From Turkey, to the Olympics, to Ireland

WOWWWEEE it’s been 8 weeks since our last mail out, and boy oh boy did we jam pack it full of activities, experiences and catch ups. We feel so very lucky to have seen so many parts of the world as we have, and with our trip nearing the end (we are home Oct 1st!), we know we’ll get even more time to reflect more on these moments once we’re home. 

In the time since we last wrote, we’ve been to…Turkey with Mim & Ol, then we all travelled to France with Ella & Tom for the Olympics…to England and Scotland with Delivery the band + Jen, Frey, Jas & Gabe… then across to Ireland with Tom’s wonderful and welcoming family… to Croatia with Dean & Sarah then all to Montenegro with more uni mates and we’re now in Albania. In this time we’ve felt incredibly grateful for our friendships across the world, as spending quality time with friends and family has meant we’ve seen, experienced and learnt so much more along the way.

We thought for this edition we’d write down some stories as we experienced them… 

Story number 1, written by Tom ft chatgpt: ‘A Hard-Learned Lesson from Our Turkish Trip’, Fethiye, Ireland

While it might be incredibly tempting to dive off boats, and I can’t deny how beautiful and thrilling it is, you should only dive in moderation. Our seven-day Go Sail Turkey adventure from Fethiye to Bodrum with Oli and Mim was absolutely stunning, and diving into those crystal-clear waters was one of the most exhilarating experiences I’ve ever had. The weightlessness, the freedom, and the sheer joy of jumping into the sea were absolutely magical.

There’s nothing quite like the rush of leaping off the boat, the feeling of soaring through the air, and then the splash as you hit the water. It’s an experience that feels both liberating and incredibly fun. I loved every moment of it—every dive was a burst of pure joy and freedom. The beauty of the turquoise sea, the laughter with Oli and Mim, and the thrill of each jump were unforgettable highlights of our trip.

However, the thrill of diving should never overshadow the potential dangers. You might get carried away, diving for hours on end each day—similar to how one might lose track of time with a smartphone addiction. My own overenthusiasm led to a painful injury; excessive diving caused a jolt while trying to brace for impact, resulting in a tricep injury and a large, swollen hematoma.

So, while diving off boats offers incredible fun, it’s crucial to dive in moderation. Enjoy the beauty of the sea and the thrill of diving, but always prioritize safety. Moderation and caution are key to ensuring your adventure is as enjoyable and injury-free as possible.

Despite carrying the injury across Turkey, from the stunning hot air balloons in Cappadocia to the beautiful Black Sea coast in Amasra and Kefken, oh and then Istanbul, the trip remained unforgettable. The beauty and experiences of Turkey with Milla, Mim and Ol made every moment worth it, even with the reminder to dive carefully.

More photos from Turkey here - https://millaphotos.myportfolio.com/turkey

Story number 2, written by Milla: ‘Grace Brown’s Gold Medal’, Women’s time trial, Paris Olympics

Walking through the wet streets of Paris to the cycling course is electrifying. Any Aussies we come across see our green and gold shirts from a mile away and scream “AUSSIE AUSSIE AUSSIE!!!”, we beam back “Oi Oi Oi!”. Mim, Ol, Tom and I walk in through the front door of the bistro, and we’re flooded with sounds of clinking champagne, enthusiastic chatter and a buzz of excitement. Everyone is dressed in green and gold too, donned with “GO GRACE!!” written in black marker. Mim introduces us to her aunt, uncle and cousins who, as Grace’s immediate family, are easily recognizable in matching “Grace Brown for GOLD” custom t-shirts. We’re welcomed with a round of hugs and cheers. We’ve got 30 minutes til the time trial race starts, and Oli and Tom are chatting about where the best viewing spots are for corners and straights along the course. Mim is catching up with her family and offering round the green and gold face paint. The excited energy in the room is palpable. The bistro staff are blow torching creme brûlées and I see a plate of escargot go out. I order 4 pints of 1664 from the bar and 4 shots of espresso and take a second to absorb how momentous this experience is. What a once in a lifetime opportunity to be here with our great friend Mim, and her family, watching Grace race for Australia. 

Handing Oli and Tom a beer and an espresso each, I ask about the course and the rain. It rained all night, and we’re holding out hope that the wet slippery roads will start to dry up. Time Trials, also known as TT’s are a type of cycling race found in most UCI world cycling events like the Tour de France. It’s a race against the clock, that rewards power, speed and aero-ness and American Chloe Dygert and Grace Brown are favourites for a medal in this 32.4km Olympic course around the streets of Paris.

