Tennis EOSD @ Botoli

Ginger Mud Crab with Long Life Noodle

Instead of a game of tennis, we celebrated our end of season dinner with a feast at Botoli's at Burwood. They seated us upstairs at 2 tables...considering we were the only ones upstairs, it was like a private room.

On the menu:

• Viet skewered pork with rice paper
• Ginger/Shallot crab with long life noodle
• Deep fried quail
• Spare rib peking style
• Deep fried stuffed tofu
• Stir fried french beans with minced pork
• Combination seafood tofu hot pot
• Prawns with snow peas
• Braised chicken with lemon grass & chilli
• Braised beef with vegetables

Plantar Fasciitis or Heel Pain

I've had pain in the heels for a couple of weeks and it's been getting more and more painful, every morning when I wake up, I have a very painful left foot, so this week I decided enough was enough and went to see a podiatrist, Dr Dan at Burwood Foot Clinic in the Burwood Plaza. Apparently I have plantar fasciitis and was told I had to get myself to Athletes Foot to buy better footwear for walking and for playing tennis. Anyway, Dr Dan taped my foot up and told me to leave the tape on for 4 days (hmm...I'm going to have a very smelly foot), do a few stretching exercises, morning, noon and night and I'll have to see him again in 3 weeks time.

So I took myself to Westfields Athletes Foot, got served by Tara, who was pretty good in fitting me out and spent over $500 on 3 pairs of shoes, two for walking and one cross-trainer.

Hopefully my pain will go away.

Redecorating and Meeting Roy's New Girlfriend

Saturday, 21 June

Shirley invited Evan and I over for lunch to join, Roy and Diana. Roy was buying Viet takeout from Flemmo. As I had the morning off and didn't have to work after all, Evan, Ken and I drove to Ikea, Rhodes for the $2 breakfast and for me to buy a few bookcases. I'm trying to clean up the front room and organise all the photo albums and craft stuff, and the first step is to get some Billy bookcases. Apparently they were out of stock of the glass doors I wanted, so could only buy one pair. After Ikea, Ken cycled back to Strathfield, while Evan and I continued on to Shirley and Casey's.

Matty was wide awake and in a playful mood, while Shirley had just got back from work, and Casey was in the shower after having a nice sleep in with Matty. I got to play with Matty as Evan went about playing with his new toys, flash here, beep there...Matty is a star, a mini male model.

Roy was running late, and we were starving, so by the time he arrived with the food and his new girlfriend, we were more interested in the food, than in the girlfriend. Casey gave her the third degree over lunch and then we settled into the bean game. After Roy and Diana left, we played a few rounds of the Trip around Europe, to satisfy Casey's hunger for game play.

Scrabble Champ

On our second night in Melbourne, we played scrabble and I managed to score over 200 points beating both Mare and Richard. So when we had time to spare on Sunday afternoon, we had a rematch. Unfortunately, I didn't fare so well this time, coming last to Richard and Marion.

After our game, I decided to work on a title for my scrapbook page, and the last photo in the collage is what we came up with.

Williamstown

Williamstown is only a short drive away from Point Cook. It's very touristy and reminds me of Port Macquarie or Nelson's Bay.

After eating our fish and chips, we walked down to Gem Pier, and Jacq showed us the hotel she and Richard stayed in when they first came to Melbourne. The war ship HMAS Castlemaine is a tourist attraction, and apparently you can catch sightseeing ferries from the pier. Something to do next time I visit.

The Best Fish n' Chips in Town

For $24, $6 pp, we had 2 boxes of calamari and chips and 1 box of fish pieces and chips. Top of the Bay was recommended to Jacq by a Japanese work friend, and it was a very good recommendation. The fish and calamari were very fresh and the batter was so light it was like eating tempura. The chips were also yummy, but whether it was because we had worked up an appetite or because they were the best fish n' chips we'll never know.

Cheetham Wetlands Tower

Point Cook Coastal Park features abundant birdlife, a historic bluestone homestead, intertidal sand banks and a Marine Reserve. Located 20 km southwest of Melbourne, it is a popular destination for birdwatchers, nature lovers and family groups.

Access to “The Tower” is via the car park immediately north of the homestead and walking a gravel track through native grasslands. The track is 1.5 kilometres each way.

Richard was more interested in the creek and what was in it: brine shrimps.

Didn't see many birds, except some crows.

Point Cook Homestead

Built in 1857, the homestead was home to the Chirnside Family prior to construction of the Werribee Park Mansion.
Today the Homestead with its panoramic views out onto the bay is open to visitors and is a delightful spot for a picnic, sit down for lunch or a function in the fully licensed café/restaurant.
We spotted a very colourful peacock and peahen when we got there, but by the time we came back to the bird pen, they had disappeared.

Jacq's Viet Pork Chops ala Quan Style

Viet Pork Chops following Quans recipe

Marinate pork chops with chopped lemon grass, chopped garlic (2) and fish sauce before pan frying.

