Posted by: Debra Kolkka | August 12, 2026

Arles revisited

My favourite place we visited on our travels in spring was Arles. We have been before, but the stop was brief, so this time we stayed for a few days.

Arles is a gorgeous city in the Provence region of southern France. It is known for its connection to Vincent Van Gogh, who lived in Arles and created over 300 works inspired by its light, cafes and landscapes.

It is also famous for its Roman ruins. The Arles Amphitheatre is a massive 1st century arena that once held 20,000 spectators for chariot races and gladiators.


The ancient theatre was built for plays and comedy. It still hosts seasonal events today.


The Baths of Constantine offer a glimpse of daily life in an ancient Roman settlement. It dates back to the 4th century AD. The baths were once part of a series of buildings resembling a place. The Caldarium was a warm bath heated by the Hypocaust, the underfloor heating system. The Tepodarium was a warm air room. It takes a bit of imagination to recreate what it must have looked like.





Tough little wildflowers push their way through in odd places.

Nearby we found a tiny restaurant named after the baths.

We poked our heads in to try to book a table for the evening. The gentleman said just come back later…so we did. It turned out it was a one man show. He was the chef, waiter, dish washer and anything else that might have been needed. It was one of the best meals on our trip.




It is a delight to wander the streets of Arles. There are lots of interesting piazzas and tiny streets to explore.









 

My favourite shop was Moustique. It was one of those shops where I wanted everything inside.

This lovely shop was surrounded by lots of small boutiques and galleries,full of treasures. There was not a chain store in sight. I find it sad that many towns and cities are beginning to look alike. Arles has managed to avoid this. It is delightful to find individual shops where care has been taken to present interesting selections to choose from.

I will show more of wonderful Arles in the next post, including the incredible food market.

 

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Posted by: Debra Kolkka | August 2, 2026

Sewing for 60 years

My mother used to make our clothes when we were children but she became a bit too busy as we got older. At the age of 13 I decided I needed to learn how to make my own.

Mum took me to buy fabric and a pattern. I found the pattern recently when I was searching for something else, prompting me to write this post.

After buying the fabric and pattern I thought Mum would lead me through the process. She didn’t. She told me to follow the instructions that came with the pattern and to tell her when I needed help. I got stuck on putting the zip in so she stepped in and did it for me.

I was off and running. I made most of my clothes from then on. I made clothes for my son until he decided it was not cool to wear clothes his mother made.  I made most of the clothes in the shop I had in the city for 20 years.

I have had a life long addiction to fabric. Luckily, I still have an outlet to allow this addiction to continue. I make clothes and homewares that I sell in my friend Savva’s shop. I walk down to West End to spend a few hours each day to help sell them. I enjoy Savva’s company and get to chat with people who come into the shop.

Recently we have been playing with AI to create images for our Instagram page…What’s new at Sarva. This is the first one. We used a photo of the dress and asked AI to put it on my balcony in Italy.

Shopping in Portovenere.

Out for lunch.

Holidaying in Athens.

Savva’s denim dress on Santorini.

Savva’s dress in the Riviera.

We have a seaside theme coming up for spring.

There will be new things coming daily until I leave for Italy on 10th September. Drop in to 239 Boundary St, West End (cnr Corbett St) to see what we are doing. Savva does made to measure and alterations as well.

Follow us on Instagram, What’s new at Sarva, to see where our garments go.

 

 

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Posted by: Debra Kolkka | July 28, 2026

Hastings Point…childhood memories

When I was a child I would sometimes go camping at Hastings Point, a tiny town in northern New South Wales. I was taken by my Uncle Bob, Aunty Rose and my cousins Sandra and Robyn, who were a little older than I was. I must have been about 7 or 8. These times were some of the happiest memories of my childhood.

Uncle Bob and family spent many holidays there and my family would drive down from Main Beach, where we lived, to join them on a Sunday, so there were lots of visits to Hastings Point.

