After a busy Saturday getting stuff done in the city…
A busker in Pitt Street Mall – (think Gypsy Kings and you’ll be close)
it was great to catch up with my brother and his two gorgeous girls on Sunday down by Sydney Harbour. Having the four cousins together is always a treat.
On this sparkling blue skied winter morning… we wandered through the Royal Botanic Gardens down to Farm Cove and around to Mrs. Macquarie’s chair.
Not sure if I ever mentioned that my great great great grandfather (an Irish stonemason) won his pardon from then Governor of New South Wales (Major-General Lachlan Macquarie) by crafting a chair for his wife… hewn from the rock… in her favourite spot overlooking Sydney Harbour. Who’d have thought that almost 200 years later… six of his descendants would still be sitting there? (chuckles)
We enjoyed coffee in the Tea Gardens (a paradox I know) and then an inspired walk through the nearby Art Gallery of New South Wales.
Sunday arvo the girls and I headed down to Bondi Beach for a leisurely lunch… (albeit rugged up against the winter chill whipped up by a stiff sou-easter that I swear was coming straight off the ice sheets of the Southern Ocean). I always knew Bondi was the “chilled out place to be”… but this was kinda ridiculous! (grin)
Bondi waves courtesy of Uge at Aquabumps.com
How fellow-blogger and photographer (Eugene) over at Aqua Bumps gets out there every morning at 7am to photograph the waves on his favourite surfing beach in the whole wide world… I have absolutely no idea. Nevertheless… he does… come hell or high water. I have however lately noticed a few pictures sneaking into his newsletter from the far flung (slightly) warmer climes of the Maldives Madagascar and Fiji! I wonder if even he too is feeling the cold? LOL
Later that night… we flew home in radiant moonlight…
Cool photo of the full moon through glass -
(obviously not superstitious at all… well not much) LOL
but not before buying a small box of Krispy Kremes to take on the journey with us. I had never tasted them before… (we don’t have such “apparent” luxuries at home)… and the queue to the counter at the airport outlet was as long as your arm. Sheesh… all that fuss over a tiny deep fried cake with a hole! (grin)
As we filed onto the aircraft for the journey home… I noticed that the rather largish gentleman settling into the seat diagonally opposite had some too. Five jumbo boxes in fact. I watched as he lovingly stowed them into the overhead locker. Ahhh… another satisfied customer. (grin)
I wondered what it was about these overly sweet imported morsels that had our population queueing for days?
Whatever happened to good old Aussie vegemite then… or Arnotts Arrowroot biscuits for that matter… lashed with butter and dunked unceremoniously into hot billy tea?
Wearily contemplating the loss… I closed my eyes and stretched my legs out beneath the seat in front of me as the plane lifted into the night sky.
“Here you go Mum… have one… you’re gonna love ‘em!” she offered with a nudge.
I broke off a tiny piece and popped it into my mouth.
Yep… she was right… I did 
{ 18 comments… read them below or add one }
Wow, that’s awesome having that seat and story as part of your family heritage. A great blog post. I know what you mean about Krispy Kreme queues, I know they are a bit yummy but the lines when they first opened in Vic, were insane!
Hi Jean!
So good to see you enjoying some of the “southern” aspects! Sydney can be a very exciting place to visit (nice snap of the family with the Sydney Harbour in the background!) I don’t mind the occasional visit to Sydney just to do some people watching!! So many interesting characters, but I’m afraid I could not live there…too many interesting characters! My Emily loves the Krispy Kremes as well (lol), She even kept the box from some once and was most indignant when it found its way to the recycling bin! (All on its own ofcourse..wink!). When I was last in Sydney (back in January for tests) I managed to sit on Bondi beach. It was night and the moon lit up the beach and the waves. So nice to sit there and listen to the waves crashing in and for a few moments ..forget the “hub bub” that was going on in the background!
Thanks Joh
Insane is right. It was the same on the Gold Coast a couple of weeks ago!
