travel
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I may have brought bedbugs home from my vacation. What an awful souvenir! I travel a lot, but this is the first time I have had an encounter with bedbugs. Maybe staying at all those convents and monasteries in Europe instead of five star hotels protected me from these unsavory pests. In reality, bedbugs can be…
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My New Year’s Resolutions are a few days late, but I’m not stressing over it. My resolution is to relax and not stress about minor things (like a late blog post). This year I encourage you to focus your goals on relationships, your health, and the health of the world. Below are resolutions I suggest…
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Driving through small villages in Austria and Germany I noticed that the farm houses are often attached to the barn where the cows, pigs, sheep and assorted other animals live. I grew up on a ranch, but our barn and the fragrances associated with it were a good distance from the house. I am not…
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Back home now after a fantastic trip to Europe! I learned so many things about housing, energy and sustainability at the conference and during my travels through France, Switzerland, Germany and Austria. Over the next several months I will continue to share with you the innovative and interesting things I saw and learned during my…
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Walking and visiting Europe seem to go hand-in-hand. It is a wonderful exercise, especially when you get to wander through Park Güell in Barcelona. I am sure I walked more in one afternoon at the park then I do in a week back home in Athens, Georgia. From the metro, or underground, I walked up…
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Why is it that when we travel foods we normally do not eat taste so much better? While in Tarragona I tried several local and traditional foods. One day for lunch I enjoyed Andalusian Gazpacho and Paella. Back home I would never eat gazpacho, because it always seems to have green bell peppers in it…
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I just returned from a themed cruise to the Caribbean that featured classic movies and movie stars from the past. It was just what I needed – rest and relaxation sprinkled with movies, good food, good times, and a therapeutic saltwater Jacuzzi and pool. On the cruise I got to wondering about the environmental impacts…
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Lenah Links brings together community members from Lenah Valley, New Town and the surrounding communities to share their ideas on sustainability, transportation, local food production, and community dialog. The community members say the most important part of Lenah Links is that people are getting to know their neighbors. Lenah Links is a subgroup of Lenah Valley Community Association. The community…
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At the Hobart cohousing development there were designated “chicken barons.” What this means is that a single family was in charge of taking care of the chickens – everything from feeding them to gathering the eggs. Residents are encouraged to bring vegetable matter to feed to the chickens, and the chicken barons then sell the…
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We visited so many spectacular spaces throughout our trip, and this Community Garden in Hobart, Tasmania was certainly one of them.
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I just couldn’t resist sharing some of the simply beautiful photos we took while in Australia. Enjoy!
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Biophilic Design suggests that suggests that there is an instinctive bond between human beings and other living systems. We heard much at the Healthy Building Conference about the need to rethink our living spaces – beyond community gardens, bike paths, and public transport – though each idea is important it is about an holistic approach…
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“CityCycle is an initiative of the Brisbane City Council to introduce a new form of environmentally friendly personal transport similar in style to European bike hire systems like Vélib’ in Paris and Sevici in Seville. Within 3 km of the city centre 2000 bicycles will be available to pick up and drop off at any of the…
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The Wildlife Rescue in Brisbane was such a neat place and a really unique experience. There were owls too! Check out the pics:
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Follow us around Australia by taking a peek at this map: First we flew into Brisbane, Queensland for the Healthy Buildings 2012 conference, which was fantastic. Also in Brisbane we visited a wonderful Permaculture Farm where growth is encouraged in all things. Then we traveled to Currumbin, Queensland to experience the wonder of a sustainable…
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The City of Gosnells, located in western Australia, uses TravelSmart to become healthier in their travel choices and reduce the impact on the environment. TravelSmart is “a successful Western Australian community-based program that encourages people to use alternatives to traveling in their private car.” When we educate people about other forms of transportation, we give people options…
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The hotel where we are staying is very interesting! Single beds, low to the ground and a compact shower. I do think folks in the US could look at using one idea that this hotel employs: liquid toiletry dispensers! Not constantly giving out little bottles of shampoo, conditioner, lotion and such would save a lot…
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