Melbourne in August

There was something about Melbourne that we really loved. We were there for 6 days just one week after we first set foot in the land down under and it was love at first sight. It could be the simple life, or the accessibility to the city from where our cousin lived, or the street layout - being grid-like very much similar to what we're used to in Manila, or maybe the friendliness of people we bumped into in our strolls or tram-rides, or the fashion, or the markets, or (okay just in case you are reading) Shaun's home-cooked meals.

Almost three years later, we were back to what we called the Little Italy of Australia. We never thought it would take us that long really BUT this time it was bitterly cold. It was almost always wet and always freezing. What kept us warm was the hospitality of our cousins (both of them are now based in Melbourne) and our friends.

I loved Natasha's and Dylan's house - it's an old house with a modern interior, very homely, very tidy, a place one would always want to go home to. It can just be 3 stops from Melbourne Central (read shopping), very convenient indeed! Shaun's was not bad, forget about tidiness, but the new telly kept us entertained. We watched two-half movies on the big screen in his very comfortable lounge (seriously Shaun you don't need a new one) while feasting on baked oysters c/o hubby, baked salmon fillet over a glass of Sauv Blanc c/o the cousin and strawberries and cream c/o moi.

Our couple friends' place was very close to the upscale tourist shopping area, Chapel Street, so we had the chance to stroll along the shops while attempting to look for a good buy - but hubby said they were way too fashionable for his taste.  We did enjoy a very tasty brunch while catching up on our life stories and savoured on our afternoon chocolate indulgence. The dinner in Jamie Oliver's Fifteen restaurant was scrumptious and as if the afternoon chocolate wasn't enough, the sticky date pudding was divine.  Just to clarify, we did a lot of walking in Chapel Street and Toorak Road and inside the Prahran Market and in the War Memorial in between these banquets.

It wasn't all about food for the weekend.  We had to do something new and despite the weather forecast we pursued the Great Ocean Road.  It was a beautiful first half of the day with magnificent views of the Bass Strait until we got to the climax of the trip, the Twelve Apostles where it started to pour ice-cold rain.

Loved every bit of that weekend, scenic, relaxing - got the well-deserved rest we wanted, fruitful - rewarded ourselves with a few good buys from the little mulah we budgeted for the trip and gastronomically-challenged (as a friend would put it). We would not have wanted it any other way.

World Youth Day 2008

The biggest event of the World Youth Day 2008 and the culmination of the 6-day Catholic youth celebration in Sydney was the Papal Mass held on 20th of July 2008.

We braved the 4km Pilgrim Walk, enjoyed the solemnity of the Papal Mass, and challenged ourselves to a longer & more crowded walk back to the Central Station where we boarded the train back to our place.   I hope these photos will do us justice for missing work today. :)

As Bishop Anthony Fischer led the cheer, Hip hip hurray!, in the farewell event for His Holiness, I cant help but smile & join the Aussies cheer. And as we watch snippets from the events, images of the Pope all smiles waving at and reaching out to the pilgrims as he went past most of the city landmarks, it makes me proud to be a resident of the host country and the host city, it was indeed Sydney at its best.

Aroma Festival @ The Rocks

One of the things we've accustomed ourselves into since our move down under was to look forward to weekends and how we spend them.  Every Friday at work, mates ask each other the plans for the weekend ... and the Monday after how one's weekend went.

This time around, after our regular Sunday mass schedule, we drove to the city to experience the annual Aroma Festival @ The Rocks but to make it a little more interesting, we braved the long walk and crossed the Harbour Bridge to get to the venue.  This takes the guilt off all the treats we indulged in at the festival. Haha 

Here are some photos from the day.

Our Wollongong - Kiama Day Trip, nth time!

For the nth time last Saturday, forecasted as fine despite being in the middle of winter season, we went on a drive to our favourite day trip destination - the Illawara Region.  The main towns of the region are mainly located in the coast line making it a lovely drive for anyone who loves the sea.  It is in fact a combination of mountain and beach views which gives this location the special character one looks for in a great weekend.

Our first stop was at the Stanwell Tops which provided a perfect backdrop of what's in store for the day.  This is popular for hang-gliding which the hubby is keen to try one of these days.  From here, one can see the Grand Pacific Drive, Wollongong and if you're lucky (as we were last Saturday) you'll even spot whales.

Then we continued the drive down hill thru the Grand Pacific Drive - which we often relate to the Patapat Bridge in Ilocos Norte.  We drove past the smaller towns till we reached Wollongong where we stopped for lunch.  After lunch, we went straight to the Wollongong's Flagstaff Lighthouse and just savoured the view - which is almost always the best thing to do after lunch.

A drive further led us to Kiama, our dream town!  This was where we setup our picnic mat and enjoyed a cuppa with the home-baked brownies we brought along.  Not to be missed is it's main attraction - the famous Kiama Blowhole and situated nearby is the newly-painted Kiama lighthouse.  What a sight to behold, we wish we could stay longer but we couldn't, not this time.

As we were heading back home for the day - we noticed speed boats motoring back perhaps from fishing.  This is what we want to try next time!  The hubby is on the lookout for a fishing rod (gearing up for Spring! .. or so I hope).

Here are a few snaps from the trip.