Menorca – Everything under the sun

Since I have been editing and revising my novel The Mediterranean Source (working title), I have been mentally travelling back to Menorca every day. And it’s been amazing. Almost like a mental holiday. It just seriously beds in the fact that I would love to live on that incredible little island one day. My husband knows how much I want to spend some time there, and you never know – if we win lotto – perhaps I might just get there to live for a wee while in a little cottage on the coast and spend a few months writing.

What amazes me though, is that this island is a hidden gem in the great scheme of things. It is not a tourist destination, even though its neighboring islands are. One island is the party island of the Mediterranean, and the other is a place where lots of sun-starved British people go to get a little bit of Vitamin D.

I know that once I finish all the revisions on this book that I will once again be sad about leaving this treasured island. I remember when I first finished writing it years ago – I got really upset. I missed my characters, and I missed the island. Thankfully, I launched into work on another her book within a matter of weeks to distract me, but there is something about this story of wreck-diving in a serene and beautiful place that warms my heart.

I think that when it comes to writing, setting the scene is so amazingly important. For me as a reader, and as a writer – this is the core element that makes the story real for me. If I can walk down the cobbled streets of Mao/Mahon in my mind with the characters, that brings the story right to the forefront of my mind, and I become completely immersed. I think that as a reader I need this imagery… and as a writer – I like to provide it.

I’m not far away from finishing the revisions and edits of this book. A part of me does not want to ever let it go. I don’t know why, it’s just the way I feel about it. This isn’t even the first book I have written, and nor do I consider it my ‘baby’. But there is something about the characters and the place in time that they exist in.
Menorca Island is a dream for me. A place discovered by the spin of the globe. The characters were created from my mind, and they have developed into such a realistic fruition, that I am going to find it hard to let them go off on their own publishing journey. These characters are so different from each other.  They all have lead very different lives, and experienced different things. But they all have something in common – the love of beauty and life. They just see it differently from one another.

I was actually going to blog about something totally different today… but as I was sitting here thinking about The Mediterranean Source, I started reminiscing about the book, the story, and my character’s lives. This is a special story that is close to my heart, as it is the book I wrote after a close friend died in a diving accident. Maybe that is the reason why I never really want to let this book go.

But as my friend Tee says – the first draft is the writer’s own. The other drafts are for the readers.

 

Emperor of the Coast

Apparently the area that I live in has caught the attention of international media. Why? Because of a little penguin, on a big journey.

Emperor Penguin on Kapiti Coast, New Zealand

Three days ago, a young Emperor Penguin landed on Peka Peka Beach for a rest, a few kilometres from my place, Now, it’s really not surprising that this wee fella wanted to stop fo a rest. After all, he has travelled over 3,200 kilometres from his home in Antarctica. Now, that is a hell of a journey for a 10-month-old.

The incredible thing, is that the last Emperor Penguin that was sighted here, was in the deep south of New Zealand in 1967. I guess that this wee fella was much more adventurous. And if you are going to come to New Zealand, why not come to an amazing part of it. But can you imagine what it’s like for this penguin at the moment? This is most likely the first time it has ever felt sand, or the air and waters as warm as they are. The first time it has ever encountered humans, or dogs, or probably even boats. Our conservation department has decided that it would be too much of a traumatic journey to transport this Emperor back to Antarctica at this time of year. So in the meantime, our little coastal community has a guest staying.

Our current beach guest

Emperor Penguins are amazing animals in terms of communities, parenting, mating, and hunting. They do everything in packs, and groups. They journey across the ice together, and they coordinate their hunting. The males look after the eggs once the females lay them, and they mate for a year and then switch. In a way, they are very much like humans. Apart from the males looking after the eggs.

