Our Fourth Day

 I awoke with anticipation , Saturday morning was another glorious day , not a cloud in the sky and a perfect temperature - well below our hometowns climate . We had planned to go to Bill Grangers for breakfast this morning and then to The Bourke Street Bakery for morning tea, but for once my wellness radar kicked in and I said to Erica that we would still be full from the previous night and why not have breakfast at home and then go to Glebe around  tennish. So the 'simple' breakfast at home entailed Will going to the bakery for croissants and rolls, Erica putting me on crepe detail, a fruit platter and a selection of ham, cheeses and jam. I'm sure we had almost as good a selection as 'Bill'. 

Erica likes breakfast served in courses , so the first course was the crepes with a selection of condiments , I had half lemon and sugar and half cinnamon sugar , I noticed Erica loved a big squeeze of lemon with sugar . Rumali opted out of this course as she doesn't like crepes unless smothered with ice-cream. She did however join us for the second course of fresh croissants . I picked at  a bit of fruit as I was satiated ( and was planning morning tea in Glebe).

We dropped Nick off at bowling ( where he goes every Saturday) complete with his customized Homer Simpson ball and drove to Glebe. Erica parked at the Broadway shopping centre and we walked down the ramp to the Glebe markets . I had been here a few years ago with Ruaela and bought some funky TShirts , amber jewelry, scrabble tile necklaces , a corrugated iron key ring for Eric and had my toenails painted so I was ready for a session of 'shop til you drop!' , however the years have obviously had their toll on me as I was quite reserved ! After going to the pharmacy and spending $70 on necessities ( I have no idea what was so important) we trotted across the pedestrian crossing . Actually Rumali trotted and Erica and I scuttled across elbows linked like many other Asian old ladies. 

Upon entry we were regaled with fresh cronuts but the resolve in me allowed me to walk on. A few meters into the field of second hand I realized that the uneven terrain was bad for Erica's ankle so we turned around and meandered along the paved pathways looking idly at clothes , books, frames , etc. the only thing that I wanted was a soy candle but since I have become a 'sensible' shopper I said I would ponder upon it .  Erica and I were now in need of caffeine so we left Rumali to do what she does well - shop. ( we arranged to ring once her finances were depleted ) . 

We crossed the road again intending to go to  Roxanne's where we had gone with  Alice and Ruaela but it had turned into the Little Gobbler. Already suffering from low self esteem due to my greediness I was loathe to enter the establishment . It seems many others felt that way because there were only two people in there . We crossed the road and walked past several which looked tab but were chockers . A table was spotted  at a quirky looking cafe called Well Co. Menus in hand we headed off to a table. I ordered a soy cino and Erica ordered an iced coffee , I also chose a fudgy brownie and a berry friand from the cabinet of sweet treats. We were really happy with the coffees , Erica's came in a jam jar with a handle mine came (sigh) in a normal cup but was well made or should I say crafted! The friand was moist and buttery and the brownie was chewy and rich. 

After our morning tea Erica went home and I went to the markets to meet Mali. She was jubilant she had scored such great deals she had purchased shoes , clothes , socks and a bag. We had a last look together and I bought a candle (lemongrass) for Erica and myself, a necklace that  Ruaela had  requested along time ago and some clothes items for Ru or Ruki . We met Danny outside and walked up to where his car was parked . 

Danny took us for a scenic drive and we ended up at a Cuban cafe which was extremely diverse / colorful its clientele . We thought we would celebrate the weekend with mohitos! For lunch I had a Cuban pulled pork sandwich ( I had ordered this before at Perottas in Cairns when I was with Ruki) it was very tasty although could be improved upon. Danny had vegetarian nachos which he enjoyed and Mali had a Cuban burrito she wanted to compare this with Lilypad's version , she declared the latters superior . The Cuban decor was 'fun' and it was a great venue to while away an hour . 

We raced back to Erica's house where we quickly got dressed to out to dinner at Pho 97 which is in Flemington. Mali and I both had beef Pho we felt the broth wasn't clear enough and the beef was too thick.  I know we sound very fussy but we eat pho a fair bit in Cairns so now have 'standards' to compare to ! 

