the hot goddess

A Midlife Return: Hello Again, Portugal

I am back in the Northern Hemisphere after three weeks of solo traveling in Oceania and ticking off my final continent. Seven continents and 38 countries. That small number of countries feels big to me because a lot of that ground was covered after I turned 59 and gave myself permission to be happy, change my life, and semi-challenge my fears.

A birthday video I made for myself.

Last year, I traveled on an expedition across the Antarctic Circle for my 65th birthday. This year, I celebrated year 66 with Australia and New Zealand. I met fascinating people, made new friends, had fun trying new things, and also accepting old me. OG Natalie continues to evolve in different ways, but I will always be me. A lil’ weird. A tad peculiar. Unconventional. And that is just fine with me.

February had more than its share of loss, sadness, and stress. It was a relief to get away and get lost in the distraction of foreign lands. Travel can be stressful too, though. Solo travel even more so, with its decision-fatigue and buffer-less negative self-chatter.  Because my roundtrip flight from Portugal flew through the United Arab Emirates, I joined thousands of other travelers who had to navigate repeatedly canceled return flights and self-rerouting to get home and avoid active missile and drone attacks at the UAE airport through which I was scheduled to fly. I am relieved to be back in Portugal after detours to Los Angeles and then London. I am fortunate. All I had to deal with was minor inconvenience; not the destruction or bodily harm faced by so many others in that region due to the U.S. and Israel starting a war with Iran. I’m grateful that all continues to be well in my small world.

Now, if I could just figure out what time and day it is. Brain fog is real.

There’s much to share, but for today, just a photo dump. I hope you enjoy this peek at some of my favorite shots from Sydney, Melbourne, Queenstown, and Auckland.

Sydney, Australia

Sydney Opera House
THG inside the opera house before a performance.
This was a highlight of my trip, booked far in advance of my departure, and it did not disappoint. Thrilling. I was moved to tears, reminiscing about my father’s love of opera, missing him, and wishing he were there with me. Puccini in the iconic Sydney Opera House would’ve been a thing for my dad. I was also missing my opera-loving boyfriend that night.
A clear night sky and moon shining over the Harbor Bridge after the performance.
View from an afternoon ferry ride. I spent a lot of time on Sydney’s exceptional public transit ferries. It was hot as hell there, so being on the water was a cool-down must for me.
Manly Beach
A tour guide told me Sydney’s The Museum of Contemporary Art Australia used to be free until cruise ships started pouring into Circular Quay at Sydney Harbor, where the museum is located. The museum states its location as, “on the edge of Sydney Harbour at Tallawoladah, the land of the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation.” Outside the museum is the Tallawoladah Lawn, featuring this magnificent golden bronze sculpture, “Ancient Feelings,” created by Black British artist Thomas J. Price for the inaugural Neil Balnaves Tallawoladah Lawn Commission.
Source: MCA
Downtown Sydney installation acknowledging Australia’s indigenous Aboriginal people.
The Rocks historic neighborhood…
…is a popular bar, brew, and restaurant area that can get rowdy at night, according to a tour guide.
Sydney and Melbourne have high Asian populations, and brightly colored Lunar New Year decorations were everywhere during my visit. I was surprised and excited to enjoy the best Asian food — Korean, Japanese, Thai, Chinese, and Vietnamese — that I have had since moving to Portugal. Yum! I was not expecting that.

Nor was I expecting the high prices. On everything. Did you know it is cheaper to buy Australian wine at a grocery store in Ohio than it is to buy it in Australia? Why? Yikes.

Melbourne, Australia

I enjoyed Melbourne and its vibe a bit more than Sydney.
This was the view from my hotel balcony, overlooking the spectacular Queen Victoria Market.
Sunset glitter. Again, from my hotel balcony.

(Note to Self: Do NOT eat six delicious, fresh sugarplums from the market, washed down with a liter of delicious, fresh green juice, followed by yummy fresh yogurt and strong hot coffee, all after a probiotic capsule and magnesium pill. DO NOT. You will have a shitty day. Quite literally, a very, very, ultra-super shitty day. In your hotel room. By your damn self. All fucking day.)
Melbourne’s Yarra River divides the North and South sides of the city.
Weird Natalie heaven. Melbourne’s National Gallery of Victoria is the largest and most visited museum and art gallery in Australia. It has a mouth-watering, world-premier international fashion exhibition currently featured, and I spent half a day just in this stunningly curated exhibit. Yes. Indoors. Looking at clothes. But really works of art. In OG Natalie’s first iteration (pre-journalism, pre-pre-PR, and pre-pre-pre-teaching), she was a fashion design and merchandising major who designed and sewed clothing, styled store windows, and worked fashion shows. Yep. It’s true. Don’t even get me started on Vivienne Westwood and the designs of Rei Kawakubo of Comme des Garçons. Cue nerdy swoon.
Museum lobby
I walked out of the museum, trash-talking myself for spending so much time at a fashion exhibit in frippin’ Melbourne, Australia (who does that on vacation?), and what was parked on the street right in front of me? Whaaat??? No way, Universe! Tastes of PORTUGAL food truck? In Australia? Are you shitting me?! No, wait, you did that already. OK, I get it. I’m gonna keep on being me and will always be at home wherever I am. Damn, girl.
Also on the street in front of the museum.

