tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22514323981311234562024-03-14T03:35:38.460+10:00Some Kind Of BlissA self-indulgent outlet for rantings, random thoughts and recollections about life, travel, work and most of all... miscellaneous.Matthew Harthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03280650873686090150noreply@blogger.comBlogger197125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2251432398131123456.post-71704510982940447562015-08-09T17:30:00.003+10:002015-08-09T17:30:48.342+10:00All aboard the Trans MongolianI'm following Joanna Lumley as she journeys from China to Russia via Mongolia on the Trans Mongolian train.<br />
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Not "following" in a stalker sense, but avidly watching her three-part series J<i>oanna Lumley's Trans-Siberian Adventure</i>.<br />
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Anyone expecting her <i>Absolutely Fabulous</i> character Patsy to make a boozy appearance will be sorely disappointed. Instead, we see Joanna the traveller, experiencing the highs, lows and very often confusion that comes with travelling through foreign lands.<br />
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This series is captivating not only because the 6,300 mile journey she takes, but because it's the same journey my friend and I took a decade ago.<br />
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And while we continually hear that this part of the world is evolving at a rapid pace, what I find particularly engrossing is the fact that this journey hasn't changed at all since I took it.<br />
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There's fantastic little incidents that my friend and I experienced, such as being awoken in the middle of the night by angry Russian border guards, standing at the Chinese-Mongolian border in the middle of the night while the train is put onto a new rail gauge, and the seemingly endless amounts of vodka that is on offer for anyone venturing to this part of the world. Ten years on and Joanna is confronting the same thing.<br />
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Watching the TV series has also made me realise how much of the journey I had forgotten... temporarily. But seeing some of the sights of the three countries, even something as mundane as a house or train station, reconnected some of my brain's synapses. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhufMhNSmbBs5Hdnjd7o1mkkB0S4PrKVxzz98J3WbQF_W4Dd5c9ZefKrerxdyjw2KC1X4Ixb-fQXQ__APmT6cPAmD4KBwgHmGbaeFO1NV2Y-ToCs8S01TO8us4iMXNF2FrsvY745YTVhXc/s1600/013_13.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhufMhNSmbBs5Hdnjd7o1mkkB0S4PrKVxzz98J3WbQF_W4Dd5c9ZefKrerxdyjw2KC1X4Ixb-fQXQ__APmT6cPAmD4KBwgHmGbaeFO1NV2Y-ToCs8S01TO8us4iMXNF2FrsvY745YTVhXc/s400/013_13.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Onboard the train one afternoon</td></tr>
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It's prompted me to jump onboard the train again by pulling out old photos and notes from the trip.<br />
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This trip was my second trip to Beijing and the Great Wall of China in two years. I even stayed at the same hotel in Beijing, though I noted it was surrounded by a lot more highrise towers than before.<br />
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The Beijing Olympics was still a few years away, but the city was quickly getting ready and residents were keen to brush up their English with any foreigner they could.<br />
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But once onboard the train and outside the cities, vast rural China spread out before us as we made tracks for Mongolia.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjbII4lcA1sNomZl0MzsoXIkVAOqBTtbEquCA4FEyGDhhXMXtQfk5YKUyvcWj-Qd3Uzdd1gX6XVNIAYXh1IMeUqLdZMzjL4w49EYeEBiVE3GdSIOpsEgT6t_ZsIcn1YdkNfkyqmXPPICQ/s1600/IMG_0087.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjbII4lcA1sNomZl0MzsoXIkVAOqBTtbEquCA4FEyGDhhXMXtQfk5YKUyvcWj-Qd3Uzdd1gX6XVNIAYXh1IMeUqLdZMzjL4w49EYeEBiVE3GdSIOpsEgT6t_ZsIcn1YdkNfkyqmXPPICQ/s400/IMG_0087.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The streets of Beijing</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Inside the Forbidden City</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Great Wall snaking its way across the landscape</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Heading across China on the train</td></tr>
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After the people and semi-ordered chaos of Beijing, the unpopulated expanses of Mongolia couldn't have been more of a contrast. Green fields soon dried out and became the Gobi Desert, where you hoped the train didn't break down.<br />
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At one stop at the town of Choir in Mongolia, there is a shining silver statue commemorating the first Mongolian cosmonaut. As I ran the several hundred metres from the train station to the statue to take a photo, I prayed the train wouldn't suddenly take off without me.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mongolian cosmonaut statue in Choir</td></tr>
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But the desert soon made way for the lush expanses of Mongolia. It is truly stunning scenery, sadly something my little film camera could barely capture. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The wide open spaces of Mongolia</td></tr>
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Another surprisingly stunning stop was over the Russian border in Siberia. Given the stories we hear about people being sent to Siberian gulags, I didn't have high expectations for this part of the world. I was wrong.<br />
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Among other things, Siberia is home to Lake Baikal, the largest freshwater lake in the world. It's believed the lake holds a fifth of the world's fresh water. I can also confirm that the water is very cold - we plunged into it after being in a sauna and it was literally breath taking.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lake Baikal</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Traditional Siberian wooden buildings</td></tr>
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Finally in Moscow, we come face-to-face with some of the most iconic Russian sites: St Basil's Cathedral, the Kremlin and Lenin's tomb in Red Square. The capital feels imposing on many levels, not the least of which because the grand Soviet architecture can leave you feeling... well a little small.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lenin's Tomb</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Former KGB headquarters</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Kremlin</td></tr>
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Our final stop was St Petersburg, where Russia looks particularly European. Whereas Moscow is big and intimidating, St Petersburg feels intimate and more accessible. It's historic Baroque and neo-classical buildings have been preserved and these colourful and ornate buildings demand attention even on the greyest of Russian days.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Hermitage Museum</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Church of the Saviour of Spilled Blood - St Petersburg's answer to Moscow's St Basil's Cathedral</td></tr>
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Matthew Harthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03280650873686090150noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2251432398131123456.post-48860682969368423412015-06-08T19:48:00.001+10:002015-06-08T19:48:05.205+10:00My Great WallNext week construction begins on a project set to rival the Great Wall of China.<br />
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More than eight years in the making, the rotten and rickety lattice fencing around some units at my apartment building will be replaced with proper timber fencing.<br />
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This fencing is unlikely to be seen from space... but then again apparently neither is the Great Wall of China.<br />
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Given the time and energy it has taken to get the project to this stage, you can forgive me for comparing a dozen or so metres of timber fencing to the 8,850km of structures that comprise the Great Wall of China.<br />
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After all, to get here it's sometimes felt as though I've been climbing metaphorical mountains with stone bricks in hand.<br />
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Surely building the Great Wall of China was a much simpler task that didn't require herding other owners, mustering tradesmen for quotes, navigating body corporates or extracting funding?<br />
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While there will be a great sense of accomplishment when "my wall" is completed, I suspect it won't be quite as awe-inspiring as the one in China.<br />
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I've been fortunate to visit the Great Wall twice, with each visit as memorable as each other. It's one of the few big ticket tourist icons that is better than you imagine it to be.<br />
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Sure you can take a gondola to the top (as those tourists who wisely wore high heels did), but to fully appreciate the work of the wall's makers, I chose the stairs. It's a surprisingly easy climb given how high up you feel when you're walking along the wall.<br />
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Naturally you see glimpses of the wall from below as you approach it, but once on the wall itself you can see how it snakes its way along the mountain ridges. <br />
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You can almost imagine it's the spine of a gigantic sleeping dragon that stretches far off into the horizon, regularly punctuated by tall watch towers.<br />
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Despite its fame and popularity, it's surprisingly easy to to find a quite patch of wall for yourself and quietly contemplate how daunting it must have appeared for invading monguls on the other side.<br />
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And if you're lucky, you may even escape Beijing's smog and catch a glimpse of the horizon.<br />
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Even though I'm on one of the "restored" sections of the wall, crumbling stonework, uneven ground and some pretty high stair tread depths reaffirm that this wall has withstood centuries of weather, hostile attacks and some fairly basic construction techniques.<br />
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Needless to say, I can only hope my great wall will last just a fraction of this time.<br />
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Matthew Harthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03280650873686090150noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2251432398131123456.post-40669690839446011022015-06-02T19:06:00.003+10:002015-06-02T19:06:55.847+10:00Sweden callingThe immediate post-Eurovision period is always a bleak and desolate time of the year.<br />
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Having gorged ourselves on a feast of pop, culminating in the Grand Final, we're suddenly forced to go cold turkey. <br />
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I'm irritable, fatigued (after those 5am starts for the live telecast), have lost my appetite and am just a little depressed. <br /><br />
Now I know what heroin addicts must go through.<br />
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This year's symptoms are particularly severe having experienced the high of Australia's first (and only?) participation in the contest.<br />
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But if I'm forced to be a little "cup half full", then I can at least take comfort that next year we're all off to Sweden for Eurovision.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hello Sweden!</td></tr>
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Sure, we weren't there that long ago thanks to Loreen's <i>Euphoria</i>. <br />
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On that occasion Sweden's third-largest city Malmo was the host. While the host city has yet to be confirmed, Sweden is one of those places that deserve multiple visits.<br />
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The capital Stockholm is a surprising delight in itself, spread across 14 islands.<br />
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Wandering around Stockholm, you can't help feel a little bit envious of the Swedes. They seem to have uncovered the secrets to the good life. <br />
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While they pay some fairly high taxes, if the global surveys are correct they also enjoy some of the world's highest standards of living, free healthcare, free education and are generally happier than the rest of us.<br />
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To rub salt into the wound, now they've snared Eurovision for the sixth time!<br />
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At Stockholm's heart is Gamla Stan, or Old Town, consisting of cobbled streets and narrows lanes (including one that is less than one metre wide). <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gamla Stan</td></tr>
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Nearby is the Royal Palace, one of the homes of the popular Swedish Royal Family - surely big enough to host a Eurovision or two.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Outside the Royal Palace</td></tr>
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But perhaps it's the Royal Family's other home, Drottningholm Palace, that might be a more suitable venue for 2016 Eurovision.<br />
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Built on its own island, this palace is a short boat ride away from downtown Stockholm.<br />
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It's a handsome palace, complete with its own theatre, church and Chinese Pavilion, and surrounded by sprawling grounds.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Drottningholm Palace</td></tr>
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It even has a bath house the size of a normal family home for those wanting to take a dip.<br />
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While the palace is still used by the Royal Family, you're more likely to run into hordes of tourists than King Carl XVI Gustaf and his wife Queen Silvia.<br />
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Whether Eurovision returns to Stockholm or another city has yet to be decided, but regardless Sweden always seems ready to welcome the world and give it a good show.<br />
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<br />Matthew Harthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03280650873686090150noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2251432398131123456.post-45477324178625559742015-05-17T08:53:00.001+10:002015-05-17T08:53:17.664+10:00Hello Vienna!Normally the most bedazzling thing in Vienna is the tiled roof of St Stephen's Cathedral in the city's old town.<div>
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But this week, the arrival of Eurovision's Class of 2015 will temporarily cast a shadow on the city's classic treasures.</div>
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And the contrast couldn't be more acute.</div>
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In the city of Mozart and Beethoven, elegant horse parades at the Spanish Riding School, and Viennese balls, this week it will all be about wind machines, costume reveals and key changes.</div>
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Eurovision has arrived in Vienna following the triumph of bearded drag queen Conchitta at last year's competition. Conchitta's rise to fame shows there's more to Austria than lederhosen and Blue Danube.</div>
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While some European cities do "crumbling chic", Vienna's sparkling old buildings show no signs of wear and tear after centuries of existence.</div>
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Schonnbrunn Palace, the former imperial summer residence, is sprawling Austrian style at its best. </div>
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It's also a great example of the opulent excess that must have inspired revolutionary thoughts among the proletariat. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJVtLva3n8PfiRmrHjFn_Zrk5eOudyDIcRG9S4su1G-80ZIpT-B6H94d31TPgBALjHhNJEXYWDZKtUqDOUyUX8mSg-wYmAN7rv0beHoMBsybGPw2NVOxmpvwdgRAOs3IA0g9SwARj-hww/s1600/scan0027+(2).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="277" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJVtLva3n8PfiRmrHjFn_Zrk5eOudyDIcRG9S4su1G-80ZIpT-B6H94d31TPgBALjHhNJEXYWDZKtUqDOUyUX8mSg-wYmAN7rv0beHoMBsybGPw2NVOxmpvwdgRAOs3IA0g9SwARj-hww/s400/scan0027+(2).jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Schonnbrunn Palace</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf8l7NETQsbVlojP3MwlW3JHypfe471a1azfRrR3qn1FDjKM4Jm1WCE9DNVvoIe7CZ2QusgP8TpPi5r6akPeZq5sOEn8kb-VUBGr4b8wVwBJO6m4WzA0QZLb62hU3YH4E98AdupgPH3Lw/s1600/scan0016+(2).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="277" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf8l7NETQsbVlojP3MwlW3JHypfe471a1azfRrR3qn1FDjKM4Jm1WCE9DNVvoIe7CZ2QusgP8TpPi5r6akPeZq5sOEn8kb-VUBGr4b8wVwBJO6m4WzA0QZLb62hU3YH4E98AdupgPH3Lw/s400/scan0016+(2).jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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But it's the little things I remember most about my first visit to Vienna. </div>
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Not the least of which was the fact that my luggage didn't arrive with me from Australia, forcing me to wander the streets among the stylish Viennese in the same clothes I had spent the past 30 hours in on the plane.</div>
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In response, I ate my feelings at one of the city's cacophony of cafes, most of which purport to have invented the sachertorte (a chocolate cake regarded as one of Vienna's culinary specialities). </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsrMIE_LwFuBbADxwdFx1KvkPW-aipP86gsD8475Efor-FJfSY_soypBgeSHhX2rJeF5lIT3Gg_DLthZogR7-3NKOX5fRrBlMBoaM0-VhWd9lHiXDJo_QVEQef9-QnFeT6AsA6-UU39q0/s1600/P1000810.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsrMIE_LwFuBbADxwdFx1KvkPW-aipP86gsD8475Efor-FJfSY_soypBgeSHhX2rJeF5lIT3Gg_DLthZogR7-3NKOX5fRrBlMBoaM0-VhWd9lHiXDJo_QVEQef9-QnFeT6AsA6-UU39q0/s400/P1000810.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Vienna's sweet delights</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBpr4ui9wq8oGZGn0Nv26dDY34V-fqZpCuLfIiOZEi0cnqjlRoS1CIaBdg5NoWHg5R0i_UzDazzErReNGwjO4HfZYKt6m0tMT07FXkyS8WstQYFt1e8dtnzbriFVBQs0OsOv7rZ7rBXIc/s1600/1_MegaPix+014.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBpr4ui9wq8oGZGn0Nv26dDY34V-fqZpCuLfIiOZEi0cnqjlRoS1CIaBdg5NoWHg5R0i_UzDazzErReNGwjO4HfZYKt6m0tMT07FXkyS8WstQYFt1e8dtnzbriFVBQs0OsOv7rZ7rBXIc/s400/1_MegaPix+014.jpg" width="257" /></a></div>
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Then seeking to repent for my sugary sins, I headed for St Stephen's Cathedral, which comes complete with tombs, catacombs and crypts.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3CGnO2jPFAeX6ceQTAVSUpsPe80c8UeUrBwIzQNuuPbym-Ugkjw7AEfEFfdUTKZM0PjpihX5k5vFow3ITU71V3jlqxTJ7rWus3bkwt8TZ2dPoF6qBSq6pnRIjambdYcD_XfO5bHHkgLk/s1600/scan0029.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3CGnO2jPFAeX6ceQTAVSUpsPe80c8UeUrBwIzQNuuPbym-Ugkjw7AEfEFfdUTKZM0PjpihX5k5vFow3ITU71V3jlqxTJ7rWus3bkwt8TZ2dPoF6qBSq6pnRIjambdYcD_XfO5bHHkgLk/s400/scan0029.jpg" width="260" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Habsburg tombs in the Cathedral's crypt</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg234yw0MQ9P_SQFTmOOmaYTw5stMUyazEkcq5fiC447FQtT23f34xDaZD8cYo7EBOjbNNRdbkK0Pv5LZiL_fttnFgRMZLK6ABedmP5RBaA6fw3axVQpLij2wuZybVITDXoxP7x0eqrh6w/s1600/scan0030.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg234yw0MQ9P_SQFTmOOmaYTw5stMUyazEkcq5fiC447FQtT23f34xDaZD8cYo7EBOjbNNRdbkK0Pv5LZiL_fttnFgRMZLK6ABedmP5RBaA6fw3axVQpLij2wuZybVITDXoxP7x0eqrh6w/s400/scan0030.jpg" width="270" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gothic sculptor Anton Pilgram's self portrait in the cathedral's wall</td></tr>
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It has all the usual cathedral trimmings, but I'm particularly taken by the well-equipped "Dom Shop" selling all sorts of christian souvenirs. </div>
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My favourite is a cookbook by Father Michael - watch out Nigella!</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Confess in any language</td></tr>
