Venice

An Italian city rising from the sea filled with contemporary art and beautiful architecture. A city where every angle reveals an expected pleasure and engages the senses.

Scenes from Venice.

Traveling by train just after dawn; walking along cobblestone lanes by the water's edge; and traveling in a traghetto along the Grand Canal at dusk.


If I was to leave my first love "Bella Firenze" I would relish the opportunity to live in Venezia because whether I visit during the heat of Summer and the stifling crowds, during the festivals of art and cinema, or at the end of winter - it always romances me with it's style, elegance, grace and ambience and leaves me forlorn at the thought of leaving and not knowing when we will meet again.

When it all ends

tired from searching
and longing for a syncronised rhythm
has brought reality into definition

enraptured with it's mystery
frustrated by it's intangibility
bewildered
and exhausted

i'm in the middle of a sea dividing two hemispheres
i'm walking free spirited through a crowded european street
i'm sleep walking through my dreams
i'm a deer caught in the spotlight

i have to start to imagine how i will feel when this all ends

once all is reliquished
what will remain?

how do i survive,
exist,
breathe,
and dream
- beyond this?

for my senses
and every facet of my being
has been transformed
and i am not
who i was
before

Next important step

I've just finished preparing for tomorrow's visit and scheduled "meeting" in Venice..!!! Tomorrow morning I will be taking the 7am train from Florence to Venice, attending Mass at San Marco's Basilica and then traveling to Conegliano for a professional meeting to discuss prospective work opportunities in Northern Italy. Even though the meeting will be held over lunch and indeed a pleasurable experience, it is such a fundamental stage in my quest to establish a professional career in Italy and admittingly, I'm nervous.

I've waited so long for this moment.

The object of my desire seems both tangible and elusive.

It seems to unbelieveable to be true.

Who know's what it may or may not yield.

I know that I will be focused tomorrow,

but I doubt that I'll sleep tonight.

I've done all I can.

I'm here.

I'm ready to take the next step and plunge deep.

The rest is all in God's hands.

Anastasia

Tonight I went to visit Olga, Angelo and their 2 month old daughter Anastasia in their home in Via Lorenzo Magnifico, Firenze.

In 12 months Olga and Angelo met, fell in love and had a child. Sometimes life accelerates and propels us into the future. They look blissful. A beautiful unit.

It was lovely to see my friend again and to see her settled.

Olga's mother has been staying with them since before the child's birth and returns to Crotia on Sunday. I'm sure that it will be an emotional time for everyone.

Three generations - Olga's mother nursing Anastasia and beautiful Olga.

Passigata

Some of my impressions as I walked through the streets of Firenze on a misty Sunday.

Tessuti

Italian Joy

When you are in love with someone, there is no rhyme or reason as to what you will and will not do, you simply follow your passion. Time no longer matters, you will stay up all night just to listen to their voice or fly to the other side of the world to spend a week with them, when you know the bank account can’t take it. You will do anything for that person; you will fold their washing like it is the most important washing in the world or cross town late at night in the pouring rain to see them, and without giving it a moment’s thought. Love has no fatigue. Your heart leaps when the phone rings and almost breaks when the door opens and your loved one is standing in front of you with a bouquet of hand-picked flowers. The smallest gestures give you the greatest pleasure.

Carla Coulson
http://carlalovesphotography.blogspot.com/

Ministero della Salute, Rome

This morning, I traveled to Roma from Firenze to present the documents I have been preparing since May 2009 and to apply to the Ministero della Salute (Ministry of Health) in Roma, Italia for recognition of my qualifications and nursing degrees to enable me to work professionally in Italy.

Even though this is only the beginning, at least the journey has began.

Roma

The image (above left) of the "Geisha girls sleeping" (2009) was taken at the National Geographic Photography Exhibition at Palazzo delle Esposizioni, Via Nazionale Roma and the white on white interior (above right) and white installations comes from the book cafe within the Palazzo.

Piazza della Republicia was formally known as Piazza dell' Esedra and this is where my Mum's name came from. During my grandparents honeymoon, apparently my nonno gazed out from the balcony suite onto the famous piazza below and announced to his new bride, that if they were to have a daughter he wanted her to be named Esedra.

Unexpected

the moment i entered the room
your eyes followed me
and like before
i noticed how they glistened

when wine was suggested after the concert
your eyes made it impossible to resist

as we rode through the streets of Florence
conversations about friends, architecture and art
trailed behind us like the wind
and over dinner
veneers dissolved
fragilities emerged
and a shard from the past evoked our pure emotions

your intimacy
your reflections
the trace of tears in your eyes
- has left me stationary

out of stillness
has come the unexpected

Florence 2010

Falling, flying, freedom...

After a long flight via Singapore and Paris, I arrived in Florence this morning and was greeted at the airport by a close friend. As we sat chatting over coffee in the familiar surrounds of the Pertola Airport, my fatigue dissipated and I felt still and present. I was able to breathe again.

