The end of July means - back to school ..

So, another holiday has come to an end and tomorrow, back to school I go; but we don’t have students until the 24th.

This break included family time both in Australia and Belgium. I visited Adelaide for a week to spend time with the oldest and younger members of the family and then to Leuven (via Paris) for the wedding of my oldest niece, Hannah. This was a lovely casual garden affair and a great celebration.
Photos of Paris and Leuven

The rest of my time was spent in two countries that I had not previously visited, Estonia and Finland and I loved them both. I did hit the jackpot with the height of their summer and the temperature was a glorious 22 degrees most days! The perfect travelling weather.

As I well and truly needed a break, with little taxing brain activity, I spent most days walking whilst taking in the beauty of the architecture as well as the design, the parks and bays and the food. Walking barefoot and lying on the grass was a true delight.

I found Tallinn to be quite edgy - the Russian influence was very visible in its suburban houses, and the old town was stunning but the new creative areas are really thriving, as is the  food culture.

More photos of Tallinn

The history of design in Finland is quite remarkable and I enjoyed learning more about the impact their designers have had on the world and continue to do so! The city is also very easy to get around and is dotted with parks, and rocky outcrops, on which the locals and I enjoyed the sunshine.   More photos of Helsinki