I thought this French pop star would be good to see live after catching her excellent performance on The Graham Norton Show a while ago, but holy guacamole I had no idea she would be that good. This funky, joyful, sensual show was easily one of the best concerts I’ve ever been to.
Belle Epoque – Film Review
I’m in a mood for foreign-language cinema, so I’ve watched this charming Spanish film (and Oscar winner in 1993 for Best Foreign Language Film) with very young Penélope Cruz.
Chamber Philharmonia Cologne @ The Scots’ Church
It’s been a while since I’ve been to a classical music concert, in fact I think the last time was about two years ago when this string ensemble played in Melbourne. The new program, featuring pieces by Vivaldi, Bach and Saint-Saëns, made for a delightful evening out.
The Body in the Library by Agatha Christie – Book Review
An earlier Miss Marple murder mystery, this clever and engaging novel is, in Christie’s own words, a variation on an old classic scenario in detective fiction.
The Music Shop by Rachel Joyce – Book Review
I’ve never read anything by Rachel Joyce before, but I was hoping this book would be an easy breezy summer read, just as its cover seemed to promise. Unfortunately, it turned out to be one of those books that are neither terrible enough to drop, nor engaging enough to really stick with. Instead of days, I spent a few weeks reluctantly picking it up, hoping that maybe it would get better (not really). As a lover of music, I really dug the premise, but this is no High Fidelity.
The Cat Empire @ Melbourne Zoo
This time last year I saw Grizzly Bear at Melbourne Zoo Twilights, and this year we enjoyed a live show by the homegrown veterans The Cat Empire. Can we keep the animal band name theme going for a third year in a row? Stay tuned!
Dark Souls artwork in progress 02/2019
The moment of truth this past weekend, as I finally combined the main figure with the background! This deceptively simple task took me about five hours; I had to cut out the shape along the edge very carefully with the scalpel, then paint the edges to mask the white cardboard. Next up is finishing a few small details of the armour that would have been too fine to cut out, and doing the fire effects… somehow.
The Favourite – Film Review
I love my conventional period costume dramas, but sometimes it’s nice to see a different take on the genre, and this deeply eccentric and sweary film hits the spot.
Quote of the Day – Love
“I think… if it is true that there are as many minds as there are heads, then there are as many kinds of love as there are hearts.”
Anna Karenina
South Australia – Kangaroo Island
I’ve been to Kangaroo Island almost ten years ago, and in the meantime I forgot just how enormous it really is. Once we got off the ferry, it came as a shock to realise that it would take us about an hour and a half to get to the Flinders Chase National Park on the other end of the island. You also have to plan your meals carefully, as you very well may be stuck an hour’s drive away from the nearest cafe with a growling stomach.
The drive is worth it though, since Kangaroo Island is home to some of the most amazing landmarks in Australia. The absolute star attraction is Remarkable Rocks, a group of giant granite boulders that look like abstract sculptures artfully scattered by nature atop the granite base. I was prepared to enjoy them rain or shine, but the day’s random weather played into our hands; the minute we got to the rocks the showers cleared and the orange lichen looked even more stunning against the blue sky.
Remarkable Rocks
Admirals Arch
Remarkable Rocks
Remarkable Rocks
Cape du Couedic lighthouse
Yeah we may look like Miss Cute and Mr Cuddly… but don’t come any closer humans!
In the late afternoon, we just made it to a guided tour of the Seal Bay, where you can see the Australian fur seals. We were lucky to catch them during the season when young seal pups frolic around excitedly and annoy the grown-ups who just want to have a nap.
The next day, we headed to Little Sahara, which is exactly what the name suggests: a mini sand dune area about two square kilometres in size. More active travellers go there for sandboarding, but we were content to just go for a stroll.
“I don’t like sand. It’s coarse and rough and irritating and it gets everywhere.”
Penneshaw, just before boarding the ferry
yggdrasille.com 