L E O N I E . W I S E

i reckon the story store and deli in the old truman brewery, brick lane has some of the best pizza in town

made with fresh, organic ingredients and bursting with flavour.

there’s a lovely store

full of treasure

and recycled objects

who wants to join me there for lunch (or supper) sometime?

x
-leonie

all photographs captured with an iPhone 4

no words to describe this place. it got totally under my skin.

a riad doorway

our riad terrace, where we breakfasted each morning

herboriste du paradis, place ben youssef, medina

the beginnings of a moroccan carpet hang in a riad

self portrait in the souks

moroccan teapots, polaroid spectra

with love,
-leonie

p.s. more here, here and here

dear friends,

my heart is full to bursting because of tiny jewels, of happy accidents: chance encounters, random crazy moments of what-the-fuck-just-happened, feeling my heart change beat to sing in time to the drummers in the park, noticing the sound of the tap in the kitchen dripping and the hum of the refrigerator in the corner, finding the best coffee in the neighbourhood and making new friends of strangers.

magic lies in places like this. the discovery of a new friend via the blog world that leads to a meeting, then a trip to her fair city. i`m referring specifically to the lovely jeanine, whose house i sit in as i compose these first few lines to you.

i have so many photographs of this trip and a feeling that, even if i wrote for days, i simply could not portray to you just how much fun these few magic-filled days have been.

so instead of trying, i shall simply share some glimpses with you:

wandering the mile end streets

canon 5d mkII, diana+ lens

(i walked by the day after i’d taken this photograph to see the guy polishing his unicorn)

quirky shops, filled with interesting assortments

canon 5d mkII, diana+ lens

an amazing garage sale find. i mean who could resist the temptation to buy the polaroid spectra close-up stand duplicator for only $2. WHO? (i suspect this one purchase alone now qualifies me as a camera junkie of the strangest kind)

crossing to the other side of the tracks (loving the discovery that my jeans were folded up to different lengths)

to visit the fresh food market

interesting locals

tam tams in the park

the montreal jazz festival

great shop windows (yes, i did buy the moustache)

and gardens bursting with colour

a visit to beautys luncheonette: a montreal institution (for a full diner breakfast experience – including the crap filter coffee)

then to another for sodas

renting a bixi bike and cycling to the top of mont royal in the evening to see the city

the exhilarating ride back down the hill through the cemetery and a beautiful encounter with a raccoon

the BEST vegan food i have ever tasted in. my. life.

back streets and alleyways full of surprises

pizza and wine in the back yard, complete with tiki lanterns (which prompted this post by jeanine)

canon 5d mkII, diana+ lens

and a photobooth session for the finale – the results of which had me laughing so hard that my sides hurt & i had tears running down my face. i still need to work on my photobooth face!

there has been life, love & laughter in spades.

with love to you, wherever you are
-leonie

p.s. more photographs up on flickr (with more to come as i slowly sort through them all)

dear friends,

i love amsterdam. it’s one of only two places i have found in my travels (so far), that i would live (aside from my homeland).

we stayed in a funky hotel just a 10 minute train ride from the airport; also conveniently located next to a tram stop that ran straight into the middle of the city

[a number of] years ago i might have seen the appeal of sitting in one of the many cafe’s the city is famed for all day getting stoned, but not any more. i’ll leave that to someone else now. i’ve got places to go and things to see:

such as this store, full of quirky items including glass eyes from world war two

and a bronze titmouse. the description of which (on their website) reads

…my favorite Dutch word (of the moment) has got to be ‘hebbedingetjes’. It’s an all-encompassing category that acts as an umbrella under which shelter all the things one wants but might (or most definitely) not use. The thing that I like so much about it is the sense of urgency, that it doesn’t just translate as little things one wants, but really as sweet little things that one thinks might just be necessary for life to continue in the manner in which one desires.

that is so totally how i feel about it! like my life is forever changed because i saw this thing and can’t have it, and my life cannot possibly ever be as rich as it could be if only i had that bird. sigh…

yet life did go on. and it included trips to the van gogh museum and anne frank house and a visit to the world press photo exhibition.

