a coastal weekend- Aussie style...

happy monday to y'all...it's a gorgeous one here on the beaches...


stunning autumn weather- crisp sunshine...clouds crossing a bright blue sky...

almost my fave time of year...i love the change of seasons- although to be fair- it's still swimming,

surfing...total beach weather here in Sydney!

thought you'd like to head up the coast with me this morning...

i'm unpacking this morning from a weekend of sunshine & surfboards...bbq's & sandy feet

up the coast...

i get many an email & comment about sharing more photos of the Australian coast line...

it's a beautiful coast line in even the worst of weathers...here it sits in all it's Autumnal glory...!

the beauty of getting out of Sydney is endless white beaches...turquoise waters & no crowds...

no crowds is the one that grabs me every time...heaven is an empty perfect beach...

although it's officially Autumn...we seem to be having endless days of sunshine amongst the rain...

the bush is lush...the air warm...& the ocean warmer...

it's moments like this, after 4 years in the English countryside, that still make me smile big...


i can't help it...a kiddo asleep in the sunshine is right up there as one of my sweetest images...

~~~~~~

Australia has many small holiday towns up & down it's coast line...

they're steeped in simple traditions where fishing...surfing...& cooking on the beach is a big as it

gets over a weekend...

luxuries in a big city these days...these coastal towns are sleepy, calm reminders of the way life can be...

we did the good ol' Aussie thing...& stayed in a coastal caravan park (albeit, in pretty sweet little 


cabins overlooking the bush leading to the beach)...


we slapped on sunscreen & walked the beaches...our kiddos were dry with surf salt...we smiled at how

much they seem to have grown in the few months we've been back home on the beaches...

it's all that sunshine & fresh air...

yep...someone was blessing us with perfect days...even at 7am we were bathed in light...


the simplest of weekends...family...ocean...nature...a stunning coast line...

this gals idea of heaven...

let me know what you think of our little hideaway...


if you come visit us *Down Under* we may just show you where it's hidden...maybe...

hope you enjoyed a little coastal fix...seagull & all...

off to plant some more herbs...lots to show you on the gardening front soon...

happy monday lovelies...

we'll be back to *Make it Mondays* next week

just had to show you some coastal heaven first!

melissa

xoxox

a husband, a camera, a boy & fresh seafood...

this is what happens when you give your husband the camera and your son loves seafood...


you end up totally surprised with the results!


sent out to capture the evening with my camera- i figured he just needed time alone with my camera to

really bond with it...

thus in time, taking some photos that may have me- the mama of the household feature in them...

just sometimes...you know for the kids...so they know i was there...

look at the results gals...


sunset taken by husband on big learning curve left on own...


he did G.O.O.D...

i think he was totally a little chuffed with the results too...

i even think he may go back for more...on his own for now....

one day he may even get me in one of his photos ;)

so...the hubsters first photographic effort on his my blog...

i'm happy to share the space for these...

now...back to the *son loving seafood* part...

we have a beautiful estuary that runs the length of our Village Green...it runs from a larger river & 

brings with it endless perfect delicious cockles...

we have a son who adores seafood...especially shell fish...& perfect delicious cockles...

so here he is...filling his pockets, a block from our big old country house...sand & cockles- bless him...

if you are a seafood lover like we are...you can imagine collecting your own only adds to the 

experience...

for a child that will not eat sausages & spuds- an english fave- he amazes us with seafood...

collecting cockles is wonderful for kids...collecting *food* straight from nature's garden...

he scooted home laden down & we googled a few recipes together...

throwing them in a colander...washing of the sea water...counting our haul...all memories...

for a simple delicious simple-let-the-flavours-speak-for-themselves-go-to-recipe see {here}...

eat them like Sol....maldon sea salt...fresh bread...straight off a board on the kitchen bench...

10 year old heaven...

a lovely end to a sunday afternoon...a sunset & fresh seafood...

so...the hubster caught a perfect sunset...on his own...in focus...great foreground...depth...colour


& we got a gorgeous salty local snack outa the experience...


yep...he's going back...

one day you may even see me just there...wandering along the shore...in my Hunter's...bucket in hand...

& he may even get all of me in the picture :)

happy monday gals

i have seafood recipes to google

&

photo challenges to come up with 

enjoy!

xxx


~~~


today i am linking up with a wonderful writer {here}

celebrating monday's together

seaside village lovely...

a life made lovely...

a welsh seaside village...sand dunes...friends...happy kids...sandy toes...

old stone buildings...crabbing...ships & salt air...

giggles...trails through the dunes...fish & chips...