It was time to go to the high light of our holiday , The Michael Jackson - History - Cirque De Soile concert at the Olympic stadium. Rumali and I are both huge Michael Jackson fans. I remember receiving Thriller for my 15th birthday from my friends at St Monica's . There were tens of thousands of people the Acer Arena actually holds 80 000 seats!  We were seated diagonally behind the McManus family but they never saw us. The show was incredible and the musicians were the same band that played on MJ's - Bad album so Danny recognized them all. 

We had never seen Cirque before and were very impressed with how they interpreted Michael Jackson's life. Rumali had been a bit dubious about going because she did not want to see a tribute band or impersonators . A large focus was put on dance and some other audience members were disgruntled that there wasn't more acrobatics . There were four wires and these were used throughout . Mali's favourite part with the acrobats was during Human Nature when they were resplendent in gold  sparkly body suits and looked like part of the firework light show. The person who got the most cheers from the audience was the young acrobat who only had one leg and performed the most incredible feats on his crutches . Rumali , Dan, Nick and I all went home with our souvenir T shirts . It was an incredible show and I for one will never  forget it.

Our Third Day

Our third day !!!! We have really

looked forward to this as it is a road trip to the Blue Mountains with my cousin Danny who we haven't seen since he came up for his high school reunion in July. Dan picked us up at seven so that we could have breakfast enroute . It was a fresh morning so Erica lovingly rugged us up. Dan picked us up in his huge work van and off we went. 

Danny took us on the freeway, past Blacktown (where he lives) and on to Kurrajong Heights where he used to live . The sights at the base of the Blue Mountains were incredible.

Rumali and I were amazed by the stunning vistas, we soon reached the apple orchards in Bilpin. The trees were starting to bud and the air was very crisp. We stopped in Bilpin at a roadside diner called Pie in The Sky ( I used to love that tv show on abc). We could smell delicious aromas wafting from beneath the old timber door, inside the cafe the baker was taking his wares out of the oven. After a few short moments we chose our pies ( they also do breakfast like bacon and eggs etc) ; Danny - chicken , Mali - beef and mushroom and I just chose a plain steak pie. I have to say it was the best pie I have ever eaten. The crust was golden, perfect and flaky and the stew inside was so flavoursome and tender . I can not recommend it more highly!!

Danny ordered the local apple cider which was lovely. Mali chose a latte with a side order of fudge which she declared great and I had predictable English Breakfast Tea. 

And then we were off again . I don't know the names of all the places we stopped at or drove through. I can remember Lithgow ( due to the actor) and Medlow Bath where Rumali was desperate to stop at the lolly shop ( supposedly to make her own fairy floss). The valley the lolly shop was situated in was gorgeous we were greeted by bubbles floating outside the shop. Inside was a vast array of sweets with many childhood favourites . I ended up being the only one to buy any sweets - it was aniseed rings for me! Rumali ended up getting things you throw at the ground which explode. Danny patiently waited until we were finished and we headed for Mt Toomah - Blue Mountains Botanical Gardens . 

Mt Toomah was spectacular it is so large that people can take a driving tour through it for only Five dollars which I didn't know about ( I would have taken it as I don't love walking) until we were on our way out. First stop was the ladies room - which was unfortunately not operational because the water tanks had to be filled. So I had to walk with the park ranger for a kilometer to use the one at the council depot! 

The different botanical sections of the gardens were awe inspiring . Rumali loved the fields of lilies which she could lay in. Danny was occupied with taking arty nature shots of cicadas and I was just a general type of tourist admiring all of natures gifts. I must say though the wisteria covered restaurant was the perfect place for one of my daughters to get married. The view from the balcony of the restaurant looking at the panoramic Blue Mountain ranges was incredible. 

  

I loved how the sugar bowl was a slice of a branch and the drinks were served in olden day aluminum camping mugs. Rumali and I had a lemonade each and Dan had a freshly squeezed lemonade.