At Hastings Point I would spend hours scouring the rock pools at low tide for sea life. I loved collecting shells and things washed up by the sea. I loved spending time with my favourite uncle who would be nearby fishing or digging oysters off the rocks. Lovely Aunty Rose cooked delicious meals and my cousins and I would slide on bits of cardboard down the grassy slope of Bogangar.

Much has changed in the area, but the caravan park is still there and the beach has not changed. It was a delight to return and take a walk along that wonderful beach. It was low tide so I got to visit some of the rock pools that fascinated me when I was a child.

 

 


 





Bogangar is in the distance.











On the way back we stopped for lunch at Paper Daisy in Cabarita…I must go back.

I am staying in Burleigh Heads with my son. It is another special place from my childhood.




A morning swim.


I love the Norfolk pines at Burleigh.


The Pandanus trees are great too.



There was a group of rock pool explorers at work.

The winter sky is amazing right now.


Below this cloud is the Burleigh Heads Library where I worked briefly many years ago. It is about to be closed, much to the dismay of locals.


I found a photo of my cousin Sandra, my brother Robert and me at Bogangar.


…and one of Aunty Rose, my mother and someone I don’t remember with my Robyn, Sandra and Robert, taken at Main Beach. I think our mothers made our beach attire.  I had a wonderful beach childhood. Thank you Mum, Dad and the extended family.

 

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Posted by: Debra Kolkka | July 19, 2026

Wineries in the Rioja region of Spain

La Rioja is the oldest wine producing area of Spain. It sits in the Ebro River valley below the Cantabrian Mountains.

The countryside is stunning, even when driving through on a dull day.

 

The vineyards surround the old town of Haro. It is the historic wine capital and has underground cellars and major foundational wineries. We visited a few.

The first was Bodegas Ysios with its spectacular building. There grape varieties are Tempranillo, Viura, Graciano Garnacha and other native species. Some of the vines are 100 years old. Their signature wine is Ysios Finca Les Naves. The winery is open for visits and guided tastings.



The interior is amazing as well. There are small tasting rooms and it is possible to do short tours of the winery.

The next one was Bodega Vivanco. The Vivanco family produced their first wine in 1915. The town looked great driving in.

 

The view from the winery is excellent in all directions.

 

Bodega Vivanco’s fourth generation winemaker, Rafa Vivanco Saenz, makes red, white, rose and sparkling. There is a shop, cafe and museum at the winery.

 

Next stop Bodegas Marques de Riscal. It has been named the world’s best winery in 2024.

The adjacent hotel designed by Frank Gehry was opened in 2003. This is not my photo. It is difficult to see the whole building when you are close. The best view was on the road driving away, but there was nowhere to stop to get a photos.


The company was founded by Camilo Hurtado de Amezaga, 6th Marques of Riscsl in 1858. The estate produces iconic Rioja and Rueda wines. Its cellar holds every vintage since 1862.

The grounds of the winery are beautiful and there are quiet places to sit.

The shop and tasting rooms are excellent.


 

There were some dramatic skies driving between wineries.



On another day we visited Bodega Marques de Murrieta. The winery was founded in 1852 by Peruvian born Luciano de Murrieta y Garcia-Lemoine. It was the first estate to export its wines.

It is in the most magnificent setting with beautiful gardens and stunning views over the area.

 




The sales and tasting rooms are beautifully presented and the young woman who looked after us was particularly charming. In fact all of the people we met in the Rioja wineries were delightful and knew their products well.

 

Lopez de Heredia has a striking tasting pavilion designed by Zahar Hadid. It was created to celebrate the winery’s 125 th anniversary. It is shaped like a wine decanter.

 



There is a great outdoor space for warmer weather.


Bodegas Muga is a family owned winery founded in 1932. It is one of the olny wineries in Spain with its own on-site master coopers, handcrafting all of its own oak barrels.

 


 


The changing weather on our way out of the region made for some great views from the car.





Rioja is a stunning region. The landscape is breathtaking. We were there in early spring when everything  was turning green. I think it is probably the best time to visit. I am not particularly interested in wine, but Jim liked the wines he tried and a few bottles made their way into the car for the drive back to Italy.