stunning hills...beautiful estuary's...cobblestone paths...

old pubs...antique shops...new old boxes stashed in the back of the car...

there is absolutely nothing like time on the beach for our family...
we adore the sandy feet...
the knotty hair...
the sand dunes...
salty faces...
laughing kids...

the welsh in the kids & their dad comes out in all it's glory...
aussie welsh kids fishing, crabbing & hanging out with the locals...
perfect...

hope you all had a wonderful weekend

nothing like a mini break

in another country

that you can drive to

...as australians we will never get over the excitement of doing this...

xox

melissa 

a virtual coffee in france....

g'day....

i know this is a coffee catchup...

but the sun is out & i'm wishing we were in a little french town i looove...

not for coffee...but for the afternoon...

lunching on mussels...

sharing a bottle of french wine...

legs in the sun...

sandals kicked to one side...

want to join me?

we can do coffee's later as we head towards the beach...

so...it's virtual french dining in a humble seaside cafe today...
sounds like heaven non!
drink up...slurp up that mussel broth & tell me how your week's been?
holidays at your end?
reading any great summer books?
i'm feeling a little more myself this week...
having the kiddos home constantly on the go is helping no doubt...
still...there are moments when i think i'd feel so much better just losing myself for a while in a french village....

if we were really having a lunch together...speaking broken school book french...
i'd be wearing my new summer sandals...
they make me feel all from another time...
they make me want to sit ankles in the sun...pouring wine with friends...
funny how shoes bought in england on an overcast, muggy summers day can transport me to another climate...another place where we can just sit & ponder our day together...

and then after we've had that gorgeous french pot of seafood, finished our vino & gathered the kids...
we'll be lovely *yes*mums...*oui oui mama's*...& buy the gang an icecream & head down to the beach with them all in tow...
happy days...

what do you think?

let's take our virtual coffee's to a french beach together...

let's just hang out & put our faces in the sun...

plan our brocante hop for the afternoon...

organise how we fill my people mover with french chippy chairs that the husbands will thank us for...

a bbq always tastes better when sitting on chippy french garden chairs- i promise!

and then we could head out for a little french culture...

you know give the kids something to tell their teachers about ;)....

an old monastry...in a village...near the seaside in france...

sounds like heaven...

i'll collect you after i sort out the car...the kids...the washing...the cat...the husband...& the villa....

happy days people...

very happy french chippy, legs-in-the-sun kinda day....

what time will i swing past for you....

xox

~~~

check out some more nattering over coffees at amy's *here*

a vintage deck chair or two...

goodmorning dear bloggy friends...

we've had a busy, emotional couple of weeks as you know...

so this weekend it was all about *nothing*...

doing nothing...

thinking nothing...

just *being* together...

&

where better to do this than by the seaside...

it still makes us smile...that after three years in england we can stumble upon *a moment* we've not yet had...
we're a beach reared family...
sandy, salty hair & beach towels thrown over the line...
it's what we know...
sydney beaches...sandy feet...freckled noses...
sunscreen & lipgloss in my bag...
so, on this lovely weekend of doing *nothing*, we went to *find* an english day by the seaside...
we found ourselves a movie moment...
a moment of history...
another perfect storybook moment...
doing nothing but photographing vintage deck chairs by the seaside & watching our surf reared kiddos *paddle*...perfectly english!

these deck chairs...
total love...
i'm madly plotting how to get these into my people mover on our next visit...
{all my english friends should just ignore my next thoughts- unless you've already done this- & then any tips are sooo welcome....!!}
the way it works is, one pays £2.50 for the day for a vintage deck chair...& an additional 50p which is refunded when it's returned...
correct me if i'm wrong...but throwing this *piece of heaven* into a moving car full of aussie kids would cost me just £3.00 in total...
hmmmm....should i have a moral issue kicking in here??

look at all that paddling people...
this is a beach of paddlers...
no surf...but life savers...
no lounging on towels...but vintage deck chairs...
no hats...except on the aussies!
totally the kind of day we needed...

& did i mention the fun pier...
we seem to lack these on the aussie beaches i know...
the kids didn't even register it was there...
&
it makes for divine photos...
look at that wharf...
&
the beautiful light...
the colours of an english summer...

we're off to gozo- malta at then end of the summer...

& trying to fit in a french visit in august...

so for the moment...vintage deckchairs & paddling is the go...

& 

in the essence of doing *nothing* 

this makes me very happy

~~~

aussie beach kids at the english seaside paddling

storybook heaven

xox

~~~


linking up to *a life made lovely monday*