A couple of days in Sydney (with tons of photos)

I've been busy and around since I got here, but I'll try to write down a little track log and post some photos. Please note that I stuffed myself three times already today, so there's not much blood left in my brain.

Here goes!

My mate K picked me up from the airport and took me to his place. It's a lovely apartment situated halfway down a staircase in North Sydney, overlooking the bay. A couple of big tree branches, home to at least half a dozen kinds of parrots, blocks a bit of the view, but no one seems to mind.

We take the bus into the City, over the Coat Hanger, and meet up with M, a friend's friend who has the keys to the apartment. We're running a bit late, but we have a short drink at the Opera Bar. We grab some lunch (I can only remember nibbling on some onion rings - there was so much food in between) and head off to Darling Harbour for a drink or two.

On day two we head off to Spit Bridge (funny, I know) and take the scenic walk to Manly Beach. It's a long walk, but the views are so worth it. It takes us about 2.5h to cross the 10km stretch. Two swims, one close accident and a wave-catching-run into a lady in the shallow, and we're off to lunch. I decided to skip my visit to the City, so we went back to K's place and lay on the couch like a couple of walruses.

It took me a while to find R & B's place the next day, but after I left my stuff and took a shower, I was on my way back into the City to meet up with M & I. They took me around the Darling Harbour, to the Opera house and into the Royal Botanical Gardens. Drinks and food.

Today I went to Parramatta, with the first Governor's House and the oldest cemetery in Australia. A road trip to the Featherdale Wildlife Park for some koala, echidna and wallaby cuddling. Drinks and lunch at an Irish place, then a short visit to M & I's place and a dinner at an Italian restaurant. Full up to my teeth, but we still had dessert.

I just went through all the photos and realised there's tones. Here's a portion of those, in no specific order. And I'm off to bed, since R & B are flying in tomorrow early morning.

Strike that - today early morning.

 

 

 

Dinner at Sandra's

Sandra's one of my only friends in the neighbourhood.


I've never really liked it nor the people, probably because of being picked at a lot during my childhood. And when you're surrounded with a bunch of morons living in picket fences, it's not unnatural to keep being picked at even after your childhood. All in all, I don't really like the hood, I don't like the people, I don't like the mentality and I'm pretty much looking forward to leaving this place and coming back as a visitor only.


My best friend Ante moved abroad more than a year ago, so I've basically been stuck here on my own, especially on the not so rare occasions Sandra would spend her time working, away, with her boyfriend or whatever else. No wonder I've chosen the path of lonesome book reading, documentary watching and night jogging (which I'm too lazy for nowadays).


So, Sandra's my only friend in the neighbourhood.


Don't get me wrong. There's some people I hang out with, have coffee on the weekend or take late night walks with, but I've knows Sandra for years and Ante since we were four or so. There's not much one can do in order to make up for that. And now since I'm moving to Australia, I would like to use as much time as I can with my friends and I'm guessing Sandra had the same feeling, so she invited me for dinner.


Her sister is an awesome cook, so they'll try Jamie Oliver's spinach-cheese pie together. They also added a zucchini soup and lettuce, chicory and rucola salad. I, being that I caught a cold, started off with a mint-thyme tea and a home-made walnut schnapps. I have to admit it was a really nice mixture of flavours, pleasantly spicy (rosemary, pine and muscat nuts, chilli etc.) and surprising at times.


Being that it's my birthday on Friday - and there was another friend whose birthday is on the same day the girls made some muffins as well and put a candle on it. Sweet, my first birthday cake.


I have to say I had a lot of fun! The back of my head started hurting from all the laughing, we were listening to the radio station that kept popping up hits we joked around at and I can only hope I'll spend many more evening like this one.

Preparations

Three kinds of muffins (also for the doggy bag)

Don't mind the number - it's the only one they could find

Yummy!

Goldfish, wishes and such

I don't know why, but it often happens that conversations usually end up with the same topic: religion, music, sex, private wishes, food. Bottle-of-truth style.

One time, during a 45-hour train ride along India's west coast, my friend and I realized that a worrying amount of our conversations end with food. If not food, then drinks. We were laying on our upper-berth beds and talking about what we'd eat now.

Of course, it doesn't make it easier, but one just can't stop talking about it...

All those question... If you won the lottery, what would you do?

I’d definitely go with a degree. That’s my first answer. I have a degree. I don’t really need one. But I’d buy one, just to prove that it can be done.

But if you’d ask me the question right now, I’d say this: a walk-in fridge.

I’m serious.

I can always eat. You wouldn’t say that if you saw me, because I’m 55 together with a chair and a fruit basket. But I always have munchies.

It’s 1.28 and I’m nibbling on the last piece of bread and eyeing the last apple on the table. It’s actually an old chest, but let’s go with table.

The kitchen is upstairs and there’s really nothing in it. Cheese and all the other stuff I’ve already dismissed during the day. But I could eat something now.

Cookies. Or muffins. Maybe cornflakes. Some crunchy ones, with a lot of fruit.

That makes me think of Indian home-made müsli. Dammit!

1.35.

No one knocking on the door with a trayful of nibbles.

Damn!