Thanks too Jools
When I go places I can’t help but put myself into the picture and try to imagine living there. I think I could live in Sydney. Some parts are really pretty… esp around the harbour. My brother tells me Sydney is just a big village made up of smaller villages or hamlets (each with their own unique personality) and strung together to make up the city. It’s possible I think to live in an area and rarely go out of it. That would be great if it were leafy and treelined with good views and all mod cons situated nearby! Not asking for much… (((LOL)))
Wow, Jean, you’ve been blogging up a storm. Great!
When I was doing the one-man play “Einstein” off-Broadway a few years back there was a Krispy Kreme around the corner from the theatre. I was staying with my brother and his family in the ‘burbs, so every Saturday night I’d pick up a couple of dozen on my way to catch the late train. Sunday morning they were quickly devoured, but not by me. I won’r eat them. But then, I won’t eat vegemite either! (BTW, the Krispy Kreme franchises are closing right and left here.I guess the fad has run its course.)
I don’t doubt the Krispy Kreme fad will be over and done with here soon too John… (for the health of our nation I certainly hope so!) I just thought it was a cute story to tell that’s all.
Starbucks announced a couple of weeks ago it will be closing many of it’s regional stores here keeping only key city locations. Gloria Jeans franchise model still seems to be enjoying success though and remains so far unaffected by the economic downturn… but GJs (in addition to our own homegrown Coffee Club chain) has always been more popular here for whatever reason.
Heyyy…. what’s up with vegemite? (grin) Besides being black… the consistency of tar… and chock full of salt and yeast and preservatives… it does claim to contain a heaping helping of B group vitamins and best of all… contains NO sugar! Spread on fresh (white) bread over lashings of pure cream butter… nothing tastes better IMO… as long as you don’t think too hard about what it is you’re really eating! (((chuckles)))
I would rather eat a grub { which I did on our australia trip} than either vegemite or a Krispy Kreme doughnut. Fascinating story about Mrs. Macquarie’s chair. roger
Hey Roger!
Oh no… urgh… give me a vegemite sandwich any old day… or maybe (at a pinch) even a Krispy Kreme! ((LOL)))
I ate a witchety grub when we were in Alice Springs. I am not sure what wine would go with it. Pinot Grigio perhaps. lol
Hi Roger!!!!
I ate some crocodile while I was in Darwin…it was lovely! I’ve eaten kangaroo too – but vegemite puts roses in your cheeks!!!
Jools… it’s called a niacin flush (vitamin B3 excess)! (((chuckles)))
Mmmm now let me see Roger.. what might go nicely with a big fat juicy witchety grub? Perhaps a refreshing semillion/sauvignon blanc varietal blend from (relatively) nearby Margaret River in WA?
Something along the lines of say… Devil’s Lair Fifth Leg… or MadFish maybe… or Firebox or even (at a pinch) a punchy Tiger’s Tail? (Real names believe it or not (!)… and excellent wines all of them)
With any luck they might wash it all down with little effect… and if you drink enough of it you won’t remember a thing! (((LOL)))
Hmmmm…I reckon I would just have an ice cold beer with a witchety grub Jean!!
Well here’s cheers then Jools… *clink* (((chuckles)))
Absolutely Jean! Do you have crackers with witchety grubs????
Yum! LOL
Maybe some pate’ and dip as well Jean?????
Please????
Hate to change the subject — well, not a change of subject exactly, but a return to a previous subject — congratulations to Aussie diver Matthew Mitchum for his stunning comeback gold medal in the men’s 10-meter platform event. You couldn’t even get me to look down from 10 meters, let alone jump into the water, let along do four somersaults on the way down!
It was awesome wasn’t it? Not just because he was aussie… but because he was human. What a feat… and there were so many examples over the past two weeks… from athletes representing countries right across the world. It’s hard not to be affected by it all in some way.
Wow