it astonishes me how much hatred and intolerance humans are capable of; both back in anne’s time and still now. how do i balance that out with love, peace and acceptance when i am just one person? by keeping these words close to my heart…

I don’t think of all the misery but of the beauty that still remains.
- anne frank

i am so in love with dutch apple cake (try the one at mokka in The Nine Streets or “De Negen Straatjes,” area if you visit – ours was still warm, straight from the oven) that i fear i would definitely need to buy a bicycle if we did live there, and do a few laps around the block each day in order to satisfy my desire for more cake

and cheese

and frites with mayo.

amongst the best finds on our trip was an organic restaurant called AS. this is located south of the city (and conveniently within walking distance of our hotel). we did wonder when we went in what we’d got ourselves in for, as there is no menu or wine list at hand. we simply got a choice of a 3, 4 or 5 course meal and a choice of red or white wine. we also had no idea what it was going to cost us. so we just went with the flow and were delighted with the result. delicious organic food, served very simply in a fabulous setting. magic lies in moments such as this one.

it’s virtually impossible to get a photograph in amsterdam without a bicycle in it and i loved this one especially

do you think the two companies at the top of this sign moved in together on purpose?

with love to you wherever you are…
-leonie

p.s. more photographs up on flickr

i love the quirky shops that make up the brighton scene, like utility. tiny, but fabulous.

bills is the kind of place that i could while away the hours of a whole day

wandering through the dusty snoopers paradise is a sure fire way to bring me happy

the locals are terrifically interesting

and the pavilion gardens are a beautiful accompaniment for the ornate building

with love,
-leonie

dear friends,

thursday last week had us boarding another flight. this time to visit the causeway coast in county antrim, northern ireland.

the whole area is stunning, with quiet roads, beautiful scenery and history that far surpasses anything we can find back home in new zealand.

we stayed in a beautiful quiet country location not far from the giants causeway, choosing to spend the afternoon of our first day taking a tour of the local whiskey distillery in bushmills. because of the high volatility in the areas we toured through, photos were not permitted, but the tastings at the end more than made up for it!

we checked out the giants causeway,

walked the carrick-a-rede rope bridge,

found the dark hedges on bregagh road near the village of armoy: this spectacular road is bordered by 300 year old beech trees

lay listening to the waves in some gorgeous tiny fishing harbours around the causeway coast

visited dunluce castle

took a drive through the glens of antrim,

and checked out the waterfalls in the glenariff forest park.

we drove down roads that reminded us very much of those we would find traversing new zealand coastlines

and took a day trip out to rathlin island to see the puffins. we couldn’t get very close but got chatting to one of the locals who has some amazing photos of them (including the one below…)

puffin by tom mcdonnell

more ash clouds over england and ireland meant our flight home was cancelled, so we took the opportunity to see some of county down – specifically the ards peninsular

we spent a night in the tiny town of portaferry, then spent the morning exploring the peninsular

visiting st. cooeys wells

the holy wells were founded in the 7th century by st. cooey. according to tradition, it was here that he performed his pentiential exercises in the late 7th and 8th centuries. the foundations of a church, modern altar and three holy wells may be found. a drinking well, washing well and eye well are still visited by pilgrims and are reputed to have healing powers.
- source: ards visitor guide 2009/10

and the ballycopeland windmill

before checking into our room at pier 36 overlooking the donaghadee port and lighthouse

tomorrow we’re up early to head to belfast international airport, headed back to london.

but for right now, i’m off to enjoy another pint of the local brew. cheers!

