A most excellent #10, Keeley! And, yes, the Mines of Moira, indeed. If I could, I’d share the photographic proof. But, alas, no pics in chat messages, I believe.
Also I did do the Sistine chapel when pregnant with my first baby, cos you know why not baby moon in Rome and walk everrrrywhere (most definitely the reason he came early) anyhow it was amazing but it was so busy I could barely concentrate and they ushered you through so quickly. Would love to go when it is not busy! X
I love this list - cherry blossoms, Jane Austen balls, and Bioluminescent Waves all sound AMAZING. For French, I would suggest to you to the cheapest form of immersion I know - aka, watching a show in English and then watching it again in French with dubbed French audio and no subtitles. Some streaming services even have an option that you can slow down the video... My kids and I have done this (along with school and actual immersion of living in French speaking places at times) to positive effect.
There are also great French Canadian podcasts I can recommend when you feel you're at that level...
Resonating with so many of these, but especially the nerdy ones like cosplay and the Cotswolds for that door of Durin. Also did not know that Jane Austen balls were a thing, so I absolutely need more information on this!
I would love to see the cherry blossoms and any opportunity to dress up, I’m in! I danced burlesque for five years in a performance crew, and it was a blast getting all dolled up.
Adding to your list, I would love to go someplace to properly see aurora borealis.
Seeing the bioluminescence on the La Jolla shores in San Diego was one of my first outings after months of the Covid shutdown during 2020. Given what a scary time that was, the ocean's light show is still one of the most magical things I've ever seen! There was nothing more wholesome than a socially-distant crowd cheering and squealing at the ocean together. I hope everyone gets a chance to experience this!
I have done one of these things, but the cosplay idea is super exciting! Okay I’m inspired to create my own list now. And whatever they are will become part of my new future visualisations!
Japan’s Cherry blossoms 🌸 are the most wondrous and romantic sight to behold. I mean, us Aussies have over 500 species of eucalyptus trees here Keeley...what more do you want? 😂
You had me until zero gravity -- and I may have to tag you when I post my 10 things next week (I already promised a post for this week on a subject so even if nobody but me remembers that, I want to release it first) because Jane Austen/Regency balls are a blast and I miss them.
Bioluminescent waves! ❤️ We went canoeing in the Andaman Islands and learned we were in the wrong season for bioluminescence. Is it worse to be in the right place at the wrong time? Briefly it felt so! 🙈
I'm trying out Earworm for Portuguese right now and really liking it - there's background music that helps reinforce the words, and there's a lot of building-block translation, so I'm not just parroting the phrase but also understanding the components.
I love this list. Cherry blossom and bioluminescence are on mine too. Re the Sistine Chapel, my parents went in the 80s and there were signs everywhere saying no photos. My dad thought he was a rebel and took some anyway. When the film was developed, the photos were all black 👀
The Cotswolds are indeed well worth a visit. Cider With Rosie has long been a favourite book of mine and I've toyed with visiting the area (Slad, Stroud etc) on occasion but, ultimately, decided to leave it in my memory, the details attached to the time Lee wrote about, a hundred years ago. (That said, I have visited the Cotswolds a lot, just not Slad.)
As far as learning French goes, I have the perfect solution (okay, this is my solution, and not actually intentionally...). Travel half way around the world, meet a French woman in a city in Northern Thailand, go on a date, fall in love, move to Portugal, then to France, have a child in a French hospital during Covid), move to a small, Alpine village, pick up said child from the nounou (nanny) and, generally, be forced to communicate. To be fair, I sometimes see Ailsa's face when I try and speak French and she's ALREADY casting judgement, despite not being quite two years old. But this sequence of events has certainly improved my French. May be a little extreme to follow though?
A most excellent #10, Keeley! And, yes, the Mines of Moira, indeed. If I could, I’d share the photographic proof. But, alas, no pics in chat messages, I believe.
Yes yes yes so want to come with you to Japan for blossom seasons and I’ll totally be your side kick to a Jane Austen event - sign me up keeley x
I’ve seen the bioluminescent water! Off the waters of Ponce, Puerto Rico. It’s pretty trippy. Where else can such waters be found?
