Yum Cha and Green Tea on a Sunday
I'd never heard of Yum Cha before we arrived in Sydney. It has now become a firm family favourite on a Sunday, combined with a trip to visit a museum or exhibition.Ladies push trollies of dim sum around the restaurant, and as you pick delicious sounding dishes (fluffy, doughy buns filled with char sui pork and rice noodle parcels containing scallops and spring onion are our favourite) they stamp your card with their ID, ensuring they get paid for their service. A large pot of green tea washes it all down.And as any parent with impatient children will appreciate, you are tucking in within seconds of taking your seat.
Fare Thee Well, Edinburgh
Just before we left Scotland, I purchased an old Olympus OM-2N, keen to see if I would enjoy the simplicity of a film camera once again. As soon as I unpacked it, and held it, I knew it would be a joy to use. It felt solid, despite its small size, and loading in a roll of Kodak Ektar 100 and winding the film on brought back some wonderful memories. Click, click, click.What better way to try it out than in my final days in Scotland. We'd sold the car, so I was back to taking the train in, and walking through the city to the Mayfield area, where I worked. Past the familiar sights, sounds and smells that have accompanied me every working day for the previous six years.I had no time to get the film developed before I left. That small plastic canister has travelled with us to Canada and on to Australia, nestling in my luggage. I had no idea if the camera was still functional, or if the film would survive, until I finally found a shop in a local mall that could process and scan in an hour.It was all worth it, if only for the sense of anticipation that digital photography denies.
Of all the cities I have visited, Edinburgh is the one that calls me back.
Fare thee well my own true loveAnd farewell for a while.I’m going away, but I’ll be backIf I go ten thousand miles.Ten thousand miles, my own true love,Ten thousand miles or more,And the rocks may melt and the seas may burn,If I should not return.Oh don’t you see that lonesome dove,Sitting on an ivy tree,She’s weeping for her own true loveJust as I shall weep for mine.Oh come back my own true loveAnd stay a while with meFor if I had a friend all on this earth,You’ve been a friend to me.And fare thee well my own true loveAnd farewell for a while.I’m going away, but I’ll be backIf I go ten thousand miles.
Walking to Shelly Beach
Shelly Beach is my wife's favourite in Sydney. I've noticed a habit of naming beaches around here after English poets.We've discovered the Family Funday Sunday transport tickets - unlimited rides on bus, train and ferry for $2.50 on a Sunday. It's a wonderful way to see the area around Sydney - not only do we avoid the hassle of parking, but we get to sail past the Opera House regularly, and that's enough to put a smile on anyone's face. Ride the ferry to Manly, and a short walk takes you from the bustling seafront to Shelly beach. As soon as you turn the corner around the bluff, it's a quieter world.
Looking back at Manly on the way to Shelly beach.
Yes, it was as cold as it looked! Imagine having this salt-water pool on your doorstep. Apartments here go for a bargain $2.4 million.
Wonderful textures on the trees.
An interesting bric-a-brac shop on the way.
Rainy weather is a great excuse for ducking into a cafe...
Autumn Sunshine
As the last sunshine of autumn left us, we tidied up the back yard and prepared for winter.
