new york vignettes

New York was amazing. I was there for a mighty 4.5 weeks and got back about 2 weeks ago. How do I begin to capture it all? I can't. But a few images here will give you an idea and then the rest is on Instagram (well, a fair few anyway).

I was in New York for 3 main reasons: to write a significant chunk of my PhD thesis, to see a lot of art, and to visit friends. This was my little apartment in the Lower East Side rented through airbnb. It was perfect in every sense. I spent every morning in that room on the right working on my thesis. It was bathed in eastern light and had a fabulous view of the Williamsburg Bridge. A perfect place for writing.

Most mornings I went for either a run or a walk. Early on, the Williamsburg Bridge became a favourite to run over. Such amazing views! Later in my trip I ran in the East Village around Tompkins Square Park and along the East River park. Runners' heaven that! I also cycled my heart out as my apartment came with a bike. Cycling in Manhattan is wild and crazy and totally recommended! NYC launched its new bike share program while I was there. So now there are funky blue rental bikes everywhere.

For me NY is about so much, the architecture especially. 

And the art, of course!

NY Frieze was on. So much fun to catch a ferry down the East River to Randall's Island. And so much art!

Chelsea never disappoints on the art front. More gorgeous work! All art work seen here is attributed properly on my Instagram photos. Go there if you want to know more about these works.

 The world of bridges. DUMBO is one of the best places to hang out in Brooklyn.

The first heat wave of summer hit while I was there. We spent nights walking the streets waiting for the cool change to come. Not a bad thing to do given what there is to see in Manhattan.

The High Line captured my heart. Last time I was in NY in 2008 it wasn't yet open so it was so much fun to walk from 34th St all the way down to the 12th on this beautiful elevated public park. The landscaping is superb and the architecture is non-stop amazing the whole way.

I haven't mentioned the cocktails and the endless food and hanging out with friends. And ice cream on hot nights at the amazing Il Laboratorio on Ludlow in the Lower East Side. But you get the idea...

travel is good for the soul

And we should do more of it. It opens the mind and the heart and allows us to breathe in and see new spaces.

I went to Greece for 24 days: Athens, Naxos, Santorini and Crete. The jet lag hasn't yet worn off and my body is readjusting to being back in Australian winter after the searing heat of the Mediterranean. But it was all so good I don't really mind my current sleeplessness. I took 800 photos while I was there, both on my camera and phone. I've put a very small sample of some of them here.

Thank you Greece for reminding me of how to slow down and just be.

travels in the red

red dust about 3 hours north-east of Katherine (in the Northern Territory). we camped here overnight.

the most exquisite orange gum flower

dawn at our camp around the half-way point

morning vista over the escarpment (half-way point)

dusty, hot camping feet

the journey... follow the red dotted line

and a bigger map of Australia (in case you're not from here & don't know where the Northern Territory is)

So, a little more about the weaving trip. For those who like a map to get some idea of the journey I've tracked a red dotted line indicating our drive - 2 days by 4WD from Darwin to Mapuru (NE Arnhem Land) - see first map. Keep in mind that the bitumen road runs out after Katherine. And that the last half day drive is not for the faint-hearted - very rough 4 wheel driving indeed! In fact on the way in on that part of the 'road' we managed to get bogged in sand and break the tow-bar off the back of one our troopies (we had 2 x 9 seater 4WD troop carriers each towing a trailer full of food and gear) leaving our trailer stranded. Luckily for us, gorgeous folk from Mapuru rallied to the drama and came to pick up our stranded trailer in the middle of the night. Yay Mapuru locals - you guys are awesome!

All the pics above are from the drive in and most are of the half-way point camping spot overlooking a majestic escarpment. If you'd like more of an idea of what Mapuru looks like and the weaving set up check out the Mapuru weavers site.

The journey in is incredible but also pretty full-on. Two days each way in a troopie sitting sideways looking at your fellow passengers is a close and bonding experience. Still, it sets up a very good base for working together at Mapuru itself.

The weaving experience was wonderful. Sitting on the ground with the women in the bark weaving shelter each day was very calming. Watching their hands and learning from them about pandanus (we went collecting pandanus leaves one day), about colour (natural dye), and about the various weave techniques was pretty magical. The whole time kids and dogs play in and around the women as they work. Babies sleep in between piles of dyed pandanus leaves waiting to be woven. Weaving is all very much part of the daily lives of the people in the community.

It's only possible to go on one of the weaving trips during the dry season (May - October). And for good reason too! I can't even begin to think of negotiating those roads during the great NT 'wet'. It's warm enough during the dry though - a hot but pleasant 30-32 degrees celcius each day. Excellent weaving and camping weather!

Oh and the Mapuru weavers now have a new online shop.

a bit of texture

Rested. All pics taken in Tomaree National Park, NSW on my phone so the res is not so good - apologies. Swimming in that soothing ocean and walking amongst those gorgeous red gum trees was enough to make me feel very happy.

How is the new year treating you?

zakka

Oh my goodness what I wonderful trip I've had (to Kyoto). Fabulous, every second of it. So much has changed and yet so many things are still as they were all those years ago. Many thanks to friends who fed me during my stay. You're all so sweet.

If I could sum it up in one work it would definitely be 'zakka'. Zakka is about so many things in contemporary Japan. By the time I had left I was feeling sucked into its beautiful vortex and wishing I could bring it back to Melbourne with me to enjoy.

Which I can in a small way as Mr Kitly is opening soon in Brunswick. Stay tuned as this project from ii ne kore unfolds in December.

Speaking of zakka, I fell head over heals in love with NID magazine while in Japan. All pics posted here are from edition 17.

morioka teapot

Covet: Morioka southern iron kettle teapot.

ii ne kore reminded me of keibunsha, a treasure trove of goodness in Kyoto. I especially love the way the old floor boards in the gallery squeak as you walk on them. And now I'm contemplating how to carry back an iron teapot in my luggage when I visit Kyoto later this year. I've carried some heavy and not-very-portable things between Japan and Australia over the years. A rice cooker was one. Also delicate pottery (in my carry-on) and rolls of washi paper. So I'm not particularly phased by this potential new challenge. The real question is how many red teapots can a girl own? I have one already. It's not iron though!