I recieved a card in the mail to let us know we will be without electricity today – they (Ergon) are doing maintanence work… I’m happy enough about that, they do a good job around here. The only problem is, because of where we live when we have no power we also are left with no water or telephone. So dutifully this morning I have filled buckets and bottles and worked out where the food will be taken from in the fridge to save opening it too many times today – it’s still pretty warm here. So what to do when there is no power, I can’t vachume and start cleaning the windows… and as it’s raining I can’t be outside all day in the garden. I have two sick kids at home too, sneezing, coughing, so no outside for them either and I don’t think visiting anyone is a good idea.

Reading…. that’s going to be the activity for today (I can also use a mighty pen and my imagination and do some writing).

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My new Loungeroom – NOT.

My desk no longer reminds me of the Matterhorn, the tall spike of mountain that reaches for the outer limits of Earths atmosphere, it’s top barely visible through the clouds that cling to it like cotton wool to a damp surface. Now it is more reminicent of a modern city, the single teetering pile of paperwork, unread journals and my idea notebooks have become office buldings, apartment blocks and warehouses with the space of roadways separating them from each other. No longer is my desk the image of a dangerous climb one of which I could fall to my death if not suitably prepared but it is a manageable consumer friendly (and quite artistically designed I might add) space that instead of creating one enormous shadow plays with light and and creates a playground for my wandering imagination.

OK Enough about my desk, I am trying to find some wallspace for big piece of butchers paper on which I will be drawing up my list of projects – perhaps not in any specific order of importance – they are all important to me. Being a Jacque of all trades (hopefully master of a couple) I have a full list of ‘TO DOs’, at last count there were two ‘learn to read books’, five, no six, hang on…. seven picture books, two non-fiction books and a novel… well actually two. And that’s just the writing…. I am planning to have an art exhibition late in the year – twenty paintings for an exhibition is my goal, and if you haven’t seen my artwork let me tell you it’s not small – where to start.

My trip overseas was fantastic and naturally I have a head full and heart full of inspiration. I may never be able to use all of this inspiration – who lives that long. But I am going to give it a go… but first I have to finish the gazillion projects that I have A. started B. half finished and C. still have stuck in my head, as well as D. the projects I have committed myself to with other people.

So, I guess I am busy which means untill next time I have thoughts to share – which could be any tick of the clock – farewell, the grindstone is waiting.

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A few years ago my sister recommended I read a book by Katherine Neville, the book titled ‘The Eight’ was written in the 1980′s and is about a chess set. I wasn’t into chess in anyway but thought I should read it – well I have since read it twice more and also the second book in the series called ‘The Fire’.
The books tell the same story though the tales and interactions of people hundreds of years apart… confused… well I recommend you read the books. The chess set the story is set around is King Charlemagnes, while I was in Paris a couple of weeks ago I saw this chess set or what is left of it in the National Bibloteque (the old one). The pieces are a bit different to thier descriptions in the books but you can certainly see the inspiration Katherine would have found if the library/bibloteque was the place she first saw them.
The chess set in the story had been hidden for over a thousand years buried within the walls of an abby in the Pyraneese, it is unearthed just before the French Revolution and scattered all over the world. On my holiday I caught a train from Barcelona past the Pyraneese and stayed in a hotel within a walled city in Southern France… this city is at the foot of the Pyraneese and still in it’s original condition. I was still reading ‘The Fire’ whilst I was there and enjoyed my glass of wine sitting in my private courtyard, I was at a part of the story where Algearia and Morrocco are places of interest, just the day before I had been on the train sharing a coffee with a fellow from Algearia and one from Morrocco – spooky.

The city of Carcassonne is beautiful and I was lucky to be there at this time of the year when tourists were elsewhere in the world, apparently during the festival there in September they have over one million visitors there. My time there was shared with possibly less than one hundred folk. It’s funny, my holiday was in noway planned around the reading of these books but several times I found myself in a place or looking at a pice of the story it became so real. I am impressed with Katherine’s research, she must have have spent years learning language, history, culture etc. of so many different people and their places. The story really had me wondering about things.

‘The Eight’, if you want a read that is entertaining and can get you thinking outside the square about the history of Europe and also todays science I recommend you go to your local library or bookstore and get yourself a copy of Katherine Neville’s ‘The Eight’. (You could plan a European trip with her books and possibly run around the Louvre and rome using Dan Brown’s books)

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Bonjour,

I have returned home unscathed and unencumbered, I managed to get through numerous security checks with only one pat down (a rather investigatory one too)…. It was hard not to joke around with the ticklish bit, I don’t think there was much humour or love coming into the Heathrow airport (I was pretty happy though – maybe that’s the reason for the pat down). All other security staff was pretty good. The customs police on the Spanish/French border who boarded my train were a little scary at first, you know with their guns and all, but after looking at my passport and getting all excited that I was Australian and my mane is Jacqueline they stood on the platform waving goodbye to me – go figure. Entering Australia again was an eye opener, our boarder security is way more thorough and a little intimidating as you progress up the line getting closer to them, although here again the Brisbane Customs Officer got friendly when she saw on my passport I was from Mena Creek – she really likes the pub here. The officer who had to go through my suitcase really liked some of the stuff I had bought the kids and Rob so I had no worries. Some of the people who were in the customs line (over 2000 people) were getting a bit irate and causing security staff headaches, some were jumping the cue by 1000 people, totally un Australian, I guess some people think they are special… they just don’t realize that the special person here is ME.

I have been home for almost a week now… I have unpacked, put everything away, cut my hair because it should have been done before I went away (boy it felt good to attack with the scissors), washed cloths and caught up on the kids doings…. My trip was so jam packed I think it will take me some time to come to terms with all that I have seen and experienced. The down loading of my 5000 photographs took me several days, I still havent seen all of them or shown them to anyone. My videoing however has been looked at and guess what… when you video you really shouldn’t turn your camera sideways. Also just because your eyes can see in the dark – like when you are in the catacombes – does not mean the camera can focus on anything and you end up with a black screen and a whispered voiceover “We are in the catacombes, walking through streets that run below the streets of Paris, these streets are filled with the bones of the dead.” It doesn’t really look or sound all that interesting.

I have been asked what my favorite thing was… I have NO idea. I need to do some more thinking about that one, maybe I will have an answer for my next blog. The longer I am home and the more comfortable I am, the more I remember the interesting and enjoyable parts of my holiday.

Oh and in answer to the question posted at the start of this blog… NO, the Mona Lisa was not the highlight of my trip, although I knew what to expect – size and all, it was good to see it though, and when I was there the rest of the world must have been doing something else…. I had her all to myself for a few moments – oh, except for the security guards.

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Well I am in Changi Airport Singapore on my way home. The flights to and from Geneva and Heathrow were ok except for the woman sitting behind me digging her knees into my back for quite a few hours, and then her toes found the space in the seat under my bum… she kept wiggling her toes… nice.
She ended up telling me off for having my chair reclined while I (like everyone eles) slept. A simple tap on the shoulder and a polite request would of had me raise my chair for her – she’s on my next flight to Brisbane… hope she and her friend aren’t sitting next to me.

Geneva and the visit with Shauna was great and something I would definitely do again. I know the family would like it very much there. Well there is now a line forming behind me for the computer-free internet at Changi… I need to proceed to my gate also, so see you on the flip side.

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