And then we were off on our way towards Katoomba . The last time I was in Katoomba was nine years ago with Erica , Nick and Riz. It was very difficult to orientate myself as I had only ever been by train . Dan parked in the Coles car park and we trudged up the steep hill to the lunch destination he had chosen which was ' The Carrington Hotel' . I was very pleased as this WAS one of the places I had visited with Riz. 

The Carrington is a charming hotel with original furnishings and creaky floors. The Duke and Duchess of York stayed there in 1927. We had lunch in the foyer as there is no designated eating area and you just choose where you want to dine. I had BLT on focaccia which actually came out as a club sandwich. Mali had a pumpkin and pesto fettuccine which although moderately tasty had 1/2 cup of olive oil puddled on the bottom. Danny played it safe with an antipasti platter and a cider . 

Next we drove to the Three Sisters Lookout , I was very excited about going here as the previous visit with Riz had been extremely cloudy and I recall waiting at the lookout for what seemed like hours in the cold wet mist. Today however the view was so clear and the viewing area had almost a hundred tourists snapping away ! 

We had intended to go to Leura to see the famous sweet shop but alas we were running out of time because we still had two more iitems on our agenda; visiting my childhood friend Carla Teixeira and dinner at Paschas. Dan raced down the mountain range and we reached Blaxland in record time. He easily located Carla's house by using his trusty TomTom.

When we arrived, Carla was at the video store and her eldest son Sol welcomed us, he towered over me at 6ft 4, the last time I had seen him he was about six years old. We also met Gabriel who was the spitting image of Carla at age ten. It was wonderful to see my old friend and the years dropped away instantaneously . I reminded her of us singing  James Taylor's ' You've Got a Friend' to each other in our teens on the dam wall at Tinaroo many moons ago ( she couldn't remember, she also couldn't remember the invitation that she hand drew for her tenth birthday ). Carla had prepared a lovely afternoon tea for us , resplendent with a selection of European biscuits . She invited us for dinner but we had to decline because we were dining with Erica, Will and Nick at Paschas. After a quick look at the new dividing fence and room that Carla and her mother Maria had built we were off . ( during this time Rumali entertained herself on the back steps throwing the little poppers around).

Danny got us to Newtown very quickly and then the fun began - the time consuming quest of trying to locate a parking spot. We kept on going past Erica first she was standing outside and then she was seated. We got  a park two blocks away, Dan quickly changed his shirt ( he is very organized) I felt very underdressed and boganistic in my sand shoes and trekking gear.

The restaurant was Turkish and had incredible decor. The tables were all mozaiced and the walls were adorned with glass plates , brass and silver vases and other cultural items. They had suspended gorgeous lights from the ceiling , it was hard to concentrate on the menu so I left that up to Erica ( since she has been coming here for 30 years). The food was delectable, Erica chose lamb skewers, meatballs, chicken and an appetizer plate with a red cabbage, orange and hazelnut salad . I know it sounds very undescriptive and I recognize I should have made a note of the Turkish names for the food. Although Erica insisted we order more as this was smaller than her usual order I assured her that this was sufficient food , luckily I did because we ended up not finishing everything ( although she also ordered a dessert platter ). It was a perfect ending to a splendid day !

Second Day

Our second day in Sydney had a much more sedate start. We had the remnants of olive bread for breakfast and after the air conditioning repair men had been we drove into town to Westfield in the city. Erica parked at The Domain where I was very impressed by the electric walkway which took  us for a kilometer ride into the heart of the city . Erica and Nick led us expertly to Westfield where we made a beeline for the very impressive food court . This food court is not a dingy place full of fast food chains . It is an architectural masterpiece where a multitude of restaurants share a 'space' so that diners can sample many global delights . It was extremely difficult to obtain seating and at first the four of us hovered around a table for two but by the time we had ordered our food our 'neighbors' had luckily vacated . 

Erica and I chose Thai ( which I generally avoid due to the dreadful Taste of Thailand in Cairns - where the chicken seemed to float in a condensed milk gravy) . My octopus and tofu stir fry was so fresh, the octopus was cooked to perfection. Erica's Papaya salad with lemongrass chicken was divine - I could eat that fragrantly flavoured chicken every day ! Rumali chose Pho which she also claims was  the best she has ever had , I didn't taste it but was impressed by the amount of shaved beef they gave her . Nick went Americano and had a burger - New York style , he really enjoyed it but I must say it was very small compared to the burgers we had eyed off on our way to Haymarket the day before. 

