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Bébé Makes Her Blue Jeans Talk, France
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Like many I suspect, I thought denim originated in the USA. Like many I suspect, I was wrong. My sister suggested that as we happened to be visiting the actual birthplace of denim in the south of France, we should try and seek out some of the history of the fabric during our stay. It…
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French Stereotypes
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Having been in France for a couple of months, I think it’s fair to say I’m now an expert in French culture. Here’s my judgement of two French stereotypes.
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A Look Around the Louvre, France
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If you haven’t had a chance to visit the Louvre in Paris, or even if you have, allow me to take you on a fascinating and ill-informed tour of some of the Museum’s lesser known artworks
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Walking to Poland, Germany
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Whilst visiting Germany’s Baltic coast, I realised I was staying only a couple of kilometres from the Polish border. Being Australian, the thought of being able to walk to another country had me giggling like a kid.
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‘Morgen!’, Germany
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While enjoying the breakfast buffet in several different hotels, I noticed something very cool about German culture.
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Sarajevo – Siege City, Bosnia and Herzegovina
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The first time I remember Sarajevo coming to our screens in Australia was for the ’84 Winter Olympics. The second time was for a long and bloody siege that mocked any notion of human rights and dignity.
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Lost and Found in Translation, Balkans
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I often find it funny how people who speak English as a second (third, fourth or fifth) language habitually use phrases that English people don’t. I am sure there are people all around the world right now saying the exact same thing about English speakers who learn their languages.
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Leaving Kosovo
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Sometimes leaving a country is a straight-forward, stress-free exercise. Other times, it is anything but.
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A Walk in the Black Forest, Germany
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The Black Forest. The name conjures images of dark, mysterious mountain woods, inhabited by wild animals and supernatural creatures straight from the pages of classic fairytales. I was in the neighbourhood, so thought I’d spend some time exploring this place of legends.
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The Statues of Skopje, North Macedonia
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Whoever was in charge of Skopje’s Statue Department clearly took the ‘more is more’ approach to their portfolio. The Macedonian capital has a lot of statues. And when I sat a lot, I mean heaps. Literally hundreds.