Which makes me wonder what this little nomadic penguin was thinking when it decided to swim to warmer shores. What is the real story behind the journey? Was the penguin out hunting with his pack, and got lost? Did a big nasty seal interfere and scare the penguin, bearing in mind that this penguin is not very old. I think it would be wonderful to be able to communicate with these animals on some level to actually find out what their stories are. Especially the story of a traveller like this one. Could be an awfully good little children’s book series.

And just in case anyone is really interested in the annual cycle of an Emperor Penguin – here is an image care of Wikipedia.

Emperor Penguin Life Cycle

 

Mataiva Island: reconnect with yourself

The warm sands move between your toes as you stroll down the sparse beach in the early morning light. The warm breeze licks across your face, weaving in and out of the palm trees surrounding the island, interlinking all of the elements around you together. You gaze in awe at the sun rising, and you step into the lapping water. The water surprises you, because its warmth is not something you were expecting. You feel part of something living and breathing. That is because you are. Then you suddenly remember. You are on Mataiva Island, only a hop, skip, and a jump from Bora Bora, which lies somewhere in the south-west. And you count yourself lucky that Mataiva is not swarming with tourists all trying to work on their tan.

This is not an Island that you come to for entertainment, shopping, or even really socialising. This is an island that is isolated, stunning, warm, and extremely affected by weather patterns and the like. But the good thing is that it does have a very small airport, hardly any accommodation, and not that many people either. This is most definitely not a tourist destination. We are off the beaten track in the Tahitian islands.

The island is shaped like an incomplete ‘O’. It has a massive lagoon that spans across the internal breadth of the island. In the lagoon area, you will find warmth, fishing, diving around the coral, and somewhere to laze around casually in the water. A place to be alone with your thoughts. This is a location where you can let go of your everyday stresses that you constantly harbour from your busy life. An island paradise, that no one else really knows about. The place where the first thing you do when you step off your flight, is to really make sure your mobile is switched off, and any other connection you have with the outside world. This is an island where you are allowed to lose track of time by not wearing your watch.

In terms of this Urban Fantasy trilogy that I am currently writing, I chose it for war. Yes, you did read that correctly. It was somewhere remote, beautiful, and calm… I knew that I had to have a war somewhere secluded, and so this devastatingly stunning place was where I chose to spill blood, sweat, and tears. My poor characters.

But I also chose it to be a medical base for my characters as well… A really big medical base. I wanted it to be a place that only my characters would be able to move freely to and from with their own unique ‘other-worldly’ abilities. Being so remote gave me that opportunity. This place has tranquil warmth, healing properties, its own eco system, and I just knew that while it could be a place of destruction and fear, it could also hold the potential to heal those who are sick.

So, this is Mataiva Island in the Polynesia region. For whoever reads this – don’t go there to turn it into some sort of highly profitable holiday resort. This is not the kaupapa* of the island. Go there to take time for yourself. Get to know the locals. Learn the legends surrounding the area about the rock and the tortoise. Get to be who you are. Heal from your everyday life.

*Kaupapa – the land within (Maori)

Kaupapa (Maori) is a plan, a set of principles and ideas that inform behaviour and customs. Mana whenua (authority in the land) is achieved when a person’s inward kaupapa is aligned with the outward land. When the relationship with the land is lost, people’s inner sense of security and foundation may be lost too.

 

Stunning Sesimbra!

Sesimbra at night

Today I am taking you all on a journey to Sesimbra, Portugal. Now, this little township is relatively new place to me as well, but I have been using it to set the scene in my latest WIP, and I thought that you guys might be interested in this beautiful area too.

Once again, I used Google Earth to find the place, and I chose it for its direct proximity to the coast. I wanted my characters to feel a sense of healing from the sea and the community. And I just knew that Portugal was probably the place to do it. I have seen the beautiful photographs of stunning sunsets, beaches and the locality of these places from my friends… so I thought, why not?

To start with, Sesimbra is definitely not a ‘new’ town; in fact it’s actually very old. It even has a castle there overlooking the township that was built somewhere around the 13^th century, I believe.