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Father Michael is unlikely to make an appearance at this week's Eurovision (though maybe he's part of the Final's halftime show?), but Vienna will take pride of place as host city.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdNccr3ag2EBu7HqrYveC8zJq29oA1r5JL_Jb4reQAy5gVmw43T6Lw6mdJpf4CprT4GeQoXv-Bl-A0Fu6okboi5_bRp_bYsqwooInqxv0zoPxEA_bMkyHUKueTUvoRAQBwbjB4ergLMH4/s1600/1_MegaPix+016.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdNccr3ag2EBu7HqrYveC8zJq29oA1r5JL_Jb4reQAy5gVmw43T6Lw6mdJpf4CprT4GeQoXv-Bl-A0Fu6okboi5_bRp_bYsqwooInqxv0zoPxEA_bMkyHUKueTUvoRAQBwbjB4ergLMH4/s400/1_MegaPix+016.jpg" width="256" /></a></div>
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Only time will tell, but I wonder how this year's crop of Eurovision pop will sit in the city renowned for classical music.</div>
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Matthew Harthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03280650873686090150noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2251432398131123456.post-51103189802314543862015-04-06T19:27:00.006+10:002015-04-06T19:27:55.554+10:00Party for one: Eurovision 2015 first listenClear the diary. Turn off the phone.<br />
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It's time to dive into this year's Eurovision pool and see what acoustic delights will wash over me.<br />
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I've got the songs loaded on my iPod and ready to roar (strap yourselves in neighbours as there's 40 songs). <br />
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Apart from Australia's Guy Sebastian, I haven't seen any of the artists so my thoughts are purely based on how the song sounds.<br />
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Of course, the performance on the night has the power to make a good song great (and vice versa), but until then, the songs are all we have.<br />
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Are you ready? Here we go!<br />
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<b>This year's themes</b>:<br />
<b>1. A little bit folk / a little bit country</b><br />
Put away the costume reveals and power down the wind machines during the songs by Cyprus, Hungary and Belarus<br />
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<b>2. About time</b><br />
Switzerland, Belarus and Lithuania have their eyes on the clock<br />
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<b>3. A trip to the theatre</b><br />
Some very musical-sounding numbers from San Marino, Norway, Armenia and the Czech Republic<br />
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<b>4. Twice as nice</b><br />
The male/female duo is back on the Eurovision stage, care of the Czech Republic, Lithuania, Estonia, the UK and Norway<br />
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<b>5. Life is a battlefield</b><br />
War is on the mind of Hungary, Georgia, France and Malta<br />
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<b>My picks</b><br />
I'm torn about this year's favourite as it's such a diverse crop of songs. At one end of the spectrum there's some pure pop songs, all the way through to punk and rock. Amid this indecision, I've selected my top five (The A Squad) and my next top five (The B Squad). <br />
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Australia is one of my favourites but as I won't be able to vote for it, I've put it to the side.<br />
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<b>The A Squad</b><br />
Azerbaijan<br />
Iceland<br />
Estonia<br />
Denmark<br />
Netherlands<br />
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<b>The B Squad</b><br />
Lithuania<br />
Germany<br />
Slovenia<br />
Albania<br />
Norway<br />
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<b>The Nitty Gritty</b><br />
Here's my first thoughts on songs as they randomly played:<br />
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<b>AUSTRALIA: "Tonight Again" by Guy Sebastian</b><br />
This will no doubt sound very biased, but Guy's soulful and upbeat song is a standout among this year's more sombre, reflective and folk offerings from Europe. His decision not to go with a ballad could prove a winner... but what will the rest of Europe think?<br />
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<b>BELARUS: "Time" by Uzari and Maimuna</b><br />
Not a bad entry by Belarus (certainly a step up from its "I love Belarus" entry of a few years ago!). Violinist Maimuna adds a folk feel to this otherwise standard pop song and she could add an extra dimension to the live performance.<br />
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<b>AUSTRIA: "I Am Yours" by The Makemakes</b><br />
Pity the person(s) that have to follow in Conchita's footsteps. Austrian pop rock band The Makemakes has been selected for the task. It's a solid effort, but we're unlikely to be back in Austria in 2016.<br />
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<b>ESTONIA: "Goodbye to Yesterday" by Elina Born and Stig Rasta</b><br />
After a slow start, this song gets kicking along and tells the story of two lovers the morning after. The male-female combo is a reminiscent of last year's The Common Linnets from The Netherlands. This will do well on the night.<br />
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<b>POLAND: "In the Name of Love" by Monika Kuszynska</b><br />
Departing from last year's big breasted milk maids churning butter, Poland presents us with a traditional love ballad. Nice enough but could be easily forgettable on the night.<br />
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<b>BELGIUM: "Rhythm Inside" by Loic Nottet</b><br />
This beat-driven Belgian offering has potential. Hey, at least it's not a durgy love song. Sounds fresh and could put on a good show on the night.<br />
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<b>ROMANIA: "De La Capat" (All Over Again) by Voltaj </b><br />
I'm always impressed when countries offer a song in their native tongue. There was a bit of controversy around this one as the band originally planned to sing the English version of this song but local outcry prompted a compromise with the Romanian/English version. It's a pretty song and should do well.<br />
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<b>SLOVENIA: "Here For You" by Maraaya</b><br />
A boppy ditty that comes with a side serve of soul. I like.<br />
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<b>DENMARK: "The Way You Are" by Anti Social Media</b><br />
I get a One Direction / The Monkeys / Partridge Family vibe listening to this tune. There's a '60s pop rock jauntiness that's very listenable and catchy. Once again, in a year where "feel good" songs are few and far between, this could really stand out.<br />
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<b>THE NETHERLANDS: "Walk Along" by Trijntje Oosterhuis</b><br />
A strong song about unrequited love from The Netherlands. Thankfully not a dreary offering, but could really come alive on the Eurovision stage.<br />
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<b>ITALY: "Grande Amore" by Il Volo</b><br />
Three young guys singing popera; Italy's aiming straight for Europe's voting heart with this dramatic-sounding song. It should do well if the harmonies work on the night.<br />
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<b>GERMANY: "Black Smoke" by Ann Sophie</b><br />
Ann sounds very Paloma Faith / Amy Winehouse in this cool track. I really like it. Interestingly the artist who original won the title to represent Germany this year pulled out, leaving Ann with the job.<br />
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<b>RUSSIA: "A Million Voices" by Polina Gagarina</b><br />
For a "We are the world"-type song, this is a pretty good offering. Polina sounds really strong and the pretty melody and lyrics wouldn't be out of place at an Olympic opening ceremony. But how will Europe feel about a Russian entry singing about love, peace and unity?<br />
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<b>SAN MARINO: "Chain of Light" by Michele Perniola & Anita Simoncini</b><br />
I initially thought my iPod had skipped onto a soundtrack from a musical. This song has a very theatrical feel to it at the start, before transitioning into a '80s pop song. It's not the best.<br />
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<b>CZECH REPUBLIC: "Hope Never Dies" by Marta Jandova & Vaclav Noid Barta</b><br />
Ok. So I had to double check I wasn't listening to a musical rather than Eurovision. Vaclav has quite the gravelly voice and the song never seems to get going. Shame as this is only the fourth ever Eurovision outing for the Czech Republic and the first time they've competed in the contest in six years.<br />
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<b>PORTUGAL: "Ha Um Mar Que Nos Separa" (A Sea That Separates Us) by Leonor Andrade</b><br />
Non-English songs can still be catchy and capture the audience's attention. Sadly this is not one of those songs. You almost tune out as you listen. Perhaps this is the song you pop to the bathroom during?<br />
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<b>IRELAND: "Playing With Numbers" by Molly Sterling</b><br />
A sweet song from Molly and nice to see Ireland not going crazy (Jedward) or uber traditional (cue the fiddles). <br />
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<b>MACEDONIA: "Autumn Leaves" by Daniel Kajmakoski</b><br />
A strong entry about a broken heart from Macedonia that should do well.<br />
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<b>SERBIA: "Beauty Never Lies" by Bojana Stamenov</b><br />
I feel a costume reveal coming on. This self-affirmation song starts slow, but then a '90s' techno beat strikes up and I'm sure a wind machine will. This seems one of the few dance entries this year.<br />
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<b>ALBANIA: "I'm Alive" by Elhaida Dani</b><br />
A powerful and passionate entry from Albania. It's a good one.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg06rGB-K_f1EZZgruNx5MpgjOZhdyk8-6AfevUg2Jw2zpYxQFnOFRqaMCmVGLTTxjy7zzCm19sKRY7N2AqbcWCxkgvAq6htyB1gMeR8eU2K_VPCw198yw4dsMhWxOqMirBJ_8Q2OwLaJQ/s1600/images-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg06rGB-K_f1EZZgruNx5MpgjOZhdyk8-6AfevUg2Jw2zpYxQFnOFRqaMCmVGLTTxjy7zzCm19sKRY7N2AqbcWCxkgvAq6htyB1gMeR8eU2K_VPCw198yw4dsMhWxOqMirBJ_8Q2OwLaJQ/s1600/images-1.jpg" height="266" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Eurovision 2014 winner Conchita</td></tr>
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<b>UK: "Still In Love With You" By Electro Velvet</b><br />
A kind of electric jazz, it's an inoffensive and uptempo song but unlikely to deliver the return of Eurovision to the UK.<br />
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<b>ICELAND: "Unbroken" by Maria Olafsdottir</b><br />
Iceland has given us great entries for a couple of years and this song doesn't disappoint. I can imagine this being a Taylor Swift song. With strong lyrics and a powerful melody, it could be propelled into the winner's position.<br />
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<b>HUNGARY: "Wars For Nothing" by Boggie</b><br />
I feel there should be an apostrophe before the "s" but this seems to be how the band has lodged the song. It's a melodic folk song - the kind you would sing during a candlelight vigil somewhere - but I'm not sure it's going to set the Eurovision stage on fire and could just be seen as a little preachy.<br />
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<b>SWEDEN: "Heroes" by Mans Zelmerlow</b><br />
I'm normally a big fan of Sweden as they always deliver great pop songs (hello Loreen!), but this year's entry leaves me a little cold. The verse sounds country, but the chorus is more athematic. Maybe I'll warm to it with a live performance?<br />
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<b>NORWAY: "A Monster Like Me" by Morland and Debrah Scarlett</b><br />
Another song that would fit in on the West End stage. This is quite a pretty song about being unworthy of each other's love. Starts of slowly, but has a powerful finish.<br />
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<b>ISRAEL: "Golden Boy" by Nadav Guedj</b><br />
I don't like this song. It starts off ok with soulful wailing about having a broken heart. But then it somehow evolves into a Kanye West / Bollywood standard. Pass.<br />
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<b>MOLDOVA: "I Want Your Love" by Eduard Romanyuta</b><br />
A decent pop song that would have done well in the late '90s/early '00s. However, I suspect it's the kind you forget as soon as the track ends. Still, it should provide some light relief on the night.<br />
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<b>AZERBAIJAN: "Hour of the Wolf" by Elnur Hseynov</b><br />
Does Azerbaijan sink most of it's national budget into Eurovision? Probably. Still, it works. I love this song. It's a soaring, contemporary ballad that has a strong melody and could really pack a punch on the night.<br />
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<b>CYPRUS: "One thing I Should Have Done" by John Karagiannis</b><br />
A simple and sweet song about love regret. Being accompanied only by a guitar gives the song a folk feel. People have likened it to Extreme's "More than Words".<br />
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<b>LATVIA: "Love Injected" by Aminata</b><br />
A little too post modern for me. Lots of quirky electric sounds, but a lack of lyrics and melody, and an uninteresting chorus makes the three minutes seem longer. We're unlikely to be in Latvia next year.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPk-96k38fwiC5kwZ7Ff1fBrstMwT1gHcDwV1hn77f2tSNMX5JiVmLDd3F9xjxTfJLIXD9fS9NqbSuEajk3fQl1VDMFfXDcDZ-4bygk2Sd-P8q_T00xqfZ-s_bSL08WQYKhbwNqZucLAs/s1600/Eurovision-2015-Stage-1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPk-96k38fwiC5kwZ7Ff1fBrstMwT1gHcDwV1hn77f2tSNMX5JiVmLDd3F9xjxTfJLIXD9fS9NqbSuEajk3fQl1VDMFfXDcDZ-4bygk2Sd-P8q_T00xqfZ-s_bSL08WQYKhbwNqZucLAs/s1600/Eurovision-2015-Stage-1.png" height="266" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Eurovision 2015 stage design</td></tr>
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<b>GEORGIA: "Warrior" by Nina Sublatti</b><br />
This must be the Eurovision equivalent of turning up to a function in the same outfit; two entrants have songs called "Warrior". Georgia's entry is pulsating pop, but will the name confusion cost it points? I wonder what the other one sounds like?<br />
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<b>GREECE: "One Last Breath" by Maria Elena Kiriakou</b><br />
Let's get the obvious joke out of the way first: this could be a love song or commentary about the Greek economy. It's a simple ballad that builds momentum, but it's unlikely go anywhere on the night (probably just as well as I'm not sure Greece is ready to fund/host Eurovision).<br />
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<b>SWITZERLAND: "Time to Shine" by Melanie Rene</b><br />
A solid pop rock entry from Switzerland, complete with an electric guitar solo. This could do well for Switzerland.<br />
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<b>LITHUANIA: "This Time" by Nokia Linkyte and Vaidas Baumila</b><br />
This song is growing on me. It's a rollicking, guitar-centric song about falling in love that could have Europe doing the same with this duo.<br />
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<b>MONTENEGO: "Adio" (Goodbye) by Knez</b><br />
One of the few non-English songs in this year's pile. It's a tune that builds but I'm not sure it has a strong enough melody to transgress the language divide.<br />
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<b>MALTA: "Warrior" by Amber</b><br />
The other song called Warrior. I think I prefer Georgia's "Warrior", though both seem to be about finding the warrior within. Amber gets a bit shouty in parts. <br />
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<b>ARMENIA: Face the Shadow" by Genealogy</b><br />
Lots of voices spring up in this one (including an opera singer it seems) and (again) could be the Act One finale of a musical. More doesn't necessarily mean better. I don't like this one so much.<br />
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<b>FINLAND: "Aina Mun Pitaa" (I Aways Have To) by Pertti Kurkan Nimipaivat</b><br />
Well if you've ever wondered what a Finnish punk band consisting of people with disabilities sounds like, then this song is for you. It goes for a mere 1.24 minutes and seems to just repeat the title throughout. I'm all for inclusion, but at the end of the night the song needs to stand up on its own. Nope.<br />
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<b>SPAIN: "Amanecer" (Break of Day) by Edurne</b><br />
This quickly builds from a fairly dreary start to solid and racing tune, sung in Spanish.<br />
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<b>FRANCE: "N'oubliez pas" (Don't Forget) by Lisa Angell</b><br />
A good entry from France, sung entirely in French. Lisa's soulful voice carries the simple tune about rebuilding our lives after war. It takes on more significance after the events in Paris during the past year.<br />
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<br />Matthew Harthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03280650873686090150noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2251432398131123456.post-82501166365653144792015-03-16T20:39:00.001+10:002015-03-16T20:39:12.968+10:00Rock of agesWe were having one of those travel moments when we knew what we were looking for, but weren't sure what it looked like, and were concerned we had passed it.<br />
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But then, my friend and I gazed to the right and immediately spotted it: Ireland's Rock of Cashel. <br />
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In hindsight, we needn't have worried about missing it. <br />
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This is no pebble by the roadside, but a sizeable fortress mound with castle and cathedral ruins on top. It would be pretty hard to miss... even for us.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">First glimpse: Rock of Cashel </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">On the approach</td></tr>
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The Rock of Cashel, nestled beside the town of Cashel, is also known locally as Cashel of the Kings and St Patrick's Rock.<br />
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According to legend, the rock comes from a nearby mountain, called the Devil's Bit. When St Patrick banished Satan from a cave in the mountain, the rock was thrown to it's current site.<br />
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This is also where St Patrick was believed to have converted the King of Munster. <br />
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Clearly St Patrick was a bit of an overachiever and hit his stride at Cashel.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Inside the ruins</td></tr>
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We're at Cashel on a beautiful Irish autumn day - it's mostly cloudy, a little cool and with periods of light drizzle. The weather sets the mood of this place perfectly.<br />
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Rock of Cashel is a mash of mostly ruined buildings that map its history. Each crammed against each other, leaning and partially blending into each other. <br />
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Among the pack are a 12th century round tower, a 13th century Gothic cathedral and 15th century castle. <br />
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Importantly, there's enough remaining to give us a tantalising taste of what life might have been like here hundreds of years ago. With the harsh Irish weather, and cool and dark castle interiors, this would have been no place for the faint hearted.<br />
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But for me, one of the best sites at Rock of Cashel is the graveyard nestled beside the ruins, complete with moss-covered headstones tilted to the side. <br />
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Traditional Irish high crosses stand tall here, casting their eye over the region's impossibly green fields.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Heading out to the graveyard</td></tr>
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<br />Matthew Harthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03280650873686090150noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2251432398131123456.post-22591769061501702112015-03-08T16:04:00.001+10:002015-03-08T16:04:11.258+10:00Australia's Eurovision 101Australia is on tenderhooks.<div>
