(Waikato) Weekend Peaks (WWP)

 We've been tramping/hiking on the weekends! (also omg we are back in New Zealand). We're trying to do a tramp a week. Jacob only has Sundays off, so thats the day. 

Our first week back we walked up Wairere falls. Such a cool spot! And doesn't take too long, though it is pretty steep. It's so nice and peaceful at the top, and with a cup of peppermint tea from the thermos in hand it made for a satisfying first "peak" (note; it is not a peak but I'm going to be lenient with the word)

I'm pretty excited about the impending summer (even after 5 weeks in the Philippines....more on that later when I have photos to show), I've got a bit of sewing to show case. So good to be back where I can sew and bake and do things I love. Even though I miss kimchi like made (but don't worry we have some in our fridge hohoh)

Peace 

xx

So much time spent hiking in our Daegu days. 

We were so lucky, the hills/mountains were so close.

Not that one should complain when we now live on a small island with the sea nearby and a massive volcano to hike a stones throw away.

New Land for Living

Well, we have moved! We now live on a wee island south of Korea called Jeju, which you might recall from such events as our summer vacation last year.

We have a car, and the tiniest apartment known to man, which we will be moving out of and hopefully closer to the beach you see above at the end of March.

If you look close in the first two photos you can see some divers, these are women, called Haen-yo in Korean. They are pretty old, you often see the hunched over shucking their days catch. Back in the day only men were charged tax, so the women were sent out to dive for food. They continue to do so, though the tradition is dying out, which is a shame. It's a cool thing to see, they normally dive in pairs or groups and when they surface they whistle to each other. Anyway, it's cool.

The beach below is about a half hour drive from our house, and as you can see it's covered in plastic right now. Pretty freaking odd. But it was really windy so I guess it was nice not to have the stinging sand in your face.

Can't wait for the weather to warm up so we can go swimming! Though it is definitely warmer here then on the main land!

From a hike around the little island. So amazingly warm that day. It felt like spring.

Korea is full of pretty good hiking spots. They get pretty crowded, by people wearing full on hiking get up. But it's nice to escape the city life, especially one where you feel a little polluted at all times.

This was the beginning of spring. The first nice warm day. 

There were some majestic views on this hike. We were supposed to be going for some quite time in the bush over a 5 day holiday coming up. But all the cabins were booked out in a matter of minutes. Which kind of means we wouldn't have wanted to be there anyway, these cabins hold almost 200 people...not my idea of a bush get away!!

None the less, koreas forests are beautiul.

Down by the Riverside

Back when it wasn't too hot to do outdoor things at midday we went walking along the river. It felt amazing. Like we were outside the city. Away from everything, bar the looming apartment complexes in the distance. I've grown to love them. Those complexes. When you see then in the distance it's like being in a science fiction novel. These tall building all squished together, often in the midst of nothing.

But anyway, the river was a welcome escape.  

These are all from a disposable camera that I got for $3. I have another ready to develop here in Korea, with a mix of photos from New Zealand and photos from here.

These were taken in Rapaki. A nice little beach near Christchurch where we were staying with our delightful friends. (Whose company we miss like you miss an ear, or a tumor thats been removed. ?.)

It was pretty lovely there, but to cold to take a dip like we had intended.

Also, that goose is totally real. It moved only once. But that was enough to confirm that it was a living creature, not just a statue.

That's it from the south. Now we have to wait till I develop the next lot.

xx

A large amount of my time in France was taken up with picnicking. Though you've already seen evidence of this, here are a few more picnic instances.

Pizza outside on the wall at my friend Claire's house, eating and swimming and sleeping at Lac du Bourget (largest and deepest of all French lakes!), more pizza at the Roman ruins in Lyon, view from picnic spot in Grenoble and finally a blurry shot after my lens broke biking towards our picnic over looking the Chateau Chambord.

Lucky it's getting warmer here now and I can resume my picnicking ways. 

Perouge

It was so lovely and warm. Picnicking beneath a no picnic's sign. 

I'm sure you love seeing photos from over a year ago go now (ohmygod! I miss you!) but I finally am up to date with films. The only ones I have now are actually in the camera's and a couple of them are one snap away from being ready.

Keep your eyes peeled.

Home.

At home I frolic and rollick with the dog, which never comes to my calls. (I'm calling him in the first photo, he just sat there with his head tilted to one side). I eat soup in the sun and never have to wear my coat. There are babies and chickens. And we listen to vinyls in the garage drinking coffee.

It's pretty nice. 

Can't wait for our next visit.