We had an explore around Westfield it was very impressive but rather overwhelming . We went to the adjoining 'Glasshouse' where we discovered a gorgeous tearoom, we purchased some tea here for tea loving Ruaela. 

Erica wanted us to have coffee at her favourite coffee shop in Westfield - Coco. I ordered us two iced coffees ( one with an extra shot ) complete with ice cream . We also ordered a friand and salted caramel bar to share . Rumali had just bought a decorated yoghurt from Moochi and was full. Nick got a smoothie and a fruit tart . My coffee was great once it was exchanged for the incorrect one delivered. We then waited for 15 minutes for the rest of our order to arrive. I was not impressed by the service and the dirty tables or the dry friand . We then parted ways and Erica and Nick went home. 

Queen Victoria Building was our next destination we really love the beautiful stained glass windows and the wrought iron balustrades. We headed down to the discount kitchen wares store / Queen Victorias basement where I was so excited to find a teapot , sugar bowl and milk jug set in the shape of oriental lilies. 

Rumali wanted to go back to Haymarket so we hoped on the free bus , howexer when we had gone a short distance I noticed a shop where we have bought fashion bargains in the past so we jumped off the bus . Rumali had a very successful time and after an hour of her trying and buying we caught the train home from Town Hall. 

Erica picked us up from the station and took us home. I hurriedly got ready for our sisters night out. Rumali was going  to enjoy barbecued Chinese duck and pork at home while we went to Masaya in Burwood. 

I loved Masaya we were given pita bread, soaked almonds and a variety of pickled vegetables by the friendly waitress. Erica ordered done Lebaese rose tea which was delightful it actually tastes like hot rosé stroop. We ordered a shared platter and fattoush both the food and the company were ten out of ten! We were unfortunately so full that we could not have dessert ! 

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First Day

Today marks the beginning of Mali and my food trail around Sydney, we are of course also on the lookout for fashion bargains , quirky oddments for souvenirs

and inspirational sights. 

We have started out in Rozelle for breakfast at my sisters favorite breakfast haunt - La Grand Bouffe. Rumali and Erica have chosen ' oefs sur le plat with truffles' and I chose the house cured smoked salmon on a rosti. I love the smoky taste of my salmon and the textural difference between it and the rosti . Mali and Erica enjoyed the flavour of their eggs but feel it would be improved if the truffles weren't puréed . All three of us were disappointed by the weak coffees.

Next we drive to 114 Terry Street to Adriano Zumbo's famous macaroon store. It was undergoing renovations so after a very difficult 'deciding time '  we chose our treats - which we will have for dessert tonight instead. The building also houses their bakery and we really enjoyed watching the creations spring to 'life' . 

Due to Erica's ankle injury she could not join us on any more traipsing around town , so she dropped us off at Strathfield Railway Station. Mali and I caught the train to Central so that we could go to Paddy's Market. She had vowed to shop til she dropped so we spent three hours in the complex. We both came out with many bargains . Unfortunately we both went horrendously over budget. 

At four o'clock we finally stopped for lunch at  Taiwanese eatery I had been to in 2010. Mali found her BBQ pork soup a bit bland so she enhanced it with some soya sauce. I had the green onion pancake with fried bread and we shared a large Taro bubble tea.

Since we were very close to Darling Harbour we walked along with other excited tourists until the water was in sight .

We sat down by the waters edge to enjoy the ambience of the dappled light on the water. At this point I realized that Pyrmont was just a hop skip and a jump away so up we hopped and we followed the sign posts to The Star (casino) . 

The Star was very impressive on the lower floors albeit dimly lit, Mali and I quickly located Messina Gelato   - one of Alice's recommendations ! We were disappointed that it was only a gelato bar as we were very keen to sample one if the molded gelatos they displayed on their website. After a tiny bit of deliberation we chose to share a trio of ; chocolate fondant , strawberry and fig jam and pannacotta . I preferred the latter which Mali didn't enjoy at all. The other two flavours were 'nice' but definitely no better than Geloccio or Vanilla in Cairns . 