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This week the nation finds out which song Guy Sebastian will be singing to represent Australia in Eurovision.</div>
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I don't want to exaggerate, but this could be the biggest Australian news event of the year.</div>
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After all, this is the first (and possibly last) time Australia will be competing in Eurovision.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhty8Kfb_Z6OaIGs_uJqqWQAe69n_sIjt5AG7HHjRExfT36-26Crd9Cq5qxLh8U99tzerfVoSB1iELioAaZfg9w4EBmHrQQ5HfxO6uNbEx8erRRuXVh-O15aTYtwpRtYvIqr_264KGmbCU/s1600/guy_sebastian_eurovisionartist_credit_ben_symons.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhty8Kfb_Z6OaIGs_uJqqWQAe69n_sIjt5AG7HHjRExfT36-26Crd9Cq5qxLh8U99tzerfVoSB1iELioAaZfg9w4EBmHrQQ5HfxO6uNbEx8erRRuXVh-O15aTYtwpRtYvIqr_264KGmbCU/s1600/guy_sebastian_eurovisionartist_credit_ben_symons.jpg" height="225" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Guy Sebastian to represent Australia</td></tr>
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The announcement of Australia's participation in this year's competition in Vienna, and subsequent appointment of Guy Sebastian as our chanteur of choice, has generated much discussion and confusion Down Under. </div>
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It's all new to many Australians and there are lots of questions.</div>
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To bring Australia up to speed on this Eurovision caper, I've compiled a list of Frequently Asked Questions.</div>
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<b>Q: Australia is not in Europe so how can it be in Eurovision?</b></div>
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You're right! Australia isn't in Europe so rest assured that your grade five geography teacher didn't lie to you. </div>
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Still, the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), the group that puts on Eurovision, decided to give Australia a "wildcard" entry this year to mark the contest's 60th anniversary. Given the aim of Eurovision is to bring nations together, inviting Australia to take part seems very apt, don't you think?</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pack your bags Australia, we're off to Europe!</td></tr>
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Helping this decision would have been the fact that Australia is the largest Eurovision audience outside of Europe and has been screened here for 30 years. In recent years, our interaction with the competition has grown. In 2013, the Malmo hosts gave a nod to Australia, while last year Jessica Mauboy provided half-time entertainment in Copenhagen. </div>
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<b>Q: Why does Eurovision exist?</b></div>
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It was started in 1956 by the European Broadcasting Union as a way to unite war-torn Europe through light-hearted entertainment. Think of it as the musical equivalent of the Olympics.</div>
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Interestingly, during the Cold War the Soviets tried to start their own version of Eurovision, called <a href="http://somekindofblissblog.blogspot.com.au/2013/05/vocal-power-to-people.html" target="_blank">Intervision</a>.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-P6o0lscD3WCiNNjwRgL2t4Sd-M7-SY__eowqghNBCqhyOopzv6zxMRTKTaX5UfnR78ICafnLsTFmp-V2LKkNC_RTfafm2p5rid37urTNWLHzjknCfhAzQN4b9sgKWWDQeu0LB9rMSB4/s1600/esc_australia_logo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-P6o0lscD3WCiNNjwRgL2t4Sd-M7-SY__eowqghNBCqhyOopzv6zxMRTKTaX5UfnR78ICafnLsTFmp-V2LKkNC_RTfafm2p5rid37urTNWLHzjknCfhAzQN4b9sgKWWDQeu0LB9rMSB4/s1600/esc_australia_logo.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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<b>Q: How does Eurovision work?</b></div>
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Each year, member nations of the EBU submit a song to be performed live during the contest. With about 40 countries competing, there are two semi-finals and a grand final. </div>
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Each country casts votes for their favourite song, awarding 12 points to their top pick, then ten points to second choice, and then eight to one points for the following eight songs. Countries can't vote for themselves.</div>
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Each country determines their favourites by a combination of telephone votes and the votes of a jury, made up of music figures from that country. The purpose of the jury is to lessen the impact of "bloc voting" (where countries just vote for their neighbours). </div>
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The presentation of votes from 40-odd countries has taken on a life of its own in recent years, consuming quite a bit of time as the show crosses live to representatives in each country (often former Eurovision performers from that country or "local identities").</div>
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The winning country hosts the competition the following year. Here are some <a href="http://somekindofblissblog.blogspot.com.au/2013/03/youve-got-to-sing-it-to-win-it.html" target="_blank">common techniques</a> countries use to try and win Eurovision.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We've been watching for 30 years</td></tr>
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<b>Q: Isn't Eurovision a bit of a joke?</b></div>
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I can't deny that with the wind machines, costume reveals and other gimmicks, some acts are more of a novelty than others. But just because it is a competition, doesn't mean it can't be fun. </div>
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If you listen to some of the most popular picks from recent years, they have been strong songs from a range of genres, from pop and rock, through to folk and country. Many have found wide appeal outside of Eurovision, even charting on iTunes Australia.</div>
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<b>Q: Why do some countries skip straight to the grand final?</b></div>
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The UK, France, Germany, Spain and Italy (known as the "Big Five"), along with the host nation, go straight to the grand final because they are the biggest financial contributors to the EBU. </div>
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As a "wild card" entry, Australia will also skip the semi-finals and only perform in the grand final.</div>
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<b>Q: How do countries pick their songs?</b></div>
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Each country (well their Eurovision TV broadcaster) picks their Eurovision entry. For some countries, such as the UK, the broadcaster simply picks who will represent the nation. In other countries, the national selection process takes months of <i>X Factor</i>-style performances and public voting.</div>
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In Australia, the broadcaster SBS appointed Guy Sebastian as our representative after calling for expressions of interest from the local music industry. The fact that Australia only knew quite recently that it was going to compete ruled out a public national selection process.</div>
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<b>Q: Have Australians participated in Eurovision before?</b></div>
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Why yes, but not representing Australia. Olivia Newton John represented the UK in 1974, Johnny Logan won Eurovision for Ireland twice, Gina G represented the UK in 1996, and Jane Comerford was the lead singer for German entry <i>Texas Lightning</i> in 2006.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt5DtD2MHc-H4gm7mBrzXOiHv2rXh6sHTUQgaxLJdQPhkNa3JeuFdBy4qkVOE29A0yd9uKTRV2fpYDJXiuCs7BGFo47YDpMhAM0TJOU7QnP8_euNbJzlzjmhzjP_0-QyFxjov3jwgPgic/s1600/83a458fd-a2c2-465f-8016-8f2d20ce6b18-1020x612.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt5DtD2MHc-H4gm7mBrzXOiHv2rXh6sHTUQgaxLJdQPhkNa3JeuFdBy4qkVOE29A0yd9uKTRV2fpYDJXiuCs7BGFo47YDpMhAM0TJOU7QnP8_euNbJzlzjmhzjP_0-QyFxjov3jwgPgic/s1600/83a458fd-a2c2-465f-8016-8f2d20ce6b18-1020x612.jpeg" height="240" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jessica Mauboy in 2014</td></tr>
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<b>Q: What else do I need to know</b></div>
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As with all competitions, there are a number of interesting rules: </div>
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<li>The songs must not have been commercially released before 1 September 2014</li>
<li>Each song can only last three minutes</li>
<li>A maximum of six people can be on stage during a country's performance. The rules explicitly forbid live animals on stage</li>
<li>All artists must be at leat 16 years old</li>
<li>No one artist can compete for more than one country in any given year (but a country's representative doesn't have to have been from that country... hence Australians have been able to compete for other countries)</li>
<li>Songs must have lyrics and each country can decide the language they want their song to be in </li>
<li>Each song must be performed live (there can be no vocals on the backing track)</li>
<li>Songs can't have "unacceptable language" or promote any organisation, institution, political movement, brand, produces or services</li>
<li>Each participating broadcaster is required to broadcast the show in its entirety (so countries at conflict with their neighbour still have to show their entry) </li>
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Matthew Harthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03280650873686090150noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2251432398131123456.post-50741278332689439492015-02-09T09:24:00.003+10:002015-02-09T09:29:33.495+10:00Colorado calling<i>"I'm leaving on a jet plane,</i><br />
<i>Don't know when I'll be back again.</i><br />
<i>Oh babe, I hate to go."</i><br />
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With my bags packed and these words from John Denver ringing in my ears, today I'm saying farewell to the slopes of Colorado.<br />
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It's been my second visit to the US state and another chance to explore more of the many ski fields it has to offer.<br />
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Featuring large international resorts like Vail, Aspen and Breckenridge, along with smaller "local mountains" like Copper Mountain and Keystone, you can barely move here without tripping over a ski hill.<br />
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Surprisingly, skiing in Colorado is different compared to other snowy destinations. <br />
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Sure, it's got the snow, but it's the type of skiing, environment and surrounding towns that make Colorado stand out.<br />
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Here's a few ways Colorado skiing is different:<br />
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<b>1. You get high</b><br />
With Southern Rocky Mountain elevations of more than 3,000 metres above sea level, you're considerably higher than ski resorts in Japan, Australia and New Zealand.<br />
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For some this means a healthy dose of altitude sickness when they first arrive. For me, it means a constant shortage of breath, whether it's walking up short flight of stairs or through the supermarket.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvxEQb7TO0Bzu5m6FoifVoJA1PkQk3jjnH-t1GPyL-6ch4XZv4qne1jbwi95TaWxdqDGEZQJtUrD9a5xDq0GLfbdbyL2KrPMkTC_vY2MKpCITpxEeK8KytdASVmyZ6LoSlfVh83M9n9Fg/s1600/DSC02616.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvxEQb7TO0Bzu5m6FoifVoJA1PkQk3jjnH-t1GPyL-6ch4XZv4qne1jbwi95TaWxdqDGEZQJtUrD9a5xDq0GLfbdbyL2KrPMkTC_vY2MKpCITpxEeK8KytdASVmyZ6LoSlfVh83M9n9Fg/s1600/DSC02616.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Breckenridge - proudly home to the highest ski lift in North America</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXd6tYlAs64ECx4dvNfExoyJjViFmoUeKaliADNyTUUVtbToTw7UjzhSX58yUc-FbKMLfFy4W8E2oi2U_3aM-FfqvfpPI4A38Sn0HUoX7oAZfEXQvWAaumFklgrCjDcC3hJcqoIldIqd4/s1600/DSC02623.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXd6tYlAs64ECx4dvNfExoyJjViFmoUeKaliADNyTUUVtbToTw7UjzhSX58yUc-FbKMLfFy4W8E2oi2U_3aM-FfqvfpPI4A38Sn0HUoX7oAZfEXQvWAaumFklgrCjDcC3hJcqoIldIqd4/s1600/DSC02623.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Heading down from that lift</td></tr>
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<b>2. You get high (part two)</b><br />
Since my last visit, Colorado has legalised marijuana so a few cannabis cafes have sprung up. Sure, there's always been an acrid whiff of pot around ski lifts, but now that seems to have grown into a cloud of smoke hanging over the state. You smell it corridors, walking along the street, on the bus and on people's clothes.<br />
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<b>3. Sunshine on my shoulders</b><br />
The local guide tells me Colorado gets almost 300 days of sunshine a year, yet it also manages to be one of the snowiest places in the US with annual snowfalls of up to nine metres. On this visit, there were a few sunny days when the temperature crept up above zero (never a good thing for snow), but on the plus side I do enjoy seeing where I'm going when skiing.<br />
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<b>4. Tree-lined runs</b><br />
Many places have tree-lined ski runs, with the resorts in the US and Canada known for their network of trails among the pine forests. In Colorado, they not only have the usual pine trees, but they also have forests of aspen trees, which have a luminous bark in the snow. Very pretty.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Aspens</td></tr>
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<b>5. Rocky Mountains</b><br />
True to name, there are plenty of jagged peaks, canyons and cliffs in this part of the world. A dusting of snow makes these all the more dramatic. On some of the more advanced ski runs, there's also a few rocks peeking through ready to scrape against your rental skis ("That gash was there when I picked the skis up," I claim).<br />
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<b>6. Hoedown throw down</b><br />
Long before the invasion of skiers and boarders in flash 4WDs ready to pay through the nose for something basic like a soft drink, this was cattle and mining country. Many of the buildings look like they're remnant sets from a western movie, while it's not unusual to see a few locals skiing in cowboy hats and flannel shirts.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The town of Steamboat Springs with the ski runs as the backdrop</td></tr>
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<b>7. It's dry</b><br />
The altitude and low humidity means you quickly become a walking ball of static electricity, ready to zap anyone or anything at a moment's notice. It also means you wake up desperate for a glass of water a few times a night, and have to contend with the occasional nose bleed.<br />
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<b>8. The views</b><br />
While you're smack bang in the middle of the US, sometimes it feels like are in the middle of nowhere. You can be standing on top of a mountain and see nothing but rugged peaks and valleys for as far as the eye can see. <br />
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<br />Matthew Harthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03280650873686090150noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2251432398131123456.post-31123056676053738082015-02-07T09:13:00.001+10:002015-02-07T09:16:12.213+10:00Shrines in the snow"I'm looking for John Denver," I asked one of the Aspen Mountain Ambassadors.<br />
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Anywhere else in the world and this request would have justifiably been met with a puzzled look. After all, John sadly died almost two decades ago.<br />
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But without missing a beat, Ambassador Kyle jumped on his skis and led me towards a blue run called "Bellissimo".<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-ObpGW9ttp79lBGoLONtj2z7qi9KyYzHB8QkJqNRqp7FFmBWEzu989uF6toOckymtbSrYbshvIP-ynKokW4wJ0EjyD7XSc-Lvek_UJECxng3ExDJzpqinVABd8YcP5c-XCssZ5UiOYo8/s1600/DSC02363.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-ObpGW9ttp79lBGoLONtj2z7qi9KyYzHB8QkJqNRqp7FFmBWEzu989uF6toOckymtbSrYbshvIP-ynKokW4wJ0EjyD7XSc-Lvek_UJECxng3ExDJzpqinVABd8YcP5c-XCssZ5UiOYo8/s1600/DSC02363.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The view from Aspen Mountain across to Aspen Highlands</td></tr>
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Tucked in the trees alongside this run is a peaceful shrine dedicated to the late Colorado singer.<br />
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The shrine consists of photos, album covers and other John Denver paraphernalia that fans have left on the trees over the years in remembrance and celebration of the former Aspen local.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The John Denver shrine</td></tr>
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It's a quiet little spot among a slightly steep clump of trees that ensures I awkwardly slip and slide my way in for a closer look.<br />
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But the John Denver shrine is just one of many hidden among the slopes of Aspen's four ski hills, though most seem to be on Aspen Mountain which towers over the town. <br />
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There's shrines to lots of famous people and things, from the Beatles through to Snoopy.<br />
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Nobody knows for sure, but the shrines were started years ago by anonymous individuals and evolve over time as people contribute and take items. <br />
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They add a surprisingly spiritual and reflective atmosphere to the mountains, and as far as I'm aware are unique to Aspen and its four ski hills.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDdWvSJ-ud-aLIzk0-Rla2PAWhOytUUrh1rg8Y-3dBmG0VI8-Q_p4zOo7RiNjn1krB1ucuY190-3qUSJgZLQqLxtetnXfKsN9MKOBrhtP6Leb0wpxVdRlaqVeVXQsm_Ki010p-P25EbUs/s1600/DSC02388.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDdWvSJ-ud-aLIzk0-Rla2PAWhOytUUrh1rg8Y-3dBmG0VI8-Q_p4zOo7RiNjn1krB1ucuY190-3qUSJgZLQqLxtetnXfKsN9MKOBrhtP6Leb0wpxVdRlaqVeVXQsm_Ki010p-P25EbUs/s1600/DSC02388.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Aspen Mountain overlooking the town of Aspen</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
One local, David Wood, has categorised as many as he can find on a <a href="http://www.aspensnowmassshrines.com/" target="_blank">website</a>.<br />
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But no matter how good a description you may discover for these shrines, asking one of the friendly Aspen Ambassadors to show you is the sure fire way you will actually find them. After all, there are a lot of trees here.<br />
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Kyle then leads me down a black run filled with icy moguls - a run I would not have bothered with by myself.<br />
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Here, in a little clearing offering a panoramic outlook over the valley, is the shrine dedicated to Jerry Garcia from the Grateful Dead.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQJmQdknVgX3srG1eB5sBgXn5Va-CCOp2JryJ9kix8O457OTJ26heid4qjpJmb7En0-f97vTZU8uxbXGv0y_8CvTnLkjRGpIxfzt-A-oJHjjcDJ09D7_xEpwI6gb4-QdtOuqw-ApsIrWo/s1600/DSC02375.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQJmQdknVgX3srG1eB5sBgXn5Va-CCOp2JryJ9kix8O457OTJ26heid4qjpJmb7En0-f97vTZU8uxbXGv0y_8CvTnLkjRGpIxfzt-A-oJHjjcDJ09D7_xEpwI6gb4-QdtOuqw-ApsIrWo/s1600/DSC02375.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Jerry Garcia Shrine</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I have to confess that I'm not really familiar with that band, but I can appreciate that this is one of the most substantial shrines on the mountain.<br />
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There's photos, lyrics and a even a guitar hanging from a tree.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikeGVCRgQ-JkFxrfcrlltI_g-FEUa4Fx90mU8n4mUk8fffvKgZjyAyuDLU_3M35PznmEJXnrbfwBAqD5jh9bCS9Tj54B0_Kwtanf_qhoZL8cRpMBEG86cH-cRHbNUKEAPIu3z9cBxUMsA/s1600/DSC02376.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikeGVCRgQ-JkFxrfcrlltI_g-FEUa4Fx90mU8n4mUk8fffvKgZjyAyuDLU_3M35PznmEJXnrbfwBAqD5jh9bCS9Tj54B0_Kwtanf_qhoZL8cRpMBEG86cH-cRHbNUKEAPIu3z9cBxUMsA/s1600/DSC02376.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Guitar hanging at the Jerry Garcia Shrine</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
