The Competition!

When trying to decide which City would become the Capital of Australia there were really only two contenders at the time.
Was it to be Melbourne or was it to be Sydney?


No-one could decide and the argument of which was the best City rumbled tediously on. The only way to settle it was to build a Capital and that is how Canberra came to be, which is ironic as Canberra is arguably the dullest city in all Australia.


After being in Melbourne for 5 months it was time I went to Sydney to see what all the fuss was about.


2nd August 2012, the day of mum's funeral. Hubster needed to be there for business, so rather than be home alone that night and after spending the day in quiet reflection for mum, I boarded the plane to New South Wales.


It was dark by the time we reached the hotel, superbly located beneath the Harbour Bridge. The bright lights of Luna Park sent glittering diamonds across the water and the Opera House stood resplendent in her floodlit glory.
Wow!

Sydney has da bling and da swagger.

The following morning Gareth went into the office and I had the whole day to roam.

Breakfast at Circular Quay, a bemused mooch around the Museum of Contemporary Art (sorry I just don't get it!), followed by a stunning guided tour of the Opera House.

Circular Quay and a seagull in flight

An exhibit at the Museum of Contemporary Art. "Lots of bottles all painted to look like they have snakes inside them" As you do!

The picture everyone takes!

The pic I took after inspiration from the Museum of Contemporary Art!

Then I headed into the Botanical Gardens and hopped on the tour of the Governor of New South Wales' residence. A beautifully presented tour by "Pat", a rather doddery but endearing and extremely knowledgeable older lady.

That night we ate at the Ocean Room Japanese restaurant, the best Sashimi I have ever had bar none.

Sashimi Shooters!
Not my photo but this is what I had! (I forgot the camera, Hubster was truly delighted)

The next day went a bit like this:

Bondi Beach - beautiful bodies and shiny young things with surf boards

Feeling quite out of place among the young surfer dudes!

Visiting old haunts in Paddington, where Hubster had lived 25 years ago. It was nice to have the final piece of the jigsaw and see for myself, the players in the many stories he has told me over the years. The house he lived in, the pub he visited and the market too. It's still very charming I liked it very much.



The house my Hubster lived in 25 years ago! It has been well loved...........

......unlike his old pub the "Windsor Caste Hotel" which must have closed down after Hubster and Papa in Law stopped pedalling money into the fruities!

Then a speedy seacat trip out to Watson's Bay and the very famous Doyles seafood restaurant. This place has always been a "must do" after watching Rick Stein wax lyrical about the Oysters and the setting. Rick, spot on, on both counts.

Sunday came all too quickly, keen to make the most of our last few hours before heading back home, we boarded the ferry to Manly and Darling Harbour.

The ferries are a superb way of getting around the bay and run like clockwork.

Just time for a linky lonky lunch at Nick's in Darling Harbour. We thoroughly enjoyed our shared starter of BBQ Octopus and Chorizo Salad, then I had grilled John Dory fillets and Hubster tucked into traditional lightly battered Flathead and chips.

It was a fantastic few days and yes, Sydney really does live up to it's billing as one of the most visually stunning cities in the world.

But if I had to choose where to live, would it be Sydney or Melbourne?

Well, Melbourne of course, there were no dog beaches in Sydney and that was the deal breaker.

Johanna I love you!

When you go to a place on this earth and the weather is cold and squally and yet you still feel you have been to paradise......................then that is paradise surely?

Our prize was initially the 12 Apostles

Our real prize was this. Johanna Beach. Our view.... actually our beach as it turned out!

From high on the ridge as we look back at the Great Ocean

Blessed with a rainbow

What the "/$%^K" are they Momma?

What the "$%?*&" are you, 4 legged furry thingamimbob?

We are still asking?

Papa, Mama and little bob!

Here come the heavy mob! 7ft tall, the fence has no purpose whatsoever! They keep the sheep contained but not the "boys"

At a time of personal sadness, this is an image I will carry forever as a joyful time in my life. Thank you for the health and circumstance, for the opportunity that I have to be here in this moment, on this day, to take this photo and to appreciate ALL that it is and symbolises.

Fishy!

Two lovely, fresh, plump Snapper called for a bit of inspiration from Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall and his River Cottage.

I was so delighted with my bargain purchase from my "best kept secret source in Bentleigh", (shhh!), I forgot to ask the fishmonger to gut and de-scale. Hate that! Can only be done wearing surgical gloves.

