It's been a while...

Hello stranger! Yes, I'm talking to my blog...it's been a wee while since we spoke, 9 whole months in fact. So what's been happening? I've been very busy with travels and work in Australia...poor me eh! Well I'm back now and ready to fill you in on my adventures.

So the last time I was in touch I was looking for some creative/design/art direction work in Perth. Well, that didn't happen. I knocked on lots of agency doors and sent many annoying emails but alas there were no jobs for Rhona. So that got me thinking and I decided to expand my work search beyond the city of Perth, to the Aussie Outback, and that is how I ended up at the Capricorn Roadhouse.

Now, I had never considered that a roadhouse would be a great place to make money but they are awesome! You are completely isolated in an outback area so you have nothing to spend your hard earned cash on, and believe me, it's very hard earned. It's long hours involving anything from pouring "scooners" at the bar to washing dishes or flippin' burgers at the grill. I LOVED IT! The money was fantastic ($21 an hour, around £15!) which payed for the rest of my travels and more.

The job was "live-in" which brought its own challenges. There were around 20 staff coming and going on a weekly basis, imagine Big Brother in the outback and you're getting there! But the highs always beat the lows as we were surrounded by some amazing scenery and even more amazing characters. Good times!

I have put up a few pics to help set the scene, a couple were taken on an awesome microlite flight which cost me a carton of beer!

Now I'm back home in Scotland and deciding what to do next. Onwards and upwards...I'll be in touch...promise!

I heart Scotland

Every year for my birthday, my best friend and I like to go somewhere different. Last year it was Euro Disney and Paris for the weekend, this year we decided on a camping trip in our homeland. We asked around, trying to pick the perfect part of Scotland to visit, neither of us is into hill walking so that wasn’t a factor, actually that’s the understatement of the year, we hate it! Physical exercise is not what we do on holiday. I can appreciate a beautiful scene but I don’t want to endure pain to do it. Perhaps it’s because I was forced to walk a Monroe with an ingrown toenail whilst at school, or maybe I’m just lazy!

Anyway, we settled on Applecross, it’s a gorgeous place on the west coast, looking onto the Isle of Skye. The clincher in this decision was that there was an award-winning pub called the Applecross Inn where we could get fresh seafood right beside the campsite. We had squat lobster cocktail and a ½ pint of fresh prawns for a starter, and then the traditional fish and chips for a main, all washed down with delicious cider. The perfect birthday dinner! The Inn had a great atmosphere with locals and travelers all tucking into its delicious food, and the owners couldn’t have been nicer.

Applecross was beautiful and on the drive home we stopped at Eilean Donan Castle to take in one of the most iconic views of Scotland. I loved this trip; it definitely made me appreciate the beauty of my own country again, although that might be mainly because we were very lucky with the weather!

Vegas!

I havn't posted for a wee while because I have been away, enjoying the sights and sounds of las Vegas! I have been once before, 5 years ago, whilst travelling the west coast of the USA with my best friend. We were poor students at the time and backpacked it on Greyhound buses, lodging in dodgy hostels and could definately not afford to gamble! We promised that we would return...and do it in style, which we did!

We stayed at The Palazzo, one of the newest editionts to the strip. It is connected to the Venetian and follows a similar idea of Italian luxury. We were only in vegas for a long weekend, probably the best way to do it. We lounged by the fantastic pool in the day, making the most of the sun, then ventured out to The Stip at night, when it really comes alive, with plenty of great opportunities for neon sign photography.

I can't recommend this crazy city enough! It has to be experienced to understand it, and it's truly a love it or hate it destination... I LOVE it!

Paris discovery

I was recently in Paris with my Mum. I had taken her as a surprise for her birthday (I won't disclose her age!). I have been to this gorgeous city twice before but manage to discover something amazing each time.
I don't think I'll tire of visiting it....ever.

This image is of one of those discoveries. I took this with my new Lumix digital camera in Sainte-Chapelle, located on the Ile de la Cite. I had never heard of this awesome place but my Mum insisted we visit as we were passing by and it's somewhere she had dreamed of seeing. It is hidden away, near the famous Notredam Cathedral, located within the Palais de Justice complex. From the outside the chapel looks lovely, its gothic architecture is striking but to be honest It looked like a few other churches so I wasn't ready to be impressed by the interior. We joined the very small queue for our tickets and entered the chapel. We climbed a few very narrow stairs and when we reached the upper chapel I was hit by an overload of light, colour, and detail......WOW! The 15 giant stained glass windows dominate the room, they are barely visible from the exterior of the Chapel.

I won't go in to more detail, it has to be seen to be believed, trust me. It was my highlight of our weekend.I am not a religious person and you don't have to be to appreciate the craftmanship that went into this structure.