To complete the picture, when we arrive two old stoners are sitting on a log smoking a joint and taking a swig from the whiskey bottle they brought. I quietly hope I don't encounter their boozed and high skiing later on.<br />
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They read some Grateful Dead lyrics to me as if they were the words of Shakespeare and I fake enthusiasm about how profound they are.<br />
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My next shrine stop is not dedicated to a person or group, but to an event; the 9/11 attacks in New York.<br />
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This shrine is visible from the nearby ski runs, particularly a large engraved wooden sign.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLsrx3r-LiFf3GTNB1H_cWKz3oY19NwydXTGINgXCOQBuzSFBe-mkfsXCrb3quRKI63l5H6tmLOIS29VLxY3rVmN1onz8GCzpFl2rK0DsDUpk6sSzXOO_pOVmCGee30nMAVdrIwaO8h0w/s1600/DSC02378.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLsrx3r-LiFf3GTNB1H_cWKz3oY19NwydXTGINgXCOQBuzSFBe-mkfsXCrb3quRKI63l5H6tmLOIS29VLxY3rVmN1onz8GCzpFl2rK0DsDUpk6sSzXOO_pOVmCGee30nMAVdrIwaO8h0w/s1600/DSC02378.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The 9/11 Shrine on Aspen Mountain</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioI9ce8g14Y25IwLCOr6cwQYSR5p0eiDS_5TnAIchyV4fMA6_-sFIezS6LAob2g10IxtyKxEIjXjRWimBdmtY2ZxC5L1O2Me7OH69tHIhwO6SAdzy9EM1MIR_gXLd6mWayF094oM-vXbs/s1600/DSC02377.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioI9ce8g14Y25IwLCOr6cwQYSR5p0eiDS_5TnAIchyV4fMA6_-sFIezS6LAob2g10IxtyKxEIjXjRWimBdmtY2ZxC5L1O2Me7OH69tHIhwO6SAdzy9EM1MIR_gXLd6mWayF094oM-vXbs/s1600/DSC02377.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tributes to the firemen involved in 9/11</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Apparently there are almost 75 shrines in the trees on Aspen's four ski hills. <br />
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The people who started them did not intend for them to be tourist attractions and there are no maps pointing out their locations. <br />
<br />
Instead, inspired by the beautiful natural landscape, they simply created spots to pause and remember someone or something that was dear to them.<br />
<br />
<br />Matthew Harthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03280650873686090150noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2251432398131123456.post-43928983409754595702015-02-02T13:58:00.000+10:002015-02-02T13:58:22.108+10:00Ice cube artSo apparently ice isn't just for your drink and snow isn't just for skiing.<br />
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<div>
This is what I've learnt this evening inspecting the results of this year's International Snow Sculpture Championships, here in Breckenridge.</div>
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<div>
The Championships featured 16 teams from as far afield as Mongolia and Ukraine. Each four-person team started started with a giant cube of compacted snow and had four days to transform it into a work of art.<br />
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Unable to use power tools, the teams took hold of saws, picks, cheese graters and a host of other utensils - all while working day and night when temperatures were sinking as low as minus 20 degrees Celsius.</div>
<div>
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<div>
Sadly this entry didn't stand the test of time, and also serves a reminder of how all these beautiful snow sculptures will end up.<br />
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<div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglqM80NCd3o1n61pyoRtMebMQodohUoC_Bx0rNxLRb5_m7ctJ9rvco1S2ZbdaU9cCA2Aj2jx7xy9RYhix9hF4PZxywK-KNoxEKxpm0dsfCWT60Hwz_D_Na0vjW4sAGOk9NU6VJP4Sq3Nw/s1600/DSC02493.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglqM80NCd3o1n61pyoRtMebMQodohUoC_Bx0rNxLRb5_m7ctJ9rvco1S2ZbdaU9cCA2Aj2jx7xy9RYhix9hF4PZxywK-KNoxEKxpm0dsfCWT60Hwz_D_Na0vjW4sAGOk9NU6VJP4Sq3Nw/s1600/DSC02493.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Team Germany with "Earth, Life and Sun"</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
While the winners have been announced, which one is your pick?</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXZs-gkzAY3YKiiq2q4Q6rrW9n_AoJfzeH9a-peDK8wJ2WbZD99HlPQgautN-0wpGIpJCVz7_HxJIVmblJvB5Gt-IphYcoitOg-EEeScy8jbagSyX1GRpSf-ItYrVISyrQu8bjdGgdxeg/s1600/DSC02480.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXZs-gkzAY3YKiiq2q4Q6rrW9n_AoJfzeH9a-peDK8wJ2WbZD99HlPQgautN-0wpGIpJCVz7_HxJIVmblJvB5Gt-IphYcoitOg-EEeScy8jbagSyX1GRpSf-ItYrVISyrQu8bjdGgdxeg/s1600/DSC02480.jpg" height="640" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Team China with "Winter Fishing"</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2RzSXW_oqifax2v903FmnYXmOcr429pze2IRDMVN_Ni3jMaNoZUfARGW3t00FEdvrUAw0SmRE4jvMqvfaW7JzQX5pKraAIrU_YLGflwVgh5jYOxUqOQqOeAbBm4kAU55608274aC2nVQ/s1600/DSC02481.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2RzSXW_oqifax2v903FmnYXmOcr429pze2IRDMVN_Ni3jMaNoZUfARGW3t00FEdvrUAw0SmRE4jvMqvfaW7JzQX5pKraAIrU_YLGflwVgh5jYOxUqOQqOeAbBm4kAU55608274aC2nVQ/s1600/DSC02481.jpg" height="640" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Team Catalunya with "El Vol de l'Home Ocell"</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ9Xtbb98RhHlZLHeuFQYqBdU7A1i7r18tMP2jtgldeTLhJ_XjSgPvxwK-aZyEjDdJQRZFRgiuT1pUCOciekW91HxPYUP9TDKxuH38s21dJfcCWv2xmU51gF25Hrld8Xlw-SdvhQgwM6s/s1600/DSC02485.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ9Xtbb98RhHlZLHeuFQYqBdU7A1i7r18tMP2jtgldeTLhJ_XjSgPvxwK-aZyEjDdJQRZFRgiuT1pUCOciekW91HxPYUP9TDKxuH38s21dJfcCWv2xmU51gF25Hrld8Xlw-SdvhQgwM6s/s1600/DSC02485.jpg" height="640" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Team USA - Virginia with "The Bear and the Fish"</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxibj31XuUGeu4swxdyDHg6WkLpyTMdiIpvMqO5j2PgNmolxdobjEycZzmqG7VXgYKV60DRBv0XTO5XAIhXl_mvSIP6SQnaYOPvLaG0IE1fXbLnZ5u6zz_DRBb6IMqmQovrWce4xaQU2E/s1600/DSC02488.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxibj31XuUGeu4swxdyDHg6WkLpyTMdiIpvMqO5j2PgNmolxdobjEycZzmqG7VXgYKV60DRBv0XTO5XAIhXl_mvSIP6SQnaYOPvLaG0IE1fXbLnZ5u6zz_DRBb6IMqmQovrWce4xaQU2E/s1600/DSC02488.jpg" height="640" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Team Argentina with "Don Quijote"</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5CwTZ0aMEz2S5wA3OZ9Jxs1pRe3jJ6zlvR8IAKsgCBsQLrZa69BO4O8ZPUli2JJ_PCAX1aST7ZVZdRJ2aKXTKa8azDYGrXrpnCoAvb2l8ROELSNB7xx9Hi9ityG64WJSlJRonuazt_aU/s1600/DSC02489.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5CwTZ0aMEz2S5wA3OZ9Jxs1pRe3jJ6zlvR8IAKsgCBsQLrZa69BO4O8ZPUli2JJ_PCAX1aST7ZVZdRJ2aKXTKa8azDYGrXrpnCoAvb2l8ROELSNB7xx9Hi9ityG64WJSlJRonuazt_aU/s1600/DSC02489.jpg" height="640" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTlS_jo4V0Vmyh3KzvGpNXX1xarmdKAkqAkjo_HLVDIm-9UH-KQk9zcLHeE4RzUcSTeoy5YivyeAbsvopCOn5x5OK9XOk8jOqJfNd-yYviCgVNSq1FZgwpZl0EwI0ZaloCoNZ3qg7bVeE/s1600/DSC02490.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTlS_jo4V0Vmyh3KzvGpNXX1xarmdKAkqAkjo_HLVDIm-9UH-KQk9zcLHeE4RzUcSTeoy5YivyeAbsvopCOn5x5OK9XOk8jOqJfNd-yYviCgVNSq1FZgwpZl0EwI0ZaloCoNZ3qg7bVeE/s1600/DSC02490.jpg" height="640" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Team Breckenridge with "The Sculptor"</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhAcZ0opTP7fIRFY6RxBMo-nhTzIJtUAhyY1vZL7zLyGvfIQThiUDsZZkN8_4g8fHAxhhPsPrYhlLKMkelxd5HeYUxPPnkZCpPPYRH6Zmfj0LBJYXFArLTwNYKOg6wPmD55QdHuFxSaL0/s1600/DSC02494.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhAcZ0opTP7fIRFY6RxBMo-nhTzIJtUAhyY1vZL7zLyGvfIQThiUDsZZkN8_4g8fHAxhhPsPrYhlLKMkelxd5HeYUxPPnkZCpPPYRH6Zmfj0LBJYXFArLTwNYKOg6wPmD55QdHuFxSaL0/s1600/DSC02494.jpg" height="640" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Team France with "Always in Love"</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJZ4HjeGmppDy2-33pa6G3wJWQ7aAy8a2iBfWt02pDbvK1_ylMWUy4yhpCvQgGcZmu_z8Rv-b-WrdWxD_47VfHfbJOmQhlGoUXqiYNj2rsniEplwro_fxseaOMhxFy_nfvpJaFSoz6uLM/s1600/DSC02495.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJZ4HjeGmppDy2-33pa6G3wJWQ7aAy8a2iBfWt02pDbvK1_ylMWUy4yhpCvQgGcZmu_z8Rv-b-WrdWxD_47VfHfbJOmQhlGoUXqiYNj2rsniEplwro_fxseaOMhxFy_nfvpJaFSoz6uLM/s1600/DSC02495.jpg" height="640" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSlo1270854XAHDknGqrd8zYfX5dbSDkC8zfnbZyyqef9fa4bZPiGNNLNLDnoG0MBXh3xrWoLQzHliAAws7aEiPpXWawCd1MHxFPmUadDsLGEcUpTp1IZybWf5juhX-dVvMjTbvYluESI/s1600/DSC02499.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSlo1270854XAHDknGqrd8zYfX5dbSDkC8zfnbZyyqef9fa4bZPiGNNLNLDnoG0MBXh3xrWoLQzHliAAws7aEiPpXWawCd1MHxFPmUadDsLGEcUpTp1IZybWf5juhX-dVvMjTbvYluESI/s1600/DSC02499.jpg" height="640" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Team Ukraine with "Doves of Peace"</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRZUDWZDl8_ovMYoLrZoBTHt-MoaUI_gKbu4FHbQE8134RHfENML145gNrm_WsyldsoMpv0XZI-DPazKd-IU0-3Kv7_D1eBuaYONEYTL3R8CKRci2NMjRHe7EYz5hsxyM55E8RrVQ1H9k/s1600/DSC02504.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRZUDWZDl8_ovMYoLrZoBTHt-MoaUI_gKbu4FHbQE8134RHfENML145gNrm_WsyldsoMpv0XZI-DPazKd-IU0-3Kv7_D1eBuaYONEYTL3R8CKRci2NMjRHe7EYz5hsxyM55E8RrVQ1H9k/s1600/DSC02504.jpg" height="640" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Team Mongolia with "On the Way to the Dream"</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL04E8pcX9zDsd659FsQWm4lvz0vc4oPMEopwx-bHng8J_23BTDmho53fVhyUNfnHcuUAZfI_3zoLKUnTKpvRdEXhLYUUaoN5YnIyCR6H8XAjBiKxQJwHDp_JKDI5d846Utsqjrjf1rl8/s1600/DSC02505.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL04E8pcX9zDsd659FsQWm4lvz0vc4oPMEopwx-bHng8J_23BTDmho53fVhyUNfnHcuUAZfI_3zoLKUnTKpvRdEXhLYUUaoN5YnIyCR6H8XAjBiKxQJwHDp_JKDI5d846Utsqjrjf1rl8/s1600/DSC02505.jpg" height="640" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Team USA - Vermont with "Explosion"</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeHgsQppp5aaQP11xn5mo132LrTsWHpmxtRBrlQR8cnO95s86DFZqiLOdyy1_BlgvA2x8zF2yvxPXMpgpfjx0hjPMqhKjsCI2g066FDAtGL6n5N0kCcFNsDC7b6waG6fdQdEig-rP2h6A/s1600/DSC02507.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeHgsQppp5aaQP11xn5mo132LrTsWHpmxtRBrlQR8cnO95s86DFZqiLOdyy1_BlgvA2x8zF2yvxPXMpgpfjx0hjPMqhKjsCI2g066FDAtGL6n5N0kCcFNsDC7b6waG6fdQdEig-rP2h6A/s1600/DSC02507.jpg" height="640" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Team Mongolia - Munkh-Erdene with Nomadic Culture</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<b>People's Choice Winner</b><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPTkTeLZ0LWywCFdC9bEHwkBUFSOJLVZccL8r50n-8iX3W6a3NapBcA6Yj8umpdgq4Rcjx64cVPKsFE_gv0EEr0Cm-TnmTJZNqjilMGzClWk3XNzs3JyQinnuDYXKJ5s7hpOQSIbwp3ZA/s1600/DSC02483.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPTkTeLZ0LWywCFdC9bEHwkBUFSOJLVZccL8r50n-8iX3W6a3NapBcA6Yj8umpdgq4Rcjx64cVPKsFE_gv0EEr0Cm-TnmTJZNqjilMGzClWk3XNzs3JyQinnuDYXKJ5s7hpOQSIbwp3ZA/s1600/DSC02483.jpg" height="640" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Team Alaska with "Alaskan Fish Camp"</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjskW-03MrJrgsWFz-hFWm1Wp3YA8Rychjh896FGvISB4gWVkfJqpegUVmTNH0xkdX7XTP1ncULu-gXNrmKms5avS40aiNr7Q7m-FGkYs9GLkk_DkxT8-8nMRFXjEYF9BP27CQROp3-D18/s1600/DSC02484.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjskW-03MrJrgsWFz-hFWm1Wp3YA8Rychjh896FGvISB4gWVkfJqpegUVmTNH0xkdX7XTP1ncULu-gXNrmKms5avS40aiNr7Q7m-FGkYs9GLkk_DkxT8-8nMRFXjEYF9BP27CQROp3-D18/s1600/DSC02484.jpg" height="640" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 15.4559993743896px;"><b>Bronze Medal Winner</b></span></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLkNe-luKhq9p9MrjrI4F9uSxMhKGsOZxrk8Zjz_21op7U1WcnSWW2KtPC-usM1lal24xDkR_PWacjWOil3OfnLIh78VvhVDuR2r9HiieAQzGxaafx7hd8MGgvKNEgrrfn9ERCzvHJyDc/s1600/DSC02497.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLkNe-luKhq9p9MrjrI4F9uSxMhKGsOZxrk8Zjz_21op7U1WcnSWW2KtPC-usM1lal24xDkR_PWacjWOil3OfnLIh78VvhVDuR2r9HiieAQzGxaafx7hd8MGgvKNEgrrfn9ERCzvHJyDc/s1600/DSC02497.jpg" height="640" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Team USA - Minnesota with "The Tempest"</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 15.4559993743896px;"><b>Silver Medal Winner</b></span></div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf-YxqeLz7a82eoZUjC2yqrgeOQj5wPKfujNLEVeAmIebCbvIYfwdcY4J5LFEvZXRGuOFY-ta-ijam2-oCrdQLxwwZ8jB9Gf4W23KR3uYSseLApPJ2hjqUjdD0HlHUp1S8HR5emPji2JI/s1600/DSC02511.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf-YxqeLz7a82eoZUjC2yqrgeOQj5wPKfujNLEVeAmIebCbvIYfwdcY4J5LFEvZXRGuOFY-ta-ijam2-oCrdQLxwwZ8jB9Gf4W23KR3uYSseLApPJ2hjqUjdD0HlHUp1S8HR5emPji2JI/s1600/DSC02511.jpg" height="640" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Team Germany with Yantra</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfbomuGSdlM4JRB5wX818WjBmn8MDPffjnSlLN6-WQtaO7VKmtEDsflzVXSjh5C7aVHkBPqWCoBBIbdbz_MKR6Hanoa23m8zMxauEszBKA3pQp0VDuLQT11ph6wyf1vPa4l0V6tvTKZkA/s1600/DSC02510.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfbomuGSdlM4JRB5wX818WjBmn8MDPffjnSlLN6-WQtaO7VKmtEDsflzVXSjh5C7aVHkBPqWCoBBIbdbz_MKR6Hanoa23m8zMxauEszBKA3pQp0VDuLQT11ph6wyf1vPa4l0V6tvTKZkA/s1600/DSC02510.jpg" height="640" width="480" /></a><br />
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<span style="color: #141823; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, lucida grande, tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px; line-height: 15.4559993743896px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #141823; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, lucida grande, tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px; line-height: 15.4559993743896px;"><b>Gold Medal Winner</b></span></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeK2-sRWyfU4xjgZkkw3JHsq48cyCfLOQV9LVtytt3BG4gUIiieziXed8x0tjBfRXfSUM6uNxpP8mnMUf_roDqlVCUo-3DBzYome1hD6BhA8f-q5zZvP3gVmKzkPlb8rM3ghgx0rVA2o4/s1600/DSC02487.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeK2-sRWyfU4xjgZkkw3JHsq48cyCfLOQV9LVtytt3BG4gUIiieziXed8x0tjBfRXfSUM6uNxpP8mnMUf_roDqlVCUo-3DBzYome1hD6BhA8f-q5zZvP3gVmKzkPlb8rM3ghgx0rVA2o4/s1600/DSC02487.jpg" height="640" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Team Lithuania with "The Wind of Eternal Change"</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Matthew Harthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03280650873686090150noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2251432398131123456.post-36759180480009345812015-01-30T09:33:00.001+10:002015-01-30T09:33:29.691+10:00A Rocky Mountain high"Whatever you do, don't joke about John Denver in Aspen. He's a local hero," a friend warned me before this trip.<br />
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How could I? I love John Denver!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj37O0glQkwHrS7FYM5KTHkFYGp1nRbm0sPyuPd-B3ymdxMSeTSdYWJPfS5obhEMwa8KEA0GwJeMl85PLiVttThPlwFfBSe34gx-wq0fMMiFAhQTYEoTK81rl2R3r7xo8kS55ebiRTU3Vg/s1600/DSC02295.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj37O0glQkwHrS7FYM5KTHkFYGp1nRbm0sPyuPd-B3ymdxMSeTSdYWJPfS5obhEMwa8KEA0GwJeMl85PLiVttThPlwFfBSe34gx-wq0fMMiFAhQTYEoTK81rl2R3r7xo8kS55ebiRTU3Vg/s1600/DSC02295.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
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Songs like <i>Rocky Mountain High</i>, <i>Thank God I'm a Country Boy</i> and <i>Take Me Home Country Roads</i> have inexplicably been a soundtrack to my life.<br />
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They're those songs that I don't know how and when I came to know them; they've just always been there.<br />
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I remember John Denver being on <i>The Muppets</i> a lot. Or perhaps the episode with him in it was repeated a lot.<br />
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I was talking about John Denver in the office recently and I was stunned to discover that some of the "younger ones" had never heard of him! The outrage! (Seriously! I think they just walk around with their eyes and ears closed).<br />
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John's songs evoked the peace and natural beauty of Colorado long before I came here. It's no surprise that <i>Rocky Mountain High</i> has been made one of the state's official songs!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT05dptpo2FhEJ-Sqzoys3r7K9D5QqMtGZqP_Nxe9EI8LQeVjPT_7NgYWLB1tyIS1Qob5RXGbziGb6Of9DndIBQmoB3kSXcg2zM_TxHfHq1pVWjz7odfmm62HXkHk-JQCdF_NBmJrWv10/s1600/DSC02305.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT05dptpo2FhEJ-Sqzoys3r7K9D5QqMtGZqP_Nxe9EI8LQeVjPT_7NgYWLB1tyIS1Qob5RXGbziGb6Of9DndIBQmoB3kSXcg2zM_TxHfHq1pVWjz7odfmm62HXkHk-JQCdF_NBmJrWv10/s1600/DSC02305.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The snow-covered John Denver Sanctuary</td></tr>
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So on this visit to Aspen, I was keen to discover the <i>John Denver Sanctuary</i>, tucked in the corner of a downtown park by the Rio Grande.<br />
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I find the sanctuary blanketed in a layer of snow, with only scattered boulders and a icy pond poking their way through the white.<br />
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Further in, a boulder points to John's Song Garden, a section of the sanctuary where the words to some of his most famous lyrics have been carved into stone.<br />
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The garden consists of a tight cluster of boulders standing by the frozen stream. <br />
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Sanctuary seems to be the perfect word for this place. The afternoon sun in streaming down before it falls behind Aspen Mountain and plunges the town into shadows. The only sound is the trickle of the river underneath the snow and ice.<br />
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Some of the "classics" are here like <i>Rocky Mountain High,</i> <i>Perhaps Love</i> (personal favourite) and <i>Sunshine on My Shoulders</i>, but I can't seem to find <i>Annie's Song</i> (which I know is here somewhere, but perhaps buried under the snow?). <br />
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I like that Aspen have chosen to remember John, not by the usual statue or plague, but with a natural space through which you can wander. It's particularly fitting given John's support of environmental causes during his life.<br />
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<br />Matthew Harthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03280650873686090150noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2251432398131123456.post-59005102647574660402015-01-27T11:28:00.005+10:002015-01-27T12:16:30.200+10:00Australia Day in the HighlandsJust as cane toads have infested Australia, so too have Australians overrun the world.<br />
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Further proof of this Aussie invasion emerged today, when even here in Colorado's Rocky Mountains the slopes pulled out all the stops to celebrate Australia Day.<br />
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They're clearly no strangers to Australians in these parts, but it was surprising to see so many Americans getting in the Australia Day spirit.<br />
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It started soon after sunrise when the local television channel had Neil Perry on to discuss Australia's (ahem) contribution to global cuisine. <br />
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After declaring that Aspen was his second most favourite place in the world after Sydney, he then tried to explain the concept of Vegemite to the bemused hosts. <br />
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Clearly bedazzled by our culinary offering, one of the hosts then enthused that there would be meat pie tasting competitions and barbecues across the slopes today. <br />
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Adding to the festivities, the ski lifts started an hour earlier today (because god knows we just love an early start).<br />
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Sadly, I was not out of bed in time to take advantage of this. But when I did stumble into my ski boots, it was to catch the bus to nearby Aspen Highlands.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Aspen Highlands</td></tr>
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Here, the lifts were adorned with Australian flags, INXS was blaring on the speakers and an inflatable kangaroo was keeping watch.<br />
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Further up the hill, many skiers had Australian flags tucked into their helmets. I was surprised to find that many of these flag wavers weren't actually Aussies, but happy to get into the spirit anyway. One lady was from Austria - that's kind close enough to count.<br />
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Cruising into one of the lifts, the attendant, looking resplendent with an Australian flag (hopefully temporary) tattoo on his face, offered me a Tim Tam.<br />
