I came across a great quote while reading The Geography of Bliss today.  It’s an ancient Nordic saying:

“Who travels widely needs his wits about him,  The stupid should stay at home.”

The best brownies I’ve found in Sydney are in Balmain at the Adriano Zumbo Cafe.  You can order the brownie just plain, which is a very acceptable way to ingest your chocolate, or you can order the brownie a la mode and it will be served with a lovely scoop of vanilla ice cream and a bit of strawberry.  If you miss the little walkway leading back to the cafe, you’ll happen upon the tiny Adriano Zumbo Patisserie where you’ll find a huge selection of pastries, macaroons, and bread.  Since this bakery is strictly standing room only, and a tight fit at that, they will happily direct you to the cafe a few doors down if you want to sit and linger a while.

Best Brownie in Sydney, Adriano Zumbo Cafe

Adriano Zumbo Cafe, Balmain

If you need a further chocolate fix, walk west along Darling Street into Rozelle.  There you’ll find Belle Fleur Chocolates, some of the best artisan chocolates you’ll find anywhere.

Belle Fleur Chocolates, Rozelle

Another great chocolate patisserie is Boon Chocolates in Darlinghurst , and the Lindt Cafe at Darling Harbour is not to be missed by any chocoholic wandering by.  If you are looking for an excellent selection of chocolate bars, two of the best places to look are About Life and David Jones Food Hall in Sydney.  Some excellent choices would be: Zokoko, Valhrona, Amedei, Cocolo, and Belle Fleur.

I spent eleven years living in San Francisco and the Peninsula before moving to Sydney.  There is a lot of good bread in San Francisco.  So when we moved here I was initially a bit let down by what I found.  Then I found the fancy french bakery on the main street in my neighborhood, Victoire on Darling Street in Balmain. Their Levain is as close as I’ve found to a San Francisco sourdough bread anywhere outside of the Bay Area.  It’s a bit expensive at $7 a loaf for the medium size but it is well worth it, and it is one of the few things on which I regularly splurge.  Their Rustica is a lovely peasant style bread.  They also have truly excellent croissants.

When we make it to the monthly farmers’ market in Pyrmont I try to stop by the booth for La Tartine which makes an excellent organic wholemeal sourdough bread (also known as whole-grain).  It’s dense and chewy with that sourdough bite.  It works as well with butter and jam as it does with goat cheese and tomato with a drizzle of olive oil.

Another  of my favorites is Sonoma Bakery sourdough.  Love the name.  It brings back memories of San Francisco and the Sonoma Wine Country just north of SF.  They usually have a booth at the farmers’ market and also have a shop in Glebe which is not that far from Balmain.

Last to be mentioned but by no means last is Adriano Zumbo.  They are better known for their out-of-this-world pastries and chocolates but they also have truly yummy breads.  I am lucky that Adriano Zumbo and the Adriano Zumbo Chocolate Cafe are both in Balmain and within rock-throwing distance of Victoire (not that I would be throwing any rocks at them).

One thing to keep in mind if you are hoping to get yourself some bread from one of these bakeries / patisseries is that they often sell out of the best loaves early in the day.  Victoire often sells out of their Levain my mid-day.  Same with Adriano Zumbo.  So if you can’t make it until the end of the day just know you might not get your first choice.  Just this morning at 10am I was in Victoire and they were already out of chocolate croissants and only had three plain croissants left.  Since croissants are one of the treats my daughter loves best, I was lucky to have gotten there just in time.  The woman in line after me bought the very last one.

The best pizza to be found in Sydney is in the hamlet of Balmain, just west of the city centre. The pizza at a little place called Rosso Pomodoro on Buchanan street down by White Bay is as authentic as you’ll find anywhere in the city.  Tonight I had a Pizza Capricciosa, which includes tomato, Italian mozzarella, ham, olives, mushrooms, and artichokes…absolutely delicious.  I am very lucky that I can call in my order for take away and by the time I walk down there it is almost but not quite out of the oven, and that it is still hot when I get it home.  Lucky indeed.

Blue Moon over Sydney Harbour Bridge 31 Dec 09

We spent New Year’s Eve in Sydney watching fireworks over the Harbour.  We had an excellent view of the Harbour Bridge and Darling Harbour from a sixth floor balcony in Pyrmont.  These photos are from the 9pm fireworks display.  Later on there were fireworks at 11pm, 11:30pm, and a grand show at midnight.  Fireworks barges had been set up all along the harbour to give views throughout Sydney.

