It's a brazilian life........

First stop Sao Paulo,

sharing the city with19.96 million peoplealmost 100 % who speak portuguese or a dialect of

and in my experience only 2 % of whom understand english
not easy when buying washing detergent, booking laser hair removal or finding lost jackets.....

fortunately I have not had to find lost children.........
because I was advised on arrival totie them around my waist .......

hence the lost jackets.......
now on a new journey.....
in a new time zone....

with......

first son applying to University despite a few hiccups with international education......

second son attending online distance education to avoid hiccups with international education.....
solo daughter focusing on french, cirque school and training 6 mornings with her Russian Coach and a chair.......

third son (fourth child) thriving on youthful agility, intellegent humour and his thirst for life and stories.....

Spent last week-end surfing with big healthy turtles in the South Atlantic Ocean......

met a one legged pirate who runs a museum and surf shop Piratas in Guaruja........
sipped lime caprinhas at sunset under a makeshift mobile shed......
mid week the clown and clan enjoyed teaching children from the favelas to juggle......

quite natural for boys and girls with soccer spirited feet .......
today had a date with my clown in a cemetary with lots of beautiful angels......

Cemiterio Sao Paulo Pinheiros ........

our clown has now retired from playing trombone

and practices the art of pick pocketing........

can't think of many better places for that

than in South America.....

hide your wallets.....phones.... and ties......

there is a clown loose in the circus......

Enjoy your laughter,
Cath, Clown and Clan - in Sao Paulo until November 28, 2011.......

P.S. Anyone completed a Personal Competency Assessment ?

Loic would love to hear from you.

It's a travelling life.....

Fast forward 2 years and a couple of months

we have now landed in South America

still on the road with 150 other cirquesters

and

someone elses tour plan

Suddenly Europe was done

and Asia was next

new coutries .....new continents

new colours.....new lifestyles

and oh so many new sounds

and smells......

Beginning again

now on unfamiliar shores

we are learning the lingo of Brasil

playing with soccer balls in the sand

and buying good coffee for lots and lots of reals.

Cath, Clown and Clan - in Sao Paulo

until 28 November, 2011.......

Tromboning in Hamburg.

09.09.2009 Hamburg, Germany


We thought we had lost the sun for the rest of the year.

Today, however, it decided to come back to play, allowing us to hold out on our black clothes and splash a bit of colour around - just for a little while longer.

But all the signs are there. Autumn is well and truly moving in, as the leaves fill the footpaths and gutters and make it a little tricky for us Dahon collapsable bike riders with our low slung, leaf-trap mudguards. The German bikes, like their cars and women, are built to last and cover any terrain. Leaves, logs and little dogs-not a problem. They have frames like Panzer tanks and our delicate Dahons are clearly no match - should we tangle.


Back in the saddle again after a three city hiatus and I have to admit it is not easy. Enjoyable for the magnificent views, along the canals and the Alster River, through the parks and the strictly neat, clean streets. In all directions the roads are lined by enormous elegant white homes with large green gardens and often a pier, and a small personal army of domestic staff. The ride to Natalia's takes about an hour down to the South West of Hamburg near the fish markets and the landing dock for the big boats.
An hour IF the wind is in my favor. But it could be worse - it could be raining or we could still be in Duisburg or I could be descending down the street at rapid speed because I have no traction on my twenty aussie dollar blue Repco bike "bought from Bob off the back of a truck" in Canberra, now accessorised with expensive European saddle bags which don't help with traction one bit. But no, I now have a DAHON and the blue Repco has been retired as the family vehicle when piggy backing is required.

So whilst I continue training, Steven has retired from playing with his balls, I mean bells. Musical bells that is. Remember in Vienna, same time last year, leaves falling, Autumn, back to back boys birthday celebrations, he would sit on our neon rooftop in that restored former asylum for schizophrenic artists and as a distraction from Spanish immigration, IRS investigation, ATO assessment and a North Coast renovation, he would play with his balls, I mean bells. (Technically speaking - they are tuned alpine cow bells or Alpenglocken). Well with constant practice he got quite good and could play a very cheery version of "Idle Vice" (sic), a lovely rendition of "O Sole Mio" and my personal sing-along favorite, "I love to go a-wandering along the mountain track...".

I think it is because we prevented him buying a second hand pair of leder hosen at the markets, or he is just tired of playing with them but now he has moved on to the Trombone. It takes up the same amount of room but is noisier. To add to this he stumbled upon a mini soprano trombone for Enzo so he doesn't have to play alone. Our luggage on tour includes two trombones, a set of musical bells, a keyboard, a guitar, a musical saw, a drum pad, a ventriloquist mask, a ventriloquist dummy, the krups coffee machine, an entire circus kit of playmobil, some rather secret Russian herbs that perform magic to a basic pasta sauce, a printer/scanner, several pairs of cowboy boots, 6 hoola hoops, 4 sets of juggling pins, a trombone silencer, a fair number of women's shoes and up until Europe, Steven's Dad. (His ashes were cerimonally distributed off the rocks at Hillary's Harbour in Perth with Steven following the kindly Maroochydore Undertakers piece of advice : "make sure you cast 'em with a back wind - otherwise yull wear Dad. .")

