Tuesday, 25 December 2007

I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas

The Christmas message brought to you from Sydney Australia
by my husband and I (HRH Elizabeth England)
Our apartment pictured above is the building with the red roof!

It is Christmas Day and Keith has already been for a jog along Bondi beach, we have both been for a walk down to Bondi where there are crowds of people gathering on the beach all with Santa hats on getting ready to party!! (they do an orphans Christmas party for all those away from family at Christmas).
We have just had pimms and lemonade at Carmels house. Now we are off back to our roof terrace to bbq the fish we bought yesterday. It is tradition to get up in the middle of the night and get to Sydney fish market at the crack of dawn to buy your Christmas fish. So by bus, train and tram we arrived at the packed market at 6am. We bought King prawns, Tiger prawns, sword fish, trout and barramundi (Yum) No turkey!

We had an uneventful 24 hours of flying, we left Manchester at 10am Thursday morning which was -2 degrees, then 12 hours, 4 films and 3 meals later we landed in Singapore 26 degrees hotter! We had 3 hours to browse the shops in the airport before taking off for another 7 hour flight and 2 more meals to Sydney. Getting into Oz is quite strict, you are not allowed to bring in all sorts of things including wood & food (little did I know when I told the customs official that we had nothing to declare that most of Carmels Christmas pressies were edible! Chocolates, cakes and coffee!) still we got through unscathed.
Carmel met us at the airport and this was the start of a grand tour of exotic breakfast locations over the next few days. The first morning we went for breakfast with her close friend Matt to Brown Sugar. There is a great attitude to breakfast here it really is the best meal of the day. We had poached eggs, spinach, hash browns, bacon, cooked tomatoes and seeded bread and great coffe (I have a ‘flat white’ Carmel has a ‘long black and of course Keith has a ‘short black’!! The next morning we went to Gertrude and Alice book shop café for breakfast, then yesterday was Katipo café and so on, fab!!
We spent Christmas eve in the Opera bar at the Opera house drinking wine and soaking up the atmosphere. It is the most beautiful harbour very vibrant and lively.
It is great to be spending this time with Carmel.
Need to go now and light the Barbie
Happy Christmas everyone!!

6 comments:

Weltbuehne said...

Blackpool would have been cheaper. And they've got a tower.
Merry Christmas again.
Luv,
Paul

Siobhan's Gap Year said...

Dear Lizzie Drippin and Keith
It sounds like you are having a great time in Australia. I hope the christmas fish was very tasty. You are really making me so excited about getting to Australia next year. Thanks for all your messages to me on my travels.
loads of love to Carmie mustard i will email her soon.
Siobhan xxx

Liz and Keith ......on the beach said...

Hey Paul...Carmel and I are going to start a campaign for a Heidelberg blog...what do you think? will you join?

Hey Siobhan we went to Doyles Fish Restaurant today....you will love it!!

Sheilaabroad said...

Hey there,

Completely different to my Christmas! Freezing cold outside overheated indoors everywhere. Jealous of the free time you have, but hey who gets to moan about being in the Rockies! Happy Christmas and New Year. Will blog real soon when life gets calmer!

Sheila :-) xxx

Weltbuehne said...

Heidelberg blog? "I can't imagine what I'd have to say" (name that song). Except that Granny hits Heidelberg this very evening.

At the moment I'm quite happy smearing on other people's blogs (blogarrhoea), but the best of luck with your campaign.

Run that year down.
Luv,
Paul

Liz and Keith ......on the beach said...

Paul..... "How many times must we tell the tale?" ....."before you accuse me take a look at yourself" and start blogging then we can also blogarrhoea!