Sad - I don't have a category for holidays!! I think I'll have to call it Blue Moon events!
This is a belated update of our little break in Sydney.
We jetted off, having left the small black dog with her doting aunt for the duration.
Caught the "new" airport train to North Sydney via Central and were met by our friends Judy and Bob.
Lovely lunch at their harbourside apartment which we hadn't seen since the renovations.Rainy evening but we walked to the ferry to meet Elisabeth at the Rocks at Sailor's Thai restaurant.
Ferry was our much loved Alexander, such a favourite of my nephew when he was a small boy masquerading as Batman (complete with pinned on tea towel for cape) on a holiday about 13 years ago!
Next morning a lazy breakfast and a panorama of views from the balcony!
We met friends in Chinatown for Yum Cha at the Dragon Star restaurant (in Paddy's Market) where we ate and talked for hours. (I do miss yum cha - we Sunday workers just miss out on so much.)
We then walked to the Powerhouse Museum where we enjoyed a Design through the Centuries exhibition - wonderful art glass, ceramics, clothes (including some glamorous knitted bathers!!!) furniture and much more!
Via monorail to the ferry wharf at the Aquarium in Darling Harbour, then back to McMahon's Point. Dinner with J & B at Viet Nouveau in Crow's Nest, the locality brought back a million dining out memories - this one a new place with french influenced Viet food - Yummy!
Thursday saw us ferry and bussing to the Art Gallery where we saw the Archibald Prize exhibition - something we did annually when we lived up there.
Walked over to the new finger wharf development where we lunched at Kingsley's Steak and Crab House (overlooking the millionaire's row of boats. I spotted the cutest small dog,
reminding me of our little one left behind.
Dinner that night with Marilyn and Stephen at Cockle Bay - Nick's Seafood restaurant. It was fun catching up and hearing about their new puppy Zoe.
Friday - last day.
More interesting modes of transport - light rail to the fishmarkets and lunch chosen from all the variety of fishy delights on offer. I only wished I could bring some home with me.
Elisabeth had Japanese style smoked eel, Tony decided on the relatively boring option of sushi and I went berserk with oysters and a very reasonably priced ($24) platter of half a lobster, and prawns - all beautifully fresh. We ate them at the tables provided all along the wharf. Why can't Melbourne have something like this?
Home again to a rapturous welcome by Pepper - we did miss her. She was just lucky that we didn't buy her the doggy tiara that we saw in the Pampered Pooches shop in Paddy's Market!
She had finally settled in to sleeping on Aunty P's bed after having a sleepless first night searching the house for us. (Second night spent beside the bed.) She got more walks than she gets at home, so she should have been very happy!
All in all a wonderful break. Sitting watching the sunset while waiting for the ferry we decided that we should just uplift all our family and friends and go and live in Sydney again. (It would have to be near the harbour though and be frightfully expensive!!!)
Perhaps the best of both worlds would be an apartment in Sydney and one in Melbourne - with an unlimited supply of air tickets!!