“First rider has started!!” someone exclaims, and we take our last sips, make our way outside, and jostle to find a spot along the course barrier. 7 News sets up next to the barrier and start interviewing Grace’s parents. “Here comes the first rider!” the reporter announces. We see Urša Pintar wizz past us at over 40km/hr, some Slovenian flags wave madly across the way as she flies past. 

The rain starts to come down more heavily, we all look at each other nervously. The course is relatively flat and fast, with a few key corners to be aware of in the wet. Once the riders pass the Chateau de Vincennes there are timechecks at the 13.4km and 22.3km, before they cross the finish line. These timechecks are how we know the progress of each rider.

Before we know it, it’s time for Grace to exit the blocks and start her race. Grace’s previous results qualify her as second fastest, and so is second last to start her TT lap. Tom finds a live stream of Olympic coverage on his phone and we watch a replay of Danish Cecilie Uttrup Ludwig crash out on a corner. “Phwoah, it’s slippery out there”.

I lean over the barrier to look down the course and see Grace speed around the corner towards us. A chant starts, “GO GRACE!! GO GRACE!!” and before we know it she’s away in the distance again. A minute and a half later, someone calls out that Dygert is coming through, the race favourite. Dygert spins past, head down, focused, riding well.

The first time-check comes through and Grace’s brother yells out, “fastest through her first time-check! Looking good!!”. A strong start for Grace, another 19km to go. 

Due to the rain, the risk of slipping out on a corner is high, and already several riders have gone down. Luckily, with no major injuries. With our phones showing live coverage, we oscillate between watching the tiny screen and leaning over the barrier to cheer riders on. So far, Grace was riding a quick and powerful race with a competitive start to win gold, but it would all depend on Dygert’s time.

Tom then yells out “Dygert is down!” and we crowd round his phone. A replay shows Dygert hitting the deck as she corners slippery cobblestones. Far out. What a wet and wild course. We’re glad to see Dygert back on her bike and not injured, and we all hope Grace can stay upright and maintain her power til the end. 

Grace passes her second checkpoint, and she’s again, the fastest through. Incredible! A few moments later, there’s a deafening cheer as Grace whizzes past us for the second time, and there’s no evidence of tiring, she looks strong. Not far to the finish. Between checkpoints it’s hard to know exactly how the riders are going, as we can only see along one section of the course. With our eyes glued to the phone screen, the cameras go to the finish line and we watch Grace power over the line sooner than predicted! What an incredible time, a whole minute and a half faster than everyone else so far.

There are now only two more riders left on the course. Mim and I exchange looks, could Grace have done it?! I feel the hairs on my arms stand on end. Everyone is holding their breath watching the screen to await the final times. 7 News starts recording Grace’s family as the last two riders roll through the finish…

“YEEAAHHHH GRACE!!!!” we shout and scream, “SHE’S GOT THE GOLD!!!!” Everyone is jumping and yelling, hugging and crying. I look over at Mim who is being squeezed by her aunt, watch Grace’s dad bursting with pride, and we can’t believe she’s just gone and bloody done it.

Story number 3, written by Tom (no chatgpt): ‘Delivery at Bingo Fest’, Lancaster, UK

We weren’t exactly planning to ride shotgun in a band’s tour van this trip, but here we were. After Delivery's gig at Big Hands in Manchester the night before, Milla and I met up with my brother James, his partner Bec, and the rest of the band for breakfast before hitting the road to Lancaster. It was day two of our whirlwind three-day stop over in the UK, on our way from France to Ireland. Three Delivery concerts were lined up, including one at Bingo Fest—a tiny festival with very little info online. We didn’t have tickets sorted, or even proper bedding (just a tent), but we had a ride in the van, and that felt like a win.

As we left the motorway, the roads got progressively narrower. Soon, we were inching through tiny country lanes, hedges brushing both sides of the van. We followed a series of hand-painted signs until we reached a field-turned-parking-lot. There were a fair few cars, vans, and tents scattered about, but it definitely had a small, intimate vibe. We met Lloyd, one of the organizers, set up our tent (a simple operation since we had no mats or sleeping bags), and grabbed some drinks before heading to check out the stage.

The venue was peak British countryside—a very old barn with surprisingly killer acoustics, visuals, and a handwritten lineup board that had Delivery closing the night. Talking to the folks there, we learned the festival was invite-only, with just 150 attendees and around 70 performers. Tickets were strictly for friends of friends, so Milla and I were lucky to have landed ourselves on the guest list!

The afternoon was a mix of rock ’n’ roll, along with some traditional Lancaster tunes (diddles?). My brother James managed to lose his phone in a portaloo during My Fat Pony’s set. After fishing it out (is it even called "fishing" if you’re just using your hands?), he put me in charge of making sure it survived the rest of the tour. Gross, I know. Delivery took the stage around 11:30 PM, wrapping up the night with a brilliant performance.

