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Ginger Tea Inspiration

Afraid to Indicate

It is as though doing the right thing by others is an inconvenience to one’s self. In the attempt of being cool in this ‘too cool’ town, the lack of vehicle communication reflects poorly on one’s opinion of the French style of driving. A fear of allowing one see you are a responsible and road worthy driver looms in the minds of the French. Not to put them down too much, their road system is quite good, clear signage, very respectful on high ways etc, however, changing lanes and their specialty; the round-about, is another story. No pre indication of where their mind has chosen to travel. You would think a simple hand movement alerting fellow road users would save Monsieur the inevitable throw of hands and loud, silent mouth yelling ‘Putin!’ as you kindly cut him off. Who was to know he was going to continue? Maybe the French have the ability to read each other minds? They certainly know how to stare. Perhaps their immense practice of peering into each others’ souls gives them this fine ability in reading someone’s chosen exit from a round-about. Nothing but a simple task. The French. Fearful to display their intentions? Or do they have an excuse due to their supernatural capabilities?

Hossegor Sunsets

no editing, no saturating, no nothin! what an amazing sunset to come home to! 20/11/2011

Amsterdam - What You See

• Speedy bikers, slow bikers, fashionable - wearing heels bikers, old bikers, texting bikers, smoking bikers. Everyone rides a bike! Everyone! Tourists on bikes (danger!)
• Coffee shops - that stink!
• Marijuana seed shops, mushroom shops, sex shops, vintage shops, hat shops and your usual high street shops.
• A variety of people (that's obviously normal in a city - but seriously this place beholds the young, the old, the strange and the adventurous)
• Tourists getting run over by bikers
• Canals and house boats
• Unfortunate girls posing in windows awaiting a horny, big spender
• Fashionable people and not so fashionable people - people who put no matter what on, concentrating on keeping warm
• Stylish bikes and practical bikes
• Small, box-like stores selling herring - a Dutch delicacy 
• A 'Coffee Company' café every 200 metres  

Let The Good Times Roll

Travel is not about where you've been or what you've seen, it's the moments you remember whether they be positive or not - or both!

4am en route Armaçao de Pêra to Hossegor we accidentally take a detour. Amongst our stress of taking the wrong highway exit, we forget the need to stop for petrol.
A sudden choke in the engine reminds us kindly.
In the middle of nowhere, the rain pouring, we imagine the worst.
We climb a hill, but only just; the engine cuts and we begin to roll.
We pass a sign, 2kms till the next petrol station.
We continue to roll.
Minutes later we are still rolling.
Still rolling the station is in sight. Sighs of relief overcome us.
Our momentum comes to an end and we stop literally 1m from the pump. Screams of joy and laughs of amazement fill the van. Luck was definitely on our side.

On this journey I saw a highway, a boring, straight road from the Algarve to Lisbon - negative.
I chatted and listened to music with my closest friend - positive.
And we experienced for the first and hopefully last time an amazing feat.
Unexpected and potentially difficult travel is always exciting!

Tough Day On The Promenade

à la centrale during the Quik Pro France October ⓒ Crille Rask
stillxlivin.tumblr.com

Silence is ...

"Silence vibrating is Creation. Silence flowing is Love. Silence shared is Friendship. Silence seen is Infinity. Silence heard is Adoration. Silence expressed is Beauty. Silence maintained is Strength. Silence omitted is Suffering. Silence allowed is Rest. Silence recorded is Scripture. Silence preserved is Our Tradition. Silence given is Initiating. Silence received is Joy. Silence perceived is Knowledge. Silence stabilized is Fulfillment. Silence alone is."
Maharishi Mahesh Yogi

Words of Sweden by Nicholas Pumphrey & Sam Page

Hot chicks. Supermodels. Blonde. Tall. ABBA. Swedish meatballs. Singing. Slick hair dos. Expensive booze. Buttoned up suits. Coffee shops. Prolonged café visits. People watching.

Sum Payji

Thompa & Pumps

Hanging With Locals

It is always nice to be shown around a foreign place by a local. Their knowledge of where to go, where to avoid, how, at what time etc are all valuable elements in travel. Being taken to someones home town where they haven't visited is even more exciting. Walking down the streets of Armaçao de Pêra we were stopped by almost every old man and lady as they recognised the boy they once watched playing in the street. We devoured the best fish, socialised at the local bar and we even scored waves! Being on the the south coast of Portugal, close to the Mediterranean Sea this part of the Atlantic coast receives little swell. Fun waves all day.

After being home - Hossegor, France - for just one day we then flew to Sweden. Another true home of my beautiful friend. Walking around town was done in a day and just slotting into normal daily life was easy. Meeting his closest friends and family was a lot more enjoyable than sitting on a roof top bus touring the city to make sure every tourist site was ticked off. He took us to the bars he and his friends like, sat in prime people watching cafés and attempted to listen to their Swedish catch up conversations - fail!

The feeling you get when you are greeted by a person who has known the friend showing you around their home town since they were toddlers is of a special kind. They are so excited to see their unexpected friend and their happiness is infectious. Their big smile and genuine hand shake is welcoming.

I am a tourist in my own city, I would get lost too easily! I could give a tour of the Northern Beaches but anything inland or on the city side of the Harbour Bridge - tragic! I love showing friends around my home away from home. Hossegor, Bayonne, Biarritz - I will never get sick of sharing these beautiful places!

Armaçao de Pêra

Armaçao de Pêra

Armaçao de Pêra

Stockholm

Stockholm

Stockholm

Stockholm

Don't Bother!

Is it LOVE that tortures the MIND?
Or is it the MIND that tortures itself when it is deprived of LOVE?

Are we blind in saying that the heart needs LOVE to live?
While all we see in the elation of LOVE is a disfigured reality!