 

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Posted by: Debra Kolkka | June 26, 2026

Prehistoric painting at Altamira caves

While we were in Santillana del Mar in the Cantabria region of northern Spain we visited the nearby Altamira Museum.  It is a 5 minute drive or a 20 minute walk away. It is uphill with little shade, wear a hat or take an umbrella.

Around 40,000 years ago Cantabria began to be inhabited by early an early human species. It was the beginning of the Upper Palaeolithic period. This was a cultural period where the first manifestations of complex, abstract thought was in evidence. Art was part of this.

Along the Cantabrian coast caves inhabited during the Upper Palaeolithic period have been discovered. One of these is the Altamira Cave. The cave was occupied by man for two epochs, the Upper Solutrean, 18,500 years ago and the Lower Magdalenian, 14,000 years ago. I can imagine the excitement when it was discovered that the rock ceiling of the cave was covered in paintings. After the last occupation, around 13,000 years ago a landslide sealed off the cave’s entrance. The cave was no longer used and it was preserved intact for thousands of years.

The cave was discovered in 1868 and the Magdalenian paintings known as the Techo de los Policromos, Polychrome Ceiling, was first seen in 1879. When tourism hit the area in the 1960s the cave became one of the most visited sites in the country, beaten only by the Prado Museum in Madrid.

By 1977 Altamira was closed to the public, to halt the deterioration caused by visitors, and find ways to protect the paintings. When it reopened in 1982 visitor numbers were strictly restricted.

Eva, one of the delightful ladies we met at Hotel Casa Marques, where we stayed in Santillana del Mar, told us that when she was still at school, she was one of the five people permitted to enter the cave each week. She was very young, but remembers creeping in and almost lying on her back to be able to look up at the ceiling to view the paintings. She still remembers how excited she was and now realises how lucky she was to experience this.

To make up for the limited number of people permitted to enter the cave it was decided to make a faithful replica of the cave nearby. The Neocueva, New Cave, along with the Altamira Museum, was opened in 2001. It was built to enable visitors to see the paintings in the context they were created.

Before going inside, we are shown a film which shows the milestones in the history of the cave, the landslide and its subsequent rediscovery.

Come for a walk through the replica of the cave. It is very well set up, with imagined scenes of life within the cave and the ceiling paintings are exact copies of the originals. The artists used the same natural pigments used by the primitive artists and care was taken to recreate the textures, contours and colour variations.





 







It is amazing that we can see back so far in history. There is a real feeling of how people lived and seeing the paintings is excellent. There is also a museum outlining the history with artifacts collected in the area. I recommend a visit.  There is a small cafe, excellent gift shop and an outdoor picnic area.

It is possible to book online. We were able to buy tickets at the ticket office on the day.

This is where we stayed in Santillana del Mar…The perfect place to stay in Santillana del Mar

Santillana del Mar…Sensational Santillana del Mar

A church and flowers in Santillana del Mar

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Posted by: Debra Kolkka | June 20, 2026

A church and flowers in Santillana del Mar

Just before we left Santillana del Mar we found the magnificent Collegiate Church. For a modest fee of €4 we entered the stunning cloister of the church.

Cloisters always seem to be quiet, tranquil places, and we had this beautiful place almost to ourselves.


I love old stone faces, and here there were lots to keep me looking up. The faces are worn from centuries of wind and rain. Were they modelled from real people or just from the imagination of the artists who sculpted them? Each one is different and fascinating.


Some were more detailed.


The church began as a monastery in 870. The church we see today dates from the 12th century. It had 3 naves, a dome, transept, 3 semi-circular apses and a tower.

We entered the church from the cloister.

 





It is incredible to find these treasures are still around for us to see.

Walking through the town I noticed elaborate coat of arms decorating many of the houses.

 


All over Santillana del Mar flowers spill from pots and balconies.









Santillana del Mar is a wonderful little town. I am very happy we were there in early spring and saw the town without hordes of visitors. I have heard that it becomes seriously crowded in the summer. April was a perfect time to visit.