Queenstown, New Zealand

Jarringly beautiful. That’s the only way I can describe Queenstown, on New Zealand’s South Island.
Universe was killin’ it! Within two hours of landing in Queenstown I was wandering its lively waterfront pedestrian area in the town center, searching for food. I never expected to find scrumptious tacos and the best spicy margarita outside of my kitchen. OMG. I polished off everything you see here, and then ordered another of everything. Yeeop, especially another spicy margarita. The steep uphill climb back up to my lodge was nothing compared to the cliffs and hills of Portugal, which I’ve walked after way more… um… partaking of beverages. Anywho… did you say Portugal? A Venezuelan man and his Swiss girlfriend ran this latin restaurant in Queenstown, but they were getting ready to leave New Zealand. They were preparing to move to another country they thought would be more affordable and easier to access. You know where, right? Of course you do. Portugal! They will be moving to Porto soon. Guess who will be heading to Porto for some kickass spicy margs and tacos? You know who.
The walk from my lodge down to the town center always took longer because I couldn’t stop pausing to take photos of gorgeous Lake Wakatipu and The Remarkables mountain range. Perfect name. Remarkable indeed.
Best. Gift. Shop. EVER.
My people! Remarkable AF.
So many trails, so little time.
Sunset from my lodge deck.
View from my private Onsen hot pool soak. Sublime.
Queenstown had a spectacular view of a full lunar eclipse while I was there. I didn’t have my tripod or lens, so I had to try to hold my phone camera still while shooting in night mode after midnight. Super blurry results (left). Then, ChatGPT image-fixing to the rescue (right). LOL.
“Nāia te toa o Hākitekura!”
(Here is the victorious Hākitekura!)
Māori wall art installation. Māori are the indigenous people of Aotearoa (New Zealand).

From Aukaha.co.nz: “Hākitekura is a renowned wahine toa (heroine) who grew up on the banks of Whakatipu Waimāori (Lake Wakatipu) and was the first person to swim across Whakatipu Waimāori, Aotearoa New Zealand’s longest lake.”
My happy hour. I just never tired of this view at sunset.
Everything in this ice bar is made of ice. Visitors are loaned parkas and gloves to wear while inside.
Do not make the mistake of gripping your glass made of ice without wearing your gloves.

Auckland, New Zealand

Auckland, on New Zealand’s North Island, has a completely different vibe. Queenstown is my favorite, though.
Here, wall art on the New Zealand Maritime Museum at Auckland’s harbor.
Harbor at dusk.
A 5:30 A.M. start to a day trip to Rotarua had me on the road as the sun rose through fog. It reminded me of a painting.
Coming out of Waitomo Glowworm Caves by boat. Photography was not allowed inside the caves. Yeah, we saw some glowing blue light of the glowworms (fungus gnat larvae), but I can’t say I found it all that spectacular.
It did NOT look like this while I was there.
Nor this. Nope.
Images source: geologyscience.com
Rotarua is known for its geothermal activity and Māori cultural attractions. Mud pools and geysers such as the Pōhutu Geyser are popular draws. Pōhutu Geyser is the largest in the southern hemisphere and among the most active.
Māori culture and arts are featured
in Te Puia.
On the drive back to Auckland from Rotarua.
Another day trip from Auckland, to the wineries on Waiheke Island. I met up with an American friend from Portugal who was visiting Auckland with her adult daughter, and the three of us took a ferry ride to the island and then rode a hop on/hop off bus to various wineries. Highly recommended.
The winery properties were beautiful and scenic.
We did lots of swirling, sniffing, sipping, and swallowing. What we did not do any of at all was spitting out. Nada. No wine was wasted or harmed on our watch.
A simply gorgeous afternoon.

Hello, Portugal

My home, sweet home. Evidence of last month’s series of destructive storms still lingers, but I must say how happy I am to be back on the Silver Coast, and together with GB.

Love is in the air…
My backyard view is still my favorite.

Thank you for reading! ❤️ Happy spring. May your weekend find you shining.


Image sourced from Insight Timer.

All images are my own except as noted.

The Hot Goddess

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22 comments

  5. I thoroughly enjoyed your photos. They’re so amazing! I laughed when I re-read your list of ingredients you partook of for your involuntary colon cleanse! 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

      • Sugar plums, they sound so good, but we forget what prunes are made from! 😉 then you added coffee, another strong player in the mix. 🙃🫠

        Liked by 1 person

  6. Seven continents. You are amazing, Natalie. Love the pictures from New Zealand. Wow – so incredibly stunning. And then home sweet home. Glad you made it back safely even with the detours!

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  7. Fantastical, Natalie! Your culinary experience early on certainly puts a new punch (and visual!!!) into the line ‘and visions of SugarPlums danced in their heads’ YaKnow?! That fashion show is faahbulous daahrling! Oh and I’m thrilled you’re such a conscientious wine taster – no harm, no waste – just lotsa good taste! HA!
    Welcome back and thanks for the glorious account of your trip/retreat.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    • Olá, Laura! Yes, yes, those sugar plums were definitely dancing through me. Such a dumb and preventable episode. Luckily for me, liquid fermented grapes danced a different dance.
      Thank you for making me laugh, my friend!

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

  8. What an amazing tour. I find it very cool that you went solo to your one personally unexplored continent. The Thomas J. Price sculpture is gorgeous. I like your photo with the art (taken by a kind stranger I imagine.) Glad you’re back home safe and sound despite our resident tyrant deciding to make war where you needed to travel through. Cool taco story! To be continued… : )

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    • Thank you, Rebecca ❤️. I’m glad you like the Price sculpture as much as I do. I’ve gotten much better about asking folks to take my picture now that so many ask me to take theirs. Some memorable conversations have ensued as a result. Happy weekend to you and your family.

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      Reply

      • Thanks, Natalie. I enjoyed your photos very much. Did you meet any kangaroo or other unique Oceania animals on your travels? We have chosen a staycation for spring break this year with one foray for a lovely hike one hour outside town.

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