Sydney long weekend

Highlights were a quiet night in with Nick and Ant celebrating C's 68th Birthday. A less quiet night out celebrating C's birthday this time at Porteno restaurant in Surry Hills, a lovely Argentinian affair with some delectable food and wine. A hilarious time with The Big Bake complete with competitions and giggles and a feast of felafels to follow while catching up with a dear friend Ellen MacArthur. Brunches with family and friends, walking the superb Bondi to Coogee walk on a cold and blowy day. Exploring the Botanic Gardens in the City and Mrs Macquarie's Chair and sitting down to a slap up roast cooked to perfection by my two sons and the lovely Natasha.  

Bondi Beach 

Preparing for the Big Bake - we didn't win but we had a lot of fun. 

The Botanic Gardens 

Sitting in Mrs Macquarie's Chair 

The Floral wall in the Calyx is made of some 18000 plants which horticulturists spent many long hours planning to make it into a living unified image. The plants are mainly Heuchera in many colours and forms. It is truly magnificent. 

We ended our Botanic walk with a hot chocolate at Circular Quay at Guylian. We watched with some fascination two rainbow lorikeets swooping down when no one was looking, taking a packet of white sugar, flying to beyond reach and enjoying the sweet treat. They did this several times!