Art Gallery of NSW - David to Cezanne

Coming soon - 22 Sept - 5 December
See this wonderful collection of master drawings from the Prat Collection, Paris without having to leave Australia

An in- depth exploration of the development of French art over the 19th century through drawings by David, Ingres, Gericault, Delacroix, Millet, Manet, Degas, Moreau, Seurat, Cezanne and others.

Spring Fashion Celebrations

Sunday 29 August

In conjunction with the Sydney Spring Fashion Festival, William Street, Paddington came alive yesterday with a celebration to fashion. The street was closed off and the shop owners came out onto the pavements.

A few 'happy'  snaps to put a spring in your step

 Collette Dinnigan
'sparkles'

The Australian Centre of photography in Oxford Street also joined in the salute to fashion with these wonderful models wearing beaded cloches.

Ginger & Smart

Friday 28 August

No this isn't about food. Ginger & Smart is a well known and much coveted Australian fashon label.
Here's a look at their spring window display in William Street, Paddington.

More on Food

Thursday 25 August 2010

Fruit
What better way to finish off a meal than by having a healthy serving of fruits. Oranges are brimming full of Vitamin C; bananas are a great energy booster and an apple a day is sure to keep the doctor away. Berries to are fantastic as they contain massive amounts of antioxidant compounds called anthocyanins that reduce free-radicals in the body, helping to slow down the aging process.

Vegetable, Spice and Lemongrass (all found in Asian dishes)

Beetroot contains no fat, is an excellent blood cleanser and a good source of fibre.
Saffron aids digestion and helps to relieve fatigue and exhaustion.
Lemongrass is a good cleanser that detoxifies the liver, pancreas, kidneys, bladder and digestive tract. It also cuts down 'bad' cholesterol, excess fats and other toxins in the body while stimulating digestion and blood circulation.


Vegetablesn the more exotic side....Saffron aids digestion and helps to relieve fatigue and exhaustion.

The French House

Thursday 19 August 2010

If it's the French experience you're looking for, save yourself the airfare, and head to The French House, Dank Street, Waterloo. Their cakes and pasteries match any I've tasted in Paris, and their coffee is so much better.  With an in-house French Chef the food is sublime, and the ambience, irrestible. This is an "affair to remember".

We are what we eat - balanced health =s a better body

Eat well to be well and you'll live well

With Spring vegetables hitting the markets it's time for to re-visit conscious food selection and mindful eating.

To stay healthy  be aware of what you eat (that includes everything you eat)
A well balanced diet must contain the right amount of carbohydrates, fats, proteins,
vitamins, minerals and fibre.
Make sure you eat at least five serves of vegetables everyday to provide you with
the essential vitamins and minerals which will help to boost your immune system.

Herbs not only add flavour and aroma to your food, but have healing properties as well.
Parsley helps to cure some stomach ailments, while Rosemary cures headaches, and mint is good for colds.

Sundays are for relaxing

Sundays I  chill out, catch up with friends and try new things.

Today was no exception. I met a couple of friends for a casual lunch at the recently opened Madam Char Char, in Crown Street, Surry Hills - chicken and salads with an exotic edge. Good prices, but the three supposedly different salads, served with a quarter chicken, were a little too crunchy and all tasted the same to me. The chicken was also a little chewy.


En route to the cafe I walked past the Imperial Hotel on Oxford Street, Paddington. It's in the process of a total make-over to celebrate 100 years since it opened. Once it re-opens the roof top terrace with harbour views is sure to become a 'hot' spot with the locals.

The Imperial Hotel

Another old building that caught my eye was this little gem in Hay Street, Haymarket, near the light rail stop.

Nearby, the fruit and vegetable market at Market City is always a buzzy place to visit.

It's a while since I've been to Glebe so was pleased to be invited to a friend's book launch at Glebe Books. Ani Lin by Pip Griffin is the smolderingly beautiful story of a Tibetan Nun. It's written in a form that captures the heart and mind; an ideal gift. Also noted that Glebe is loosing its grunge and taking on a more sophisticated look.

Glebe Books

With Spring in my step

Walking through Paddington this morning I spied the first of this year's freshias pushing their pretty scented heads through a wrought iron fence. Not so pretty  -  the appearance on Oxford Street of what can best be described as "Poo pants"  - those casual light weight baggy pants with a dropped, low slung crutch line. Women out there be warned this is not a good look from behind. It may be a fashion statement but it's certainly not flattering.
The reason for my morning walk - to view London based master ceramicist Jennifer Lee's bowls and pots. Things of great yet simplistic beauty, sculptured to achieve visual perfection and priced from $2,500 to $15,000 (pictured). All are timeless collector's items.

Life  always opens up for me after a good cup of coffee. At today's cafe of choice, a Sydney Institution, I perched on a pavement stool at Bar Coluzzio in Darlinghurst Road, Darlinghurst  watching the passing parade and savouring their truly aromatic brew. I'll be back as it was a happy experience.

Selling coconuts and fruit juices at a Hawker's stall at Changi Point

where we caught the Bum Boat to Pulau Ubin

A Spire on a Mosque with a very different style to those in Istanbul

A pretty row of 'old' Singapore style houses

Beyond the shutters - a peep inside

Old style houses contrast with the concrete of the city

Evening fashion reflected against an Asian background

Visiting Tanjong Pagar - not far from Chinatown but a world apart

Much to my delight the Singapore of old still exists, you've just got to know where to find it.

I'll be returning at Christmas ready to sus out more 'hidden gems'.

A Singapore Sling

In complete contrast to the dry heat of Istanbul my next stop-over was in  the steamy tropical heat of Singapore. It snows in Istanbul, but the temperature in Singapore remains constant all year round.

Photographs

Rochester Park - a pleasant place for an evening meal.

The bum-boat to Pulau Ubin, 15 minutes ride from Changi Point plus shots taken on Pulau Ubin - a great place for cycling and bush walking beside the sea.

The cat that got the cream. 

Geylang district is worth visiting if you're looking to capture 'old' Singapore.

A funky Cafe/Bar in  Bali Lane.

The photographer and the baby monkeys.

Old and new side by side.

with more to come.....................

A Rudd-er-less election in a winter weary city

This is what I awoke to this morning, a grey overcast Sydney minus its usual sparkle. After a hot,sunny and mentally stimulating Istanbul I'm suffering withdrawal symptoms. In Sydney by contrast there's a winter weary population sporting visible signs of too much winter comfort food and too little exercise, and gloom over a Rudd - er -less Federal election that's looming. If you're heading for Istanbul (that place again) make sure to do some hill training before you go as it's a very up and down city
2 views from my apartment looking over the terrace houses of Paddington this morning.

Their Istanbul equivalent... Ottoman style houses in Sultanhamet and on the shores of the Bosphorous.

After the antiquity of Istanbul (that place yet again) I'm out searching for signs of this country's not too long ago past. The best I could do today was to photogragh photographs of Bondi Junction then (1936) and now.

To link the two, a bit of history....Istanbul changed its name from Constantinople to Istanbul in 1930.
I'm not a travel writer but perhaps I should consider sharing my travel observations good, bad and sometimes just plain ugly, with you?

Coming up - a pictorial account of the things that I did and saw in tropical Singapore.