We had a wonderful August, split across several cities and catching up with lots of friends. I had written a wishlist before we went to Australia and I think we got to all of them!
Adventures in Darwin...
Saturdays are laksa at the Parap markets, I'm still a big fan of the original Mary's laksa...
Afternoon tea treats (love a vanilla slice!) with members of my original string quartet - both the cellist and violist have family in Darwin so they organised a trip up to visit us. We organised some music sessions as well and got to play some Beethoven string quartets, the Schumann piano quintet and the Mozart clarinet quintet!
A market haul from Rapid Creek markets, my Sunday morning ritual. Lots of fresh veggies, the first mangoes of the season, tiny local bananas that G loved, and fresh rice noodles!
We were given this bottle of wine on the flight up to Darwin by a stewardess who just adored G and our crazy love story. She took it out of business class, wrapped it up in a plastic bag and slipped it to us! Also loved the mangoes in the NT
Spicy charcoal chicken from Laksa House - an old Darwin favourite available only on Friday/Saturday nights. You can smell the chicken as you drive past on the highway!
A dumpling dinner we had, with a side of snake beans and some seaweed salad
We had such a lovely time in Darwin, I just loved the lifestyle there and going to the beach for sunset - we made it for almost every sunset that I wasn't working, which was quite a lot! We finished our Australian trip with 10 days in Sydney/Newcastle visiting family and friends.
Hotpot at my dad's home - what a spread!
Fresh lettuce from my dad's garden
Snow peas from seeds that I saved from my garden several years ago - I quite enjoyed picking them off the vine and feeding them to the baby!
A lovely takeaway lunch I had with a friend - japchae, kimchi, fish tofu, fresh corn and fresh salmon sashimi (the fish fingers and chips were for the kids)
We went to Newcastle for a few days to visit my elderly music friend with whom I used to play piano duets and piano/violin duets often. We kept each other going during COVID when things were tough. She was delighted to meet my son and it was lovely to play together again! Here was a dinner she put on for us, lots of meat and potatoes and a cauliflower gratin.
Fish and chips at the beach!
We also got together with some other music friends to play the Schumann piano quintet, and this was a vegan potluck dinner we had together afterwards - two types of salad, falafel and tabouli, a stirfry and some roasted cauliflower and pumpkin. Music and food go well together!
We finished our Australian trip with a monster 33 hour trip home to Paris - note to self, babies don't travel well! On the first leg to Guangzhou he didn't sleep at all and when he finally fell asleep at the airport, I ducked off to Family Mart to get this sushi "burger". That was the culinary highlight of our trip home... we are still recovering from the jetlag.
Curveball time
Simply, baby discovers mango at the beach. Not sure if he ate more mango or sand! He got his first two teeth in Darwin and started to practise walking - he's growing up fast!
Sending this to Sherry of Sherry's Pickings who hosts the monthly IMK series - thanks Sherry and have a great month everyone!
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