passing time
books for sale
  • Merlin's voyage
    Merlin's voyage
    by Emmanuelle A Buecher-Hall

    in English

  • Le voyage de Merlin (French Edition)
    Le voyage de Merlin (French Edition)
    by Emmanuelle A Buecher-Hall

    en français

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Entries from December 1, 2013 - December 31, 2013

Monday
Dec302013

Wishing you an amazing year

After 5 years, we are all back in Cape Town. It is a real pleasure to spend this special time of the year with our family, meet our old friends again and naviguate through well known areas. Table Mountain is still very impressive, Table Bay still beautiful and Cape Town welcomed us with a perfect weather. 

Our days are busy and you'll have to wait to have more details and some photos. 

In the mean time, we wish you all, wherever you are in the world, an amazing new year. Don't stop dreaming, be wild and share love. 

Merveilleuse annee a tous!

Wednesday
Dec182013

Adieu

Today we are all very sad. Our dear friend Teresa reached the end of her journey yesterday losing her battle against cancer. We were neighbours in Cape Town and quickly became very good friends, chatting over our common fence, inviting each other, waking together, sharing good times. She moved back to the States, we moved to Merlin but we always followed our respective adventures trying to meet whenever possible. One amongst so many incredible things she did was to start this blog during her visit in Grenada back in 2009.

We’ll remember her generosity, her sensitivity, her determination, her will to help people and most of all her contagious smile.

Adieu Teresa…

Her first visit on Merlin (June 2008)

Visiting us (working and sailing) while in Grenada - March 2009

Tuesday
Dec172013

Early seasons greetings / nos bons voeux un peu en avance

We wish you all a joyful Christmas, a wonderful festive season and a perfect New Year!

As the offer we had this year didn’t go through, we are still living on board Merlin (still for sale if anybody is interested!). It might be frustrating at times but we are taking advantage of this simple way of living. We are not tempted to accumulate lots of stuff and are spending lots of time outdoor bush waking, mountain biking, discovering new places and activities and sailing whenever we can.  Also we are now officially Australian residents.

Victor finished smoothly his first year at high school and discovering new skills. He is still reading nearly a book a day, playing his guitar and tremendously enjoying climbing and mountain biking. Felix started playing the clarinet in February and was selected to join the Young Conservatorium next year. He takes his music practice very seriously as well as his studies and came back with a report card full of As. As we are paying $5 per A, it did cost a bit this last term. Clea is growing as fast as her brothers, still with a very strong independent character. Her teacher thanked her for being French and said she could be a leader in the years to come. She is enjoying her Hip Hop dance and very rhythmic music and spends lots of hours catching some small fish to study them. Gregory thinks he is working hard and enjoys his bike rides (races?) along the river going to work every day. As for me, I am still on the look out to find my dream job. In the meantime, I am still enjoying the 10min talks I am doing every 2 weeks at the local international radio. I am also involved in a new French School project in Brisbane.

 Nous vous souhaitons a tous un tres joyeux Noel, de magnifiques fetes et une nouvelle annee parfaite!

Comme l’offre que nous avons eu n’a pas aboutie, nous vivons toujours  a bord de Merlin (donc toujours a vendre pour ceux interesses). Cela est parfois frustrant mais nous essayons de voir le bon cote des choses. Nous ne sommes pas tenter d’accumuler plein de trucs et nous passons beaucoup de temps dehors, a marcher, faire du VTT, decouvrir de nouveaux lieux ou de nouvelles activites et nous allons naviguer des que nous le pouvons.

Aussi nous avons maintenant notre residence permanente.

Victor a fini sans soucis sa premniere annee de “High school” et s’est decouvert de nouvelles habiletes. Il lit toujours presqu’un livre par jour, joue de la guitare et adore plus que tout faire de l’escalade et du VTT. Felix a debute la clarinette en fevrier et a ete selectionne pour le Conservatoire l’an prochain. Il est tout aussi serieux en musique qu’a l’ecole et il est revenu avec un bulletin plein de As (meilleure note). Comme nous avons promis  5 dollars par A, cela nous a coute un peu cher ce dernier trimestre. Clea grandit tout aussi vite que ses frères, et son caractere reste toujours tres affirme. Son maître l’a remercie en fin d’annee d’etre Francaise et pense qu’elle sera une meneuse dans quelques annees. Elle aime beaucoup le Hip Hop et les musiques tres rythmees et passe de nombreuses heures a pecher des petits poissons du ponton pour les observer. Gregory pense qu’il travaille beaucoup et apprecie ses allers et retours en velo le long de la riviere (qui sont en fait de reelles courses). Quant a moi, je suis toujours a la recherché de mon emploi de reve. En attendant, j’apprecie mes petite srubriques de 10 min qu eje fais a la radio internationals du coin tous les quinze jours. Je me suis aussi impliquee dans l’eventuelle creation d’une ecole francaise a Brisbane.

Monday
Dec162013

La creche vue par Clea (et Lego)

A trouver: la creche, l'ane, les rois mages, le sapin de Noel et bien plus encore.

Monday
Dec162013

Que faire au mouillage?

Nous venons de retrouver notre ponton apres avoir passe dimanche et lundi a Moreton Island. Il fallait a nouveau s'occuper des coques de Merlin ou est-ce une excuse pour sortir dans la baie? Toujours est-il nous etions bien tranquilles et heureux presque seuls au mouillage.

Au mouillage, on aime se balancer, un peu, beaucoup, passionnement et parfois a la folie aussi. Avec les drisses, en hauteur, en sautant ensuite dans l'eau ou en douceur sur une chaise du Bresil:

Au mouillage, on profite de l'eau bleue et a 25 degres.

Au mouillage, on va se degourdir les jambes sur les dunes.

Au mouillage, on s'amuse a ramer derriere les tortues.

Au mouillage, on prend notre temps, et cela commence des le petit dejeuner.

Au mouillage, on lit et on s'instruit.

Au mouillage, on regarde le ciel changer.

Au mouillage on sourit.

De tels mouillages et de tels instants, nous on adore!