Today, this township stands proudly as a fishing village where the cliffs meet the sea. It has incredible beaches surrounding the area, with sand dunes, clean waters, and even a port area for all the fishing boats. If you climb the hills of Arrabida, behind Sesimbra, you will find breath-taking views of the coastal area below. Warm sea-winds will sweep across your face, sunlight will reflect off the water, and just imagine how you would feel watching the sun set over the horizon. The red Portuguese dusky light encompasses you, the last rays of the sun shining upon your face, and you feel the most incredible sense of satisfaction that while today has ended, a new day will soon begin.

Within the township, you can find a range of things, including markets, amazing music, and decently made fresh coffee at the local cafes. You will also find big flashy hotels to stay in if that’s your thing. Personally, I would much rather hire a local Villa, eat local food, and enjoy the local atmosphere. I like to embrace the locality I’m in, and learn as much as I can from the experience – not fight it by using big hotels with swimming pools, and nasty food and coffee.

At nights, the town will thrum with activity. People will sit out on their balconies, eating antipasto, drinking good wine (or anything else that tickles their palette at the time), and they will laugh. Music plays, the scent of freshly caught fish cooking wafts down the street, and you know that this is an incredibly relaxed town full of friendly people – who are ready to welcome you into their homes.

In my book, I deliberately sent my character to Sesimbra to heal. Although my character is an extremely fast paced and tough woman on the outside, on the inside – she was breaking. I needed to give her a break. This is where I sent her. For her to let go of all the everyday stress and expectations that she had been subject to… and to embrace the locality around her. To realise that there is more to this world than just war. To get to know herself, once again.

If I were to write a tagline for this town – it would be something like this: “Sesimbra: Get to know yourself.”

For more information about Sesimbra – have a look here.

Sesimbra Coast at dusk

 

Fall in love with Menorca

Menorca waters

How did I find this little slice of heaven? Well, I basically closed my eyes, spun the globe, and stopped the globe with my finger. Actually, it was my mouse, as I was using Google Earth – but I did have my eyes closed! I promise. I knew that I needed somewhere with water, that was preferably warm, I just had absolutely no idea where. Then when I opened my eyes, and saw where this tiny island was, I just knew that the Mediterranean was perfect for my book The Mediterranean Source.

I was listening to the melodic voice of Beth Orton at the time. Yes, I can even remember that! I remember it, because my colleague had just given me her CD, and I had written the first scene of The Mediterranean Source that day. Of course it wasn’t even called that then… it was something that I had planned on being a short story for a competition. Well that never eventuated. The more I discovered, the more I wanted to write about it.

Anyway – I’m sliding off track here… So, back to Menorca. And that very first scene. When I started writing that scene, I somehow already knew my character, in bits. I knew that his wife had died; I knew that he was a Marine Scientist; that he owned a very large boat, and that he religiously swam a bay every morning. I also knew that his name was Tom, named after my brother. Therefore I needed a decent location to set this story in.

The island

Menorca is the smallest of the three Balearic Islands. The other two, I’m sure you have all heard of. Ibiza, and Majorca. Ibiza, being the most famous party island of the Mediterranean; and Majorca, being a prime holiday destination preferred by everyday people from the United Kingdom. Oh, I’m sure that many other people travel there as well, but that’s what it’s known for.

So once my mouse landed on Menorca, the first things I had to do was a little research, as I had absolutely no idea what this island was like, or how this would affect the loose plotlines that I had dreamt up. One of the first things I discovered was that Menorca is a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. You would not believe how perfect this was for my book. For once, I did not have to make this sort of thing up. Finding out that it was a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve provided a place of work for my character. Voila. Magical.

So for my character, Menorca became the island paradise that he could live on, work on, while washing away his angst, pain, fears, and his previous life. It was the retreat he needed to heal himself. Why? Well, this is why.

