Chronicling Amsterdam

The second city we visited on our European adventure, was the vibrant, slightly crazy city of Amsterdam, in The Netherlands. 

On our first night out we toured the renowned Red Light District in all its glory, and had a chance to walked across the picturesque cobbled lane ways and canals which the city is built upon. 

The next day we visited a traditional clog and cheese-maker house in the countryside and had a chance to try an array of cheese varieties and fine wine, as well as pick up a couple of clog related souvenirs (we chose the clog inspired slippers). We then signed up for a bicycle tour around the historic town of Edam, and were pleasantly surprised to find that the cheese markets were being held as we cycled through. The cheese was transported by row boats down the river, just as it was done in the 1700s, and was then evaluated and sold. 

We then had free time in the afternoon to explore as we pleased. We intended to explore historical sites such as the Anne Frank House, but in our quest to find the best tasting fries in the world ('Vlaamse Frites'), we got completely lost and couldn't make our way back in time- totally worth it by the way. So we spent the rest of the day shopping and eating, before we went on a cruise through the canals with our tour group.

By pure coincidence, The Netherlands were playing in the semi finals of the FIFA world cup on our last night, so we decked ourselves out in merchandise and painted our faces and headed to a pub and pretended we were locals. When The Netherlands were sadly defeated by Argentina we promptly removed our orange paraphernalia and returned to being tourists.

Next up… Berlin!

♫ ♪ Blame It on Me- George Ezra  ♫ ♪

Chronicling Brisbane

This past weekend, we opted to exchange Sydney's bipolar weather for its sunnier neighbour up north, Brisbane. The getaway started on the 32nd floor of a hotel in the heart of the busy CBD, with views extending from Brissie river to Queen St Mall. This perfect location allowed us to explore what Brisbane's CBD had to offer, including their local restaurants, cafes and stores (minus the biggest Topshop in Australia that unfortunately opened the day after our departure). Within this relatively calm city, our new favourite hiding spot was uncovered in the form of eclectic cafe, Brew, in Burnett Lane. Not only did Brew have the best coffee in town, but their Brew's Brekkie Salad is now our favourite thing to eat for breakfast, lunch, dinner and all meals in between. In addition to exploring Brisbane's concrete jungle, a lot of time was spent in their trendy inner-city suburbs of Fortitude Valley and Paddington, where we discovered the perfect French patisserie for afternoon tea, at Le Bon Choix. Despite being 920km away from home, Sydney's erratic weather did not escape us, with much of the first 24 hours being spent with the latest issue of Frankie and novel, the Rumour Mill. 

Chronicling Art and About

To celebrate the end of Liz’s mid semester exams (and the beginning of our mutual week-long holiday), we decided to explore Sydney’s Art and About Festival. Art and About showcases the talent of our local artists, from children to adults, who express their “private lives in public places” through Sydney’s main thoroughfares. 

Art and About have an extensive array of exhibitions that range from day to night, exclusive to every day and free to paid. Although, the one thing they all have in common, is their amusing and eclectic expressions on the strangest of canvases. The first art display we saw, was “Sydney Life”, a photographic display in Hyde Park where the vast landscapes and diverse community of Sydney were publicised.

The next display we saw, is probably the most iconic one of Art and About 2013, called "Snailovation". This exhibiton included 24 huge neon snails, sliding into Sydney’s most iconic and public spaces. We saw the snails at the Queen Victoria Building, Hyde Park, Pitt Street Mall and Martin Place and they promised to bring a few smiles and embarrassing photos (we decided not to upload). 

The last exhibition we decided to visit, was “Little Sydney Lives” in Hyde Park, featuring 20 images taken by kids under 11 years of age. Not only did this exhibition make us feel extremely subordinate in talent to children half our age, but also brought us great insights into the perspectives of our youngest citizens. 

After all the meandering through Sydney’s streets and parks, we headed back to Pitt Street to stock up on Frozen Yoghurt at Moochi in Westfield. We then headed back through the mall and (typically) stopped to take in the local talent of Sydney’s buskers. Today, Everything After were performing their rendition of Vance Joy’s, Riptide, pulling in copious amounts of people, including ourselves. Their Indie Roots sound and resemblance to a young Mumford and Sons is aided by their quirky use of a Mandolin and good humour. They are definitely worth a listen, with our favourite summery sounding track, Heart and Mind, perfectly matching a day on the beach with Bulmers and friends.

After this long day, we headed back to Hyde Park to unwind by Sydney War Memorial’s Lake of Reflection.   

Chronicling J.A.C. Draws

All these images are by J.A.C. Draws, a Sydney-based artist who is just beginning to share their creations on Instagram (below). Check out the beautiful watercolour and pen creations that capture Sydney's eclectic inner-city suburbs with more life than any photograph. Every work is individual and reflects a great amount of artistic talent that only few are lucky enough to have. 

Instagram: @jacdraws