Fireworks over Sydney Harbour 31 Dec 09

Fireworks over Sydney Harbour 31 Dec 09

Day 4: We drove up to the Freycinet National Park to spend several nights at the Freycinet Lodge.  Apparently they are in the middle of upgrading the cabins, and we were very lucky to have been given a newly renovated “test” cabin. It was much bigger than we expected and had two bedrooms instead of one.  This worked out fabulously for us as we were able to put our toddler daughter down for naps in her own bedroom and still have the rest of the cabin available for our use.  The cabin was very well appointed and we loved the spa bathtub, especially after the long hike over to Wineglass Bay and back (see Day 5 below).  We’d heard that their cabins had become a bit rundown, but given the outstanding location, we decided it would suit us.  So we were quite pleased to have the newly renovated cabin.

Beach at the Freycinet Lodge

Freycinet Lodge at Sunset

We drove around the peninsula a bit and stopped near Bicheno to take this photo near the Blowhole.

Day 5:  Hike to Wineglass Bay:  we decided to do the 3 hour return hike to Wineglass Bay.  It’s a steep hike on a well-kept trail up to the overlook where the below photo was taken.  Then it’s a steep hike down a less well-kept trail to Wineglass Bay itself.  If you are not in good physical condition or if you aren’t used to bushwalking or hiking, then this hike might not be the best option for you.  Adam got to carry our toddler, Buttercup, in a hiking baby-carrier backpack on this hike, so he got quite the workout.   We had a short picnic at the beach.  We would have liked the rest to be longer, but a squall came over the hill just as we were eating our lunch and started pouring rain on us.  So we packed up quickly to get off the beach and back into the relative protection of the bush on the trail back.  The squall passed after about 20 minutes but we were glad we had packed up to return because when we got back to the carpark, the rains came again.

Wineglass Bay

Day 6: On Wednesday, we did a driving tour of Freycinet Peninsula, including the Cape Tourville Lighthouse and a visit to the Freycinet Marine Farm for some fresh Oysters.  There is a nice, easy walking path around the lighthouse with stunning views of the Tasman Sea.  The pathway was stroller friendly, which is always nice, even when we opt for the backpack carrier instead of the stroller.

We also stopped off at the Freycinet Marine Farm for some fresh oysters that were plucked from the beds that morning.  They had several options for preparation and we tried about three different kinds.  My favorite was the Oysters Kilpatrick.  I also ordered the grilled scallops, which were fresh and delicious.

Day 7: The last day of our trip, we drove to Launceston, stopping to enjoy central Tasmania along the way. We stopped at Campbell Town, where Hwy B34 connected with Hwy 1 for a not-so-quick lunch at a local cafe.

Hiked Cataract Gorge in the early afternoon, followed by a drive up the Tamar River Valley and finally a flight home to Sydney.

Cataract Gorge, Launceston

I really wanted Mexican food. Putting salsa on my eggs every morning can only pacify me for so long. So tonight we tried a new (to us) Mexican Restaurant in Glebe called the Flying Fajita Sistas. This one is down the street from Baja Cantina, which bills itself as being true Californian Mexican food. We’ve eaten there a few times. BC is passable, not good, just passable. The black beans I had at BC were undercooked, and in my book that is really inexcusable. Flying Fajita Sistas on the other hand, is excellent. I’m not saying it’s the best Mexican food I’ve ever had, but you could put that restaurant in most parts of California and it would do just fine – with a few tweeks. The only thing that really needed work was their margaritas.

I was dismayed to find that we had to pay $11 for chips and salsa. Yes, you read that correctly and it is not a typo. It was good chips and salsa, but $11, really? Apparently in Australia, the chips and salsa are not gratis. Adam ordered Sangria and I got a margarita. His was good, mine really needed some work. It was way too sweet and there was not enough tequila in it (and this is coming from a woman who does not like her drinks very strong). We ordered chipotle chicken quesadillas for Athena, which she refused to even try, so Adam ate them. I tried them and they were very good. Adam ordered pulled pork enchiladas, which were very good and he says he’d order them again. I ordered chicken tamales with a mole rojo sauce on them. I was a bit dubious, and was very pleasantly surprised. Someone in their kitchen has actually been to Mexico and knows how to make a proper mole sauce. My tamales were wrapped in banana leaves in the Mayan style, rather than corn husks, which is what I am used to from California and Texas. I’d only ever had them served that way in the Yucatan. Adam and my dishes were served with black beans and rice and salad. Mine also came with a very good corn and tomato side. I would absolutely go back and order any of those dishes again. Next time I’ll try the fajitas, though.

