Things to Remember About Sydney

Don't you hate it how once you get home from a dream vacation it feels like... well, a dream. Our time spent in Sydney feels like never happened and since I have the memory of a five year old I thought it would be a good idea to document the things we saw, ate and loved...

What we ate...
for brunch:
Bills for a modern Australian brunch
Mad Spuds Cafe for potatoes
Pieno for coffee and all day breakfast
The Tea Room for high tea
for dinner:
Din Tai Fung for dumplings
The Winery for the wine selection
Chefs Gallary for fresh handmade noodles
Sake Restaurant for fresh sushi 

What we saw...
Botanical Garden with the most beautiful greenery
Hyde Park for a romantic walk
Sydney Opera House to watch La Boheme
Darling Harbor for a perfect view of the Sydney Opera House
Taronga Zoo for a special appearance of kangaroos and koalas
Hunter Valley for wine tasting
Bondi and Manly beach for some R&R
Art Galleries for our creative minds

What we loved...
104 degree weather and the fact that it was their summer and our winter
the diversity of foods available to us
how Aussies love their coffee just as much as Seattleite do!
hearing Australian accents!
retailers closed at 6pm most nights and everyone got to go home and enjoy their families. something i think the US should adopt! ;)
the shopping and boutiques

and where we stayed...
Westin Sydney 
Bayview Boulevard Sydney

Off the top of my head these are the things I can remember about Sydney...

Sydney

 The cold weather in Seattle makes me miss Sydney terribly. On this specific day it was close to 100 degrees as we made our way through the Botanical Garden and around the harbor. Until next time Sydney! 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Afternoon Tea

Great love affairs start with Champagne and end with tisane.  - Honoré de Balzac

That's exactly what we did on this beautiful afternoon in Sydney.  

The Tea Room

Queen Victoria Building

https://www.thetearoom.com.au/

Australia / New Zealand

Happy New Year! It has been a happy new year for me indeed. This blog has been neglected due to my sabbatical. I've spent the past three weeks in Australia and New Zealand. After recovering from jet lag and finally floating above the pile of work on my desk I'm ready to share my adventures... 

We rung in the new year in Sydney. I've never seen so many people together celebrating! An estimated 2.5 million people surrounded the harbor along with us and to watch the fireworks.

Of course we had to experience seeing a show at the Opera House. We saw the Opera - La Boheme.

We had high tea at The Tea Room in the Queen Victoria Building. It was over 100 degrees that day and I was dying in my dress which led me to think... how does Kate Middleton do it? ;)

We drove on the opposite side of the road two hours out of Sydney to Hunter Valley for some wine tasting.

We had a romantic picnic at the Botanical Garden which had an amazing view of the harbor and Opera House. Our picnic basket consisted of Laduree's macaroons and they were delish!!

We didn't see any kangaroos or koalas on our way to wine country therefore we decided to visit the zoo for a guaranteed appearance. We also sunbathed on Bondi Beach and I swear this is were they shot 'Where's Waldo?' Would you say??

Our last week was spent in Auckland. One of my favorite photos from our entire trip is this one of me swinging under a tree in the vineyards at Goldie Room - the first winery on Waiheke Island.

When I talk to family or friends about my trip, they often ask what is the one big thing that tops my list. We did so much in three weeks; however, the highlight of my trip was being able to sleep in, waking up to a nice cup of coffee with a delicious brunch and sitting across from my favorite person planning what we'll be doing that day. There's a total peace and happiness that this level of freedom brings... and for the new year I wish this for you. Happy New Year. xo