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Ask 10 creatives where they find inspiration & you'll get 10 different responses.
Travel is all about discovery and this adventure was no different. We were road tripping in Southern Europe with eyes wide open, doing a little R & D for our new space in Byron. I knew we had the perfect spot for a mosaic floor ... but what was it going to say; about us, business & life? 
Inspiration happened on our last night in Rome. From our apartment in Trastevere we traversed the steep hill known as Janiculum Hill (Gianicolo Park)and followed a well trodden set of steps and a cobbled stone path that would take us to a trattoria recommended by friends. The path was rustic and unkept in that charming Italian way.
It was dark and a little spooky with random graffiti splattered along the way. When we finally reached the top the medieval fountain Mostra dell’Acqua Paola al Gianicolo was there to greet us. Better known as the big fountain (“Il Fontanone”), this hidden gem offers a stunning panoramic view of Rome…
One of those unexpected delights of travelling!
By the time we found Antico Arco – we were pleasantly surprised. It was a bustling Roman neighbourhood restaurant, filled with rowdy Italian voices, with a well-loved locals vibe.
After three weeks on the road, immersed in the crumbling beauty and decay that is Southern Europe, the walk up the hill encapsulated our journey. Portugal, Spain, Greece, Italy-Puglia and Pompeii.
Tomorrow we were heading back to the blue skies of Byron with hearts & heads full of old + new inspiration.
Strolling home, a little tipsy - some graffiti caught our eye. In my free-thinking mood I wondered 'why is there French graffiti in Rome?' I took it as a sign. For the first time in twenty years of travelling to Europe we had skipped France, quelle horreur! We both loved the graffiti and it got us thinking... 
Throughout our travels, we had scribbled down ideas and random thoughts about our space in Byron; the mood, the vibe, the everything.
Now we kept coming back to the graffiti. We knew it roughly translated to ‘love and fresh water’ however after speaking to French friends we discovered the actual expression is ‘Vivre d’amour et d’eau fraîche’ ...
Or To Live on love & water, to live on little or nothing.
The evening sky turned into that luminous blue as we walked through the Piazza Di Sant Egidio. Europe has such a mysterious and seductive pull - I was keen to soak up the last hours of the Roman night. We made our way through the square and came face to face with a bewitching gypsy woman sitting with a table full of tarot cards. There are stranger things that happen on the road but it all felt like it was meant to be. 
There is no doubt that small business can consume all of your creative juices and often the only way to re-ignite is to escape the rigours of the day to day. 
Travel & taking a sabbatical away from the business has given us the freedom to think differently – what seemed unlikely, suddenly seems possible. What appeared as a hurdle became manageable.
It may have taken us longer than we expected to open the doors - but the bush fires and Corona did tend to slow things down a little.
We look forward to seeing you ... Don’t forget to look down when you walk on our mosaic floor and think of Rome.
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Jeanne
July 21, 2020
I am inspired! You my dear sweet friend Are l’eau de vie❣️😘