Dipping sauce:

Ground garlic cloves (5), chilli (2 small) and sugar (2 cups?) in a mortar with pestle.

Transfer ground ingredients to bowl and add fish sauce and vinegar to taste.

Serve with sliced cucumber, tomato and mixed vegies.

Luna Park, St Kilda

Marion and I were so busy taking photos of each other, we didn't even see Jacq and Rich walk into the park. Apparently it's like the one in Sydney, don't have to pay to go in, just have to pay to go on the rides. We just went on the free tram trolley to take photos and on the way out spotted the moon, so posed for some pics on it, very uncomfortable, but it seems I made it look easy, cause Mare had a hard time posing on it.

Highly Overpriced Cake

So many cakes to choose from, I ended up buying a Chocolate Pyramid slice and a hot chocolate for $9. A bit steep for cake and hot chocolate, but I guess it's where the tourists go.

There are many cake shops to choose from, all of them are crowded with people. Not good for the hips or the hip pocket.

Didn't even spot any stars either.

Shopping on Chapel Street

Although I didn't buy anything in this particular shop, it reflected most of the shops we walked into. Sales everywhere, but most of the large sizes had been bought already, leaving all the xsmalls and smalls...which I am never ever going to fit into again.

I did however buy a nice pair of black suede boots from Steve Madden for $85, it was 50% off.

Prahran Markets

Lunch time and we head to the Prahran Markets, 163 Commercial Road, South Yarra. After finding a parking spot down a narrow laneway, we go in search of a Japanese Fish shop. It's drizzling and I'e left my umbrella packed in my bag. Marion and I get sidetracked by a bead shop, so Jacq & Rich go ahead to check out the fish shop, but come back disappointed, it's small and not what Jacq expected.



Our stomaches are grumbling and we head towards the markets in search of food, but we stop at a shopping centre to use the public facilities, they have a food court there, but nothing looks appetising, so we head to the markets.

I end up buying a gourmet chicken and mushroom pie, Jacq & Rich settle for a bag of freshly made falafels and dim sum and Marion orders a pasta dish.

As we walk through the markets we taste test the sausages on offer. Jacq and Rich do some fruit and vegie shopping, while Marion and I make our way to Chapel Street to do some shopping. We get sidetracked again, by a Japanese grocery store, which has many nick nacks.

Brighton Bathing Boxes

Marion really wanted to find these colourful "beach huts" which she had seen on the cover of a Lonely Planet Melbourne book. In the book, it didn't say where you could find these huts, but we kind of knew they were around St Kilda or Brighton Beach, but where ??? who knew. Richard drove us following the Mare's GPS till we got to Middle Brighton Beach. Taking the coastal road, we kept our eyes peeled looking for any signs of colour, but not a hut to be seen. We drove as far as Black Rock, but still no sign of any huts. Jacq even resorted to ringing information to see whether they could tell us where to find these huts. The only information they could give us was Beach Road, Brighton. So we turned around and drove back to Brighton. Along The Esplanade, I spotted some colour as we rounded a bend, and we finally found them on Middle Brighton Beach.



The 82 Brighton bathing boxes are unique because of their uniform scale and proportion, building materials, sentry order alignment and a Planning Scheme Heritage Overlay on a beach owned by Bayside City Council. As simple structures, all retain classic Victorian architectural features with timber framing, weatherboards and corrugated iron roofs. They remain as they did over one hundred years ago, as licensed bathing boxes. No service amenities such as electricity or water are connected.

At home with Jacq & Richard

Saturday:

Big Breakfast: Bacon & eggs with toast



It must have rained last night, because the garden is damp and wet.
I take photos of the backyard, inside and front of the house.

Melbourne Visit: Delayed flights and limited shopping time

Today I'm flying out with Mare on Qantas to go down to visit Jacq and Richard in Melbourne.

Our flight is scheduled for 1.30pm, but Mare is informed by sms, that the flight has been delayed and won't leave until 2.15pm. So we leave home at 12:30 to go pick Mare up at Alfred Street, Mascot, where she is leaving her car. Get to the airport by 1:15pm, and go through security check. While waiting to board we are informed that there will be a further delay due to technical issues with the front tyres of the plane. They need to be replaced, so in the end we don't board the plane until 3.30pm.




By the time we get to Melbourne Airport, it is 5pm. We catch the Skybus into the city for $16 per person. It drops us off at Southern Cross Station, where the DFO shops are.



So after arranging to meet Jacq here, Mare and I hit the shops. My first buy is a PA PJ pants. I also buy a furry sloppy joe from Lorna Jane. Jacq has driven into the city to meet us, before arranging to meet Richard at a Korean restaurant uptown.



It is hidden away down a driveway, where you'd never find it if you didn't know it was there.
The food was yummy and it only cost us $16 per person.

After dinner, Richard drove us back to their home in Point Cook. It's like a 20min drive from the city.

When we got home, I got the tour in person, before being shown my room and bed. Talked a while about what we would do for the next day, before having a shower and going to bed around 12 midnight.