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"It's like a Twix," he reliably informed me.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of the key things you need to know about Australia... we have the highest price of electricity?</td></tr>
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Aspen Highlands covers a ridgeline, with runs falling off the spine. There's a lot of double diamond and diamond runs here, but for me it was the rolling blue lines that kept me occupied. <br />
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Looking at the map, I initially thought I would only spend a morning here, but the sunshine, uncrowded lift lines and endless Australiana had me captivated for the entire day.<br />
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Pulling in for lunch presented another opportunity to re-connect with the Motherland. Dingo Burger anyone? Mmmm, just like the ones we have at home.<br />
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The afternoon allowed more exploration of the mountain, assisted by a guy dressed as a kangaroo.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The guy in orange is a kangaroo... obviously</td></tr>
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As I unclicked my boots at the end of the day, I had the startling realisation that Americans celebrate Australia Day better than we do.<br />
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<br />Matthew Harthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03280650873686090150noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2251432398131123456.post-51799375640088245452015-01-18T08:25:00.000+10:002015-01-18T08:25:24.600+10:00When nature fights backThe heat and humidity is high and so is the grass.<br />
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Taking full advantage of the Queensland summer, the backyard has gone feral.<br />
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With each passing day the trees, bushes and weeds visibly climb. <br />
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So too does the risk that we'll lose some unsuspecting passerby in the urban jungle. Perhaps we already have? We'll only know when the mower man comes and carves a temporary path through the greenery.<br />
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Nature's fighting back.<br />
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While we might put concrete over it, crank up the air conditioning, and try to choke it, nature always has the last laugh.<br />
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It's always been this way.<br />
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Centuries ago in Cambodia, kings and kingdoms once thought they'd tamed the jungle too.<br />
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The temple Ta Prohm, featured in the <i>Tomb Raider</i> movie staring Angelina Jolie, shows that while nature might move slowly, it will win in the end.<br />
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There are scores of temples across Cambodia's famous Angkor region. Workers tireless keep nature at bay every day by cutting back the trees, grass and weeds.<br />
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But at Ta Prohm, archeologists decided to leave it in the condition they found it. They noted that the temple was one of the most imposing in the region and had begun to merge with the jungle.<br />
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It seems they too were meserised by the tangle of trees and roots, and how nature, slowly but surely, had taken control of the temple.<br />
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Vines strangle the temple's walls and trees sprout out of its collapsed roofs, while roots prise apart each brick.<br />
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In its heyday, Ta Prohm, dating back to the 12th Century, was a hive of activity, serving as a monastery and university. Ornate bas reliefs on the temple walls and doors tell its story.<br />
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In recent decades, the temple has regained a legion of followers (with a bit of help from Angelina).<br />
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On the hot and humid day I visit Ta Prohm, we're joined by a group of Buddhist nuns who've also come witness the spectacle.<br />
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But even as hordes of tourists (including me) trample over the site, we all know that nature still reigns supreme here.<br />
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<br />Matthew Harthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03280650873686090150noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2251432398131123456.post-62078816016952327122015-01-14T20:52:00.001+10:002015-01-14T20:52:09.046+10:00Proposal pandemicEveryone is getting married. <br />
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Everyone!<br />
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At least that's what my Facebook feed has told me during recent months.<br />
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Clearly my friends are hitting that stage of life when it's time to "get serious", "settle down" or whatever other euphemism you'd like to use.<br />
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Whichever way you look at it, love is in the air.<br />
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But this marriage caper is serious business.<br />
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Not too long after the proposal comes the wedding planning. <br />
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It's a time when at least of one of the two involved pretends this is the first time they've ever contemplated their wedding day (but just happens to have all the suppliers booked and draft event running sheet completed the day after the proposal).<br />
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There's the venue (church, garden or other?), the catering (sit down or cocktail?) and of course the costuming to be considered. And just who is going to sit next to newly-divorced Aunty Joan and listen to her waffle on about how Uncle Barry has run off... with the butcher!<br />
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Yes indeed. There's some big decisions to be made.<br />
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I'm a fair distance from wandering down the aisle myself (unless it's by myself), but any talk of marriage reminds me of Lake Bled in Slovenia.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_PvtZvi_6L1NUY-WyNUPYM0bLWgmShOwRCbdN5oRD-JQzg-PyZB58UBfnLQggT6uiUeEQ3xRY43E3SPk45vgtIuqbvkqE3o4LL3QIJ0CkeBYjAdg-9KATK0hgqbMBPeaU6J0acoA8Vcg/s1600/P1000710.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_PvtZvi_6L1NUY-WyNUPYM0bLWgmShOwRCbdN5oRD-JQzg-PyZB58UBfnLQggT6uiUeEQ3xRY43E3SPk45vgtIuqbvkqE3o4LL3QIJ0CkeBYjAdg-9KATK0hgqbMBPeaU6J0acoA8Vcg/s1600/P1000710.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lake Bled in the Julian Alps</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Honeymooners may want to waft around Venice, but Lake Bled seems to be a magnet for marriage.<br />
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And for good reason. It's ridiculously pretty.<br />
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Fortunately (for me) you don't need to have a ring on your hand to visit.<br />
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Slovenia has always struck me as a strange country. It seems to always be mistaken for Slovakia and initially you're tempted to put it further east in Europe than it actually is. I cruised through it from the Croatian coast on the way to Vienna in Austria.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHFPaI3BG9TZP1xRZyxTFMbTfTAh8yMdVgrLfmgwNxFhoIb70UqClRTt8dICa13tswLl2nAOwT5tGbaBGPzqOleh6LtGtcmDWZCZGHQ81Oo1y5UJnqS3xeA-2UHZm7s13eCKrVD83sUSM/s1600/P1000646.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHFPaI3BG9TZP1xRZyxTFMbTfTAh8yMdVgrLfmgwNxFhoIb70UqClRTt8dICa13tswLl2nAOwT5tGbaBGPzqOleh6LtGtcmDWZCZGHQ81Oo1y5UJnqS3xeA-2UHZm7s13eCKrVD83sUSM/s1600/P1000646.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
But being slightly forgotten or misplaced on the global scene hasn't dampened its appeal. <br />
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Lake Bled epitomises the mountainous and watery beauty Slovenia has in store.<br />
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For newlyweds, it's Bled Island, with its centuries-old church, overlooked by medieval Bled Castle, that is the main drawcard.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_CvXoup4HZrotnYQVO2snAJPXGeZSkvwkdXl8O12Vnc5aimdqe0Pvy6Mlpq5nm8VK1BlQLZRioKsoloC_yQvXM-jNKnFSFyB5-zQo5QY7lmLh5EkR8SEut6Q0gg-qhuyLGHXztM9uPwA/s1600/P1000730.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_CvXoup4HZrotnYQVO2snAJPXGeZSkvwkdXl8O12Vnc5aimdqe0Pvy6Mlpq5nm8VK1BlQLZRioKsoloC_yQvXM-jNKnFSFyB5-zQo5QY7lmLh5EkR8SEut6Q0gg-qhuyLGHXztM9uPwA/s1600/P1000730.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bled Castle overlooking Lake Bled</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjbPFbBMSx8NYyma6tDwL5T_tipkhqUUwwKZG1OeLlVtfyOBCA7JBv35yfg6Vzu2k3YDwlCWUDYqdbtVd75FHWBbKi9uxjt68zicyK5AlBVJLGLeNQPWvYNJCafXLpSiS927xeJEqQuJ4/s1600/P1000704.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjbPFbBMSx8NYyma6tDwL5T_tipkhqUUwwKZG1OeLlVtfyOBCA7JBv35yfg6Vzu2k3YDwlCWUDYqdbtVd75FHWBbKi9uxjt68zicyK5AlBVJLGLeNQPWvYNJCafXLpSiS927xeJEqQuJ4/s1600/P1000704.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bled Island on Lake Bled</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiAGfTfYx67i5t08JgHmcCoH0xCa1mH5tODocPxhFGvmEFQP9E-FDqsmk279VzDVjmxPcru-1vpRAGluvco26cr_0tujxZxfP7HJsyvwEP4ZUHnCocxMLoBwetMwTQiMtTqspOLrElasY/s1600/P1000725.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiAGfTfYx67i5t08JgHmcCoH0xCa1mH5tODocPxhFGvmEFQP9E-FDqsmk279VzDVjmxPcru-1vpRAGluvco26cr_0tujxZxfP7HJsyvwEP4ZUHnCocxMLoBwetMwTQiMtTqspOLrElasY/s1600/P1000725.JPG" height="400" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bled Island</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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The church and bell tower sits at the top of a Baroque stairway, featuring 98 stone steps dating back to the 17th Century.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL9viBNGsVIwltPEk6kFlNv7LLPwkSQTZjY8N2MMO-yWa_QBwG3EIs-I9eTB962rzQ-0JrrgJOnYZyJdXhyAk1Z5Rgiq2Rk2HrBKdr5R1Nr6hCokyhG1yUIaa4z78l88zfygpb6S8csdE/s1600/P1000724.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL9viBNGsVIwltPEk6kFlNv7LLPwkSQTZjY8N2MMO-yWa_QBwG3EIs-I9eTB962rzQ-0JrrgJOnYZyJdXhyAk1Z5Rgiq2Rk2HrBKdr5R1Nr6hCokyhG1yUIaa4z78l88zfygpb6S8csdE/s1600/P1000724.JPG" height="400" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The steps of Bled Island</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB8fpSKSF2FBja4ctLziD6naM1friqJif6950C0OTMGbyIxaQA1AC003XBJxcKD9VIbRSZa0S-sp4-GiyNuLbI6fnFt-mXsomelUf2OnBdim-NmoFDQ4vuc-0Y6AbYI08fSoY7EkRikkI/s1600/P1000700.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB8fpSKSF2FBja4ctLziD6naM1friqJif6950C0OTMGbyIxaQA1AC003XBJxcKD9VIbRSZa0S-sp4-GiyNuLbI6fnFt-mXsomelUf2OnBdim-NmoFDQ4vuc-0Y6AbYI08fSoY7EkRikkI/s1600/P1000700.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Boats ready to head to Bled Island</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpOJ-ZPskadLvlq90HOHfqHa1_IpfUXgZe3XhC1fhJQCrmKUbXMaauoETmi6JoCqhosR7RGn7Gx-e-CMgJmgjk0bG-di1Vah8Mhh1B3iCb1Ps_DXKDBMHTVbrVucXzPJkWd4ReLI4Tshk/s1600/P1000719.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpOJ-ZPskadLvlq90HOHfqHa1_IpfUXgZe3XhC1fhJQCrmKUbXMaauoETmi6JoCqhosR7RGn7Gx-e-CMgJmgjk0bG-di1Vah8Mhh1B3iCb1Ps_DXKDBMHTVbrVucXzPJkWd4ReLI4Tshk/s1600/P1000719.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
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Local folklore dictates that it is good luck for a groom to carry his bride up these steps before ringing the church bell and making a wish. As a result, it's not unusual for the island to look like some sort of formal bootcamp as suited guys throw their wives over their shoulder and charge up the steps (or at least try to make it to the top).<br />
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Lake Bled is also one of those unique locations that looks good no matter what the weather. While all couples hope for blue skies on their wedding day, on a rainy day the lake becomes more intimate as the clouds close in and the lake becomes a giant mirror.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirjAdmcx6coz-hgraGndykl5nDhHZ6eWaORv3u2cYmV7qvpxpC98epx4u5154XJDU24aSy332TCupllbSymnMAYs5ugsflCB8CWR_tC2BSlwkRyXpExvK4WR5-a24Kqr_Pmsyi8IO0K6k/s1600/P1000647.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirjAdmcx6coz-hgraGndykl5nDhHZ6eWaORv3u2cYmV7qvpxpC98epx4u5154XJDU24aSy332TCupllbSymnMAYs5ugsflCB8CWR_tC2BSlwkRyXpExvK4WR5-a24Kqr_Pmsyi8IO0K6k/s1600/P1000647.JPG" height="400" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lake Bled on a cloudy day</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHlGF7LfsUXFz1d6Yrrdhyphenhyphen5tSy3h1HdINEM87p4-BfWdKq1Crh9g8loZzxqdRpn24M5x2qeHJTNQ00ZRnNEQVY_WS2AZyybL6WNAzul8OgExUttz2ol8MzhaU3-8G7oqDHyYDfJWZ5XmA/s1600/P1000694.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHlGF7LfsUXFz1d6Yrrdhyphenhyphen5tSy3h1HdINEM87p4-BfWdKq1Crh9g8loZzxqdRpn24M5x2qeHJTNQ00ZRnNEQVY_WS2AZyybL6WNAzul8OgExUttz2ol8MzhaU3-8G7oqDHyYDfJWZ5XmA/s1600/P1000694.JPG" height="400" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">By the water's edge</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_n-QH7vyRJdci7lON2gOdNBIpSwfM9kOIUBBeuKE5toHZXOl9hKLWqU-cGodbmo8GS4jzx2cbK06yFx7BgLlY8LFcr8rZcRZr7FTC1vU3S2iZAQgnEMn90UatFb0dvRGz8XyQuIW7mmk/s1600/P1000640.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_n-QH7vyRJdci7lON2gOdNBIpSwfM9kOIUBBeuKE5toHZXOl9hKLWqU-cGodbmo8GS4jzx2cbK06yFx7BgLlY8LFcr8rZcRZr7FTC1vU3S2iZAQgnEMn90UatFb0dvRGz8XyQuIW7mmk/s1600/P1000640.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Friendly local</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
There's not too many instances in wedding planning where I'd condone bridezilla behaviour, but couples take note - Lake Bled is one place that's worth putting your foot down and throwing a tantrum for. <br />
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And for single onlookers, the memory of grooms dropping their brides on Bled Island's steps (and the ensuing first fight as a married couple) will be your cheery companion for many years to come.<br />
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<br />Matthew Harthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03280650873686090150noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2251432398131123456.post-69343469361643451652015-01-11T17:05:00.001+10:002015-01-11T17:10:24.654+10:00A year of good news<div>
Here's a question for you: is the world a worse place today than it used to be?</div>
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The internet's continual stream of updates about ISIS, 24-hour TV coverage of the Charlie Hedbo office shootings and subsequent manhunt in France, and countless other stories could give you the impression that it's all gone to pot.</div>
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There certainly feels like there's a lot of bad news about these days. </div>
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But has there actually been an increase in the bad news, or just an increase in the coverage of bad news?</div>
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Thinking back to my childhood in the '80s in Queensland, I remember it as a happy and carefree time (though there's always the danger of looking back in time with rose coloured glasses). I was aware of international and national bad news, but it didn't seem to have the power to permanently impact me. </div>
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Yet bad news did happen in the '80s. There were airline hijackings, IRA blasts and a host of other disasters - just like any other decade.</div>
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What's changed is how we hear about these events. Back then, there might have been a piece on the radio, nightly news bulletin or in the newspaper, and that was it. We also usually heard about news after it happened. Some times days after it happened.</div>
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Contrast to today. We don't just hear about news as it is happens, but we also get to see it as well. It's non-stop rolling coverage... even when we don't know what's happening. And to fill the air time we get to hear from lots of different people telling us about what they <i>think</i> might be happening, some of which later turns out to be complete rubbish.</div>
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I'm not saying that bad news shouldn't be reported. As a former journalist, I'm firm in my belief that it must be reported. I'm not wanting the news sugar coated and I'm not trying to pretend bad things don't happen. But maybe we need to make a conscious effort to balance our consumption.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZkvIhdwyfQl1llxMCj3gCq7df7ZGDdqlwOC-Loe1484xNC0ayNZasqIsjS1euA0Vt4El0dulHE5SRI9jVzXszv0Ax0f7-F90mJCbogI-qrS7SC33S-qdfYwTNOXmufs7WQg0ZUny4H2E/s1600/image021-300x215.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZkvIhdwyfQl1llxMCj3gCq7df7ZGDdqlwOC-Loe1484xNC0ayNZasqIsjS1euA0Vt4El0dulHE5SRI9jVzXszv0Ax0f7-F90mJCbogI-qrS7SC33S-qdfYwTNOXmufs7WQg0ZUny4H2E/s1600/image021-300x215.jpg" height="286" width="400" /></a></div>
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Take the Charlie Hedbo shootings. As global citizens, it is important that we know what happened. Undoubtably I should know what happened, but does that mean I need to see videos of police officers getting shot in the street? Will that improve my understanding of what is going on or is this just the same voyeurism that makes us slow down when passing traffic accidents? </div>
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Part of being conscious of the news we're consuming is also keeping a healthy scepticism about your news source. I'm tired of media outlets trying to "sizzle" a story, as if it's a mini-series I need to tune back in for. I also question the continual need to identify "heroes" and "villans", apportion blame to someone, or make me "feel" the story. </div>
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<b>With all this in mind, I'm on the hunt this year for news sites that can help me balance the good with the bad. I've found these six but I'm always keen to hear about others.</b></div>
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1. <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/good-news/" target="_blank">Huffington Post - Good News</a></div>
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You've heard of The Huffington Post, the American online news aggregator, but did you know it has a Good News page? Apart from the obligatory kids and pet stories, there are some insightful blog pieces and other stories that might inspire and delight.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihpYT4XMDdcrGPFsuxZZFUAUM3R0pxX57pMpinXTVLRZRixuDEFbMKfylxuKecVjz81TTYJjx9EZW78dagujBg5ZZALHoELUjawsUzNy7U8C4YAuaLMH-syDnWJF7zaNrILkN98lrv2U4/s1600/Screen+Shot+2015-01-11+at+4.21.42+pm.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihpYT4XMDdcrGPFsuxZZFUAUM3R0pxX57pMpinXTVLRZRixuDEFbMKfylxuKecVjz81TTYJjx9EZW78dagujBg5ZZALHoELUjawsUzNy7U8C4YAuaLMH-syDnWJF7zaNrILkN98lrv2U4/s1600/Screen+Shot+2015-01-11+at+4.21.42+pm.png" height="320" width="400" /></a></div>
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2. <a href="http://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/" target="_blank">The Good News Network</a></div>
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Despite sounding like a fundamentalist Christian group, this site calls itself an "antidote to the barrage of negativity experienced in mainstream media". What I like about this site is that in between the human interest stories, there are also "harder" positive news stories, such as research and report findings.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM9akATbgKr0ZxELW9oSUG_8ZfDcFmpr4PEo2RXdjolXUu3s32NzT8x8msCozvEMz7-yJptVYvo63cOuzE5cAJY67RiMOvqf6_f5sK5CzR9Cz1yNo68eKVATkGRgqaihFrWxVwlfIZkj0/s1600/Screen+Shot+2015-01-11+at+4.16.41+pm.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM9akATbgKr0ZxELW9oSUG_8ZfDcFmpr4PEo2RXdjolXUu3s32NzT8x8msCozvEMz7-yJptVYvo63cOuzE5cAJY67RiMOvqf6_f5sK5CzR9Cz1yNo68eKVATkGRgqaihFrWxVwlfIZkj0/s1600/Screen+Shot+2015-01-11+at+4.16.41+pm.png" height="400" width="351" /></a></div>
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3. <a href="http://optimistworld.com/News.aspx" target="_blank">Optimist News</a></div>
