retro lollies

We also enjoyed many of Melbourne's fab little cafes. More shabby chic than Sydney on the whole, and with a bigger retro thing going on - down to the lollies (sweets).

privilege

Oh, and then we went for ‘fine dining’ just across the road to Aqua. Really recommend it, the food was just gorgeous, the view is wonderful - and being squeezed between Luna Park, an ageing Olympic style swimming pool and the Sydney Bridge seemed just about right. 

chips on the beach (again)

Great to have friends here for a week. As always an opportunity to be a proper tourist again, interspersed with - as always with Z - plotting lots of future project together. Seemed to spend a lot of time in the Coogee Pavilion, but also took the ferry to Manley and did the fish-and-chips-on-the-beach-at-sunset-thing.

E and P

It was so lovely to have E and P in town recently; also a bit of an excuse to be a tourist again, and to eat out lots. We did the Coogee to Bondi coastal walk (well P did - E and I struck off at Bronte and went shopping as is our wont); took the ferry out to a wet and windy Manley (and ate in the unexpectedly amazing Pantry) and of course had lobster and chips at Doyles and the eggnet at one of my all time favourite places, Longrain.  

life in elizabeth bay

The café in the bay near K’s flat used to be a fabulous – and typically Sydney - breakfast joint. It then got taken over by the hipsterish Miss Chu’s and did Vietnamese things for a bit. But then she over-extended,  went into voluntary administration and so it has been shut for a while. Now it appears to have been taken over by an Irishman and a Scotsman (apologies to them is this is wrong). They have an enthusiasm for slightly peculiar items in this context such as penguin bars and (I think) tunnock’s teacakes. And last time I went to get a flat white, at about 8.30am, they were just advising a customer that mushroom soup with sherry would be available very soon. 

becoming an australian

So proud of K; she is now an Australian citizen. The ceremony was in Sydney Town Hall and was a fabulous mix of the serious, amateur and surreal which I found completely touching. About 500 people from all around the world becoming Australians, and being welcomed by politicians using it as a chance to have a dig at Tony Abbott by calling for much more support for refugees.

Interesting to see how nations decide to define their identity at these moments. This one involved the Mayor, a small kind-of-jazz band playing Waltzing Matilda, a group pledge, the handing over of certificates with official photograph-takaing, and then a jolly version of Advance Australia Fair followed by tea and 'typical' Australian cakes. Which are lamingtons, anztac biscuits and miniature pavlovas. I think of these as Aussie 'battler' foods, by which I mean, poor people's comfort foods. So lamingtons are squares of stale victoria sponge, made palatable by rolling in cocoa powder and desiccated coconut (both dried foods that could be kept for ages in remote ranch kitchens). And all the Australians I know feel incredibly nostalgic about them. 

barbie boats

The opportunity to have a communal barbie out-of-doors is everywhere to be found in and around Sydney: publically equipped with all the basic cooking kit, built-in tables and chairs and also toilets. Both generously provided and very well-used.

On the Hawkesbury you can even rent a barbie boat. (I should note that the one here is stuck on a sandbank, and will be unable to leave- according to our captain - for at least 6 hours). 

lets the barbies begin

Turns out there is a food and drink festival at Coogee beach (beach soccer next weekend, so yet more crowdedness). Everyone, to my English eyes, very packed together and loud – but then obviously having a very good time, so I can keep that London cynicism to myself.