Avenue inspires a book. Book inspires a street name. It took a novel by John Steinbeck for the Ocean View Avenue in Monterey, California, to have its name changed to…
Gaucho Pride
A November Day of Gaucho Tradition in Bariloche, Argentina Lake Nahuei Huapi and snow-capped mountains © Marjie Courtis Swiss Style in Argentina The town’s backdrop was a series of…
A Sojourn in my own city of Melbourne
I took an eight week holiday in my own city of Melbourne, taking a break from my outer suburban home, and moving into The Olsen Hotel in South Yarra, as…
Iguazu Falls. Taking sides – Brazil or Argentina?
Iguazu Falls From The Air © Marjie Courtis Argentina’s Iguazú National Park and Brazil’s Iguaçu National Park adjoin each other and are both World Heritage listed. They share an…
A Week In Provence: Part I
A Week In Provence: Part I My week in Provence seemed to zip along as quickly as the Train Grand Vitesse (TGV) that took me from Paris’s Gare du Nord…
A Week In Provence: Part II
A Week In Provence: Part II The first half of my week in Provence was wonderful and the new experiences, tastes and sights just kept on coming! Tuesday: Avignon A…
Yangon, Burma (Myanmar)
The former British capital of Rangoon Schwedagon Pagoda –actually an extensive complex. Yangon © Marjie Courtis First impressions of Yangon The official centre of Yangon (formerly Rangoon) is Sule Pagoda,…
The Theatre of Burma (Myanmar)
Sunrise in Bagan : © Marjie Courtis One hour from Yangon (formerly Rangoon) About one hour’s flight north of Burma’s major city of Yangon, lies the Bagan Archaeological Zone, where,…
Dampier Peninsula: A Pristine Destination in Western Australia
More than 300 years ago, the explorer and buccaneer, William Dampier, sailed along the Western Australian coast in his ship, the Roebuck. He wrote the first European account of Aboriginal…
Perito Moreno Glacier, Argentina
A Tip of the Patagonian Icefield. I was one of the 200,000 annual visitors to Argentina’s Perito Moreno Glacier. But unlike the majority of them, my choice was to stay…
Patagonia’s Bahia Bustamante, Argentina
An article in the New York Times inspired me to go to Bahia Bustamante, a remote coastal location in the east of Argentina on the arid plains of the Patagonian…
Geelong : A Bright Look At Itself
Geelong takes a bright look at its past with a series of more than 100 boldly painted and decorated bollards, permanently ensconced on its waterfront. The bollards, reclaimed from a…
Madagascar : First & Third World Encounters
Madagascar (“Mada”) is rich in bio-diversity but the people are poor. It is indeed a Third World country, but that doesn’t mean that it is an inexpensive place to visit….
Madagascar, No Ordinary Island
Before I visited Madagascar (“Mada”) I knew it was no ordinary island. I knew it was the fourth largest island in the world (if island continents are excluded) and that…
Mauritius: Making up for Lost Dodos
Mauritius (Ile Maurice) conjured up for me French-accented men with brown bodies and charming personas. I had expectations of French food and the opportunity to practise my French. Indeed I…