We were absolutely exhausted and had no idea of how yo get back to a railway station . After a quick phone call to Erica who conferred with Alice in Norway we were on our way , sadly on foot back over Cockle Street Wharf bridge . After half an hour of walking we finally reached the nether regions of QVB and caught the train back to Strathfield where we were kindly picked up by Erica. 

The eating didn't stop there , Erica had whipped up an Italian meal consisting of lasagne, gnocchi with a tomato and chorizo ragu a salad and the lovely olive bread from Adriano Zumbo's. When we had all done that meal justice Erica made tea and brought out our Adriano desserts . Mmmmm delish - what an eventful first day in Sydney ! 

Just about to go!

I always promised my children that when they reached their teens that each one of them would get a trip alone with me to Sydney ( my birthplace) so that we could enjoy that elusive 'quality time".  So although Mali is 15 the time has never been quite opportune for us to embark on an adventure together. The planets must have been in line ( or I was just surfing the net at the right time) because very cheap flights to Sydney were available during the September/October school holidays.

I saw this as a sign from the heavens to make good my promise to her, so promptly booked our flights. I am of course very lucky that my husband is not opposed to my trips away - I think he enjoys the time he has alone with the TV remote!
My elder sister and cousin live in Sydney so it will be a wonderful opportunity for us to enjoy family times!


Checklist

• bags, packed and weighed
• itinerary sent to gmail
• eticket printed

I have enclosed an email from my niece with suggested eating destinations

1) El loco (right next to central station) - really good cheap mexican food 

http://merivale.com.au/elloco

2) Bourke Street Bakery - the bakery i went with Ruki to. It is a little awkward to get to though...It is about a 15-20minute walk from central station

http://bourkestreetbakery.com.au/

3) Adriano Zumbo - you could go to his Star City Patiserre and that way you can park in the casino. otherwise you can go to roselle or balmain. im not sure if you can actually sit at these places though. 

http://adrianozumbo.com/

4) Bill Grangers Cafe - i also went here with Ruki. It is also abit awkward to get to. You dropped me and Ruki there.

http://www.bills.com.au/

5) Messina Gelato - Amazing gelato!!!!! There is one in surry hills and star city. Very popular at the moment. 
We will go to the one at The Star - take the train
Train - North Shore and Western Line - Direction: Central Station - Get out at Town Hall

Walk to QVB, York St - Stand B get out at Harris St Near John St
	About 2 mins - catch bus 443

http://www.gelatomessina.com/

6) The chinese noodle house - one of my favourites! Really cheap, Paddy's Markets, great dumplings & handmade noodles and you MUST try the eggplant dish with special sauce. It is abit small but the food is worth it.

http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/70/1526716/restaurant/Sydney/Chinatown/Chinese-Noodle-House-Haymarket

7) Misschu - It looks great. I haven't been there before. Aunty Irna and I read an article about the woman who started up this business and it was very interesting. she came to australia as a refugee and now has this very successful business. I have the feeling that these places may be just stands and not actually restaurants.

http://www.misschu.com.au/MeHungry/Delivery

8) The white rabbit gallery teahouse

This place is fantastic. It is a small teahouse connected to a gallery. when i went there, the exhibition was free. apparently the exhibition changes every couple of months. they have a huge selection of chinese teas and  some dumplings that you can eat there. there isn't much else to eat there, but it such a lovely place that i would recommend going there anyway. it is abit of an awkward spot again. ive been there with the car and just been lucky to find parking. it is chippendale. It would probably be about about a 15min walk or so from central station.

http://www.whiterabbitcollection.org/teahouse/

9) paddington markets

http://www.paddingtonmarkets.com.au/

10) Kazbah restaurant - I went here with leanne for breakfast and loved it. we went to the one in Balmain. I think there is also one at Darling Harbour.Brilliant turkish food.

http://www.kazbah.com.au/