Autumn Lights

The dazzling view from our new flat, as pictured below, seems to have shifted my perspective on the season.

Frozen fireworks
Blurred blaze
Colours caught in their fiery spray

Blackened branches
Charcoal haze
Embers clutching the flickering flames

Spitting sparks
Dazzling rays
Moment showered in a golden daze

Autumnal Haze

Sun's breath driven back by icy winds

Coldness claws, warmth rescinds

Mid-October. The sharp edges of the changed season jut out from the thinning remnants of Summer. [Photo (c) MJ Photography, found strawberry-lane.blogspot.com]

Green blood drains, leaves leaves

Choking crimson, gasping shades

Dried veins wither, disintegrate

Crumbling carcass, falls, fades

There's a sorrowful beauty to this phase - the wispy aura of a pale, aged woman with diamond eyes. Yet there is a stronger sense of longing; an oxygen shortage, the smell of steel. The world is wide awake while sleeping; we drift through a transluscent dream.

Westward Home

I found this 'Westward House' door on a cute terrace at the North Norfolk Coast in early May, shortly after I 'stepped Westward'.

I use this image as an attempt to explain that, while this blog was a useful way to express my perspective leading up to my move, now that I've made this Westward place my home, I feel this blog has become redundant.

Neil and I have a shared travel blog at www.neilandcarla.wordpress.com which makes this one unnecessary.

So, with great affection I am signing off for the last time -- at least until I see a need for this place in future.

In the meantime, please visit my current blog www.neilandcarla.wordpress.com for photos and brief updates of my adventures.

Cheers,

Carla

La ville de la Paris

What a magical adventure Paris was! Extravagant in architecture and history, while subtle in language and cuisine. Gorgeous hot days lingered into balmy bright nights. The Parisiens humoured us with our flakey French conversation and charmingly offered snippets of tuition. We indulged in light, interesting meals that lulled our tastebuds into strange new dances. The Mona Lisa, the Moulin Rouge, the Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame and so much more. So much to see - it was almost overwhelming - until the faint outline of the Eiffel Tower in the distance, or the calm sparkle of the Seine, lifted us again. Tres beau! And all just a train ride away.

The Curious Case of Carla

My brain malfunctions when I try to imagine my life if I were still in Brisbane.

It seems to utterly 'right' that we are living this phase in this time in this place. There is something about Norwich that breeds expectancy. The promise of continuous, reachable adventures waiting to be had.

Precisely because I don't see this as my home forever, I have no desire to leave and every urge to soak up its offerings while I can.

A book reviewed in this weekend's Guardian suggests that keeping curious could be the factor that brings ongoing life satisfaction. The book's author suggests that even if we create exciting circumstances for ourselves, the thrill naturally wears off with familiarity. If we can train ourselves to search for newness in the midst of the mediocre, we will continually experience the satisfaction of "finding and creating meaning".

Let the curiousity continue!

Cambridge

A few words to capture Cambridge in lieu of photographs:

light
clip clops off cobblestone
stretching the stony alleys
the buildings bulge, edges glowing
glory
peeps through weeping willow leaves
wraps the river in reflection
ghosts
tip tapping on the cobblestone
grand curiosity in their airy eyes
peaceful pride
alumni
illuminaters