Ferrogusto 2019

Sunday 18 August 2019

Instead of doing my morning walk around Concord, I walked to Five Dock via Lyons Road

to check out Ferragusto.

Managed to get there in time to see the start of the parade down the Great North Road. The parade consisted mainly of local Italian community, led by the church and their clergy, who blessed the festival.

Was good being nice and early, not so crowded and could see the stalls without the people.
Bought a passionfruit teabag for $6.50 to quench my thirst and then looked for something to eat. Decided to get pasta - it is an Italian Fest after all. Bought cannoli 3 for $10 - Vanilla, Chocolate and Ricotta, why not and they were yummy.

Also bought Penne with prawns topped with buffalo mozzarella and basil for $16 which was cooked fresh - pasta was a bit undercooked - but still ok and found a table and chair to sit at to eat and watch the entertainment.

Checked out more stalls before walking back via Queens Road.

Had the cannoli when I got home.

Free Museum Day

Saturday 17 August 2019

Kaylene got free tickets to the Powerhouse Museum, so Janet and I headed out. Kaylene was meeting up with her friend, Kim, and then going and Lily was out already and wouldn't be back in time, so only Janet and I.

They had the Apollo Moon exhibition on which was different.

After the museum, we were about to head home. Not having seen Kaylene and her friend who had also been wandering around the museum.  When Darren messaged asking if we would like to have dinner out in the city.

So we killed time walking around Market City markets, the shops in Market City and then headed to Daiso, where we walked every aisle.  From there we walked to Capitol Square and checked out the shops inside the Capitol Square building - lots of eateries and a game arcade on the upper level. Was getting hungry by then, not having had lunch.

Finally met up with Darren and Jen at Darling Square, and Kaylene and Kim a bit later. Decided to try out the Hello Auntie restaurant here to compare it with Marrickville. Lucky to get a table, as we hadn't booked.

Ordered the banh xeo x 3 (1 vegetarian - for Kim) and 2 pork), papaya salad, fried tofu, potato dumplings (gnocchi) with scampi, roast pork with taro to share.  Verdict - not as tasty as Marrickville.

After dinner, Jen wanted to get Kurtosh - what?? Hungarian chimney cakes. So we ended up finding a table to sit at in the garden and ate our cinnamon Kurtoshes with Messina icecream.

City 2 Surf - 10 years on

Sunday 11 August 2019

It's been 10 years since I did the City to Surf on my own in 2009.  This year, I will be completing the course with Lily and Kaylene. Hopefully I can better my time: 2 hours, 36 mins and 59 secs. Placing 51608 out of 62626 finishers.

The City2Surf is a 14km course starting from Hyde Park in Sydney’s CBD and ending at the iconic Bondi Beach.

Caught train to Martin Place station. It was crowded.  At the start of our groups race, we managed to cut into the crowd and made it to the start of the recording line. Unfortunately Kaylene needed to pee, so we had to stop at the first portaloo stop, so many others stopped there as well. We ended up back of the back of the pack.

The race starts at the intersection of Park St and College St. The course commences on a downhill on William St and heads up through the tunnel at Kings Cross. It continues along New South Head Rd through Rose Bay, then up the notorious "Heartbreak Hill" (the halfway point) and also the most scenic parts of the course. The course then turns the corner at Vaucluse, onto Old South Head Rd, then Military Rd and down the hill with ocean views, before completing a turn around at Curlewis st, into the finish line at the world famous and spectacular Bondi Beach.

The City2Surf finish line is located on Queen Elizabeth Drive, adjacent to the children’s playground, north of the Bondi Pavilion, with runners finishing in a southbound direction.

My final time was 3hr 3min and 39 secs. Placing 67161 overall.

Mare's Birthday

Saturday 10 August 2019

Last minute invite from Marion to join in for lunch at Ashfield Shangers, so I thought why not, seeing as we would miss out on yum cha, Sunday morning because of City to Surf.