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This site had me worried - it looks like it was designed by the same mob who did my primary school bible studies book. But on closer inspection it mixes genuinely interesting harder news stories with the softer ones.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLOc1ZCm2fO_riih5a7VtPiQjCQkZgHyliMKxz-rVIczPgvXXy9ehhqbaMJslvKOFnWoeKSsxT_Z5Z2ygs1kECuq8OLXYynV08G-0XNPCMgQ-6g3okmPC155OLtw2rTySjC2G4d6Dvak4/s1600/Screen+Shot+2015-01-11+at+4.16.18+pm.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLOc1ZCm2fO_riih5a7VtPiQjCQkZgHyliMKxz-rVIczPgvXXy9ehhqbaMJslvKOFnWoeKSsxT_Z5Z2ygs1kECuq8OLXYynV08G-0XNPCMgQ-6g3okmPC155OLtw2rTySjC2G4d6Dvak4/s1600/Screen+Shot+2015-01-11+at+4.16.18+pm.png" height="328" width="400" /></a></div>
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4. <a href="http://www.happynews.com/" target="_blank">Happy News</a></div>
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Again the design of this site could be improved so it looks like it is designed for adults, but I like its manifesto: "we believe virtue, goodwill and heroism are hot news. That's why we bring you up-to-the-minute news, geared to lift spirits and inspire lives". This site also takes a broad approach with happy news categories for international, science and technology etc.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7ANIWpiPsNm9J6uAFMOy9mYvfgAS931JP_8U3WLg0cNz6WiHMvR9KN7IwCtINDTzYc1EG7plZ9mC5X9-wsd4jIKZ3FKSBVDqG7NeBu7V09jQOhK2BNNsOdAt2UjuSqDZu3yf2PGTA-Rk/s1600/Screen+Shot+2015-01-11+at+4.16.00+pm.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7ANIWpiPsNm9J6uAFMOy9mYvfgAS931JP_8U3WLg0cNz6WiHMvR9KN7IwCtINDTzYc1EG7plZ9mC5X9-wsd4jIKZ3FKSBVDqG7NeBu7V09jQOhK2BNNsOdAt2UjuSqDZu3yf2PGTA-Rk/s1600/Screen+Shot+2015-01-11+at+4.16.00+pm.png" height="296" width="400" /></a></div>
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5. <a href="http://www.upworthy.com/" target="_blank">Upworthy</a></div>
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Upworthy focuses on the positive human interest stories, mostly through videos and graphics.</div>
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<div>
6. <a href="http://www.economist.com/" target="_blank">The Economist</a></div>
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This seems like a slightly odd addition to the list. But what I like about The Economist is its more objective, no-nonsense approach to delivering the facts about what is going on in the world (not just economic events as the title may suggest). It also does a great job of putting context around news, drawing on research and linking it to what has happened previously, rather than just relying on wild speculation and commentary. Strangely, after reading an article or two I feel as though I've actually learnt something.</div>
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Matthew Harthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03280650873686090150noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2251432398131123456.post-14097483336253466102015-01-04T17:36:00.001+10:002015-01-04T17:39:46.211+10:00The new year kickMy father once told me how he kicked his legs over the edge of the bed each morning ready to embrace the new day.<br />
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Sickening, isn't it?<br />
<br />
Rest assured, it's not a trait that's been passed on.<br />
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When it comes to waking up and climbing out of bed each day, I'm more of the kicking and screaming variety.<br />
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So it's quite a strange feeling to not be completely devastated to be returning to work tomorrow (like many others I presume).<br />
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Always an overachiever, my Mondayitis usually stirs on a Saturday afternoon and lasts the full 48 hours until I crawl into bed on Monday evening.<br />
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But here I am, on the cusp of the 2015 working year and not collapsing in a heap cursing the cruel universe for making me go to work tomorrow. What gives?<br />
<br />
A new maturity to match the new year? Not likely.<br />
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Now I'm proudly a "cup half empty" (if not completely bone dry and smashed on the floor) kind of guy, but it seems I've dug deep and found six reasons to look forward to heading back to work tomorrow. <br />
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Of course, none of them are actually work related.<br />
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Here we go...<br />
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<b>1. Air conditioning</b><br />
Given my office-bound job, it's rare that I'm out of air conditioning for any long period of time during the day. The last week in muggy old Brisbane has reaffirmed that I'm missing absolutely nothing while inside. There's the waking up to 27 degree temperatures at 8am, the constant humidity, and the energy-sapping heat (not sure they'll be using these descriptors in the next tourism campaign) - where's the appeal?<br />
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<br />
<b>2. Chicken pho</b><br />
It's what I have for lunch. Every work day. At midday (or sooner). I've missed it. A ham, cheese and tomato sandwich isn't cutting it.<br />
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<b>3. CBD shopping</b><br />
I've got Christmas vouchers to use. Sure, I could have popped in during the holidays but where's the fire? <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhCyWk_69aBnrJogyy0Mdov9l1TrIiJbmkSnMMbpkAna64rsWMP1fLunsK1nFGyo8AuG7qqG_aRvFZCjIiknIE2LiIBk2cGb73ZT9kD-faQkAF3jXCOTmgn7I100m7V9XZVdzyfTyF3Uo/s1600/giphy+(1).gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhCyWk_69aBnrJogyy0Mdov9l1TrIiJbmkSnMMbpkAna64rsWMP1fLunsK1nFGyo8AuG7qqG_aRvFZCjIiknIE2LiIBk2cGb73ZT9kD-faQkAF3jXCOTmgn7I100m7V9XZVdzyfTyF3Uo/s1600/giphy+(1).gif" height="215" width="400" /></a></div>
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<b>4. Hair cut</b><br />
It's getting shaggy up there and it needs to be sorted out. <br />
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<b>5. The slow awakening to 2015</b><br />
There's something nice about being at work when many others are still on holidays. You can gently put your toe back into the working pool rather than being forced to immediately sink or swim.<br />
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And finally, the big one...<br />
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<b>6. 14 more work days until my next holiday</b><br />
Yeah. I suspect this is the real reason why I don't mind going back to work tomorrow. A few weeks of this work caper is all that stands between me and a certain flight out of the country.<br />
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I know everyone won't be in the same boat when the morning comes, but either way, just remember that tomorrow you're one day closer to your next holiday!<br />
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<br />Matthew Harthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03280650873686090150noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2251432398131123456.post-29832516027626941142014-12-24T14:30:00.003+10:002014-12-24T14:30:59.120+10:00Let there be light!We may not have snow or chestnuts roasting on an open fire, but Brisbane does know how to put on a Christmas light show.<br />
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For the second year, some friends and I joined the crowds in King George Square to watch the Brisbane City Hall transform into a Christmas wonderland.<br />
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This year, the projected light show tells the story of the Nutcracker.<br />
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With the facade of City Hall as the stage, there's a lot going on. <br />
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When midnight strikes, young Clara's enchanted Christmas gift leads her into a wonderous world.<br />
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With the valiant Nutcracker by her side, Clara defeats King Rat and his giant mice, and journeys to the Land of Snow and the Kingdom of Sweets.<br />
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There the Sugar Plum Fairy bids everyone to dance in her honour.<br />
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Merry Christmas!<br />
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<br />Matthew Harthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03280650873686090150noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2251432398131123456.post-8207660828323799142014-12-20T20:38:00.005+10:002014-12-20T20:38:45.208+10:00Fake festive scenesThe fire is roaring and it's snowing outside. The scene couldn't be more idyllic.<div>
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Importantly, I haven't let the fact that I'm sitting in a unit without a fireplace in the middle of summery Brisbane stand in the way of my desire for a white and wintery Christmas.</div>
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Once again, Netflix is delivering where Mother Nature, geography and wealth has not.</div>
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Imagine my delight while scrolling through Netflix's Holiday Favourites to discover <b>Fireplace For Your Home</b>.</div>
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<div>
Yep. That's 60 minutes of flames. Well, actually 3 x 60 minutes of flames as you have three options (complete with their provided descriptions).</div>
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<ul>
<li><i>Crackling Yule Log Fireplace</i></li>
<ul>
<li>This edition includes a crackling yule log set to holiday favourites such as Joy to the World and We Wish You a Merry Christmas</li>
</ul>
<li><i>Crackling Fireplace</i></li>
<ul>
<li>This instalment includes an old-fashioned wood-burning fireplace. enjoy the bright and cheery flames and the real crackling of the fire!</li>
</ul>
<li><i>Crackling Fireplace with Music</i></li>
<ul>
<li>This program offers the next best thing to a cheery, crackling fire, enhance with a tasteful accompaniment of music to set the right ambience</li>
</ul>
</ul>
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<div>
I like the fact that there are captions - just in case there's any confusion about what's going on.</div>
<div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtF51aOxXck0l_62Hhwo87p4XlOP5i1X3VYKa0TgPLerx8DA1fWrPYQ6k6-Pu8BJBD57fUriehC4JXM2Ar2BhA0S1P2DgLMr34zQyHvaD7LpEFYkCtpTk_zrcfW94Q4YP-RgrDctEofew/s1600/IMG_0956.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtF51aOxXck0l_62Hhwo87p4XlOP5i1X3VYKa0TgPLerx8DA1fWrPYQ6k6-Pu8BJBD57fUriehC4JXM2Ar2BhA0S1P2DgLMr34zQyHvaD7LpEFYkCtpTk_zrcfW94Q4YP-RgrDctEofew/s1600/IMG_0956.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
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<div>
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<div>
I also like the fact that there are options without Christmas music. After all, pyromaniacs need something to watch during the year don't they?</div>
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<br /></div>
<div>
Sure, it was pretty exciting when that other piece of wood caught fire about 13 minutes in, but for my money I pick the Fireplace For Your Home's stable mate: <b>Winter Wonderland for your Home - snow scenery for your television</b>.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeAsTa1L9OntKtC1C9R8tOAqG7P-8fnfvvOo3YlsznvTBAHqMUa_KiELEOcKuFmxnDfeAYoRPByflkUnFs3snCD2fmSBZO0i4rrEzGfCYGVmZb5YIYf7BYeTkep1nzjR3RqUuCSlHfm5c/s1600/IMG_0952.MOV" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeAsTa1L9OntKtC1C9R8tOAqG7P-8fnfvvOo3YlsznvTBAHqMUa_KiELEOcKuFmxnDfeAYoRPByflkUnFs3snCD2fmSBZO0i4rrEzGfCYGVmZb5YIYf7BYeTkep1nzjR3RqUuCSlHfm5c/s1600/IMG_0952.MOV" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
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<div>
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<div>
No prizes for guessing what this one's about, but as the description reads:</div>
<div>
<i>Setting a wintery mood has never been so easy. Snowy background scenes appear every few minutes and are accompanied by holiday music.</i></div>
<div>
<i><br /></i></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM5TTtSV4PrmQMgd215BDHrWbsAxJPkNpsiXzxjPa3qVRM7rfTs8cuLp-5YDS4yvHQmo3bmELr3Z1qViqTUzGc95HcbyEhwN_MzyAjCwDiUq_-TJjakbfICGsx5EJzl8_ACxxrbgZbp0g/s1600/IMG_0942.MOV" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM5TTtSV4PrmQMgd215BDHrWbsAxJPkNpsiXzxjPa3qVRM7rfTs8cuLp-5YDS4yvHQmo3bmELr3Z1qViqTUzGc95HcbyEhwN_MzyAjCwDiUq_-TJjakbfICGsx5EJzl8_ACxxrbgZbp0g/s1600/IMG_0942.MOV" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wait for it... a scene change!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
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<div>
It's full of "surprises" and "action" as it shifts from a range of snowy scenes.</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj9Np1b6oCRVssPEvoLQwyZx8l_ymYVci-A_McRaEWXBlgY8GC_Y2awq87ydOS_7xVLM9u0oZZsbHwVoPliZ-A9CMSjv9d_AvGUOt_IAfqS2fHE4-BaHCPXZjAS31xqxVf0gsCVDoObT0/s1600/IMG_0943.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj9Np1b6oCRVssPEvoLQwyZx8l_ymYVci-A_McRaEWXBlgY8GC_Y2awq87ydOS_7xVLM9u0oZZsbHwVoPliZ-A9CMSjv9d_AvGUOt_IAfqS2fHE4-BaHCPXZjAS31xqxVf0gsCVDoObT0/s1600/IMG_0943.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Oh, the river</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGMIKSXQs0E_v575YtpCuadQpF1z2CC885fEaqm8CUMh3tgPLNzwNUVqaBiKpdDA4EJOX54FxjPgr1BXY5Le_91VKVI8zhkTCZlrd-x94IK2hRWPD9NIxtzEe50-2vVuL-9UUgssKaSlY/s1600/IMG_0949.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGMIKSXQs0E_v575YtpCuadQpF1z2CC885fEaqm8CUMh3tgPLNzwNUVqaBiKpdDA4EJOX54FxjPgr1BXY5Le_91VKVI8zhkTCZlrd-x94IK2hRWPD9NIxtzEe50-2vVuL-9UUgssKaSlY/s1600/IMG_0949.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And then the mountains</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHFUK2fPQEM_nd69NTApcsui_0hBd6WIo3tp4gBQh9pNdvkuAaiHkEE0VaY9z1d7rNDlVz92BkadgHtYmsTZSwdpYvj8WU8MlGJnG3qjyZy9gcq0qAX460Bh4dJJCJ7flmFqcy4QiOcac/s1600/IMG_0946.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHFUK2fPQEM_nd69NTApcsui_0hBd6WIo3tp4gBQh9pNdvkuAaiHkEE0VaY9z1d7rNDlVz92BkadgHtYmsTZSwdpYvj8WU8MlGJnG3qjyZy9gcq0qAX460Bh4dJJCJ7flmFqcy4QiOcac/s1600/IMG_0946.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And the lake</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
Why all this snow at home is enough to make me want to cancel my upcoming ski trip. Why leave my living room when it's all right here? I must be mad!</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Finally, should you be feeling a little bit "bah humbug" about the whole season, then there's some other non-Christmas options for you:</div>
<div>
<ul>
<li>Aquarium - Goldfish</li>
<li>Cascade Mountain Stream</li>
<li>Aquarium - Saltwater Reef</li>
</ul>
</div>
<div>
Netflix. It just keeps giving.</div>
<div>
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Matthew Harthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03280650873686090150noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2251432398131123456.post-5463015957781104612014-12-10T18:43:00.000+10:002014-12-10T18:43:56.941+10:00Caught between a rock and a hard placeIt could be my perfect hermit home.<br />
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Tucked into a fissure in a Welsh limestone cliff, you'd need to know the tiny building was there as it can barely be seen from land or water. <br />
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And even if people did somehow decide to drop by, they'd need to navigate the 52 slippery and uneven stairs down. <br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7jtyRwuSZgsVHRmYCfP-h4Iq6ukBpgUIgTG14vPK1vEMGbhnQbB98Nzy92nbk1xTzcns5B9_ItX3165xIKJ5gdgzfeqRBWKojk4BFxXN7pyfcvd8mF5fAkwb17IeA_l-DM3-bDkjbuyQ/s1600/P1040770.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7jtyRwuSZgsVHRmYCfP-h4Iq6ukBpgUIgTG14vPK1vEMGbhnQbB98Nzy92nbk1xTzcns5B9_ItX3165xIKJ5gdgzfeqRBWKojk4BFxXN7pyfcvd8mF5fAkwb17IeA_l-DM3-bDkjbuyQ/s1600/P1040770.JPG" height="400" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My new home? St Govan's Chapel</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Importantly, St Govan's Chapel was previously home to another hermit so you know it's fit for purpose.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkcELdvUDFU_ECI_b8zHl44WR4dplflMrZ1KBYcvq1QqtI3z3ETA3q-ymo3XWbkxMXDfNAR0aLMbMyiGV-jeAaTEXBTZx2NzGyoTIMCWSDQwjOmt8sVdIRXb_V8nZt53OUeFh2Drnw-VM/s1600/P1040744.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkcELdvUDFU_ECI_b8zHl44WR4dplflMrZ1KBYcvq1QqtI3z3ETA3q-ymo3XWbkxMXDfNAR0aLMbMyiGV-jeAaTEXBTZx2NzGyoTIMCWSDQwjOmt8sVdIRXb_V8nZt53OUeFh2Drnw-VM/s1600/P1040744.JPG" height="400" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">St Govan's Chapel tucked in a small cliff fissure</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk27AK_cKYJq8sg9_vPieMpXEzH6ay4SR2yMHXT_JCiWbjNW1yMnVkJDa8h4VU_6B6Y4hao2aUW4bcxcryV0Tl6hySCzzZkneDFqZ5MIcxuu0G7LiQhuHEx7aEIeaVdzt8EVdAfrYqueA/s1600/DSC00488.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk27AK_cKYJq8sg9_vPieMpXEzH6ay4SR2yMHXT_JCiWbjNW1yMnVkJDa8h4VU_6B6Y4hao2aUW4bcxcryV0Tl6hySCzzZkneDFqZ5MIcxuu0G7LiQhuHEx7aEIeaVdzt8EVdAfrYqueA/s1600/DSC00488.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
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Consisting of a single room measuring about 6m by 4m, St Govan's Chapel must be one of Pembrokeshire's tiniest churches. But what it lacks in stature, it makes up for in quirkiness.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_A6oNSlaAKzRYzN7x2ZjhT9kGrWlxI3LalamRAdyL4K4h6VA52TG03s2YJy_awEt4XJZpLFkjSnscQAiVykhVAp3_jdzVuNgNccpEC07YI-Y2zLREY38EA3egSX5YV9vaOd46Uh5g8Sk/s1600/P1040766.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_A6oNSlaAKzRYzN7x2ZjhT9kGrWlxI3LalamRAdyL4K4h6VA52TG03s2YJy_awEt4XJZpLFkjSnscQAiVykhVAp3_jdzVuNgNccpEC07YI-Y2zLREY38EA3egSX5YV9vaOd46Uh5g8Sk/s1600/P1040766.JPG" height="400" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A home with a sea view</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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It clearly wasn't built to manage the Christmas and Easter worshipping hordes. In fact, you could swear it's pretty much designed to keep people away. You can see the appeal. If it had windows, doors, heating and wifi I'd be moving in.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwv7CG89-7LEsOHN2pomM5Ye4k7V1ooyHQYiM-2cg2RybaYrPYhZN2idHNNq5PXziIPyiR8thFaOXf3a39W06UwqsZXWTfjxdwToh0DGeZ5oQopFq_ghg_2tzwTv0EqKPoW4fCAndaEhU/s1600/DSC00482.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwv7CG89-7LEsOHN2pomM5Ye4k7V1ooyHQYiM-2cg2RybaYrPYhZN2idHNNq5PXziIPyiR8thFaOXf3a39W06UwqsZXWTfjxdwToh0DGeZ5oQopFq_ghg_2tzwTv0EqKPoW4fCAndaEhU/s1600/DSC00482.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Inside St Govan's Chapel </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
The little chapel dates back to the 13th Century and is apparently built on the site of a cave that was once sanctuary to St Govan.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_FUukfsRviHmv5qraz_W2fpZSh9Wo__r4PSLotWplEHDiWmC_IbGI36AKNHvyFbwLeDgHJCXNOBZBri5Op4OoBCbacerTv5SmRuOPp5bH5alrDIngelI4VE_pw1Cau3jJ03LramiPPqk/s1600/P1040746.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_FUukfsRviHmv5qraz_W2fpZSh9Wo__r4PSLotWplEHDiWmC_IbGI36AKNHvyFbwLeDgHJCXNOBZBri5Op4OoBCbacerTv5SmRuOPp5bH5alrDIngelI4VE_pw1Cau3jJ03LramiPPqk/s1600/P1040746.JPG" height="400" width="300" /></a></div>
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As the tale goes, St Govan was an Irish monk travelling to Wales when pirates attacked him. The cliff magically opened up and left a fissure big enough for him to hide in. The pirates left, but St Govan stayed on to live in the small cave.<br />
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Like all good stories there's plenty of conjecture about whether his body (or his silver bell) is buried here, but otherwise the chapel itself is a blank canvas. A small well nearby, now dry, was also believed to have special healing powers.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjltZHZDH7r7zOx4VqhRf09PKS1e2svkbd3Qf6J4a6TDRrtAWaxtiWVbRD7nNB1hHQqK55BxUi-EG8tB9VJyLThg2Nmebk5MVVnlqBT7s-lFCJQMCli72XoZMSWd0-zwlCRjOJ1b0FYbmI/s1600/P1040747.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjltZHZDH7r7zOx4VqhRf09PKS1e2svkbd3Qf6J4a6TDRrtAWaxtiWVbRD7nNB1hHQqK55BxUi-EG8tB9VJyLThg2Nmebk5MVVnlqBT7s-lFCJQMCli72XoZMSWd0-zwlCRjOJ1b0FYbmI/s1600/P1040747.JPG" height="400" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The well (now dry)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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But maybe St Govan's Chapel isn't as quirky as it sounds. You see in this corner of the world, churches seem to come in two sizes: super small or super big. <br />