Roasted Slashed Fish with Aromatic Paste

It goes like this. 6 easy steps.

1. Crush one whole star anise in a pestle & mortar.

2. Combine with grated ginger, garlic, chopped red chili and a small onion.

3. Add enough soy sauce to make a thick paste.

4. Make 3 slashes through the flesh of the fish. Works well with bass and bream too.

5. Wearing surgical gloves once more, work the paste into the flesh and cavity and set aside on a lightly oiled baking tray.

6. Roast in a pre-heated oven 190 degrees C for 20-25 minutes

Serve with steamed Asian greens, (Bok Choy/Chinese Cabbage etc) in a delicious dressing and boiled rice.

TheYummy Dressing (Asian Greens)

Combine all of these ingredients and keep tasting and tweaking till its perfect for you.

soy sauce
sweet chili sauce
rice wine vinegar
few drops sesame oil
chopped garlic clove
a smidgen of grated ginger
chopped mild red chili
chopped spring onions

Use as a marinade for all meat, fish & seafood. As a salad dressing or a stir-fry sauce.

Or just throw it liberally over steamed vegetables like this. Just delicious!

Christmas in July

December 25th, Christmas Day, is pretty much slap bang in the middle of the Aussie Summer.

The high temperatures see families focus on salads and BBQ's because it is just too hot to get enthusiastic by roast turkey and all the trimmings, especially the prep and cooking of it.

However, the canny Aussies enjoy a traditional Christmas dinner just like the rest of us!

So many Aussie's have opted to do Christmas dinner in July instead, which is in the middle of their winter.

Today we decided to do Christmas in July, but guess what? The weather turned out to be so warm that it really didn't feel right to go the whole hog (or turkey) either, not even in "Winter"!

So we did a bit of a half way house!

Hubster was delighted with his sewing kit in his Christmas Cracker, can't you tell?

The jokes were equally as awful, "What lies in a pram and wobbles?"

Honestly.

Happy Christmas in July!

Good night, sleep tight Mum

Some will think this a very strange letter to write to your Mum but if I am doing this blog, I have to be true to myself and relay things how they are...................it's not been the easiest thing to do. I wish it could have been a very different one. You know the kind, I could have written one of those I suppose but it wouldn't have been honest and well what's the point in that?


Dear Mum

Today I write these words with tremendous sadness.

Sadness not for the person you were but for the person you were not, but could have been, had every opportunity to be.

Sadness because you left this life, without ever having really "lived", tragically we know this because you said so.

Sadness because you just never found any lasting inner peace, joy or contentment in your life.

Time and time again you chose a lonely path and a joyless one. Even when you had so many chances to take another route, you never would or more appropriately never could.

It was heartbreaking for us to see you this way.

Your children, grandchildren and family tried many times over the years to drag you off that troubled path, but no matter what, you seemed compelled to follow it.

When Dad left, it was like any light you had was instantly extinguished, never to be reignited. You lived out the rest of your life in the shadows after that.

You fell into a deep well of despair and you decided that was where you were going to stay.

You were passed a rope on many an occasion but you just refused to climb out. Boy it was frustrating!

Nothing could bring you to the surface, so I can only imagine your despair must have been bottomless and that is so very sad.

How we would have loved to have seen you laugh and smile so much more than you ever did.

Because when you did you ignited hope in all of us - "maybe this time will be different" we would say and our hearts dared to hope once more.

Sadly, those times didn't last long enough and any joviality was quickly suppressed by the darkness you clung to within.

Sometimes you pushed us away so hard that we had to walk away, regroup and find the strength to come back to you again. But we always came back Mum, as best as we could, because you were our Mum, regardless.

Sadly we all ran out of time even though we never ran out of hope. We did our best for you Mum, that I can say, hand on heart from us all, even though you didn't make it easy.

So now I leave you with one last wish; if there is such a thing as reincarnation and you get another go at this life, please come back as the first woman to climb Everest in a womble suit, or the first diver to discover mermaids at the bottom of the ocean or better still the first drunken landlady to open a pub on the moon. (You know me and Pete would be the first to prop up the bar!)

I know that may sound a bit flippant Mum but what I really mean is next time round, please make sure you truly LIVE because you have a lot of catching up to do and it's all we could ever want for you.

Till then, good night sleep tight Mum. You only get one Mum, so we will miss and love you all the same, always.

Love Debbie

Ann Elizabeth Cottam (nee Parker)

25th January 1939 - 17th July 2012

Our Mum

A letter from home.

