Sydney Winter Festival

Every year, the Alpine Winter Festival comes to town. An ice rink appears outside St Mary’s Cathedral, along with a marquee with open log fires and bear rugs and sleighs to sit on, and all manner of stalls selling winter comfort foods and drinks. There’s pretzels and mulled wine and crepes and jacket potatoes and pork sausages with sauerkraut, and mini Danish pancakes and the list of calories goes on. 

My old friend Kat and I (old as in we’ve been friends for a long time, not in that she IS actually old. Although, come to think of it…*sniggers*) decided to head down after work this week to check it out. If you’re in Sydney and fancy a couple of hours lounging around doing not very much, check it out! We didn’t ice skate (I’m the most uncoordinated person I know, plus I have an irrational fear that I’m going to fall over and someone will skate over my hands, thereby severing my fingers off), but we enjoyed watching everyone else making fools of themselves.

Of course, there’s always those one or two in the crowd that can actually skate properly. These are the types that like to show off their pirouettes and turns and fancy moves. They're also likely to receive withering looks from everyone else (the large majority trying to simply move forward on the ice without falling on their asses.) But whatevs. I say, bet they can’t eat a packet of Pringles in under 3 minutes like me. Its all about life skills.

They even had ice hockey demonstrations, which leads me to Irrational Fear Number Two: that a puck will come flying in my direction, hit me square in the face, and cause either severe cranial injuries or an impressive black eye. Or both. I kept my distance, don’t you worry.

It was all very wintry but the mulled wine keeps you warm. Do eat a pretzel while you’re there – those bad boys were good.

The cutest little tea parlour in all of Sydney!

Redfern has always gotten a bad rap - it's remained rather underdeveloped despite the surrounding suburbs flourishing, probably because of the negative connotations associated with the place. It's a shame, because its one of the oldest suburbs in Sydney (and therefore packed with lots of period charm), and i can see that it has the potential to be another little Surry Hills or Darlinghurst - as long as the area stays clean and safe.



Slowly but surely though, I'll hear about a cafe or a restaurant taking its chances and opening in the area, getting the vibe going. AND, you can imagine my excitement when i heard about a little place called The Tea Parlour - serving my favourite of all things, afternoon tea.



I do believe I've tried all the best high tea's in Sydney, so i was apprehensive about this one - mainly because of the price. $20, to be exact, which will get you sweets, scones, cucumber sandwiches and tea - lots of tea. I thought it very inexpensive - most high tea's will cost you double the price, at least. This would either be the greatest bargain I'd come across in a long time, or frankly a little bit dodgy.



Thankfully, it was the former not the latter. I persuaded a friend of mine to join me this afternoon, and we were completely charmed by the place. It IS teeny tiny, but it's decked out in that Bohemian style that i love (complete with stuffed peacock and mounted deer head), and Ruby, the owner, is lovely. She makes everything herself, using her grandmothers recipes, and it's all delicious. The scones? Huge. Seriously huge - some of the best I've ever had (and you're talking to a genuine scone-lover, so i should know.) The sweets are always changing - today we got mini chocolate cakes, little fig and walnut cakes, lemon tarts, blueberry and custard pastries and plenty more. The tea comes in enormous tea pots, and you get unlimited refills. The cucumber sandwiches were refreshing and plentiful. We spent a very pleasant 2 hours eating and drinking our way through it all, and were stuffed by the end.



If you don't feel like all of that, no probs - you can get just tea and scones for 8 bucks. (Did i mention how awesome the scones were?) I highly recommend this place - and also highly recommend you make a booking, especially on weekends. The place gets pretty full. Why wouldn't it? It's good, old fashioned food at good, old-fashioned prices. I guarantee you'll be charmed - but if you don't believe me, maybe some pics will persuade you...

Sunny day, sweeping the the clouds away!

There's no more beautiful city in the world than Sydney on a sunny day. I'm calling it now. Some may disagree, and i shall let them - but when there's a cloudless blue sky and endless pockets of this amazing city to explore, there's no place I'd rather be.


Of course, i am bias. If you read this blog you know I'm a passionate Sydney-lover. I guess everyone feels that way about their home-town though, so i don't feel bad about it (and you can't make me.) My point is, the weather's been warm and sunny (after days and days of rain) so we've taken advantage and visited some of our favourite spots.



If you asked me where my favourite outdoor spot in all of Sydney is, I'd say Balmoral without hesitation. For a start, the scenery is really stunning. Views out to the heads, shimmering aqua blue waters, yachts dotting the ocean and shorelines...seriously appealing. The water in summer is always warmer than other beaches because its a cove. It's home to one of my favourite brunch places, the Bathers Pavilion, who also do a damn fine dinner if you wanna go somewhere a little bit fancy. And its lack of public transport is actually a big plus - it never gets as crowded as Cronulla or Bondi, so it has more of a neighbourhood feel.