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A little further west are the ruins (and a modern remake) of the small St Non's Chapel. It marks the birthplace of St David, who, as patron saint of Wales, is a fairly big deal in these parts. In real estate terms, it's a fixer-upper, but to you and I it doesn't have a roof or many standing walls.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyF8u9UsxE85spOp9MLuaSx2PN0dKfwKUEJpSJXcqD252gFDKiihIZ8CjXjzI1TlEVygV_v4wszU-70tohtX_d9FWMutPgtL-cOClwbGlf6mEhTjSQDx4flEeT32I44Z5YTfHyZ0SKUEw/s1600/P1040708.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyF8u9UsxE85spOp9MLuaSx2PN0dKfwKUEJpSJXcqD252gFDKiihIZ8CjXjzI1TlEVygV_v4wszU-70tohtX_d9FWMutPgtL-cOClwbGlf6mEhTjSQDx4flEeT32I44Z5YTfHyZ0SKUEw/s1600/P1040708.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ruins of St Non's Chapel</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Just steps away is a modern remake of the Chapel. You could probably get married or have your funeral here, just be sure you don't have many friends as it's pretty small.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1iK2ru-B2t0GKNCFvPMhtTR80JgugvUPze-3XpD7mh7EvPK8yzmnXdaYUQTd4Imuc8mnQpPgLNpxnEQNq1d5ao2vr84tiNt3Vh7TIrs5Ian-Qlc9SEi4n5paBYrHLnshvVFbGIh-bXPI/s1600/P1040721.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1iK2ru-B2t0GKNCFvPMhtTR80JgugvUPze-3XpD7mh7EvPK8yzmnXdaYUQTd4Imuc8mnQpPgLNpxnEQNq1d5ao2vr84tiNt3Vh7TIrs5Ian-Qlc9SEi4n5paBYrHLnshvVFbGIh-bXPI/s1600/P1040721.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The rugged Pembrokeshire coastline</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14.3999996185303px; line-height: 17.9200000762939px; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-top: 0.5em;">
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYqsVbbwTyH7zLDG2NYIHMeILHZPcbkwYrN1nosrSEq-WkJj5Fj8Hkdq1yAs8KscJ-eze1enVP-qfoYWR8XV8tUkAzOgkNeR5Rhcbk9FNi_Du3FxVZXAbwUIzN6hcOOOzgiRzkcVijNa4/s1600/P1040726.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYqsVbbwTyH7zLDG2NYIHMeILHZPcbkwYrN1nosrSEq-WkJj5Fj8Hkdq1yAs8KscJ-eze1enVP-qfoYWR8XV8tUkAzOgkNeR5Rhcbk9FNi_Du3FxVZXAbwUIzN6hcOOOzgiRzkcVijNa4/s1600/P1040726.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The modern version of St Non's Chapel</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
In complete contrast is the mammoth and ornate interior of the nearby St David's Cathedral, in the town of St Davids. <br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjURcRr6SqqJ8P86i9lXx3ezOLPUhxAvLfw-T19otZMxO7ivn33ejDXnru41WrcFdQ9kVwSOMG7e-f7dm0EjgtZEgSfhMkdlr_xrHbFOG2peYdjsFmwtTP6PYk4aM10U6GcJRI9m8W2p0/s1600/P1040670.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjURcRr6SqqJ8P86i9lXx3ezOLPUhxAvLfw-T19otZMxO7ivn33ejDXnru41WrcFdQ9kVwSOMG7e-f7dm0EjgtZEgSfhMkdlr_xrHbFOG2peYdjsFmwtTP6PYk4aM10U6GcJRI9m8W2p0/s1600/P1040670.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The imposing St David's Cathedral</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYoa5851Wc_JYUbPpFOsrDtwS8vvgtnYlsDw8O3QR9X0qH0VnRjIqLm4DoQ4bp-agalQEERV8odNpqCduVggv4qLbKxPO89VJ1Bgn4BRvILPhFe2TYRRrnAVF1jRfzmWCPNu5AiMmR4pQ/s1600/P1040678.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYoa5851Wc_JYUbPpFOsrDtwS8vvgtnYlsDw8O3QR9X0qH0VnRjIqLm4DoQ4bp-agalQEERV8odNpqCduVggv4qLbKxPO89VJ1Bgn4BRvILPhFe2TYRRrnAVF1jRfzmWCPNu5AiMmR4pQ/s1600/P1040678.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Inside St Davids</td></tr>
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Despite its size, it's mostly hidden from view because it was designed to be tucked away in a valley below the village to hide it from marauders (don't they just sound annoying!) sailing along the coast.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEiXpLyDBFq6g5RUkeGFMo8BxTc5SUY1nA6-vVqfOtuFLyqFkafo6Cydz5jo9Uy9q-eWvUo6fJZiHwIAZWR0OJika4kmlrMVefNgxfH8o7Z1E-IPPxZzBf1JX1tNtQCWlSZuhNbb0nWQs/s1600/P1040705.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEiXpLyDBFq6g5RUkeGFMo8BxTc5SUY1nA6-vVqfOtuFLyqFkafo6Cydz5jo9Uy9q-eWvUo6fJZiHwIAZWR0OJika4kmlrMVefNgxfH8o7Z1E-IPPxZzBf1JX1tNtQCWlSZuhNbb0nWQs/s1600/P1040705.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tucked away in the valley</td></tr>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLNtujNziXBuMjY0vRSeH5Xt-vb40m5uyKQ98tScm7HAI9NLciUewOeHzJyamx4wicTP6wmFuVxoq1uNjaHQDWKmOEBFf4k5jJomYRBFdKolySkoX1Udfe-nrg5yDsO1p2tw2iboZlCc4/s1600/P1040682.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLNtujNziXBuMjY0vRSeH5Xt-vb40m5uyKQ98tScm7HAI9NLciUewOeHzJyamx4wicTP6wmFuVxoq1uNjaHQDWKmOEBFf4k5jJomYRBFdKolySkoX1Udfe-nrg5yDsO1p2tw2iboZlCc4/s1600/P1040682.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
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St David's bones are also believed to be kept here, adding to the allure of the place over the centuries.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBMdJxTuOpdWlUtRjBKetsXkmY0eQDYimHpP7OaQ7NMvgyt0RCL_pvSEA1fSEd1e9RF6yV6Kna-yIGBllN9eRitEiSuF_EJDSE78ZM5dYyY7qY22tNhvrLtyEfCLRj_h3Iozz9YxogJ5k/s1600/DSC00435.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBMdJxTuOpdWlUtRjBKetsXkmY0eQDYimHpP7OaQ7NMvgyt0RCL_pvSEA1fSEd1e9RF6yV6Kna-yIGBllN9eRitEiSuF_EJDSE78ZM5dYyY7qY22tNhvrLtyEfCLRj_h3Iozz9YxogJ5k/s1600/DSC00435.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Shrine that's home to St David's bones</td></tr>
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St David's Cathedral seems ridiculously large given the size of the tiny village it sits in, but in medieval times this was one of the most important shrines of medieval Christendom.<br />
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Back then, two pilgrimages to St Davids was equivalent to one to Rome. <br />
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Either way, it's a long haul for this antipodean hermit but well worth the hike.<br />
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<br />Matthew Harthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03280650873686090150noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2251432398131123456.post-28072935329041308652014-12-07T19:27:00.001+10:002014-12-07T19:27:19.779+10:00Bring me Bota BotaIt seems everyone's in the same boat, and that small boat it leaking, taking on water fast and very, very slowly making its way towards Christmas.<br />
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With any luck, we'll all make it to shore alive on 25 December... maybe without having tossed a few people over the side along the way (either to lighten the load or just because we feel like it).<br />
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It all gets a bit frantic and crazy at this time of year doesn't it?<br />
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This weekend, I was craving some time out, but felt even flopping on the bed just didn't cut it.<br />
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I needed a place where I could go for a few hours and completely switch off. I needed a place like <i>Bota Bota</i>.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheoSV9CMsHueuWhL5I333xAi-1FuXVQ6UGtf9mYEIXLSMTTznCsEM2WYCgbfiOeQpUpjmVlt4TgetTYqIGxdnzLGhSe4Xdl_35GRtHqwkFW6rKk-hHuI08bUe-jY8BF0y7TvC7BRuDsKs/s1600/DSC01373.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheoSV9CMsHueuWhL5I333xAi-1FuXVQ6UGtf9mYEIXLSMTTznCsEM2WYCgbfiOeQpUpjmVlt4TgetTYqIGxdnzLGhSe4Xdl_35GRtHqwkFW6rKk-hHuI08bUe-jY8BF0y7TvC7BRuDsKs/s1600/DSC01373.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bota Bota - a boat with so much more</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Sadly, <i>Bota Bota</i> is in Montreal, Canada, but that won't deter me from torturing you and myself reminiscing about this amazing place.<br />
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<i>Bota Bota</i> is a day spa, but so much more, located on an re-purposed boat permanently moored in Montreal's Old Port. <br />
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The boat itself is a black beast of a thing, sitting among the old industrial port that is gaining new life as an urban recreation wonderland.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXsJaQob2_bXO-Xrd01GWkjJrghOKWATb-0EU5PpHIoEuJB7OoidrsAiYZWvE_yI6wtwwvHHTWoHb0j6_bFJbFC88jjgAf2aJS4W5najTo3arOcyuPJGlAtGuxZJnBFLykO2x-U9RCxHU/s1600/DSC01369.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXsJaQob2_bXO-Xrd01GWkjJrghOKWATb-0EU5PpHIoEuJB7OoidrsAiYZWvE_yI6wtwwvHHTWoHb0j6_bFJbFC88jjgAf2aJS4W5najTo3arOcyuPJGlAtGuxZJnBFLykO2x-U9RCxHU/s1600/DSC01369.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Stepping aboard Bota Bota</td></tr>
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Sure, <i>Bota Bota</i> has massages, treatments and all the usual trappings of a day spa, but what I signed up for was the Nordic bath circuit.<br />
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In short, this is a self-paced rotation through dry saunas, steam baths, cool plunge pools and outdoor hot tubs. <br />
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This circuit is ridiculously relaxing, with the hot and cold treatment melting tense muscles and leaving me slightly light headed. <br />
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You can spend as little or as long as you want in each place - no one is there telling you to move on.<br />
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In fact no one is saying much at all. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG7-H-8Ux1eai6me6usNxlwyoYoGcgOhAJxdiOCNNUlklXtIvLIpRlZ1-lTZzbTbpCP_Zye0GKv2NiL6HDMKv2XX07Oyj8LzfgD6V4NQXGJhNj8idUbPyK0ThSnT0UiMdl5ZpytgvGz40/s1600/DSC01370.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG7-H-8Ux1eai6me6usNxlwyoYoGcgOhAJxdiOCNNUlklXtIvLIpRlZ1-lTZzbTbpCP_Zye0GKv2NiL6HDMKv2XX07Oyj8LzfgD6V4NQXGJhNj8idUbPyK0ThSnT0UiMdl5ZpytgvGz40/s1600/DSC01370.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bota Bota with downtown Montreal just steps away</td></tr>
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One of the rules at <i>Bota Bota</i> is that talk is to kept to a minimum (a tick of approval from me already). Any mobile phones, cameras and other electronic devices are left in the bowels of the boat along with your clothes (you are wearing your swimmers and a white fluffy robe). <br />
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So no one's taking selfies, and no one's talking on the phone to friends. It's peaceful and quiet. Just bliss.<br />
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In between sweating in the sauna and freezing in the plunge pool, I take some time out in some of the indoor and outdoor spaces throughout the boat designed to chill out, relax, or in my case pass out and sleep. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJz0wPxgbLsmvjv1K7J5oiJsblXDnrtfp4fy74tDhs5nPlZ8BwCmgYGcULSrull4OOMD34GEcHTJZqXjbh66OESkb0ytjP1po-25rDH_jGkm2xgqmLcs2qyfSbnehuZnj2uxeQZY8dUrg/s1600/DSC01375.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJz0wPxgbLsmvjv1K7J5oiJsblXDnrtfp4fy74tDhs5nPlZ8BwCmgYGcULSrull4OOMD34GEcHTJZqXjbh66OESkb0ytjP1po-25rDH_jGkm2xgqmLcs2qyfSbnehuZnj2uxeQZY8dUrg/s1600/DSC01375.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of the chill out areas - the lounges on the deck</td></tr>
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What makes this place so phenomenal is how utterly relaxing it is - all while being just footsteps away from Montreal's Old Town. I can see the bustling city right in front of me from the bubbling hot tub, but I feel so detached it's as though I'm watching it on a giant television screen.<br />
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Even more amazing is the price. This isn't a lifestyle retreat with a hefty price tag. <br />
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You can lounge around for as long as you like for as little as $45 for three hours. There's also a bar and cafe on board should you want to make a day of it. <br />
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If I had my way, <i>Bota Bota</i> would pull up its anchor and motor on up the Brisbane River. I'd be there every weekend.<br />
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Matthew Harthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03280650873686090150noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2251432398131123456.post-31933838922783144592014-11-23T19:33:00.002+10:002014-11-23T19:36:10.041+10:00Global travel mysteries<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;">Call Jessica Fletcher, the Famous Five and Sherlock Holmes because there's a pile of travel mysteries just waiting to be solved.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;">They've been burning away in the back of my mind for some time now, but having just returned from a work trip to Melbourne I've been reminded of some of the inexplicable and baffling things we often face while travelling.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;">Grab your magnifying glass and finger print kit, and let's see if we can crack some of my top five travel mysteries.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiicmWa385CnDVXTfF0z1Jy5Q8n136RJjarXbwoTOF6Tm1Vte2x1F6nXmx70Z5zFRtZTDeFndPrcE3d31Q7vYbzadFgogTOJzbC3sNcm2XJlPVw3I5jODsZ09r7OZ0mEBMANzNDeGn_y3I/s1600/angela-lansbury-murder-she-wrote.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiicmWa385CnDVXTfF0z1Jy5Q8n136RJjarXbwoTOF6Tm1Vte2x1F6nXmx70Z5zFRtZTDeFndPrcE3d31Q7vYbzadFgogTOJzbC3sNcm2XJlPVw3I5jODsZ09r7OZ0mEBMANzNDeGn_y3I/s1600/angela-lansbury-murder-she-wrote.gif" height="188" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><b>Mystery 1: </b></span></span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><b> </b></span></span><b style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;">Why do hotels still charge for wifi?</b><span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><b><br /></b></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">It's like they're operating in 2004 and a reminder that if they could find a way to charge for soap and sheets they probably would. Worse still, it seems the more you've paid for your hotel room, the higher the internet access fee. I've been in Moroccan desert camps and Vietnamese jungle tents and still been able to access free wifi, but check into anything above a three-star hotel and you could be charged more than $20 for 24 hours. </span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxDt02JzzpqXtvNLCnF1cxh1t4Q6iSPAbFuK8RB59R0SfxKyosQrkIc4cgtMT0RTvwmKNPOpF6q5MWxFKHYCQVn6Z5uxelgWFakgYGXRzsfa1nxcSxKlXuq3zu2uLhQ0JxZtwMtwRpY-8/s1600/wifi_hotel.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxDt02JzzpqXtvNLCnF1cxh1t4Q6iSPAbFuK8RB59R0SfxKyosQrkIc4cgtMT0RTvwmKNPOpF6q5MWxFKHYCQVn6Z5uxelgWFakgYGXRzsfa1nxcSxKlXuq3zu2uLhQ0JxZtwMtwRpY-8/s1600/wifi_hotel.png" height="236" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><b>Mystery 2: Why are there phones in some hotels' bathrooms?</b></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">Who are you desperately wanting to talk to on that corded phone hanging next to the loo? And who on earth wants to take your call while your in the middle of doing your business. No one. That's who.</span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXwn8EcLRPblp2UCtKyjhJ_3RcTl198lJ8UxjfBxbWeGhvw9YYiZ9rPeWsoVfG-_WigDsR2b95WNrPhH6sNkb32uTG0cXgCTOROO-UIIodLbxIkVxRBxS0cTOnvMEk60ZgCOj7jPEF6dU/s1600/phone.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXwn8EcLRPblp2UCtKyjhJ_3RcTl198lJ8UxjfBxbWeGhvw9YYiZ9rPeWsoVfG-_WigDsR2b95WNrPhH6sNkb32uTG0cXgCTOROO-UIIodLbxIkVxRBxS0cTOnvMEk60ZgCOj7jPEF6dU/s1600/phone.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><b>Mystery 3: Why does the Australian accent sound so ocker overseas?</b></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">Is it something to do with the atmosphere in other parts of the world? Sort of like an aurora borealis, but for sound? No matter where you are in the world, you can pick out an Australian before you see them and everyone suddenly sounds like Alf Stewart from <i>Home and Away</i>. Stone the crows Shelia! It's just not right!</span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeO64z4_YZ9ktjZhdkkA1z-mN-24zU9q6yd8dww6lVsBJeKELKnbfqMnoye5jAyH6PIWiVrN8VSoy1kjsFBcrn2QMYW48nrxJ-BB-b5CDUOhhyphenhyphenSH1csYxvQDq3vGoe6TVV8LKoaClRfP0/s1600/fc,220x200,white.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeO64z4_YZ9ktjZhdkkA1z-mN-24zU9q6yd8dww6lVsBJeKELKnbfqMnoye5jAyH6PIWiVrN8VSoy1kjsFBcrn2QMYW48nrxJ-BB-b5CDUOhhyphenhyphenSH1csYxvQDq3vGoe6TVV8LKoaClRfP0/s1600/fc,220x200,white.jpg" height="290" width="320" /></a></div>
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<b><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;">Mystery 4: </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;">How do some people make it out of their front door, let alone out of their country?</span></b><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;">Recently I was on a flight from Australia to London and sitting next to this German lady who had started her journey home from New Zealand. She had no idea about the onward flight to Berlin she had been booked on, including which airline the flight was with, and from which terminal or time the flight left. So when we arrived in London she just started asking anyone official looking when the next flight to Berlin was. How on earth did she make it to New Zealand and did she know she was in New Zealand when she was there?</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><b>Mystery 5: Why don't people fill out their immigration cards before they're standing at the front of the immigration queue?</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">There's a reason why airlines hand out those immigration cards on the plane, often some ten hours before you land. But you'll still see those people standing in the immigration queue at the final destination, frantically riffling through their bag trying to find their passport number, count how many kids they have and work out how long their staying in the country. </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><b>Mystery 6: Why do Australians sprint to the duty-free shop after landing?</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">You'd think the shop was on the verge of running out of rum and cigarettes the way some Aussies run from the arrival gate and into the store. As international tourists stand by wondering what all the commotion is about, inside the store it's reminiscent of war-time rationing where desperate hordes clutch their new-found bounty like it's the last loaf of bread. It's best to remember that it's duty-free goods, not free goods.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">Sadly I feel some of these travel mysteries will never be solved.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><br /></span>Matthew Harthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03280650873686090150noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2251432398131123456.post-64200355508780517292014-11-16T08:28:00.002+10:002014-11-16T08:28:07.651+10:00What leaders leave behindThe leaders of the G20 countries have breezed into Brisbane this week and, for those who didn't abandon the city for the coast, spotting these celebrities has become the new sport.<br />
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Obama's moved into the Marriott, Putin's holed up at the Hilton, and Merkel's somehow found her way to Caxton Street.<br />
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It's safe to say it's unlikely we'll see such a collection of world leaders bobbing around Brisbane again in the near future.<br />
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No doubt in the days, weeks and months ahead, many will be pondering: was it all worth it?<br />
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After all, leaders are ultimately judged by what they leave behind. <br />
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We saw this recently with the passing of former Prime Minister Gough Whitlam and former Premier Wayne Goss. Australians' outpouring of grief and accolades for their achievements is something unusual when talking about our politicians. <br />
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At risk of bandying around the phrase "they don't make them like they used to", it does seem hard to believe we'll put on similar displays when the current batch's time is up. For some I think we'll struggle to remember who they were at all. Or worse, remember them for all the wrong reasons.<br />
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I'd like leaders to be painfully aware of the need to leave a positive legacy; that they've somehow left the place in a better place then when they found it. <br />
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And for those leaders who can't do that, perhaps their best bet is to leave behind a massive tomb so people simply can't forget you.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_RRdVjCSWrFfdB3WXTc3CpponBLxOZPYA-EIz0XQvciHO-KtCsPLnrb0VQxwHLFBfwOaaxni4XXaHeCzoyfCCxsJXXd6PW7PSaNFXP7lx6Gc3_hW8R2fAoztFXm31oh6lr7Uv9t-lJGs/s1600/P1050166.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_RRdVjCSWrFfdB3WXTc3CpponBLxOZPYA-EIz0XQvciHO-KtCsPLnrb0VQxwHLFBfwOaaxni4XXaHeCzoyfCCxsJXXd6PW7PSaNFXP7lx6Gc3_hW8R2fAoztFXm31oh6lr7Uv9t-lJGs/s1600/P1050166.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Napoleon's tomb</td></tr>