I had a hair appointment in the morning at 9.30am, but would be ok to train it Ashfield after for lunch instead of eating at Macquarie, like usual.

Evan was also invited and so he swung by Swan Ave to pick up Janet.  Kaylene had gone out for brunch with friends and also trained it to Ashfield.

Lily was heading out to check out the snow in the Blue Mountains, but got on the wrong train and was waiting for another train, but we talked her into coming for lunch instead. So it turns out, she meets me on the train I got back from Epping, and we end up walking to the restaurant together.

Already at the restaurant was Mare with Aunty Joy, Jacq, Rich, Juliette and Richard's family.

Jacq and Mare ordered the dishes and Jacq paid for lunch. Had our usual - shallot pancakes, hot sour soup, xia long bau, wartip, rice cake noodles, wonton and spicy beef noodles.

Later that day, we got another invite to join Mare and family for dinner at Moyashi in Mortlake. Since Justin was the only one at home, we invited him along and he drove, Lily, Janet, Kaylene and I to the restaurant.

We ended up ordering the 4pp set meal x 2, which included edamame, seaweed salad, kimchi as starters followed by beef tataki, chicken yakitori, prawn tempura, sashimi, chuck ribs, chips on deckle steak, sukiyaki (wagyu beef and udon hot pot) at $128 - I paid for dinner $200.

 The sashimi platter

Hugh Jackman - The Man, The Music, The Show

Friday 02 August 2019

Finally the day has arrived.

Dinner 6pm at Hiroba Japanese Restaurant in Strathfield with Lily, Kaylene, Justin, Janet, Evan, A. Cath, Bindy, Ange, Jacq, Mare and her friend, Peter.

Only 10 of us were going. Ended up, Lily went with Jacq, Mare and Peter via train to Olympic Park, while the rest of us went in two cars, driven by Evan and Justin.

Finished dinner around 7pm. Kaylene had a craving for bubble tea, so some of us went to Strathfield Plaza to get the drinks, while the rest walked home. Once we got our teas, the others caught the train and we walked home.

Left home just after 7.30pm and got to arena around 7.45pm. Got there and there was a long line to get bags checked, security, before entering the turnstiles.

Made our way to our seats and just as we got to our seats, the show started. Talk about timing.

He started the show with his hit from "The Greatest Showman". He then tells us that he always had a thing for numbers and rattles off his first phone number, the license plate of the family car and then the number of audience members in the arena, over 15,000.

This is the first night of his Australian tour in Sydney and the arena is packed.

He goes on to tell about his journey from his early years growing up in Turramurra, to his auditions, stage-shows and movies. Interspersing each with song and dance numbers.

He also played the part of Gaston in 'The Beauty and the Beast" and recreates the choreography whilst singing the song with his backup dancers and singers.

Mounting what was called The Man. The Music. The Show. involved 193 people, including a 20-piece orchestra, two singers, a children's choir, eight dancers, a compelling indigenous quartet and the striking voice of Keala Settle, who co-starred with Jackman in The Greatest Showman. He isn't quite that, but at 50 he's a long, long way down the road from where he started in Turramurra.

In the second half he comes out decked like a mirror ball to perform Peter Allen's greatest hits from "The Boy from Oz".

He performs numbers from Les Miserables - Jean Valjean's soliloquy and "One Day More". Joined by female singers who sing "I dreamed a dream".

He takes us back to the old Staurday afternoon movie musicals and performs "Singin in the Rain" "Over the Rainbow" and "Mack the Knife".

He gives the stage over to Walmatjarri and Bunuba blues singer Olive Knight who, with son Clifton Bieundurry and didgeridoo players Paul Boon and Nathan Mundraby, performs a number in Walmatjarri.

What a show - he sings, he dances and he performs, charming us all with his aussie personality. This is entertaiment plus.

After the show, we say goodbye to Jacq and Mare, who head off to catch the train. The rest of us wait for our Uber drivers to come and pick us up.  Traffic heading in and out is chaotic, but we manage to get home, just after Jacq and Mare do.