Comatose on Manly Beach

Sydney Harbor Bridge


alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5252709145597827858" /> Wall to wall surfers on the beach but I'm not one to complain



Opera House
Sydney Tower





My head feels much better today, thank you very much. We had a night of hard partying the other day and my middle-aged body couldn't shake off whatever excesses it had indulged in, in just several hours. Nowadays it takes about two days for my old bones and my cobwebby brain to get back on track.

And so Kitty decided that I should recuperate amidst nature and beautiful surroundings. So again, along with our posse, we hauled my comatose body off to Manly Beach. First, we took a boat ride and gawked at the enchantment on the water that is Sydney. Spectacular!

And then we had the worst eggs Benedict ever in a cafe by the shore--yuck! After that, we trudged over a few steps to Manly beach and collapsed on the sand for hours. I fell asleep, while the rest frolicked and people-watched. The surf was fierce and I caught sight of real jaw-dropping surfer hunks--mission accomplished!

Quaintness Defined

A hungry customer.
Another hungry customer

Very good wine from Williamette, Oregon, a region which is slowly making the world notice their Columbia River-fed fertile vineyards, which grow Pinot Gris grapes beautifully.
Steamed Mussels

Sirloin Steak
Crab Cakes

The view of the sunset on the drive home after dinner at 9:30 pm.

We discovered the quaintest little restaurant in the back countries of the Pacific Northwest, specifically, on Chuckanut Road. The name of the road on which it sits should be a dead give-away of its remoteness. It is nestled between a mountain and the ocean, tucked away under huge oak trees and hanging vines. It is made completely of wood and done in an A-frame suggestive of Swiss chalets.

It is called Oyster Bar because of their oysters, which are caught off of the surrounding Samish Bay. It has a wrap-around wooden porch over-looking the water. The rest is typical of five-star restaurants: starched, white linen, heavy silver, black-aproned service staff, leather-bound menus, and steep prices.

We all concurred that the restaurant was quaint, gushing and sighing, until we opened the menu and saw the price points.

The food was okay--nothing earth shaking. The winner was their bread, which was crusty outside yet airy and light on the inside. I don't know if this place is worth another visit. How much do you think is the view worth?

Into the Woods

My little wood sprite!

We went camping over the weekend at Aloutte Lake. Yes, roughing it up for real: no electricity, and sleeping in tents in the forest.

Camping has been one of my favourite things of all time and I had been looking forward to this trip for a whole year. I had taken the children twice before but the last time was five years ago and they hardly remember anything.

We had to set up our own tents. Ours was a Coleman three-bedroom, six-sleeper, which has lasted us years. So if you.'re looking to buy, Coleman is the go-to brand for camping equipment. We used Coleman propane grills to cook and gas lanterns for light. Outhouses served as commodes and public baths a few hundred meters away with freezing cold water were available for wash ups and showers. Our faces stung when we washed with ice cold water and they turned raw and red on the second day. We couldn't feel our hands and tongues and it felt like electricity was shooting into our teeth when we brushed. We built a fire with real firewood and kept it running all day for heat until we went to bed.

I banned all electronic toys so we were left with our imagination and the forest as backdrop to entertain ourselves, so we went on long hikes during the day and gathered around the fire roasting hotdogs and marshmallows and telling stories after sunset. At night, when the entire camp was cloaked in total darkness and only the dancing flames from the bonfire cast magical shadows on the trees and the forest floor, we were transported to a different world--something akin to Hans Christian Andersen's. Bidi mastered the art of chopping wood the primitive way--with a trusty ax. He loved it, by the way--controlled violence was how he described it.

Belli, Pippi, and Mouse loved roasting marshmallows and hotdogs over the fire and I was in heaven because one of our camp mates brought longganisa for breakfast, which is all I need to be a happy camper even in the most primitive of settings--have longganisa, will camp!

Although it was freezing, the scenery was breathtaking so we had the time of our lives. On the ride home I asked the kids, which trip they enjoyed more, the cruise to Alaska or camping in Aloutte Lake. They said camping, unanimously. I had hoped to hear that.