See the hotel we stayed at…The perfect place to stay in Santillana del Mar

More on Santillana del Mar…Sensational Santillana del Mar

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Posted by: Debra Kolkka | June 15, 2026

Sensational Santillana del Mar

Santillana del Mar in the Cantabria region of Spain is a stunning, entirely pedestrianised town, lined with 15th to 18th century stone mansions. Flowers tumble from window boxes and balconies. The cobblestone streets are lined with artisan craft shops, and lots of places to buy the famous Cantabrian anchovies. We were there in spring and it looked wonderful.

The name is misleading. The town is not on the coast, but a few kilometres inland. It is a significant stop on the northern route of the Camino de Santiago pilgrimage. The name is a contraction of Santa Juliana, an 8th century martyr whose remains are housed in the Santillana del Mar Collegiate Church. It is a Romanesque church and former Benedictine monastery.

The church sits at the top of the town and was our first stop after checking into the hotel. It started life in 870 as a monastery. It was transformed into a church over the 11th  century. The church we see today dates from the 12th century. It is remarkably preserved. I particularly liked the many sculptures dotted around the building.






The main street has an old water trough probably used for washing and watering horses.


On the left we found a small park with more modern stone sculptures.

Then is was back to the main street. Come for a walk along the cobble stone streets.

There are  lovely buildings, some with Cantabrian balconies.







There is lots of decoration on buildings.






There are interesting shops. Lots sell Cantabrian anchovies and chocolate.


The town is quiet small and is surrounded by green countryside.

 


We had lunch in this very sweet cafe.

Dinner was at this fun bar, the only place open that night.


The very best part of Santillana del Mar was staying at the Hotel Casa Del Marques, the subject of the previous post. In the next post I will show you the stunning interior of the church which we managed to find open just before we left the town.

 

 

 

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Posted by: Debra Kolkka | June 8, 2026

Going home

We are now on our way back to Australia. It is time to return to our other lives. As much as I love Italy I am ready to leave.

We travelled quite a bit on this trip. We no longer have a garden to take care of so we have time for other things. There will be more posts on our Spain, France and UK visits to come.

As well as visiting new and favourite places, we like hanging around Ponte a Serraglio. I have my coffee and sfoglia most mornings at Bar Italia, across the bridge, and there is always someone there to have a chat with.

I still have some flowers to look after. Our tiny balcony has lots of pots to fill. We are very prominent in the village so I like to plant lots of colourful flowers. It is fun to watch people stand on the bridge and take photos of the village, including the bridge and the flowers. I like to think of it as my front yard.

A delightful young man named Peter has been watering  the plants on the bridge while I am not there. This year the flowers have another friend. A couple from Brazil have taken an interest and the very nice man usually beats me to the watering. The plants are thriving with all the care.

The window flowers. The trees on the other side of the river are reflected in the windows.

 

 

 

 

Balcony flowers. My neighbour opposite likes to plant flowers too. I wish everybody did!

 



Bridge flowers.

 





I am with Monet, who said…”I must have flowers, always and always.”

Goodbye lovely Bagni di Lucca until September.

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Posted by: Debra Kolkka | May 28, 2026

The perfect place to stay in Santillana del Mar

On our recent trip to Spain we visited the delightful Santillana del Mar, a tiny town in the Cantabria region of northern Spain. There will be more on this gorgeous town later, but first I have to tell you about the beautiful hotel where we stayed.

Hotel Casa Del Marqués was originally a 15th century private house. It was the residence of the first Marquis of Santillana, Don Inigo Lopez de Mendoza and his mother, Dona Leonor de La Vega. The Marques was a great poet and student of science.

Paintings of the Marquis and his mother are featured in the reception area of the hotel.

The magnificent staircase leading to the upper floor is made from a single piece of oak, now hundreds of years old.


Every room in the hotel is a delight. There are 2 lovely sitting rooms inviting to to stay and read a book or just sit and admire the surroundings.

