136 - ON THE ROAD XIX

Western Australia (February 2014)

I am: drinking a lot of coffee and tea; reading a lot of books; freezing because the window at my room does not close properly and I feel like in a Dickens novel; enjoying the new BBC show 'Wolf Hall'; lonely; motivated; sad; joyous; with capsulitis in one of my fingers because I tried to save a plant pot; not having a clue what will happen tomorrow or next week… 

I've come to realize that roads have a lot of forms and shapes, while some seem to be marked on the earth and you just have to follow the white lines, others are not signaled anywhere except in your mind and in both you can get lost or take a wrong turn. London is slowly becoming a new road trip for me, emotional, personal, professional… the thing is, though, that scary and hard as it is, it's better that the parking lot of "not trying". 

Enjoy February!!

135 - REFLECTIONS

I’ve been having a few strange days, days where I miss the sunny side of the place I used to call home. And I keep wondering why I’m not there on a sunday like these, on a park, just laying around with some friends because it’s sunny and waiting for lunch.

SEATED : R & the case of a sister-in-law

Once, after snapping out of being quite a horrid person to a girl I knew, she told me that, despite how nasty I had been, she felt secure in the fact that, deep down, I was a good person. I didn't felt like that, I was, and still am, deeply ashamed. I don't know what make me be that kind of person, what made me behave like a bully. I've no excuse for that except that being a teenager was one of my worst moments, that growing into an adult and into my character and body was a struggle of helplessness, of anger and that I clung to any kind of power I could muster as a way to fight the fact that I was drowning. I do not mistake this as an excuse, just a mere explanation of a mindset.

Now, I treasure her words, which must have cost her more than I could imagine, because they felt sincere, and I try to be as good a person as she thought I was. I'm still brash and direct and my filter sometimes disappears between my brain and my mouth, but I try to move around with that moral compass she was sure I had.

And when I see real gentleness and kindness I do my utmost to appreciate it as much as cleverness and intelligence. And that's why when I see my sister-in-law I see beauty. She's clever, smart, pretty and, more important than that, kind in a level that anyone should aspire to be. Her honesty and kindness glow from within.

134 - ON THE ROAD XVIII

Western Australia (February 1024)

So… I'm actually building a sort of magazine, where I can curate and post things that I think try to fit a certain way of living, more conscious, more thoughtful, and, I'm thinking on making series on film and film photographers, so I might send to all of you an email asking if you would like to answer some questions and the like. 

The site is called Wilhelm & Matilda (it's being changed and constructed constantly to find the best way to communicate and share), and if you wanted to answer my questions it would be amazing! 

133 - ON THE ROAD XVII

Nullarbor (February 2014)

It's been quite a while since I wrote anything here (or visited any other blogs), life has been interesting (to say the least) and tumblr seems an easy solution for quick blogging. I don't know what's going to happen, but I'm in London looking for a job and getting used to the fact that there's almost 3 hours less of sun in my daily life. 

But I wanted to say, Happy New Year to all of you, if you still manage to read this. The new moon will happen in a few days and the Chinese New Year in a month, so happy new beginnings to everyone!

132 - CADAQUÉS I

Cadaqués (June 2014)

Cadaqués is sort of famous around here, a bit because it's one of the most beautiful villages around the coast, another because of it's usual clientele included artists like Dalí or Picasso. While I've been around that coast a few times (I prefer St Martí d'Empuries, in front of the greek ruins, for a beach day), I've never really had the chance to visit, so this past summer a friend and I decided to spend a few days there. And, wow, it's gorgeous, even if it starts to rain your second day there.

131 - ON THE ROAD XVI

Nullarbor, before crossing to Western Australia

The funny thing is that when we decided on this route a lot of people looked at us strangely and asked us why we didn't do the usual one, the other way, that is, going to see the beaches along the pacific coast and that there was nothing to do in South and Western Australia and it was easier in a lot of ways for two women. Boy they were wrong. While we are sure it's gorgeous, we were dying to see the desert of the Nullarbor and the coast in WA; less people, less known, more of an adventure (as much of one that you can have nowadays). It was high summer, hot in ways I've never experienced, and more than a few people kind of scared us. 

We didn't shower for days, ate strange vegetable and pasta salads and peanut butter, sweated throughout the van seats, made the most horrible complaining noises when we got out of the van (it was like a slap of hot unbreathable air), drank gallons of water because we kept sweating like crazy, despite the AC (which we hated with a passion, but it was necessary), we had headaches that burned our eyes, and the impression that the dry gum trees were clawing a path to our brains… but we still think it's one of the best things we ever did. 

I still remember the woman we met on our first night with our new (and free!) van, in a camp site in Kimba, with whom we chatted for a while when she asked us what route we wanted to do and why… after hearing us, she smiled and said "good girls!". She knew we were going to love it. 

130 - ON THE ROAD XV

Somewhere in the Nullarbor 

You wake up, it's like 5 in the morning and open the doors to the desert... And I can assure that this is the usual way I wake up, what with being quite blind and taking the first two pictures without my glasses. 

129 - ON THE ROAD XIV

Taking a train in Oz was fantastic, there was this whole ritual around it, with a lot of explanations that, well, seemed pretty obvious to me, until I realized that a lot of people in there just use cars and trains are a pensioners trip… we were among the youngest in the carriage.

It was even more interesting because: a. the heat wave made the driver reduce the speed up to a crawl for fear of fires (and sparks because of the friction), one of the worst things that can happen there and b. a tree had fallen in the tracks… let me repeat, a tree had fallen in the tracks. I almost expected Ned Kelly to appear and rob us, it was hilarious. 

The Overland (2014)

128 - ON THE ROAD XIII

Sometimes, you read this things that made sense in your head and you actually think you understand them, until something happens, someone you love like a brother gets sick and, in your heart, you know that we are really just passing through, that life really happens while you make plans for other things. 

I have my ticket for London for december, I have a room waiting for me and I know a few people in the city. I'm scared of the cliff but I'm going to jump, he's been teaching me that, jump, don't worry about the landing, it's going to happen anyway, one way or another, so, why worry? just give it your all while in flying. 

(my new tumblr, where I'm trying to mix my two blogs in one)

Looking for the Erskine Falls (2014)

127 - ON THE ROAD XII

I'm late at posting a lot of things that I wanted to post, life around here has taken a turn for the strange and I feel a bit not-focused, my everything is all around. 

I've opened a tumblr account (HERE) to spruce things a bit, and I've also changed the layout here, something with which I'm never quite satisfied. 

Great Ocean Road (2014)

126 - ON THE ROAD XI

Great Ocean Road (still..)

Between Lorne and Apollo Bay, we decided to stop at every creek, fall and lookout and enjoy the days slowly. If i remember correctly, and I might not, to be honest, I think it was after we had the bird scare. We stopped to buy some wine because Australia day was near and after that we were looking for a free campsite we've heard about, so, in a town at 15 k/h a bird decided to go directly for our car and crashed in our windscreen. I like driving (even if I think I'm pants at it) and I like a lot doing road trips, but, my god, we were shaking and hyper when we finally camped for the night. 

Have you ever had a scare while driving?