On the motor ride to my apartment in San Marco, we drove through familar streets and places etched in memories from the past: Baccio di Montelupo; Stazione Leopold; and Lungarno with Ponte Vecchio in the distance. As the crisp morning air gently carassed my face and ruffled the folds of my winter shawl, I breathed in the scent of Spring and smiled. I smiled because even if I have changed, Florence was still here exactly as I remembered it. Happiness beyond measure.

The apartment in San Marco has not changed either. It remains full of warmth, light and the energy of young women. My house mates are two female students from France; Marie and Giovanna. Before I retired to bed to sleep we had lunch together; pasta, insalata, Parmaggino e Proscuito di Parma.

I have just awoken after sleeping all afternoon. A deep robust sleep. Apparently I have slept through the sound of my housemates trying to wake me, the phone ringing, and possibly even the sound of the doorbell (a Courier from the airport tried to deliver my misdirected luggage from Paris).

Without my belongings there is little I can do apart from rest and settle in and I think that for the next few days, that is how things are mean't to be.

As for now I will finish the cup of tea I've been sipping as I've been writing, have a shower and curl up in bed with a book before the sounds of Florence lull me to sleep again.

Navigating through my dreams

The preparations are complete... this afternoon I leave for Firenze.

I'm inwardly excited and happy to be returning, and focused upon all that I want to achieve during my brief sojourn.

This morning as I relax in Acland Street over coffee and the paper, different thoughts and images will meander through my mind (i.e. " what will this next trip to Firenze unravel, reveal and revolt...?")

I can't wait to see the beauty of Italy again.

To the nucleus of love in my life whose support, inspiration and consolation is transparent and always accessible - Thank you. I couldn't have made it to this moment without you.

Meter high waves

i plunged into the warm ocean,
tonight at dusk.

the waves were over a meter high,
they crashed against me,
they made me tumble,
and struggle to swim,
but again and again i happily dived in.

holding my arms open wide,
embracing the ocean,
with the enthusiasm of a child,
plunging beneath the water,
full of hope and anticiaption,
smiling,
and wanting -
to go deeper into the sea.

tomorrow i leave for Florence.

All in the mind

"All in the mind."
The Age. February 17th 2010.

A collaboration between artists, engineers and scientists at the University of Western Australia has won first prize in the VIDA 12.0 awards in Spain, which focus on arts that use new technology. But Silent Barrage is not just a work of art; it's a 3D model of the electrical activity in the brain, designed in the university's SymbioticA lab to represent epileptic seizures.

Artists Phil Gamblen and Guy Ben-Ary installed 32 robotic poles that respond to electrical activity in a neural network - one grown in a Petri dish. Scientists hope that the work will help them discover ways to treat and control epilepsy.

wwww.symbiotica.uwa.edu.au/silentbarrage

Six sleeps to go

this time next week,

I'll be flying above the clouds on my way to Florence,

leading up to my departure my heart and thoughts are air borne,

the reflection of the sand and sea looks brighter,

and I'm excited by the moments that lie ahead.

A key & a door stopper

I am leaving for Florence, Italy on Tuesday February 23rd 2010 & returning to Melbourne, Australia on Wednesday March 24th 2010. A small Italian sojourn to replenish the soul with the intricacies, mysteries and beauty of Italy. To close some doors and (possibly) to wedge others ajar.

Next rendez-vous

Ciao Amici,

Ti volevo scrivere per fare sapere che ritorno a Firenze febbrario 23rd 2010.

Sai che e stato piu di uno anno di quando sono partuto e mi mancha Italia tantissimo. Anche se il mio tempo in Italia sara breve questa volta, sono contentissima che ritornerò a Firenze e non vedo l'ora di vederti.

Mi fa contenta sapere che fra pocco sarammo insemi.

Con affetto e baci
Jules

Summer storms

As I sit working at my desk overlooking the Elwood promenade, lightning and storms illuminate the dark sky and the silence.

Pranayama

Darren, my yoga teacher tonight spoke about "Pranayama" (the art of yoga breathing) and stated that

"the breathe should be followed by movement".

A concept to mediate upon.

Da Vinci's List

Professor Nel Glass

Professor Nel Glass launched her book ‘Interpersonal relating: Health care perspectives on communication, stress and crisis’ at St Vincent's Private Hospital today.

I was delighted to be present and the chance to toast to her achievements. The speeches were engaging and poignant. The atmosphere collegial and respectful.

I wish Professor Nel every success with this book and future endeavours.

Professor Nel and her mother (above) & Effie Nel's Personal assistant (below).

