Urban Lego.

Only in Berlin could you get some street artist dude repairing broken walls with lego. Genius.

Ten Years Later, My Foot Still Hurts.

For those that have known me for a while, you will no doubt know the story of a child prodigy hurdler getting cut down in her prime (ok, I was 15) by a broken foot and a bit of surgery, only to have the Olympic dream shoved in her face by one Jana Pittman.

Almost to the day, it has been ten years since the surgery.

My quest to walk half way around the world has been primarily to prove that a broken foot can't tie me down. Truth is that I am excruiciating pain, every day. And for some reason, today just got that little bit harder.

I find it strange to think that normal people don't have to deal with incredible amounts of throbbing, stabbing, aching pain in their foot, daily.

The internet was still on dial-up when I had the surgery to REMOVE A BONE IN MY FOOT, so I thought it would only be fitting to have a google image search on the surgery I actually had.

The images are hectic.
I actually even had them posted up here for a day but it was too disturbing!

Click here for the image instead (1)
Click here for the image instead (2)
Click here for the image instead (3)

No wonder it still hurts...



...CLEARLY not my foot. But same scar...

The old wall.

Like a time-capsule, my old bedroom wall is a direct translation of teenage angst and creative need. I can't even remember when or why I decided to paint this. All I know is that I've come a long way from the silent scream...

Another day, another death camp.

It's not like you can say "hey! have a great day at Auschwitz!"...



These things are a little disturbing. Well, a lot disturbing.
Trying to comprehend the mass extermination of humans just isn't in my ability to grasp.





The sheer scale of Auschwitz is ridiculous. The living conditions inhumane, the amount of people that perished is really hard to believe. One only has to see the pile of shoes to get the gist...



...and they were told that work would set them free...

The Sound of Bribery.

In my infinite wisdom (and decreasing level of funds) I decided to give myself the challenge of a 20€ limit on all travel between cities. The latest challenge was somehow travelling 500km across Austria.

The ticket should have cost me 70€.
I decided to buy the 20€ ticket and try my luck as "Dumb Tourist".

200km in, I got kicked off the train at "Laakirchen" after putting on my best "but what does that mean? I'm just an Aussie girl" routine, succesfully avoiding the 40€ fine.

An hour later, I was back on the next train.
I was wearing my magic hat by then, so I knew my luck was about to change. Here is the transcript of what happened next...

Inspector: (In German) Ticket please!
Dara: Smiles, hands over ticket, acts cool.
Inspector: (In German) This is a German ticket! It is not valid for this train!
Dara: With best confused dumb traveler face - Sorry?
Inspector: (In English) This is a German ticket! It is not valid for this train!
Dara: Trying to appear as dumb as possible - But what does that mean exactly?
Inspector: It means I should give you a 40€ fine and kick you off at the next stop!
Dara: Tactfully changing the subject, appearing oblivious to his threat - You know I only came to Europe so I could come to Austria.
Inspector: Really?
Dara: Sensing a positive mood change - Oh yes, you see I am Australian and people always confuse our countries! So I feel very close to Austrians.
Inspector: Doubtful - Is that so?
Dara: Pressing on. Yes. And I love the Sound of Music
Inspector: Acting Stern. We don't. No Austrians do. In fact, it was only released with German subtitles eight years ago.
Dara: Suddenly notices the inspectors name badge. Oh! Ralph! You know there was a character called Ralph!
Inspector: Deadpan - Yes, I am told he was a Nazi.
Dara: Defeated. Out of ideas.
Inspector: I like your hat.
Dara: Seeing further and final opportunity. Thanks! It's my Captain Von Trapp Hat!
Inspector: Showing a sudden change of tune. The father right?
Dara: Elated, breaks into song: Yes! Edelweiss! Edelweiss! Every morning you greet me!...
Inspector: Smiling. Obviously amused. This is one of my favourite songs. Ok. I'll pretend you don't exist.

For the next three hours Ralph tactfully ignored me, smiled every time and never asked for my ticket again. I even asked him to take this photo at the end of the journey to commemorate the power of the hat!

Hair. Long.

Vandal.

Out of a 14kg backpack. 10kg would be art supplies and camera equipment. In case you haven't noticed already, I don't do much of a costume change in these photo's...

One red tshirt.
One grey tshirt.
One black jumper.
That's it.

The answer to my artistic ways?! Ironic English Vandalism!!
Well. Rural vandalism. I haven't ventured out of the forest yet.



...just imagine that the side of this tree said "is the deepest..."

What did you do today?

