Early mornings

I'm usually at work at the dive shop before the sun comes up (do I need to say how much I hate daylight savings time?) but the other morning I had to run a couple of errands before going in, so I whipped out to Exmouth marina to catch the first lightening of the sky.  My intention was to shoot the boats, but the new bridge with its blue lights called to me as I drove past.

I am always amazed at how quickly the sky transforms and night becomes day!



I loved the way the bridge looked all twisty

I drove to the new additions at the Novotel Ningaloo to see what early morning view they would have...not a bad way to start the day!

Getting back to work!

Well, I've been home a week already and things have been crazy busy every day!

I am working on images for some more wedding images for the Novotel Ningaloo Resort promotional materials and trade magazines. We are also selecting images for display in their booth at the upcoming Perth Bridal Fair on the 7th & 8th of March; don't worry, my details will be there, too!  If you're in Perth, make sure you stop in and check it all out!

Last night the Girls were being just too cute laying together...although Tilly seemed to be more into the cuddles than Dora was

But Dora found solace with her Dad


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My Big Trip 2009...Buenos Aires

I am back in Exmouth after a fantastic getaway!  I was a bad blogger while away due to poor internet connection and being far busier than I thought I'd be.  I still don't understand where the time went on those sea days we had! Now that I'm home, I will get to work on posting about my trip!

My first stop was Buenos Aires.  I stayed here overnight before flying out to Iguazu Falls for two days and then returned to Buenos Aires for two days before getting on the cruise ship.

I had a good vibe from Buenos Aires and would love to go back and really spend some more time in this passionate city.  It's filled with incredible architecture, colourful history, friendly people, great restaurants, endless shopping and hopping nightlife.

My two favourite sculptures - and BA has 1000s - were Floralis Generica - this metal flower sculpture opens in the morning and closes at night.

and the Puente de la Mujer. It's actually a 335' suspension bridge designed by Santiago Calatrava and donated to the city of Buenos Aires by Alberto Gonzales & his family. The bridge is meant to represent a couple dancing the tango and I thought it was just beautiful. It has centre section that swings 90 degrees to let boat traffic through - how cool is that? We didn't get to see it in action, in fact, we didn't even get to stop! I just saw it from the bus window as we sped past LOL Another site for a return visit!

The Cementario de la Recoleta is filled with opulent tombs and ornate statuary. You could wander for hours and be repeatedly amazed at the detail and expense that went in to these structures every time you turned another corner. It is also where Eva Peron is laid to rest.



My friend Cheryl and I loved that the Presidential Palace, Casa Rosada, is pink. It takes a certain kind of confidence to pull that off.

The Plaza de Mayo also boasts more monuments to BA's independence from Spain and is flanked by the gorgeous Catedral Metropolitana


Bright colours were everywhere in this city...from this juxtaposed graffiti on the retaining wall below a Russian Orthodox Church (again, no stopping on the pod people bus tour! I think the reflected sticker in the tree really adds something to the photo hehe)

to the truly kitschy El Caminito in the La Boca area. I thought this area was great and wish I would have been able to spend more time here. It's filled with characters, shops, bars, street artists selling their wares & outdoor entertainment - when I come back it's definitely on the list of places to spend a few hours!



And did I mention shopping? The leather here is top notch - supple, beautifully grained and reasonably priced. There are also quite a few varieties...I bought a Capybara leather bag that's now been converted to a stealth camera bag (photos soon). But the big draw for me was, as always, shoes. I was very restrained and only bought two pairs...the pair of new Audrey-esque black dress shoes I actually needed and then the sexy tall boots that I didn't realise I needed until they called my name!


My fellow cruisers told me that we had to pick up some Argentinian wine so off we popped to a wonderful hole in wall, mom & pop wine shop - Tiempo de vinos. The whole family is so helpful and friendly; when my friend wanted a white with less oak, the mother couldn't understand her so the mother rang her daughter who speaks excellent English. Now that's customer service!

No visit to Buenos Aires would be complete without taking in a tango show. We opted to have dinner at a different steak house before heading to the show itself (an excellent choices as the "snacks" and wine served at the show were terrible). They had a wonderful live orchestra on a second storey stage while the dancers performed below.



Buenos Aires was a brilliant start to the adventure but there's lots more to come, so keep an eye on this space!