Introduction
From home base in Belgrave Australia, our travel has included frequent house exchanges through the Homelink organization, volunteer service in south east Asia, secondment and study leave overseas, cultural tours, artist in residence posts, maintenance of the grandchildren in Birmingham, family gatherings and weddings in far places, and generally having a good time. Travel has been and continues to be very rewarding and enriching in many ways.-
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Author Archives: scatterbrook
The road North
. A year or so ago Donald Trump, yes, Ivana’s old man, made a bid to cement his Scottish roots by building a golf course. Not just any golf course, you understand, in fact it had to be the best … Continue reading
Posted in U.K.
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How greyish green is the valley.
Enjoying a week in a cottage in Wales, deep in the mountains of Snowdonia, in the shadow of snow capped Mt. Snowdon itself, surrounded by extended family. Our village is Nantlle, famous for its slate mining. Ambient temp. sometimes verges … Continue reading
Posted in U.K.
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Galungan and Kuningan
Galungan is a time of big celebration. It’s when the ancestor spirits come back looking for their home. Houses and businesses of the believers have huge intricately decorated bamboo poles out front. These are called Penjors, which the ancestors are … Continue reading
Posted in Asia, Pottery
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Rituals, Mud Dancing and Expats
Very humbling experience today at the pottery, as I sat making 1kg bowls for testing different sorts of glaze traps. Bandem, the gun thrower, was sitting at the opposite wheel nonchalantly making 40 cm salad bowls from 5kg balls of … Continue reading
Posted in Asia, Pottery
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Toward a Greener land
“Oc health and safety” regulation has a lot to answer for. In the olden days when recycled newspaper was used to wrap meat and fish & chips, did anyone ever die of newspaper poisoning? Many kids had their first taste … Continue reading
Posted in Asia, Pottery
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Expecting the unexpected in Ubud, Bali
With the encouragement and support of the Australian Business Volunteers organization we are delighted to return to this corner of paradise. The purpose of this visit is for me to be an ABV technical advisor at Gaya Ceramic, a pottery … Continue reading
Living in the Cotswolds
Mother nature vs. Gothic architecture. Continually drawn to piles of old stones. Castles, Cathedrals, Abbeys, even piles of stones assembled by Mother Nature.
In an few English country gardens
. There are some charming gardens in the Cotswolds. The Highgrove Gardens of Prince Charles, the Whatley Manor gardens and Sudeley Castle gardens vary widely in style and intent. The intent of HRH at Highgrove is environmental sustainability, the style … Continue reading
Bells and clocks
Village life is a bit like Midsommer Murders, but without the murders. – As far as we know. The Prestbury ecclesiastical parish administers the affairs of the churches, the 730 year old St Mary’s and the other one. The members … Continue reading
Posted in U.K.
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A Priory in the Cotswolds
We are presently engaged in a fascinating house exchange. Bruce and Maggie are enjoying warm autumnal weather in our home on the edge of the forest in Belgrave Australia, while we enjoy a month in a village near Cheltenham U.K. … Continue reading
Cross Culture
Di and Garry who have been volunteers in Bali for over two years have a wealth of cross cultural tales. Given the romantic image of the European journeyman artist who goes ‘native’, marries a Balinese princess, and settles down to … Continue reading
Posted in Asia
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Life to a different rhythm.
Vee said: Fancy actually living in Bali. We only had two weeks there at a writer’s conference. It’s so beautiful…
Posted in Asia
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Paris September 2010
Old news now, but watching Cadel Evans ride up the Champs-Elysees at the conclusion of the 2011 Tour de France led to a wave of fond nostalgia for the grand old city. Following pics are from a visit for a … Continue reading
Posted in Europe
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the elusive Perceval glaze
Pottery is never far from consciousness. Was surprised to be reminded of an interesting effect in the fading architectural grandeur of Subak Tabola Inn in the Bali hills. An old nemesis had for years and years been trying to get … Continue reading
Posted in Asia, Pottery
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The Kite Flying B team
The locals next door invited me down to the beach for kite practice, next big competition being later in September. As you will see from the clip, the wind was not up to much, but there was a bit of … Continue reading
The green green hills of Bali
Ahhh. The green hills of Bali. Soooo beautiful. But first to escape the city traffic. For wheels we have a teeny tiny Suzuki jeep of minimal brakes and many rattles. Its lack of power is seldom a problem. The traffic … Continue reading
Posted in Asia
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Sanur Kite Festival
Much of Balinese life seems to happen in a sort of meaningless, random, slow motion. So it was a surprise to see that the tribal passions of the locals can be aroused. Not cricket or footy, and only the expats … Continue reading
Posted in Asia
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Bali 2010
As Queen Helen is about to embark on another adventure as a volunteer in Bali next month, it seemed timely to recall last years Bali sojourn. In September 2010 Queen Helen had been hard at work in Bali. A gig as a … Continue reading
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Loire Valley – September 2010
Recently had a dream – nine people going on tour, with all of their luggage, in a VW beetle and a sports car. The dream was most likely a reference to a trip taken to the loire valley a year earlier … Continue reading
Posted in Europe, Pottery
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Singapore 2011
A couple of days in Singapore on the way home, to see nephew Scott, Val and the little ones. Pearl, age nearly one, has made her first step to stardom by appearing in a magazine, charmingly ‘works the room’ when … Continue reading
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Birmingham 2011
Birmingham 2011 Time travel is still possible in Birmingham. From pre industrial revolution Tolkien’s water wheel flour mill, to a Victorian Sewer Pumping museum, to the National Space Centre an hour away in Leicester. J.R.R, often called the author of the … Continue reading
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Scotland Birmingham 2011
Talked about cheap airlines in the Prague blog. Being committed to the idea of a bargain, and determined not to be discouraged, we have continued to get good value from a number of so-called cheap airlines, including the one that … Continue reading
Belgium 2011
Brussels. Think tall thin houses, chocolate, cigarette butts all over the streets, hot chocolate, Fast trains, the finest lace. And beer. Shops and shops full of chocolate and truffles, even little chocolate models of Manneken Pis. We are staying in … Continue reading
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Prague 2011
Jana & Honza from Prague used our house in Belgrave as a travel base last year. Jana’s grand house is the base for her pensione and car hire business. From our 3rd floor window we look up to the floodlit … Continue reading
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Aix-en-Provence 2011
Before leaving Hagetmau, went to the Intermarche to get cash from a hole in the wall. Found extremely large hole in the wall, police everywhere & no cash to be seen or had. Local lads had been at work with … Continue reading
the Pyrenees 2011
Home in France for the next two weeks is in the SW of France in the province of Landes. Not too far from Pau and Biarritz and the Pyrenees, a couple of hours south of Bordeaux. We are staying in … Continue reading
Posted in Europe
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scatterbrook 