-leonie

p.s. more photos up on flickr

dear friends,

last weekend saw me returning once more to the coast.

it’s my retreat. my place to re-charge. a place where i can be quiet and still, re-connect with the earth and myself.

i took a mermaid rock away with me which simply says LET GO. it’s only a small rock, yet it’s big message kept whispering itself to me as i was away. in the quiet moments i would think of all the things i hold on to that i don’t need. these things will be thanked for their service, then gently removed from my life over the coming months.

i stayed in this pretty little shepherd’s hut, close to polzeath surf beach

with these beauties as my neighbours.
(there’s nothing quite like having a hand licked by the rough warm tongue of a cow. it’s exquisite)

on friday, i went for a good long walk (6.4 miles /10.3 kilometres) along the coastal path from lundy bay

to the rumps

An odd name for a headland, but one pertaining to the twin knolls that overlook the many earthworks that are a feature of this grassy, cliff-bound, peninsula.
- Martin Hesp

around pentire point

to polzeath beach (over in the distance)

then back up the road to the car and home with some fish & chips and a bottle of locally produced cider.

saturday, before picking up my beloved from the train station, i took another walk along the coastline between rock and daymer bay

i swear that this place reminds me so much of some places in new zealand that i felt a longing for my homeland, whilst also feeling completely at home

sunday, nic and i took the black tor ferry over to padstow

and had a delicious lunch at rick stein’s seafood restaurant (we think he might own half the town), pairing our lunch with a delicious bottle of local bubbly, made just down the road at camel bay winery

before catching the ferry back to rock and spending the afternoon lying on the beach in the glorious sunshine

monday, after a quick drive to padstow to pick up something for lunch,

we returned to london where i feel both completely relaxed after my time away and totally overwhelmed by the noise, the crowds, life. i feel somehow part of everything yet also removed from it.

with love to you wherever you adventures are taking you,
-leonie

p.s. more photos up on flickr and polaroids to come…

dear friends,

yesterday was a day for exploring another area outside of london. we were headed for herne bay, however we stopped at whitstable on a friend’s recommendation. i’m so pleased we did, it’s such a pretty township and the seafood stores along the marina boast a great selection of fresh seafood.

polaroid spectra

we drove around the coast towards herne bay, stopping to admire the three rows of beach huts facing out towards the sea below marine parade at tankerton.

the herne bay we visited here in the uk, is so very different from the herne bay we know and love in new zealand, so we actually didn’t stay there long, choosing instead to go check out…

the 12th-century towers of the ruined church at reculver,

st augustine’s cross (just for you carol ::grin::),

and the stone chapel at faversham – the only christian building in england to incorporate within its fabric the remains of a 4th-century romano-british pagan mausoleum.

with love,

-leonie

p.s. more photos on flickr

i’ve always dreamed of seeing peter gabriel in concert.

and we did see him at womad last year, however i wanted to see him…
live...
not as a part of something else.

and last night it happened.

canon g9, not bad for a pocket-sized camera: goes where a long lens would have been confiscated

Pete Gabriel looks like a cab driver but sounds like a rock god
@TheWomensRoom

when nic and i were first dating and i found out he knew all the words to all the peter gabriel songs i fell in love with him twice as much as i was already (and that was a LOT).

it was at that moment, i knew we were made for each other.

dear friends,

i am super excited to share with you some photos from the english countryside and offer you a delightful giveaway.

– i don’t want to see the postcards, take me straight to the giveaway –

today i spent the day with my dear friend caroline , who loves walking in the countryside as much as more than i do and always obliges me with a walk when i escape to visit her in her slice of english paradise.

today, we were dropped off at west meon and spent a lovely i-have-no-idea-how-long wandering back through quiet country lanes, bridleways and ancient woodlands to her home at brockwood park.

the sun smiled at us through the trees in ancient woodlands,

and watched over us as we wandered quiet bridleways.

hello tree.

we picked snowdrops, marvelling at their tiny beauty

and shared a table of nutritious food

i was so very happy to have this time with caroline; slowing down, catching up on each other’s lives, just happy to be together where words are often unncessary. she is a welcome & essential part of my tribe.

and now to the giveaway
caroline has also recently had a book published (YAY caroline!!!) and i would like to give one of these to YOU.

the book, called A Year of Little Things: 100 Simple Ways to be Happy (also available on amazon.com) is an invitation; to dream, bring nature inside, see, wag your tail, dance, be utterly ridiculous and 94 other simple things.

to enter, please just leave a comment telling me what one of your favourite simple ways to be happy is. entry is open to all, so please do share this with your friends.

entry is open until monday 1st march. winner will be drawn at random on tuesday 2nd march and notified by email.