Today, I climbed a mountain.
This mountain.







Now, we have already established that prior to this trip I was more of a "Fluorescent light" kind of gal. Thing is, these damn mountains are addictive. Seven hours of hardcore "up" plus the inevitable down. Plenty of "climb every mountain" moments...



Makes me wonder about my old life.
Dara? What did you do today?
Oh, I did a visual audit on a university and had a Boost Juice for lunch.

And now?
Dara? What did you do today?
Oh, I climbed up a 2000ft mountain in Slovakia. You know, standard shit...

The reinactment of Do-Re-Me.

THIS. WAS. THE. PINNACLE.
What could be better than walking across Spain? Why, it's getting to retrace the steps of Maria and the children, recreating my own DO-RE-MI scenes...!!

I will commentate as we go along here...

Brigitta: But it doesn't mean anything
Maria: So we put in words! One word for every note, like this! (singing) When you know the notes to sing, you can sing most anything!





All: Do! A Deer, a female Deer, Ray a drop of Golden Sun! Me a name I call myself, Fa - a long long way to run!...





All: So! A needle pulling thread!





All: La! A note to follow so!





All: Ti! A drink with Jam and Bread!





All: That will bring us back to So, Do, La, Fa, Me, Do Fa!
So, Do, La, Fa, Ti (Do, So, Re, Fa, Ti, Re)





(reverse angle)



Maria: Ti Do!!!! Ohh!!!! Oh!!!!!!!
Children: Do, So!!





Life. Complete.

I have confidence in Rain...

All I have ever wanted to do in life was to recreate this scene from the Sound of Music:



This must have been one of the happiest days of my life.
You can't even tell how hungover I am...

100 Days

Today marked 100 days since I have seen Chel...
*sigh*...

Obviously.

I like powertools.
I like soccer.
The last time I wore a dress I was paid $10 an hour to do so.
If I wasn't a Brand Strategist I would probably be a PE teacher.
When I was younger I wanted to grow up and be a Cop or in the Army.
I like boybands because I want to be in a boyband.
I play golf.
I have always liked Ellen.
I am a total pool shark.
I prefer snowboarding over skiing.
My favourite past-time used to be benchpressing.
I was the only girl in my woodwork class.
I have had short hair since I was 11.
My answer to most things is a push-up challenge.
I told my guitar teacher I was going to get married in jeans and a t-shirt.
I build things.
I play in an all-girls basketball team.
I have never owned a hand-bag.
I went to the P!nk concert.
I listen to Ani Di Franco.

I would have thought it was obvious.
Apparently not.
I think I need a t-shirt or something.

It AMAZES me that there are boys out there, still thinking "you're not like the other girls Dara..."

Seven Blankets Thanks.

"The Tent" is a hostel that surprisingly resembles its name. It is just one massive marquee, housing up to 600 people. Ahh the joys of privacy!

On arrival, the owner said "how many blankets do you want?".
I said that I had a sleeping bag.
He gave me two.

Did someone say REFRIGERATOR?
At 4am I came out for three more blankets.
It actually became like an addictive survival test.
If anything, the cold brought us all together.



By day 6 I had it all figured out...

I'm going the right way.

So, on the Camino, whenever you feel like you're lost, you just look around and find yourself an arrow or a scallop shell.

Funnily enough, whenever I feel like I'm lost in a new city (like in Austria for example) I always end up outside the place where the Camino (which you can start from all over Europe) runs through...



A sign maybe?

For the dyslexic's.

History of the World in 2L of Beer

This is Stan. Stan knows EVERYTHING about everything you need to know about everything to do with history.

You know - The war 'n stuff.



Starting with a pork knuckle at the Hofbräuhaus, Stan pretty much unloaded a hundred years of history on me, strategically using coasters as "Germany" and "France".

Question highlights included "so Stan, how come Hitler was all buddy-buddies with big bad Russia?" and "but why?" and "so then what happened?"

If you go to Munich, you won't need a tour guide, you just need Stan!

No gender confusion here.

A sickening blow.

So we've established that my historical knowledge is about as comprehensive as a Neighbours storyline. I really wasn't prepared for this one, I must admit.

Took a little "fun" trip out to Dachau - the first Nazi Concentration camp. I felt sick the whole day. This is me in the "we're just about to gas you but you think you're just about to have a shower" room.



Followed by "the kitchen"...





This was a hard history lesson to learn.

Whatever you do, no hands in pockets!!

Gangs of Australia

Apparently the Australians have made quite the impression on the Germans... Luckily I was in my pirate mode that day just to look the part...