

If you are interested in an Australian perspective have a look at Tim Silverwood. He is involved in a project called Take 3 that encourages people to take three pieces of rubbish when the leave the beach.

The Majestic Plastic Bag is another great little film that gets the message across is an incredibly imaginative way.

I hope you all had a great weekend.

Take care.

Giving Day is On My Mind again

Today I will be out and about secretly leaving 10 Cape Gooseberry seedlings in various locations, hoping they will be found and taken home and planted.

I would love others to join in with Giving Day. Do you have any seeds or seedlings you could trans-plant? If you are not sure how to do this, head over to Sow. Give. Grow. to find out more. Once you have left a little parcel, take a photo and email me, telling me what you left, and when and where you left it.

Check out what is on other people's minds.

Take care.

Update