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The tomb of French leader Napoleon Bonaparte provides the perfect example. <br />
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Napoleon was originally interred on Saint Helena, where he was exiled, but today lies in Les Invalides, Paris, in a big red sarcophagus that sits in the centre of a expansive and decorative hall.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The man himself... subtle</td></tr>
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Hopefully the grander the tomb, the more fondly you'll be remembered. Right?<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The dome ceiling under which Napoleon now lies</td></tr>
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While few history books cast an overly glowing light on his rule, today he can rely on the soft sunshine streaming in from the golden dome under which he now lies.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht15h4yd6LJI6ACGAsAIn_2Z7XYngl-oIBaY1SnMAljPIwflFsRV7e_Nuxplk97rujBjlRCfOXZmFGrgCXnCaEIUu1WLMPxNBvasXr9tDPUNps8c7FOrBwrOe-DlcHXfsNEe9m56DtNic/s1600/P1050157.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht15h4yd6LJI6ACGAsAIn_2Z7XYngl-oIBaY1SnMAljPIwflFsRV7e_Nuxplk97rujBjlRCfOXZmFGrgCXnCaEIUu1WLMPxNBvasXr9tDPUNps8c7FOrBwrOe-DlcHXfsNEe9m56DtNic/s1600/P1050157.JPG" height="400" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Napoleon's clothes on display</td></tr>
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Given one of the many things Napoleon is remembered for is his short stature, I can't help but wonder if there's some overcompensation at play in the grand display?<br />
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Let's hope the leaders of today won't need to resort to such tactics.<br />
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Matthew Harthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03280650873686090150noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2251432398131123456.post-6529519401709351582014-11-09T11:45:00.003+10:002014-11-09T11:45:37.795+10:00Watching the Wall fall from afarAs unlikely as it may seem, ripples from the fall of the Berlin Wall 25 years ago today were felt as far away as the tiny town of Warwick in Queensland.<br />
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At the time, we had Karsten, a year 11 German exchange student, staying with us. <br />
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As if the shock of landing in the middle of regional Queensland wasn't enough, it came at a time when this massive, history-shaping event was unfolding back in his home country.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A remnant section of the Wall</td></tr>
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Watching the Wall come down on TV, you could see Karsten's disappointment grow.<br />
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I can imagine friends asking him today where he was when this major national event took place: "Did you go to the Wall to help smash it brick by brick?"<br />
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"No. I was in Warwick," he'd have to reply, probably with a tinge of bitterness and regret.<br />
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The history of the Berlin Wall has always fascinated me as it always seemed to me like one of most absurd concepts in history: completely encircling and shutting off an entire part of a city. An act that immediately divided families, blocked people from their workplace, and suddenly made it deadly to get to a part of the city they may have once roamed.<br />
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Fast forward a decade or so and I was desperate to track down any remnants of the Wall while visiting Berlin for the first time.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of the Wall's former guard towers</td></tr>
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It was the early 2000s and Berlin had clearly had enough of the Wall imposing itself on the city and were happily forging on with the future.<br />
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Dozens of construction cranes loomed over former East Berlin, particularly over the strip of land that the Wall formally occupied that was now valuable inner city real estate. On the way out were the drab and decaying Soviet-inspired buildings to make room for new shiny glass towers. Capitalism had arrived. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">An outline of where the Berlin Wall once stood</td></tr>
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However, I could find sections of the original Wall. Miraculously, these sections hadn't been smashed up and sold to tourists. <br />
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I imagine the Berlin Wall has become like Jesus' wooden cross - there are enough alleged "original fragments" sitting around the world to recreate these objects a thousand times over.<br />
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Thankfully, a campaign to save Wall remnants was beginning to gain ground.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYHY7p0YZ4s05OCd_WCz2peAOugt8RxNY_WVfKLoWQqExI9EVVZDTZm5v9JyKGWW4DRQlxobb7xr6YNYd7yUOrX56WOuch_VAOlSq2jGeKcQSH5c4r-swJHRkN1yM2hHLG-0oUsVNACE4/s1600/5_MegaPix+036.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYHY7p0YZ4s05OCd_WCz2peAOugt8RxNY_WVfKLoWQqExI9EVVZDTZm5v9JyKGWW4DRQlxobb7xr6YNYd7yUOrX56WOuch_VAOlSq2jGeKcQSH5c4r-swJHRkN1yM2hHLG-0oUsVNACE4/s1600/5_MegaPix+036.jpg" height="400" width="257" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The campaign to save parts of the Wall</td></tr>
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One of the most poignant reminders of the Wall was a simple row of white crosses, then located on the Tiergarten fence, near the Brandenburg Gate. It's a memorial to those died while trying to cross the Berlin Wall. <br />
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Chris Gueffroy was the last person to be shot trying to make his way to West Berlin - just nine months before the Wall came down for good.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8TAP9qgvYFkSos7_YbBsJqSeu03KdTeuFY2S1QJzRl91f4upasLp_O8EaNrrh-9gbh5Dgl696DMqspTNYHbxSdU2Y4geif1mLLV1lQewmKiaJQkRt6pvm6PPaZ-5vwTpJZHDA4GNR0pU/s1600/6_MegaPix+006.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8TAP9qgvYFkSos7_YbBsJqSeu03KdTeuFY2S1QJzRl91f4upasLp_O8EaNrrh-9gbh5Dgl696DMqspTNYHbxSdU2Y4geif1mLLV1lQewmKiaJQkRt6pvm6PPaZ-5vwTpJZHDA4GNR0pU/s1600/6_MegaPix+006.jpg" height="257" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">An original carnation of White Crosses memorial</td></tr>
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<br />Matthew Harthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03280650873686090150noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2251432398131123456.post-30782265314512802462014-11-02T10:17:00.003+10:002014-11-02T10:17:52.989+10:00Walking through an online wonderland<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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It's the start of November so I had better get cracking on my Christmas shopping.<br />
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While Christmas might be a good 50 days away, in reality there's only about 35 shipping days.<br />
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You see the big question this year isn't who's been naughty or nice, but who's doing free shipping to Australia or not.<br />
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I'm on hunt for perfect presents that present themselves without me having to step foot inside a shop.<br />
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Continuing last year's <a href="http://somekindofblissblog.blogspot.com.au/2013/11/im-dreaming-of-online-christmas.html" target="_blank">online theme</a>, I'm tracking down online stores that offer interesting and quirky gifts. You see most of my family are adults and I figure if they really wanted or needed something they just would have bought it. So instead, I'm going down the unusual path to find gifts I didn't even know existed.<br />
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There's always eBay, but the problem with eBay is that it's not great for browsing. You need to have some idea what you're looking for.<br />
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Here's some of the other sites I've found, but I'm always open to recommendations!<br />
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1. <a href="http://www.thinkgeek.com/" target="_blank">Think Geek </a><br />
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Initially I thought this was just the domain of pubescent boys, but apart from the Star Trek jumpers and Game of Thrones figurines, it has some great gadgets and tech-centric gifts. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5jrqv0bKTuiED2VZCj4SgZea3T9Mn3QFRG4kYlxuRD8UWg2o44P1dS5guK1j46uqNKs1yO6GHUE2bFfof8wolxpVYQ9jXLrEeTwLvaVfPc59DC1UzjQPtSAIr_pK8OKGGw_zab2hwtB8/s1600/Screen+Shot+2014-11-02+at+9.56.35+am.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5jrqv0bKTuiED2VZCj4SgZea3T9Mn3QFRG4kYlxuRD8UWg2o44P1dS5guK1j46uqNKs1yO6GHUE2bFfof8wolxpVYQ9jXLrEeTwLvaVfPc59DC1UzjQPtSAIr_pK8OKGGw_zab2hwtB8/s1600/Screen+Shot+2014-11-02+at+9.56.35+am.png" height="186" width="320" /></a></div>
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2. <a href="http://www.momastore.org/" target="_blank">MoMA Store</a><br />
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This online gift shop from New York's Museum of Modern Art is a treasure trove of nifty homeware, apparel and design pieces. A place to shop for that someone who has everything.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwWyHuNcEv7BMb7JS7i-e45VPXeeDxLtEIHYrleeBslCca-BXxx-_m5pJvQjVyxd4b4YCJIN4c8T4Z_fCkIRO4rdd7sKynmM8LDRZlyxHwiiinP2QM8GLYFqoW3lDScSt6sJqaN677G50/s1600/Screen+Shot+2014-11-02+at+10.01.47+am.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwWyHuNcEv7BMb7JS7i-e45VPXeeDxLtEIHYrleeBslCca-BXxx-_m5pJvQjVyxd4b4YCJIN4c8T4Z_fCkIRO4rdd7sKynmM8LDRZlyxHwiiinP2QM8GLYFqoW3lDScSt6sJqaN677G50/s1600/Screen+Shot+2014-11-02+at+10.01.47+am.png" height="282" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
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3. <a href="http://www.notonthehighstreet.com/" target="_blank">Not On the High Street</a><br />
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This site, like <a href="https://www.etsy.com/au/" target="_blank">Etsy</a>, is a marketplace where lots of people list the wonderful handmade things they've created. Lots of unique gifts you didn't know existed and it offers gift suggestion for people based on their personality.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoDZgrfgiNTZfMgzHn_jCBC4wo4lEEWLvY89-LIWjPheoxX1p1cJeXO4HHi3b7iiIsAJ5B49Uo83mw1RxDczgBG1dSfIrfB5emi74Y31yCctLlq91NWp-aZcuFZ8dRo9eLk9cqK-nR9U8/s1600/Screen+Shot+2014-11-02+at+10.09.25+am.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoDZgrfgiNTZfMgzHn_jCBC4wo4lEEWLvY89-LIWjPheoxX1p1cJeXO4HHi3b7iiIsAJ5B49Uo83mw1RxDczgBG1dSfIrfB5emi74Y31yCctLlq91NWp-aZcuFZ8dRo9eLk9cqK-nR9U8/s1600/Screen+Shot+2014-11-02+at+10.09.25+am.png" height="400" width="302" /></a></div>
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4. <a href="http://hardtofind.com.au/" target="_blank">Hard to Find</a><br />
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Offering free shipping within Australia, this website, as the name suggests, specialises in beautifully designed pieces. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc2THlbo-xDOdRHvSzdevRKZkjmDXAPPZVXlZ1Uy2LkyDSS9fONW9799qgAH6fX2q4x3FQIehZNcxKAKOSwzVcmZMbGc-sOH86OCzBqbyz55AjCp-7V32P4Q6MzxtaJce1fXQ_CcobcyY/s1600/Screen+Shot+2014-11-02+at+10.11.20+am.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc2THlbo-xDOdRHvSzdevRKZkjmDXAPPZVXlZ1Uy2LkyDSS9fONW9799qgAH6fX2q4x3FQIehZNcxKAKOSwzVcmZMbGc-sOH86OCzBqbyz55AjCp-7V32P4Q6MzxtaJce1fXQ_CcobcyY/s1600/Screen+Shot+2014-11-02+at+10.11.20+am.png" height="295" width="400" /></a></div>
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5. <a href="http://www.vandashop.com/" target="_blank">V&A Shop</a><br />
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Once again, the online shop of London's Victoria & Albert Museum has some nifty pieces you're unlikely to find in K Mart. From homeware and stationery to jewellery, its collection has an old world charm.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX3N9ljsH4ZmgEJ4QTeh6YxROD1W2WJbFZgsHH1ND-4QPnphlYcLzaqtdYw4P02pmevnLOY1I7dCHFuEgc1cQ9ZEYWk4FQisiC-T9PuZB2-9aedpGE7vHLuYyKGmVGn8UFsTzOPORPS28/s1600/Screen+Shot+2014-11-02+at+10.05.02+am.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX3N9ljsH4ZmgEJ4QTeh6YxROD1W2WJbFZgsHH1ND-4QPnphlYcLzaqtdYw4P02pmevnLOY1I7dCHFuEgc1cQ9ZEYWk4FQisiC-T9PuZB2-9aedpGE7vHLuYyKGmVGn8UFsTzOPORPS28/s1600/Screen+Shot+2014-11-02+at+10.05.02+am.png" height="298" width="400" /></a></div>
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<br />Matthew Harthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03280650873686090150noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2251432398131123456.post-4007179331367735022014-10-26T20:22:00.000+10:002014-10-26T20:22:00.668+10:00A cool sight for hot eyesThe smell of bushfires in the air? <br />
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The heat haze hanging over the city?<br />
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Overnight temperatures close to 20 degrees Celsius?<br />
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Why this spring is beginning to look a lot like summer and it's leaving me hot and bothered.<br />
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Overseas dignitaries soon to descend on Brisbane for this year's G20 Summit could be forgiven for thinking a catastrophic event has already befallen the city given the bevy of brown, scorched earth on show.<br />
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I know my northern hemisphere friends are dreading the arrival of winter probably as much as I'm am another sizzling summer.<br />
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What's to love about summer? Sleepless warm nights, alarmingly early sunrises, harsh burning sunlight and maybe a heat rash... all before 9am.<br />
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But with five months until we can look forward to the next cool change, I've taken refuge in air conditioning and in old photos of wintery landscapes.<br />
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If I stand near the open freezer door and let my eyes soak up the cold, I can almost pretend I'm cool.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjunf3T-kVGKKUPtbvRXbu5zzIUlIhKcJKEJw_zjauq2M3szfF_5rsubSgcjZJmmeRKeWuCfzh-0C6joRfl4Amv5Un8TaSmPAXceB7Ceaxjctz-9woP60igVRw2d9_nz_xsomjfIfd4cjk/s1600/P1040167.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjunf3T-kVGKKUPtbvRXbu5zzIUlIhKcJKEJw_zjauq2M3szfF_5rsubSgcjZJmmeRKeWuCfzh-0C6joRfl4Amv5Un8TaSmPAXceB7Ceaxjctz-9woP60igVRw2d9_nz_xsomjfIfd4cjk/s1600/P1040167.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Don't lie - you would happily trade places with this Japanese snow monkey right now<br /><br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg87nDuulcprOMo5HHZ6LbqAGKVAm-Pa8ha39C_AePIRt-DBcrKa-lprhXUXH844VfpAsU_ZYujkEydLvZQpMJfGyP5EcLPA7bEmXm29I5EnkPuHL3NjTVqkctecL171Wrvi0ecWdWQnxw/s1600/P1020292.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg87nDuulcprOMo5HHZ6LbqAGKVAm-Pa8ha39C_AePIRt-DBcrKa-lprhXUXH844VfpAsU_ZYujkEydLvZQpMJfGyP5EcLPA7bEmXm29I5EnkPuHL3NjTVqkctecL171Wrvi0ecWdWQnxw/s1600/P1020292.JPG" height="400" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Best way to sunbake</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKSxF3f4hIhJc_WN4ObuX9nDdlGH3EszvJWTTur9EDWy8vM-ORMXctmd-KCkwoKt0ZLCa2lMZBXgJxHoSmTtrNUUMv6Y6YRfz6Oh3vfI_Sa72tKKdKrENc_8eSXFbW1umjWP86o7lZuNc/s1600/P1030985.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKSxF3f4hIhJc_WN4ObuX9nDdlGH3EszvJWTTur9EDWy8vM-ORMXctmd-KCkwoKt0ZLCa2lMZBXgJxHoSmTtrNUUMv6Y6YRfz6Oh3vfI_Sa72tKKdKrENc_8eSXFbW1umjWP86o7lZuNc/s1600/P1030985.JPG" height="400" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hello Kitty - cooler than you right now</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVLooKMkVZDWQCEGGVbVhm8JyR6HZ1cMlJmb5Nvk6q-mcku1pL808oSxcnFyIAgOI-V0q4eMoEFwbEkpAPpZCMIAOHscnQy-HJ3FZBSbLNrAvrjjL24V4A9-m3zNPQkkVD_NkXq2Kdh_k/s1600/P1040009.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVLooKMkVZDWQCEGGVbVhm8JyR6HZ1cMlJmb5Nvk6q-mcku1pL808oSxcnFyIAgOI-V0q4eMoEFwbEkpAPpZCMIAOHscnQy-HJ3FZBSbLNrAvrjjL24V4A9-m3zNPQkkVD_NkXq2Kdh_k/s1600/P1040009.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This forest is greener than my garden right now<br /><br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV4WPVqLoVmrDX7lV93WjrfZmCf7WZWMTSUDD3k40CwiNWN-bipL1rkObnYYwPGCLNvcLjdgCUvRF_CuZ9nyI7IQkwcY-dLu68Qv8FAFBylOTjytopdH64KOoHkUWmVc_QgAkWkUJSYv0/s1600/DSC01503.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV4WPVqLoVmrDX7lV93WjrfZmCf7WZWMTSUDD3k40CwiNWN-bipL1rkObnYYwPGCLNvcLjdgCUvRF_CuZ9nyI7IQkwcY-dLu68Qv8FAFBylOTjytopdH64KOoHkUWmVc_QgAkWkUJSYv0/s1600/DSC01503.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-aXf0WV2XQj8J9GOLT4qle2rZpQpzm2CMM4Tq24y1AsU8CY_I_Vro7eiKKv8BwEVCgXr8l1uxsgNArODShjRak8QxKhw9UEXucXGZKtSNhwUw_THuLHb_a5EMPEmjZo6pykU2Pron-Ug/s1600/DSC00176.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-aXf0WV2XQj8J9GOLT4qle2rZpQpzm2CMM4Tq24y1AsU8CY_I_Vro7eiKKv8BwEVCgXr8l1uxsgNArODShjRak8QxKhw9UEXucXGZKtSNhwUw_THuLHb_a5EMPEmjZo6pykU2Pron-Ug/s1600/DSC00176.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A nice place to sit outside?</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNz4FPo1pWVn946FYZbnZXKiM_GaQGVYcMp4qpjEzKijPM0hlvVSNcnblpx4-LUxK1MNpFtbmBg1J3Klu09io-8LZJ6WwBFbnWIy-0sismTj6b-on9xLfQKtQNt45Ke6L9Cf87NR9Sx9k/s1600/DSC00264.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNz4FPo1pWVn946FYZbnZXKiM_GaQGVYcMp4qpjEzKijPM0hlvVSNcnblpx4-LUxK1MNpFtbmBg1J3Klu09io-8LZJ6WwBFbnWIy-0sismTj6b-on9xLfQKtQNt45Ke6L9Cf87NR9Sx9k/s1600/DSC00264.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Snow AND water - now they're just teasing us</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI62uE5sSuHYLoSbseDWieeZCm_BKyrMMQ2Egl5lWGHpNyPiW_aBGiK-zWIjXWGQcr4YcDRofKjqq5fHTFZZlyh-yJtj9PewJFGqKZBAtOgy0BFNCEF21jfcDwuH49rtaE2xLYk0QHMiQ/s1600/DSC00313.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI62uE5sSuHYLoSbseDWieeZCm_BKyrMMQ2Egl5lWGHpNyPiW_aBGiK-zWIjXWGQcr4YcDRofKjqq5fHTFZZlyh-yJtj9PewJFGqKZBAtOgy0BFNCEF21jfcDwuH49rtaE2xLYk0QHMiQ/s1600/DSC00313.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">You want to run into these fluffy, white hills don't you?</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZBbn52Okd2t0Qj0BDpytnfA84rYZGsAZ_McEAGfqiKZsyaedMH17LxY9eeeimmqAI71vupEw91_WC4Atv2DNMmSsgXIBRILL03hpxtJNUchZBYgUd2ORUnmY3hzPAnaEy9yp16gNwOA4/s1600/DSC00489.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZBbn52Okd2t0Qj0BDpytnfA84rYZGsAZ_McEAGfqiKZsyaedMH17LxY9eeeimmqAI71vupEw91_WC4Atv2DNMmSsgXIBRILL03hpxtJNUchZBYgUd2ORUnmY3hzPAnaEy9yp16gNwOA4/s1600/DSC00489.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> </td></tr>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyMycmJp_Mt8NmqbOEYcZ19nYv0TeTAMUmo2UMBPl4hKzATHMcz1BjuMHBqyZZ79PE2AY7Z4mYj1F78Mmo8_83e-ONKWQMgMzE2Ps7_br7RNv45_8yqImKkoxKrU3cke3Vzi3ILfVVjug/s1600/P1020260.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyMycmJp_Mt8NmqbOEYcZ19nYv0TeTAMUmo2UMBPl4hKzATHMcz1BjuMHBqyZZ79PE2AY7Z4mYj1F78Mmo8_83e-ONKWQMgMzE2Ps7_br7RNv45_8yqImKkoxKrU3cke3Vzi3ILfVVjug/s1600/P1020260.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3N2T0o3xWU1TS_7zYjA8EimIroJh_aHaVJ6dFv3mXbV61MwEHyZOZVn4AxRdiSMTbQR6Bn3bTOTjbeoYAG8JGNQX8mcr7YtJTETc3XGxOAhWZZ2mmIXab_PKS7bmSsW_q14K7ERaMttY/s1600/DSC00213.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3N2T0o3xWU1TS_7zYjA8EimIroJh_aHaVJ6dFv3mXbV61MwEHyZOZVn4AxRdiSMTbQR6Bn3bTOTjbeoYAG8JGNQX8mcr7YtJTETc3XGxOAhWZZ2mmIXab_PKS7bmSsW_q14K7ERaMttY/s1600/DSC00213.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Even dogs love the cold</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaW9eIoUBSsQGqxRnp6pWZ9-PAfM9oCugL2ivhLit0JiB2_BgMi7no2yKRJJuq8q51pPj46oyFCkMFKbl_3khwy1j6QX9AD2aTw91vdUbqVHr1U6lKFwGcJ-KAdpizxMNFevgatuB54fc/s1600/DSC00447.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaW9eIoUBSsQGqxRnp6pWZ9-PAfM9oCugL2ivhLit0JiB2_BgMi7no2yKRJJuq8q51pPj46oyFCkMFKbl_3khwy1j6QX9AD2aTw91vdUbqVHr1U6lKFwGcJ-KAdpizxMNFevgatuB54fc/s1600/DSC00447.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Picnic anyone?</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<br />Matthew Harthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03280650873686090150noreply@blogger.com0