Vivere

Dare to live



Try looking at tomorrow, not yesterday,
and all the things you left behind
all those tender words you did not say
the gentle touch you couldn't find
In these days of nameless faces
there's no one truth, but only pieces
my life is all I have to give
Dare to live! Until the very last
Dare to live! Forget about the past
Dare to live!
Giving something of yourself to others
Even when it seems there is
nothing more left to give

But if you saw on your doorstep
the man who sleeps in a
cardboard box,
if you were to listen to the world
one morning without the noise of the rain,
you, who can create with your voice,
you think the thoughts of the people, then, about God, there is only one God.

Nobody has ever taught us how to live,
to live is not possible without the past,
to live is beautiful even though you
never asked for it;
there will be a song
and someone to sing it.

Dare to live!
Searching for that one true love
Why, why, why, why
do you not live tonight?
Dare to live!
You know what I'm talking of
Why. why, why, why
do you not live now?
Dare to live!
Until the very last
Why, why, why?
Life is not life
Your life is all you have to give
Because you did not live it.
To live.
Dare to live!
Until the very last
Why, why, why?
Life is not life
Your life is all you have to give
Because you never lived it.
I will say no
I will say yes
Say dare to live!
Dare to live!

From a lifetime of experience

Some pearls of wisdom

"You are never old until regrets take the place of dreams".

Jack Griffin

Aged 82 years

Illuminating

Summer play-time

Preparing to go out.

Australia Day, Yarra Valley

Cathy, Megan and Jules crusing down to the Yarra Valley to celebrate Australia Day at the 'Innocent Bystander' winery.

Australian Tennis Open 2010

Reading between the lines

Gliding along the canal

When I received the call from RAHC that I was accepted for a NT placement, I was seated at "19 Squares" sipping a latte and chatting to a local. Ken had overhead my conversation, introduced his interest in visiting the NT, and spontaneously began to converse about his recent trip to Argentina and the wooden kayak he was building. Within moments we had synchronised a description of kayaking through Elwood canal and into the ocean, and surreptitiously discovered a potential kayaking buddy.

I have just returned from a sea kayak in Elwood and St Kilda in Ken's hand made wooden kayak. Below are some of my impressions:

Gliding across the canal and under the bridges was mesmerising.
I felt like I was being courted in a Venetian gondola.
The rhythm of the kayak caressing the water was sensual.
Sunlight weaved through the gaps in the wooden bridge and gleaned across dark shades of gently rippling water.

Rare silence in the middle of a Summer's day.
The finely tuned sound of water droplets trickling from the oar.
It reminded me of kayaking on the Arno in Firenze.

After the kayak we chatted with locals that had gathered by the edge of canal before walking through the tree lined and sunlit streets of Elwood to St Kilda for a latte at "19 squares".

Definition of happiness

Days spent on the beach swimming, reading and day dreaming. Evenings spent alfresco dining with family and friends or cocooned in my creative world.

Current source of inspiration:
* After recently seeing Bright Star, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y7IwhVQa8Uk Jane Champion's lavish adaptation of the romantic love story between poet John Keats and his lover Fanny Brawne a talented seamstress, I yearned to progress further with my blue and white quilt. The other evening whilst I was at Mum's house rummaging through some of our old sewing boxes, we found a series of bows that I use to wear in my hair as a school girl. I have decided to stitch these onto some of the squares in my quilt.
* The seascape along the Elwood foreshore provides a tranquil horizon to mediate upon and it's colours and scents are a constant source of inspiration. For some time I have been working in ceramic designs which interplay calligraphy, coastal foliage and feathers.
* Oil paintings - floral details

Lazy-time

Languishing in the sun in seaside abode, Elwood.

Baby Flynn

Annoucement from Nu & Andrew Hurnard

Baby Flynn came into the world on the 4th of Jan 2010 weighing in at 3.07 kilos.
A beautiful brother to Darcy (aged 3 years).

Brazilian dreams to walk with

Melissa
Made in Brazil

Every Melissa starts as a dream.

It might be a shape, an idea or even an emotion. Dreamed by some of the most talented minds on the planet: architects, stylists, designer, musicians, artists and our own designers. Right there, printed on every color, touched by every texture, drawn in each shape, each curve and each details of your new Melissa, are our dreams.

And they come in may different form: sustainable dreams, passionate dreams, unexpected dreams, crazy dreams, secret dreams or lovely dreams,

That's what we live for: to place world's most beautiful dreams at your feet, so you can walk around every day feeling that your life can be the stuff of dreams.

www.melissaplasticdreams.com

Theme for 2010 - Explore, define and unleash creativity

The sound of rain, Elwood

First day of January, two thousand and ten

"Happy New Year!" It is the first day of January, two thousand and ten and I'm happy.

I'm living by the beach in Melbourne, Australia.

I have the company, love and support of family and close friends.

I have faith and courage.

I have endurance and passion.

I am healthy, young and free to embrace each and every opportunity.

I am able to pursue my two great passions: art and nursing.

In the near future I will be living and working creatively in Italy.

..and I have an antique draw lined with more dreams.

Two thousand and ten is going to be a year when beautiful and fortuitous things occur.