We were in Mosman for breakfast last weekend, so we decided to head down to Balmoral for a walk since the day was shaping up to be so fine. I'm sure my English friends will see me rugged up in a hat and scarf and jacket and think I'm crazy for wearing so many clothes on such a sunny day, and on this occasion i have to agree with them - i was boiling.

Sparkly Balmoral Beach

Peace dude. Hard out.

Jo loves facts.

The beautiful Bathers Pavilion

Another day, we took a random drive through Point Piper (to check out the houses we'll never be able to buy), and ended up spotting a teeny tiny entrance to a little reserve with stunning views of the harbour. If you blinked, you'd miss it, but i told Jo to pull over and we jumped out to have a look. You had to walk down a whole bunch of stairs and wildly overgrown brush....

 

...but it was well worth it for this view:

There was some sort of regatta happening, hence all the sailboats.

This is my "LOOK AT THIS EFFING VIEW!" pose

Thanks for the great weather, Sydney! Keep it up!



T is for Tea

I'm into those daily deal things at the moment, especially when you get a good one for eating out somewhere - something i looooove doing. So when i cam across one recently for high tea for two at a bargain price, i snapped it up.

Mum and I went along try it out. I have my usual high tea favourite spots in Sydney, but this one was at the cafe at the Museum of Sydney, and i have to say i was pleasantly surprised. Mismatched crockery is always a hit with me - tick, they had that. And high tea definitely has to be petite, but filling - tick again. Oh, and the tea selection should be good - extensive, plenty of black teas and plenty of herbal concoctions. Tick again. The decor wasn't fab, but hey, can't be fussy for 30 bucks.

Here's mum, having a grand time...

...and here's what she came up with when i trusted her to take a picture of me...(thanks for making sure that silver bar cut me right in half, Ma.)

There was plenty of food - we were both stuffed by the end of it. High tea always surprises me like that. I never think there's going to be enough, everything always looks so small - but I'm always so full by the end of it. PS, note the sugar cubes - tick. Very civilised.

And the candy floss on top of the creme brulee? A triumph.

After our tea, we wondered around town for a while before heading up to do some shopping (great sales at Myer by the way). Even though i work in the city every day, i stick to the same places all the time - you can easily forget how many pretty buildings and sights there are (even when its drab and overcast).

It was a nice day out, my only day out the whole long weekend actually because it bucketed down on my way home that afternoon and didn't let up again. I'm glad i got out of the house at least once.

The culinary palate of a three year old

On Sunday, we played parents and babysat Jack.

 

 

Actually, it was a last minute thing. And I'd already promised my stomach brunch. Since I'm not one to let a small, stubborn child spoil my breakfast plans, I decided we'd just go ahead and take the kid with us. In fact, i totally got into the urban-mom thing. Here i am, decked out with the ultimate accessory - a red pram. I look cool right? But here's the thing - pushing a pram around Crows Nest is not as fun as the other mummy's make it look. Actually, its friggen hard work. I spent most of our walk pleading with Jo to swap places. "What if you just push it up this hill? Huh? Then I'll take over again, I SWEAR!"

 

 

 

Our destination was St Malo Bakery in Crows Nest, which is one of my favourite places to eat around here. I left Jo to deal with the pram (I mean shouldn't they have parking bays, like every other method of transportation in this city?????) while i took orders.

"Jack, what do you want to eat?"

He looks at the menu, as if he can actually read the choices available, before announcing (with some authority): "I want a brioche with jam and butter."

A brioche? Really?

Jo cuts in. "What's a brioche?" I realise my three year old Godson has a more advanced palate than my husband.

"I don't think they have brioches here." I say.

But Jack remains unperturbed. "Then I'll have a croissant. With jam and butter."

I ask him if he wants some juice, which he does. "What flavour?"

"Blood orange flavour."

Jo nearly falls off his chair. Brioche, croissant, blood orange juice? What can I say, the kid should have been born in France.

Here's the boys, enjoying their food...

And here's Jack enjoying his Jam, which he prefers to eat straight. No pastry necessary. Although he offered to share half of his croissant with Jo, he claimed full rights to all condiments.

 

 

 

The kid and me. We love each other really.

A Spot of Racing

We've been busy moving house the last week and a half (yes. yes it does take that long.), so i haven't had time to write at all about any of the fun things we were doing pre-move. But we're settled in now, thank goodness. Moving really is a pain in the ass.





A few weeks ago, (back when Sydney was sunny) we went to the races. The Autumn Carnival is extremely popular. There's always that ONE horse that gets everyones attention - this year it was Black Caviar, and yes, he did win. But the odds were too high to bother betting on him. No, we're risk-takers (i.e. the ones who lose all their money in one foul swoop). But it started out OK. The sun was shining, not a cloud in the sky, and champagne, i knew, was just waiting for to be consumed.









We put on our Sunday best - and looked damn snazzy if you ask me. Traditionally on Derby Day at the Autumn Carnival you dress in black and white, and who were we to buck the trends?








Turnsie and I wasted no time studying the form guides, as any serious punters would. We spotted some potential winners in no time...