Cave diving

Menorca has some of the most spectacular diving areas in the Mediterranean. Yes, they are unknown to the public, but the world divers out there definitely know of the island and all of its hidden jewels. (Pun intended, for those of you who have read the book.) The beaches on the island are all individual and diverse. Some are hidden behind rocky outcrops – which only the locals know of, some are only accessible by boat, and some are more popular tourist destinations. The water is usually always warm to swim and dive in.

As a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, Menorca is very advanced in the art of being ‘green’. The cultural and historic heritage of Menorca is preserved, as well as the flora and fauna of the island. They have specialist recycling collections on the island so that any rubbish is kept at an ultimate minimum. This sort of environmental positive action suited my book. I personally have very strong support for staying as ‘green’ as possible, and it absolutely delights me that there is a whole island consisting of 80,000 residents that support the same thing.

This segment is from The Menorca Guide: (http://www.menorca-net.co.uk/menorca/biosphere-reserve.php)

The declaration of Biosphere Reserve compels us to take measures to prevent our heritage changing or deteriorating. Our aim is to find ways of developing which allow us to profit from the island’s natural habitat while at the same time protecting it.

Imagine walking along the Ciutadella esplanade in the evening light within the warmth of the summer's breeze.

How amazing is that? Not only is it an incredibly beautiful island, but it is under some incredible residential protection. One day I would love to see my home country of New Zealand become this vigilant.

So, I signed up to all the newsletters that I could find about the island, and the information started flooding in. This was fabulous, as it meant that I could start getting incredibly accurate about the island, and all its glorious details. Google Earth helped immensely as well. Before my last laptop died, my Google Earth was incredibly pinpointed with locations of significance on the island. I have a lot of images of the island that I would love to put up here on the blog… but to get a truer sense of the island, you would have to read my book.

There is a local on the island, Paul Dell, who has lived there since 2004, and photographs the island nearly every day: http://www.dellimages.com/default.html I recommend that if you wish to see even more incredible images of this fabulous little island, then visit his site. He’ll also answer any questions that you pose to him about the island, as he’s even more passionate about the place than I am.

So, fall in love with Menorca. I know that this island is somewhere that I have kept in the back of my mind everyday for the past couple of years. It is my dream to go there. One day, perhaps even own my own little slice of paradise there. One day I would love to immerse myself into the Menorcan waters and go diving. I would love to walk the cobblestone streets of Mao or Ciutadella, drink fine wine, and eat amazing Spanish food. But most of all, I want to live in this paradise. To be a part of this amazing little island, with their amazing thinking.

A few last images to share

 

The dreamy locations in my books

Have you ever dreamt of visiting some of the incredible places that authors write about in their books? Well, as a writer, even I dream of those places that I write about in my books. No, I haven’t been to these locations yet, but I will eventually go to these places one day… maybe next week if I win lotto.

Beautiful New Zealand

As a writer, we are told continuously, ‘Write what you know.’ This is not a term or a statement that I agree with. I think that as writers, we should write what we are passionate about. That doesn’t necessarily mean that we have to know everything about the subject. We do, however, need to know how to do research.

As some of you already know, I have massive amounts of location research that I have stored away. I thought that from now on I would do a post a week on these incredible locations that I have so lovingly written about. It almost seems like a total waste just to leave all this wonderful research just sitting there with nowhere to go, and nothing to use it for. So I thought this was an ideal opportunity to utilise it.

Just to give you a little teaser for what’s in store – here are five locations that I will be writing about in the weeks to come:

• Menorca Island
• Bora Bora and Mataiva Island
• Venice
• Sesimbra town in Portugal
• Monaco

There are many more places that I will blog on as well, but I thought that this could be a good start. Once I have done these, I will have another look into it, and see if it’s worth me continuing.

So that’s my plan at the moment… we’ll see how it goes. Bring on the future travel related posts! I’m hoping that the first one will be up this weekend. Hope you all enjoy the ride. You never know what you might find out along the way!