2012: a review

Last year was a massive year for us, and it has been so so fun to be able to share it with you all here on the blog. Here are a few facts and figures about how we spent 2012.

362 = days spent outside of Australia
46 = number of beds slept in around the world
6 (Kim) & 8 (Morgan)= weeks of paid work
7 1/2 = months in France
15 1/2 = Countries visited (we never slept in Italy but went twice)
USA, Iceland, France, Portugal, Spain, Italy, Scotland, Norway, England, Germany, Austria, Czech Republic, Hungary, Serbia, Bulgaria, Turkey.
16 = cities/villages we stayed in France
9500 = km's driven in our Renault 4L around France
12 = number of airplane flights
6 = number of long haul bus trips (2-12 hours)
10 = number of long haul train trips (2-10 hours)
100 = Kg of baggage on arrival back in Australia
15,000 = estimate amount of AU$ we spent while away

We never would have of guessed what 2012 would have been like. Had we have known what was in store, maybe we would not have done it all, but we have absolutely no regrets. We have made so many new friends this year and had so many incredible encounters. As we look back, we are often overwhelmed at how amazing life can be. We are so pumped for 2013 and have even more unknown expectations as to what will come in the year ahead, but what ever it is, it is sure to be great.
-morgan and kim

Heading East

We are off again and starting the next stage of our year. Its pretty hard to stay still in Europe, with so many exciting and interesting places in such a close proximity, so we aren't. Today we head to Prague and begin a 2 month train trip through Eastern Europe. We will be heading through Czech Republic, Austria, Hungary, Serbia, Bulgaria, and ending in Turkey. Above is a little map of our travels from when we left Paris in mid September, to the end of December. Not yet sure what we will do next year, but Turkey seems to be a lovely place to escape for winter.
-m&k

2 min chocolate mug cake

You know when that desire hits to eat something special but you don't have the time to wait for it to be made? We have found the best little treat that you can make in minutes. Morgan and I have loved whipping up this gooey cake in the evenings when craving a little sweet something, and one is perfect to share. This recipe is based on the 2 minute chocolate & salted caramel mug cake

What you need for 1 mug cake:
- 4 tablespoons flour
- 4 tablespoons sugar
- 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 egg – beaten
- 3 tablespoons skim milk
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- chocolate squares and/or caramels

What to do:
1. Into a small bowl add: flour, sugar, cocoa, baking powder, salt, egg, milk, and vegetable oil. Mix to combine.

2. Pour mixture into a regular sized coffee mug. Drop chocolate squares and/or caramels into center of mixture.

3. Microwave on high for one minute and 30 seconds. If needed {if cake batter is still gooey}, microwave on high for up to an additional 30 seconds.



ps. Guess who made their first gif

goûter

In French culture, as a young child you learn quickly that at 4pm most days, to fight off the pre-dinner hunger pains, you will eat a little something called 'goûter'. Directly translated as tasting this is often a chocolate biscuit, a cake of some sort, a fresh treat from the bakery or in my case a fresh baguette with a few squares of milk chocolate smacked in the middle. As we work big days on the farm we are eating more carbohydrates than ever and Kim has quickly learnt the art and joy of le quatre heur (the four o'clock). Everyday we stop work at 4pm, have a tea or coffee and a little sweet bread or chocolate. This is one of the many eating habits of the French that Kim hopes sticks around with us for the rest of our lives.
-morgan

right away, great captain!

Right away, great captain! is Manchester Orchestra lead singer, Andy Hulls solo side project. Three albums follow a 17th century sailor who chronicles, via a personal journal, his torturous time at sea, plagued by vivid memories of the betrayal that preceded his departure. It's a lyrically mind-blowing trilogy of music and we both are in love with the third album released recently. If you like it you can buy it on Bandcamp here. Or don't, either way, we like to share good music.

this week.

This weekend just gone, we moved to a new location where we will be spending our final week here in Biarritz. We are now living with some friends of ours from Australia (a family of 7), and helping them prepare for the opening of their second hostel in July. So far we have been painting, assembling bunk beds, and cleaning lots. All great fun. This Sunday we will be heading inland to work on the farm, so we are trying to make the most of the beach and enjoy our time with english speakers.
-kim

Biarritz

We have been working here in Biarritz for over 2 weeks now and I am sorry we have not even posted photos of the town. Biarritz is an old, rich, beachside town. The weather is nice, the ocean is cold and there is a surprisingly little amount of French people living here. It's understandable that many people from overseas would travel here to surf, sun-bake and shop. For us, it's beautiful, but not quiet France. We have loved the hot summer days and the 15 degree swim in the oceans. Tomorrow we move south to the nearest town, Bidart. It's been amazing to spend time working in the hostel, serving people from all over the world and learning so much. Many laughs, some new friends and plenty of yummy breakfasts.
-morgan

our french home

For a while now we have been meaning to share a little peek into our little space that is now our home. We have been slowly settling in and making it our own. We will probably be living here until the end of summer.
- m&k

lunch.

One of my favourite things about living in France is lunch time. Here, lunch is the main meal of the day and it is usually separated out in to different sections and can take up to 2 1/2 hours to complete. To begin you have the main meal, often paired with either red or white wine, then you have salad and cheese, a sweet or dessert and finally a coffee.



Our main meal this day was Beef Bourguignon (one of my favourite meals Morgan makes) with steamed Potatoes.



The common salad is just lettuce and an olive oil dressing. The cheese we ate this day was some Camembert, Roquefort and Goats cheese with crackers.



After the cheese and salad is dessert. Sometimes this would be a clementine, sometimes a yoghurt. Today we were treated with a lemon meringue tart which I gobbled up before I could take a photo.



Then, to finish the meal, we drink a short black and a square of dark chocolate. This is a great way to finish off a big meal.



Everyday, since we have arrived in the south, after lunch we play cards. We are legitimate unemployed now.



I hope you enjoyed this glimpse into a French family meal. It is pretty special living here and there are many beautiful things quite unique to this part of the world.
-kim