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Palate PLEASURES
I
with LOU PERRI
FROM THE STUNNED MULLET
t’s true what they say, that the sun is always shining somewhere…
While we crank up the heaters and brace against the driving rain here in the nether regions of the southern hemisphere, we must only glance at our newsfeeds of choice to glimpse the gloriousness of the European summer, taunting us within its azure blue Mediterranean waters and matching blue skies. Throw in some snaps of bronzed, swim wear clad humans sipping glasses of crisp, chilled white wine upon ancient cobblestones whilst snacking on delicious morsels of local specialties… ok enough you are thinking, stop this torture! After the two-year hiatus of international travel, looks like it’s back on and then some. Is it just me or does everyone seem to be gleefully jetting off to some far-flung destination at once? Should Dry July be repurposed as Cry July… where those that remain gently weep over their unfortunate grim and stoic staying put in sad old southern hemisphere winter? Ok well it isn’t all that bad, no need to drag out the violins any time soon. July in Port Mac can often be a beautiful time with endless sunny days, crystal clear oceans and lack of crowds. But, still, how about those FOMO newsfeeds? It’s as if everyone else is just out there seizing
the moment and celebrating on steroids the freedom denied over the last couple of years. And as there’s still really no end in sight of this darn pandemic and general global uncertainty, ‘seize the moment’ becomes somewhat of a mantra in that the overall consensus is to just get out there and do it while we’re able to. Certainly all these travel snaps – as envy provoking on rainy and cold July day as they are – are a timely reminder of how many incredible places there are on this earth, how big the world is and the diversity, vibrancy and colour it contains.
Mediterranean, or for that matter heading off anywhere and everywhere in the world, or even a trip to another state within this fair country itself – the FOMO can be superseded by the discoveries yet to be made on our next adventures.
Never has the idea of living vicariously through others been so relevant… there’s After the twoan itch to be scratched year hiatus of and it is indeed that international travel, pesky travel bug.
looks like it’s back on and then some. Is it just me or does everyone seem to be gleefully jetting off to some far-flung destination at once?
This time last year within the thick of lockdowns and their LGA restrictions (who wants to be reminded, but there’s a point to be made), most of us found that our worlds had become extremely tiny, so much so as a mere 5km radius from our homes.
European vacations never looked so good – once upon a time there was food porn, but now there is holiday porn… A lethal combination of all the big guns – exotic locations, delectable food, sunny summer days and refreshing alcoholic beverages.
With this in mind, there’s also pure joy to be found in watching our friends and family jet around the globe, even if we can’t join them yet.
It’s a tough thing to wake up to on a cold, drizzly winter’s morning (yep, they always appear fresh on your feed first thing in the morning with that darn time difference), but it reminds us to keep on trucking… for our time in the sun will come!
Whether they’re sipping rose in the south of France, eating pizza in a piazza, backpacking on mountain trails or boating around the
Until then, my advice is keep warm and don’t check your socials until you’ve had your coffee! GREATER PORT MACQUARIE
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