Europe

And then I found these photos of St Paul de Vence in Provence. We fled there at Easter 2005 in a last ditch attempt at holidaying before Ella came along. I was six months pregnant and we took in Monte Carlo and Antibes, Nice and Cannes. We climbed the hill at Eze-Sur-Mer as well, which I can hardly believe when I look back. It was a Saturday afternoon in St Paul and we watched the locals playing boules and smoking pipes (including the women) before tucking into our crepes.

It struck me this is the sort of thing the Aussies were trying to recreate in Leichhardt. I don't know whether they do it as an attempt at recreating the beauty of other parts of the world or whether it's because they're homesick and need a taste of where they came from.

Anyway, they can't do it, they get it wrong and they don't pay attention to detail. The light's too harsh and the stone's the wrong colour. It's not the same.

Australia has stunning natural beauty, amazing skies and quirky animals but it lacks the history and the depth. A trip to Europe is a big deal for the Australians.