People write blogs for all manner of reasons. There are cookery ones, gardening ones, trainspotting and lots by ex-pat women like me too. In fact whatever the topic, there is sure to be a blog about it.

I don't have a "genre" Mrs T-J is pretty much about my life and that is about it.

Now that could be considered extremely self indulgent, why should anyone care about what I do anyway, so why do I put it out there?

Generating a large audience of readers was never the "raison d'etre" or one of my goals for my blog at all, still isn't.

I started my blog for 2 reasons:

1. A creative outlet for my writing, which is something I love to do. I love written muses, quotations and poetry too.

2. An online diary with pictures of my life, so that in years to come I can reflect and remember with clarity and nostalgia.

However, as time has passed, it has been wonderful to get feedback that people do enjoy it or at least find some of it interesting and for me that's some kind of validation, it feels nice.

Then something quite amazing happened yesterday. I received a parcel from home, from someone I have never seen or met, but who happens to know someone I know.

Unbeknown to me this lady has been following my blog and her letter was most supportive and littered with references from many past entries. It was strange, I felt that this person knew me.

She also sent me souvenir copies of all the Diamond Jubilee Newspapers too - very lovely.

But most of all she sent me a beautiful gift of thoughtfulness and the generosity of  human spirit. She simply didn't need or have to do this, a selfless gesture, knowing that it would make my day. It did.

Thank you Ms E.S from Scraptoft. Your letter will be treasured and your kindness always appreciated.

P.S. ....and in return give Poppy a cuddle from Radders and me from the other side of the world.

La Vie en Rose

14th July, Bastille Day, a huge celebration for La France.

However, L'esprit de la Revolution came to Melbourne too.

20 years ago, Port Philip had a very large French community.

Port Philip is also home to the fabulous South Melbourne Market, my new discovery.

The French owner of the seafood eatery, Renan Goksin, has decided to bring the festivities back. Renan, is quite a character and definitely a local celebrity.

As we are complete seafood whores these days, we headed on down there for a pescetarian feast and a bit of Edith Piaf on the accordion.

A fabulous way to spend a Saturday afternoon. We think it's wonderful that you can shop for your fruit and veggies and in the same space go and enjoy food of such high quallity as this!

Sharing little plates of delectables, tapas style is one of our most favourite ways to eat. We call them our "linky lonky lunches", a bit of this and a bit of that, a "nice tasty nibble", says the Hubster and always with a wink!

Claypots Evening Star you are not just an evening star but a bloody good lunch time one too.

Enjoying the vibe at The Evening Star

Mussels with Ginger and Tamarind

Tiger Prawn in a rich garlic butter

Swimmer Crab in a Thai Broth

Clams (vognole) in a Sherry Beurre Blanc

Renan!

Time for a bit of Alfie Boe and Les Mis now I reckon.

A kick up the bum!

"Life is like a coin, you can choose to spend it any way you like, but you only get to spend it once"

It's just what I needed. Even if the terse delivery of "that's pathetic" made me blush and hide behind my hair.

Liz, one of Hubster's colleagues from the UK came over. The three of us went out for dinner. Five minutes in and the tour de force of "Liz" was evident.

A young girl growing up in the 60's and a pretty hedonistic time of it in the 70's, 80's and beyond. I don't know for sure but I gathered it to be the case.

Liz tells it how it is, 60, a single, independent, extremely well read and travelled woman of the world. She clearly does not suffer fools and on the surface is the kind of lady that scares the hell out of me. However, I believe and in fact my own life experience tells me, that beneath there will be an extremely caring person and given more time I would love her to pieces and she would realise I am not the blonde bimbo she initially encountered. (same old story for me!)

She directed her steely gaze at me.

"So what exactly have you seen and done in Melbourne, what are you doing to fill your days?"

Well you lot know that it mainly consists of dog beach, food shopping, the odd coffee and being a house sheila - so far.

You know that feeling when you shrink and become smaller and smaller and in my case a little squeakier of voice.

Boom. Liz delivered her verdict.

So from now on I do something new every week. Even if it was a trip to the pictures, seeking out a new market. I have a willing recruit to my cause and ally in my lovely friend Anthea so we are stepping out together.

Liz, we thank you.

Nspresso Pod Art! (ya wished you'd thought of it yeah?)

Liz you wanted me to do Art Gallery's. This is "Coffee Shop Art". Just choose your pod and good to go!

Girls need to talk. I will progress..........