We finally crashed around 1 or 2 AM, and by "crashed," I mean curled up in a tent with no mats, no sleeping bags—just us and whatever clothes we could layer for warmth. "Uncomfortable" doesn’t quite cover it, but hey, it was all part of the experience. Rock n roll lol.

Story number 4, written by Milla: ‘15 sessions in 21 days’, Wexford, Ireland

Many of you reading have joined me at a session at the former Corkman pub or The Last Jar where over the years I’ve learnt by ear, trad Irish tunes on the fiddle. The Fleadh Cheoil in Wexford brings thousands of Irish trad musicians from around the country and was like no session I’d ever experienced before. Playing sessions in Ireland has been a dream of mine, and I was so incredibly grateful that Tom’s cousin, Aislinn, found a fiddle to lend me during our time in Ireland. The Fleadh is the place to learn tunes, connect through music and learn about Irish trad music culture. At the Fleadh, every pub in the town is turned into a venue for an open session, meaning everyone and anyone of any level can join in to play along with tunes. If you love Irish music, you should definitely put this event on your list of things to visit in Ireland, and even use it as motivation to take up an instrument (like Tom will next time we go hehe)! There were people playing piano and button accordions, harps, fiddles, banjos, bodhráns, tin whistles, flutes, guitars, spoons and even the bones! Throughout the week there are competitions including those for lilting and whistling and big artists play on the main stages in town. We were camping at the local Gaelic football club and on the first night we walked into town. Along the way we got chatting to some musicians who recommended Mary’s Bar which was off the main street but supposedly had the best vibe. Dating back to 1775 this little, cozy pub is a piece of history. Located in the Cornmarket area, the pub served as a secret place for rebels and more recently, Irish republicans to meet. As we swung open the front door, people were drinking Guiness shoulder to shoulder and a group of 3 musicians; a tin whistler, fiddler and guitarist were playing in the corner. One of them called Dáithí (gaelic for David) saw my fiddle case swung over my shoulder and gestured for me to come and join. What we thought was going to be a quick pint of Guinness on our first night of the Fleadh turned into hours of tunes, chats and songs. I loved hearing the stories that Tom told me about the locals he’d met at the bar, and I will always remember that night playing with Paddy, a local farmer in his 70s who played the fiddle with quick fingers, no chin-rest, and a twinkle in his eye as he told me about his day on the tractor with his sheep before coming in to play a session at his local, Mary’s Bar.

Story number 5, written by Tom: ‘Kneecap’, Stradbally, Ireland

We learned so much about Ireland during our three weeks there with my family. Milla’s knack for asking insightful questions and our time at trad irish music sessions led to countless discussions about Ireland’s complex history. We explored how Ireland was the first country colonized by the British, which ignited centuries of resistance. And how the indigenous Irish population remained resolute in safeguarding their own names, traditions, folklore, tunes and language. The English, starting in the 1600s, seized land and imposed Protestant plantations on native Irish Catholics. This fight for freedom was marked by events like the 1916 Easter Rising and the War of Independence, leading to the creation of the Irish Free State in 1922.

However, the partition of Ireland left Northern Ireland under British control, and tensions around the border have persisted. Recent Brexit developments have reignited fears of a hard border, complicating these historical divisions.

Amidst this backdrop, Kneecap, a Belfast-based rap trio, has become a significant cultural force. Their music, blending Irish and English lyrics, critiques British rule and explores Northern Irish identity with a mix of humor and defiance. Kneecap’s rise is also reflected in their recent film, which dives deeper into their story and impact.

At Electric Picnic, Milla and I were right in the mosh pit for Kneecap’s performance, and it was absolutely insane. The energy was off the charts as we jumped and shouted along to their powerful tracks. Their show was a blend of rebellion and celebration, perfectly capturing the spirit of a generation eager for change while fully embracing their heritage.

We loved spending time with my beautiful and welcoming Irish family with a big thanks to Ésme, Ais & Jeff for being incredibly generous hosts throughout our trip, to Ber & Francie for introducing Milla to some amazing sessions in Sligo, to Frank, Fionnuala & Cormac for welcoming us into their warm and loving home, to Maeve & Dermot for their delish pizza cook up and to Shane & Ev for a wonderful lunch and generosity!

Feel free to reply with any thoughts, comments or anything really to this email. Otherwise you can also tell us when we next catch up in person as we’re home in a few weeks from our big trip! See you soon!!!

P.S. For more photos from our travels, visit this link.