Also I did do the Sistine chapel when pregnant with my first baby, cos you know why not baby moon in Rome and walk everrrrywhere (most definitely the reason he came early) anyhow it was amazing but it was so busy I could barely concentrate and they ushered you through so quickly. Would love to go when it is not busy! X
I love this list - cherry blossoms, Jane Austen balls, and Bioluminescent Waves all sound AMAZING. For French, I would suggest to you to the cheapest form of immersion I know - aka, watching a show in English and then watching it again in French with dubbed French audio and no subtitles. Some streaming services even have an option that you can slow down the video... My kids and I have done this (along with school and actual immersion of living in French speaking places at times) to positive effect.
There are also great French Canadian podcasts I can recommend when you feel you're at that level...
https://pronetohyperbole.substack.com/
Resonating with so many of these, but especially the nerdy ones like cosplay and the Cotswolds for that door of Durin. Also did not know that Jane Austen balls were a thing, so I absolutely need more information on this!
I would love to see the cherry blossoms and any opportunity to dress up, I’m in! I danced burlesque for five years in a performance crew, and it was a blast getting all dolled up.
Adding to your list, I would love to go someplace to properly see aurora borealis.
Bioluminescence is one of the most magical natural phenomena I have ever seen... an absolute must!
Now I want to go rummaging through all my old analogue photos to relive those moments...
As for le français,, how about you ask Sara if you can go and stay in her gorgeous french house and immerse yourself in the language for a year...?
Seeing the bioluminescence on the La Jolla shores in San Diego was one of my first outings after months of the Covid shutdown during 2020. Given what a scary time that was, the ocean's light show is still one of the most magical things I've ever seen! There was nothing more wholesome than a socially-distant crowd cheering and squealing at the ocean together. I hope everyone gets a chance to experience this!
I have done one of these things, but the cosplay idea is super exciting! Okay I’m inspired to create my own list now. And whatever they are will become part of my new future visualisations!
Japan’s Cherry blossoms 🌸 are the most wondrous and romantic sight to behold. I mean, us Aussies have over 500 species of eucalyptus trees here Keeley...what more do you want? 😂
You had me until zero gravity -- and I may have to tag you when I post my 10 things next week (I already promised a post for this week on a subject so even if nobody but me remembers that, I want to release it first) because Jane Austen/Regency balls are a blast and I miss them.
You could visit the Rafflesia flower on the island of Sumatra, Indonesia. I saw one there a few months ago when my son got married there.
Bioluminescent waves! ❤️ We went canoeing in the Andaman Islands and learned we were in the wrong season for bioluminescence. Is it worse to be in the right place at the wrong time? Briefly it felt so! 🙈
I'm trying out Earworm for Portuguese right now and really liking it - there's background music that helps reinforce the words, and there's a lot of building-block translation, so I'm not just parroting the phrase but also understanding the components.
I love this list. Cherry blossom and bioluminescence are on mine too. Re the Sistine Chapel, my parents went in the 80s and there were signs everywhere saying no photos. My dad thought he was a rebel and took some anyway. When the film was developed, the photos were all black 👀
Great list!
The Cotswolds are indeed well worth a visit. Cider With Rosie has long been a favourite book of mine and I've toyed with visiting the area (Slad, Stroud etc) on occasion but, ultimately, decided to leave it in my memory, the details attached to the time Lee wrote about, a hundred years ago. (That said, I have visited the Cotswolds a lot, just not Slad.)
As far as learning French goes, I have the perfect solution (okay, this is my solution, and not actually intentionally...). Travel half way around the world, meet a French woman in a city in Northern Thailand, go on a date, fall in love, move to Portugal, then to France, have a child in a French hospital during Covid), move to a small, Alpine village, pick up said child from the nounou (nanny) and, generally, be forced to communicate. To be fair, I sometimes see Ailsa's face when I try and speak French and she's ALREADY casting judgement, despite not being quite two years old. But this sequence of events has certainly improved my French. May be a little extreme to follow though?