Christmas 2009

We're in Sydney, Australia at my brother's place in Darling Harbor. Gorgeous views from his place of harbor and the Harbor Bridge. When it comes to being trendy Max and Julia have it down to a science. Two nephews and a niece - ages 3, 6, and 9 are jumping around with excitement. Santa gave them exactly what they wanted - some weird electronic toys that I've never heard off. A huge platter of fresh fruit, toast, marmalade, mango juice and coffee was spread out for us. We'll be having lunch at the home of our cousin Sylvie who lives near the Blue Mountains. She's preparing biryani which will be served with an assortment of salads. For dessert - trifle with fresh tropical fruit soaked in port.
We've been having a fab time in Australia. The drive down from Brisbane was a great way to see a bit of Australia. Beautiful coast and beaches along the way. We spent a couple of nights in Coffs Harbor which is small and quaint. It's surrounded by tiny beach towns. Paths parallel to the beach provide excellent views. Nearby, in Dorrigo, we hiked through a rainforest. Amazing vegetation and birdlife. There are large banana plantations in Coffs and many farmstands along the highway from where to buy them. So many varieties to choose from - and all of them freshly harvested and full of flavor.

After Coffs we drove on to Nelson Bay - another quaint coastal town. The beaches here are picture perfect because of the protected bay. Excellent swimming - very reminiscent of the French Riviera without the crowds and traffic.
The weather the whole time was perfect. Well, I lie. The day we left Brisbane it rained and rained. Luckily we spent most of the day driving so it was fine. Much preferable to driving with the sun high in the sky.

We arrived in Sydney two days before Christmas and we went into a bit of culture shock. Big city and Christmas festivities in full blast. Some frantic food shopping and last minute purchase of gifts. The kids tracking Santa's route on Google map, etc. We had a fab meal on Christmas Eve. Mum went to the fish market where she bought prawns and salmon. So she prepared a fine prawn dish. I made a pasta sauce with fresh basil tomatoes, garlic and olive oil. Max served French Champagne for an aperitif and a robust red with our main meal. We had mince pies and Christmas pudding served with cistard for dessert washed down with a smooth port.

There was a live concert at the domain in Sydney which we watched on telly. Silly us. We should have carried a picnic and sat on the grass and watched it live. Well, you can't do it all.

So, everyone, all the best for the last days of 2009.

Brisbane

They say Brisbane is subtropical, but everywhere you look you're reminded of the tropics - fragrant plumeria, palms swaying among jacarandas (in full bloom right now) and gum trees, the fruit - mangoes, numerous types of bananas, pineapples, passion fruit, and the exotic birds - ibis, parrots, and of course, kookaburras. It's warm and humid and the atmosphere is full of summertime stuff. Hard to believe Christmas is a week from today. The festive spirit is so subdued - I love it. Even when you walk into shops you don't hear those annoying Christmas songs. I haven't seen a huge amount of decorations and lights and things. But there is a large Christmas tree in the square in front of the City Hall. It's beautifully trimmed and the lights are solar powered.

The Brisbane River meanders through the city center and on either side there are beautiful gardens, cafes, etc. Walking and cycling paths allow you to stroll alongside for miles and miles. Ferries get people to the suburbs lining the river.

Yesterday evening Daryl and I strolled along the river, starting at Riverside. This is an area of enormous, shiny skyscrapers. Gourmet restuarants and atmospheric bars out here provide gorgeous views of the river and its bridges. We walked to the Botanical Gardens which has some amazing trees and a few unusual pines and came to a very interesting mangrove swamp. There's a walkway that allows you to cross this swamp. We then went across a pedestrian bridge to the south side of the river. Here there are stunning landscaped gardens which lead to a beach area. An artificial lagoon filled with turquoise water and around it, fine beach sand, makes for a terrific place to cool down and hang out. Kids splash about in the water and adults relax on the beaches. What a concept - right in the city center.
We then strolled along a road running parallel to the river - Little Stanley Road - in search of beer. Didn't have to work very hard to find a place that suited out mood, of course.

We went back to our apartment for dinner. There was a fantastic farmer's market earlier in the day where I bought fruit and veggies, excellent multigrain bread, and some tapenades. So we ate well.

Tonight we'll be at the math conference dinner at the University of Queensland. So, I'm off to catch the train.