Streets of Dunedin

We enjoyed a morning finding the street art in Dunedin.

We also couldn't resist the most photographed building in New Zealand!
The railway station.

It's pretty fancy inside as well.

True to form, the cathedral was undergoing some maintenance.
(I'm looking at you Milan cathedral and various buildings in Zagreb!)

Reading adventures

I do love reading but seem to have fallen into a bit of a slump last year.
I think I was missing my book group in the Blue Mountains and although I keep in touch with them, I haven't beenable to keep up with their book choices.

I needed a new challenge!
So when I saw an on-line friend refer to the popsugar reading challenge, I was defo interested.
The list of reading prompts is certainly stretching me and revitalising my kindle and library card!

I have also picked some books off the library shelves that have been tempting me as I sit in there and use the free wifi.

Here are some things I have read lately that I have enjoyed.

The Natural Way of Things by Charlotte Wood. I can't tell you how much I loved this book.

I'm a fan of Donna Tartt - The Goldfinch and The Secret History.

I have newly discovered Helen Garner and am keen to devour more of her beautiful writing.

Elizabeth Stout is the flavour of the moment and I muchly enjoyed Olive Kitteridge and My Name is Lucy Barton.

I have also only recently read Georgia Blain - Between a Wolf and a Dog. It's so sad that she died of brain cancer 2 years ago. Such a loss.

Their Brilliant Careers by Ryan O'Neill, a spoof on Australian writers as you may be able to tell from the title.

Before the Fall by Noah Hawley. He's the guy who wrote the tv versions of Fargo. But the book is nothing like that.
But still a good read.

The Last Painting of Sara de Vos by Dominic Smith. Another Australian author although the subject is not Australian.

I'm a big David Mitchell fan. I know he may be an acquired taste, and I love all his books apart from number9dream and am not too fussed on The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet although it has got one of the most spectacular sentences ever written, IMHO.


Hopefully this reading challenge will throw up some more favorites.



What have you read lately?

The Museum of Broken Relationships - or how to have fun in Zagreb part 3.

I first heard about this a couple of years ago, probably on the radio - thankyou ABC Radio National!
Intriguing or what?

And it doesn't disappoint.
We had to walk through pouring rain twice to get there as we needed something to eat and they do have a little cafe but don't do lunch.

So the story behind this museum is that over the years people have sent tokens of a failed relationship
with their story.
It is beautifully but simple curated.
Each exhibit is given its own space on a simple white plinth with the story in Croatian and English
alongside.

I went from crying to laughing and then sad again...

It is probably a very cathartic experience for the contributors.

It is fabulous!

Streets of Zagreb

When we said we were going to Zagreb our friends wondered "why?"
It isn't the sort of place that is foremost in your mind when planning a trip to Europe is it?

But it is definitely worth a day or two.

view from the Upper Town

The sun didn't always shine in Zagreb, capital of Croatia and in fact the second day was downright miserable but we made the most of it, even if our photos turned out a bit dull.

Arts Pavilion in the Lower town

Here are 7 things you can do in Zagreb.

1. Museum of Broken Relationships
2. Daily market in Dolac Square
3. Croatian Museum of naive art
4. Walk the streets of the old town
5. Walk the parklands in lower town
6. Eat
7. Drink

More about the Museum of Broken Relationships later.

Upper Town is the oldest part of Zagreb and has winding cobbled streets, old buildings and a street full of eateries - Tkalciceva.

Croatian Parliament building

St Mark's Church

One of the hundreds of gas lamps which are lit by hand every evening

City gate

Plenty to eat and drink here

Many steps between Upper and Lower towns

There are other worthy museums but we didn't have time.