And who do you think is in charge of packing all these lovely toys. Not the boy in the corner playing with his balls, I mean bells, .......
I mean trombone.



We have just been informed we have to make an itemised list of all our luggage contents for Moscow by tomorrow. (It included a memo which stipulated "no firearms or alcohol"..I guess it needed to be mentioned after the BBQ and lighting fuel found stashed in with the costumes.)

The sun continued to shine when, at 6 pm, the school shuttle dropped the children back to Halfhohbahn (sic) (Hoheluftbrucke) and we could not go home. Instead we walked the opposite direction up the smaller canal following queues of bikers, joggers and pram buggies. People were having picnics and barbeques throughout the park, milking up the end of the summer break. We watched young canoeists traveling up the canal water ways and decided that was our next mission, to secure a raft or sea vessel and paddle as far as we can. The canal actually runs to our back door so we shall have to see if we can secure access onto the pier......Rrrrrrr.


Enjoy your music. Wishing you safe travels.

Peace, love and laughter,

Cathryn, Clown and Clan - on the bike again, in Hamburg.

Loic's 15th

Finally started the blog as a dedication to my sisters whom I fear I have neglected of late and have always been my inspiration.

06.09.2009 Hamburg, Germany.

Today we celebrated Loic turning 15 years old. And we recount that mad dash to the hospital in Grandpa Luckmann's tan metallic Holden after my waters broke as I was ironically in the process of mopping the floor for the fourteenth time that week, Steven was up on stilts rehearsing our latest stage show with my stand-in, a curvy 5 foot 10 stuffed doll in a gorgeous pink georgette gown, when we timed our arrival for the change of guard in the maternity ward and I am trying to inform nurses and wards-men that I am booked to have a cesarean the next day as I have a breeched baby. But after a quick check on a guernsey in a corridor they announce my baby has now turned itself around and I would indeed be having a natural childbirth.

Of course I was not prepared, I mean I was prepared with the attractive maternity nightie, hairdryer, baby clothes, truck loads of novels, massage oils, aroma candles, music choices, toiletries but not for the actual birth! I had stopped reading the chapters about breathing and pushing once they told me the baby was breeched expecting just to lie down and go to sleep, something I can do exceptionally well without practice. But the body seems to know what to do if you just let it so I let it and except for a few strong grabs of Steven's blue checked flannelette shirt, it all went rather smoothly.

To this day, Loic continues to astound us with his ability to improve his position in life with his determination, hard work and focus. And from that tiny long baby he has grown into a tall, handsome and confident teenager. And we are very proud.

After celebrating four previous birthdays on the road with Varekai: Columbus, Sydney, Perth and the never to be forgotten Duisburg...... with a fistful of memories we fast forward to Hamburg. Today Loic awoke very happy, happy to be in Hamburg and not Duisburg, and continued this joy with an early morning ride with Steven along the Alster River, having one of those father/son discussions comparing their five year plans.

Meanwhile in the record breaking time of ten minutes, Ines, Jose and I were attempting to blow up balloons and tie ribbons from rafters to decorate a table at the outdoor boathouse called Cliff Cafe, where we were battling with all four seasons in those ten minutes and trying not to be distracted by all of Jose's five minute plans which ranged from creating ecosystems with spiders to rowing the Alster River. Enzo was hiding in a little sack next to the table. We never ask why - he also had a plan, a rather immediate plan we hoped. The German waiting staff ignored us with only a feigned attempt at distant observation.

Suddenly, (it wasn't sudden but it is Enzo's favorite word at the moment because translated in German it is "plötzlich" - again we never ask why). Suddenly, or "plötzlich", Loic and Steven appear and we enjoy a very large and sumptuous "frühstück" with the waiters never getting any happier until I leave a big tip as a challenge to see if there is a simple smile hidden behind that stern demeanor. Steven assures me it is not personal - it is because they are German.

Well he smiled which means he can if he really really wants to. I think he even made a joke but I can't be sure because it was in German and my grasp of the language is limited to "Nein", "Auf Wiedersehen","Danke" and now "plötzlick" and "Frühstück". It would be very handy if I knew chicken, chick peas, cream or washing powder for a front loader! Oh yeah and Enzo did pop up out of his sack holding a balloon with "I LOVE YOU" reciting a monologue about granting three wishes etc. etc. etc. We think he stole it off some clown show but he says he made it up.

For the rest of the day on our many outdoor wanderings we continued to make more wishes as we found coins, kept saying the same things in synchronicity, catching twirling autumn leaves and witnessing white butterflies flying in the breeze. Tonight after Steven arrives home from the show, we will dine in at Isestrasse enjoying a "Never Fail Chocolate Cake" made by Jose and an ice cream cake decorated by Ines and Enzo.

Remember being 15 again and being able to eat two pieces of cake in one night!

Love you and miss you.

Peace, love and laughter,

Cathryn, Clown and Clan - sending you wishes from Hamburg.