Adam says he’s entirely too full. Well, he did eat his meal, Athena’s meal, and a bit of mine as well. I will note that he did skip lunch.

Something else to note: I was raised in San Antonio. Occasionally we would drive to Mexico for lunch. I also lived in California for over 10 years and will be living there again within the next year or so. I know my Mexican food.

Springtime in Tasmania is September through November, and it’s gorgeous.  Flowers and trees are all in bloom and the countryside is awash in vibrant color.  We took our trip in mid-October, spending three days in the Hobart area, three days in the Freycinet National Park, and a final day in Launceston before heading back home to Sydney.

Day 1: we arrived mid-day on Friday, arranging this so we would be able to tour Australia’s oldest brewery, Cascade Brewery, established in 1832.  Tasmania is known for it’s excellent beer, and the brewery tour did not disappoint.

Day 2:  Salamanca Market day.  Every Saturday since 1972, an open-air market is held at Salamanca Place just off the waterfront.  We did a ton of our Christmas shopping, stocking up on hand-knit scarves made from Tasmanian wool, wooden chopping block sets with matching cheese knives – all made from Australian woods such as Jarrah and Spotted Gum, and even picked up a hat for myself since mine was left behind in Sydney amid a rush of last minute packing.  The blocks-long market is flanked by shops in the old converted warehouses that line Salamanca Place, many of which showcase local artists and their wares.  The old rock quarry behind the warehouses has been revived with shops, cafes, and sleek apartments overlooking the square.  We followed our shopping tour of the markets with a walking tour of Battery Point.  This area is filled with tiny lanes and 19th century cottages of this old maritime village – try finding Nanny Goat Lane, a steep walking lane connecting St Georges Terrace and Quayle Street.   After lunch and our walking tour, we headed to beautiful Parliament Square nearby to sit in the grass, relax, and people-watch along the waterfront.

Relaxing at Parliament Square

Later in the afternoon, we drove up to snow-covered Mount Wellington for a gorgeous view of the city.  I would recommend this as an early morning drive as we had many clouds to contend with and had to wait in freezing wind for a brief moment when the clouds parted so we could get the view we’d driven up to see.

You’ll find plenty of dining options in the Salamanca area, as well as, along the waterfront.  That evening we opted for dinner at Mures Upper Deck for fabulous seafood.  Our only two complaints were our table and the extremely slow service.  When we called for our reservation, we were asked if we wanted a table with a view of the waterfront.  We, of course, happily accepted.  Our table was right near the entrance and the door to the kitchen.  There was no view of the waterfront, only a loud clock above our table that chimed every hour on the hour and quarter hour.

Day 3:  We drove to Port Arthur for an extended tour including a boat ride around the harbour. Enroute we stopped at a couple of wineries, then stopped in Richmond, site of the oldest bridge in Tasmania, for a snack and a tour of the town center before continuing on to Port Arthur.

Convict Built Bridge in Richmond

There was an old-fashioned Lolly shop in the town square, so I stopped in for a few treats.

Lolly Shop in Richmond

Port Arthur was where the worst of the worst criminals were sent for their sentence of Transportation – many for crimes as bad as stealing a handkerchief or a loaf of bread.  The grueling past of these unfortunate men and women has been washed away over the years and what remains is a hauntingly beautiful national park preserving what is left from those Convict Days.

Port Arthur, Tasmania

San Francisco Bay Bridge

We went to Northern California in August to visit friends and family. One of our outings was going up to San Francisco on a very warm and sunny morning to have brunch with my friend, Karen, who happened to be in town from Dublin.  That would be Dublin, Ireland, not Dublin, California.  It was total coincidence that we were in town on the same day and total coincidence that we figured out that our trips would overlap just slightly.  We met over seven years ago in San Francisco when we were younger and single.  We’ve been friends ever since but our lives have taken us to different continents and different hemispheres.  It was so very nice to catch up over a lovely brunch overlooking the waterfront.  I was also excited to introduce her to my daughter, who took to Karen right away.

We snagged an outside table at Mijita in the shade at the back of the Ferry Building.  We ate Mexican food and drank sangrias and beer and soaked in the warmth of the summer morning and the company of old friends.   When it was time to say goodbye, it was really just until the next time we meet in San Francisco.

Well, really just planning for it. We want to take a trip to Melbourne, Australia and what started as a plan for a weekend trip has grown into a trip of about six days so we can also drive a bit down the Great Ocean Road and see the Twelve Apostles rock formation.