 

The breakfast area and surrounds are lovely.

 



There is a small bar.

 

The garden area at the back of the hotel is delightful, with lots of quiet areas to hide in.

 







Our room and bathroom were delightful.

The front door gives a clue about the delights  you will discover inside.


Best of all were the lovely people working at the hotel. There were two helpful ladies at reception called Eva, who were happy to share stories about the hotel and the town. They were rightly proud of both and made our stay much more interesting. We loved our stay at Hotel Casa del Marques.

I would go back to Spain just to stay there.

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Posted by: Debra Kolkka | May 23, 2026

60 years ago

My youngest brother, Peter, was born on 24th May 1966. I remember the day he was born as though it was yesterday.

At about 4.30 in the afternoon Mum decided it was time to go to the hospital. Dad was a builder, so could not be contacted at work. Mum had a bell which she was to ring from our balcony, so our neighbour, George, would come to take her to the hospital. It had been a bit of a joke for some time.

The bell was not needed. Dad came home and took Mum to nearby Southport hospital. He dropped her off at the front door, quite normal at the time, and drove home in about 15 minutes.

As he was walking up the stairs the phone rang and my younger brother, Robert, answered it. He has quite a deep voice for an 11year old and the nurse said, “Mr Kolkka you have a son.” Robert replied, “No, I have a brother.”

The three of us were piled into the car and off we went to see our new brother. I was 13 and the only one of us allowed into the maternity ward. The other two had to stand at the window and look in at Mum and wave.

I was one of the first people to see Pete, who was just an hour old. He was held up by a nurse from inside the nursery. He was a big baby and a bit bruised from his birth, but he soon grew to be a beautiful baby.

Pete was a surprise addition to our family. Once we all got over the shock, and he was born, we all loved him to bits and wondered what we did without him. While he could be naughty, he looked like an angel and could be hilarious and sweet natured.

Mum was 35 and Dad was 39 when he was born. They were considered to be quite old to be having a baby. Times have changed.

I am in Italy and don’t have any baby photos, but here is one of the four of us when he was about four. He had been practicing smiles all morning, but refused to offer any to the photographer when he arrived. We look like 2/3 of the Brady Bunch.

Pete was an early talker. I remember the boy next door to us saying…”You know, your brother, he speaks just like a human being.”

He had a few sayings that have been adopted by the rest of us. He called his toe nails his foot finger nails and he would claim to have a headache in his tummy.

Mum sent him off to work with Dad sometimes to get a short break. His time on a building site meant that he swore like a trouper at an early age. This came as a shock to some.

Because of his early talking and excellent memory, we thought he would be a genius. He is. He can build things, he can fix anything, he can do anything he puts his mind to, just like Dad could. He wanted to make a wallet, so he did and it looks just like one from the shops. He recovered his leather lounge and it looks like new. He has now moved on to cutting gemstones and making jewellery.

The tales of Pete’s mischief are legendary and mostly for family consumption. Here is an early example of what was to come.

Dad took Pete to what was to be his first day at kindergarten. He said goodbye and drove around the corner in time to see Pete climb over the back fence and run across the park behind the kindergarten. Dad scooped him up, took him home and kindy was put on hold for a while. I can still hear Dad laughing as he told the tale.

I have now known my brother for 60 years. I am happy that I was old enough when he was born to know and understand and love him from the start. I am very happy to have him in my life. It also helped when I had my son only 7 years later. I knew something of what to expect.

He and my son are more like brothers than uncle and nephew, but Pete is still called Uncly Pete from time to time. They are great mates.

Pete took on responsibility to pass on some of his knowkedge and expertise to his nephew. I overheard a lesson on the noble art of burping one day when my son was about three. Pete was a master in the art. After lots of practicing Brando caught on and Pete was heard to say “You’re learning son.” Brando has gone on to be a true star in the field, surpassing his uncle.

It is good that Pete, and his exceptionally wonderful partner, Annabel, live nearby.

Happy birthday Peter. I hope you have lots more!

 

 

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