....so we headed over to the pavilion to get our bets on. Let me tell you ladies, smelly gentlemen abound in these places. But i blocked my nose, slammed my cash down on the counter, and spent the next several hours LOSING ALL MY MONEY!!! I mean! How was it possible that i picked NOT ONE WINNER!! Admittedly, my methods were questionable. For example, i quickly found that just because a horse had a pretty name, it didn't mean it would win the race. Or come second or third, for that matter. Nor would a horse being ridden by a jockey who's colours i liked. Apparently there's more to it than that. Who would have known?










Some amongst us were lucky though. Jo raked in the big bucks...

...and Turnsie? Well he was happy with his 20 bucks. Onya Turns. (p.s. hold it the right way up next time.)

Here, we see one of the winning horses that i DIDN'T bet on:

...but i kept my chin up and enjoyed the sunshine anyway.

Actually, it may have been the booze (and not the sunshine) that kept me cheerfully opening my purse all day long, despite my losses...and i should point out that i did have a good chance of winning a tidy little sum earlier in the day had i NOT listened to my old friend Turnsie's "advice". There was a race in which there was only one female horse running. In solidarity, i decided I'd back her for the win, despite the bad odds. Until Turns told me that history was against me, with filly's historically not winning their races if they're the only female running. So i didn't place my bet, and she won. Thanks a lot Turns. At least you had the grace to look sheepish. BAH!

So - we didn't come away winners but we had good fun. And now that we're moved in life can go back to normal, thank goodness.

Gooooooing to the chapel and we're....

......goooooonna get maaaaaaaarried....

Yesiree. I am now pretty much a day away from the big day. Which actually i can't believe, given how long we've been talking about it. Ca-razy. I was actually deluded enough to think that everything would be done by this week, and I'd be able to relax and enjoy the build up....um yeah. No. Didn't happen. This has to have been one of the most stressful weeks of my life. I've been running around like a madwoman. Sleep? What's that again? My mind's been going a million miles an hour trying to keep track of everything and everyone.

But. Today i tried on my finished wedding dress, and it was all worth it. I actually felt excited, genuinely excited, for the first time. I mean when you're dressed like a bride, you really feel like a bride right? We had our rehearsal tonight, which was fun...(read: nerve-racking). I know I'm kinda the bubbly type, which most people take to mean confident in all situations, but really, I'm a little nervous about the church bit. All eyes are on you, so you really better hope you don't drop the ring, or stuff your lines up, or faint. All of these possibilities are giving me nightmares, but i think it's too late to back out now ;) (Did we consider eloping, Jo? Why did we scratch that idea again?)

Despite that bit, I'm REALLY looking forward to - marrying Jo, obviously - but also, the party afterwards! Woot! Dancing the night away with our family and friends really is the fun part.

Even though this week has been a bit of a stress, I've had a great couple of weeks leading up to this - a Hunter Valley hens weekend, high tea and cocktails, a rehearsal dinner tonight, and a last hurrah with some good friends after work last week. And it really was quite the hurrah, let me tell you. We started our night at one of Sydney's best kept secrets - the Shady Pines. You'd never find it if you didn't know where it was - which is in a back alley, in a decrepit-looking building without a sign - but once you walk in, you may as well be back in the Wild West. It's got a real Saloon feel - in an awesome way, not in a cheesy Gold Coast Movie World way - plus, you get free peanuts all night! And the drinks - delicious. Tequila is their specialty, but personally i enjoy the vodka and fresh juices.

Kat and I and some sort of enormous drink.

So, Shady Pines, closely followed by everyones favourite Japanese pastime, Karaoke. Because honestly, there's nothing like belting out the classics with a bunch of your pissed friends. It was completely fantastic, obviously, with highlights including a very heartfelt rendition of Wonderwall by Oasis, a cracking Sweet Child of Mine by the Gunnies, and of course our personal favourite, Living on a Prayer by the great Bon Jovi. Lauren and I took advantage of Turnsie's drunken state by knocking him to the ground whenever we could (and knocking him back down again every time he tried to get up. We're pretty awesome friends like that.) We had a great night, even if i couldn't talk the whole of the next day.




I really do have the best bunch of friends, including these two crazies. We call ourselves instigators, because THAT is what we do. (What? That's a really cool name.)

Turnsie, me, Lauren

I've been able to spend some time this week with some great people i haven't seen in ages, like our adorable flower girl, Jo's niece Lauren...

And of course his cousin and one of my awesome bridesmaids, Christina. We always have way too much fun together, and i hope she'll forgive me for ditching her for an hour to write this post...(anyway, foxtel's there. it's everyones friend.)

So this is it from me! I won't be back in touch till we get back from our honeymoon in Vanuatu, and when i return it shall be as a married woman! I know I've said it before, but it's really nice (after all the talking and planning and fighting) to know that it's all for the sake of marrying Jo, who i love beyond words, and can't wait to call my husband.




Wish us luck!