Mandy and I lived in my cousin’s apartment right in the middle of one of the greatest cities!  We were there 4 days, and had more than our handful of walking a dog, walking around, and shopping.  It was quite an adventure being in a small apartment with over sized furniture and a 6 month old puppy.  It was fun, but definitely a lot of hard work and walking. We had a great time and I really appreciate my cousin letting us stay at his place. It’s an awesome place and he’s got a great dog. It was super fun to be able to walk everywhere and have some really good local food…and pizza! We really had a good time and didn’t do too much site seeing other than go to the famous Apple store and I bought Mandy a Tiffany’s Dragon Fly Pendant.  Also Critchet and his fabulous girlfriend Gina drove up from the D.C. area to hang out and visit with us!  We had one hell of night on the town Thursday Night.

Julia Roberts Intro

Burnin Down the House!

Sledgehammer!

So Damn Lucky!

Full First Dance Video so no one forgets:

And a behind the scenes look of us practicing! God I miss my wife!!!

Anyway, tonight’s email is short as Zeus has compiled a photo montage of our trip for your enjoyment. We’re looking forward to coming home and we’ll see you all soon.

Thanks for joining us in our adventures!

Mandy & Zeus

“Another winter day, has come and gone away…
And I feel all alone, and I want to go home… let me go home…
Let me go hooooommmmmeee, I’m just to far from where you are and I want to go home…”"
- Michael Buble

Today was a glorious day and here’s why:

1) Slept late and thus got a late start

2) The sun was trying to come out

3) Went to Pylon Lookout where the sun DID come out for the remainder of the day

4) Spent the afternoon at Sydney’s Oldest Hotel & Brewery- Lord Nelson’s- and had the BEST meal we’ve had our entire time here…more to come.

That’s right today was glorious. We weren’t expecting the sun to come out, but when I woke up this morning and looked out the window, I noticed it was trying to make its way out; however, we still dressed warmly and brought our umbrella b/c we figured it would end up raining anyway.

So we got a move on and decided to go to Pylon Lookout, which is at the top of the one of the pylons connected to the bridge. Surprisingly, they do not hold the bridge up; they were built merely for aesthetics. However, the top provides a spectacular view of the harbour, the Opera House, the bridge and the city skyline. It was awesome, as the warm sunshine shone down upon us. On the way up the 200 steps, you know how we love climbing steps, they had interesting trivia about the bridge and the men who built the bridge. I can’t recall any of the facts at the moment (b/c our afternoon finished at the Lord Nelson Brewery- you do the math) but they were fascinating none the less.

Moving along, we got some great photos from up there and video, so I hope you enjoy. And oh…if there’s no video posted its b/c it usually takes a while for Zeus to edit and upload it, so “no worries mates” it will be posted eventually.

Anyway, afterwards, we were trying to decide what to do. I mean after all, according to my husband I’ve managed to cram most everything there is to see in Sydney into two hours. Well, we decided to go to the oldest pub in town and I’m so glad we did b/c there we had the best meal ever and our brainchild for solving the “crappy food crisis” that Sydney is facing. So we ordered the fish and chips which were battered and tempura fried, served with a wasabi mayo- which was surprisingly sweet not spicy- with a side order of potato wedges with sweet, chili sauce. It was heavenly and the most flavorful food we’ve had since we arrived. Seriously…who knew the best food was at the oldest pub around. I think we may be going back tomorrow. Anyway, it was here while towards the end of our first beer and onto the second one, that I (we- I say I b/c it was really more me) who had this genius idea of starting a restaurant down here in Sydney . Hear me out people…if for no other reason than a good laugh.

It’s called the “Crazy Cajun Cuban” (uh-huh…can some of you already see where I’m going with this?). While it’s a restaurant downstairs, it’s a bar upstairs, where naturally the “Bikini Tini” franchise will go. Anyway, back to the restaurant/bar, here’s how this operation will play out:

• Mandy & Zeus- Owners/wait staff (we’ll be able to apply for the Women/Minority Business Owner if Australia has that).
• Captain & Dwight- You’re responsible for catching the “catch of the day”; and possibly cooking it if needed.
• Mamma Debbie- Executive Chef on the Cajun side
• Mami Mirian- Executive Chef on the Cuban Side
• Admiral (Mom)- Sous Chef and quality control, managing plate presentation
• Jill y Tato- CFO’s (one of you is finance and one of you is accounting, so you can work it out)
• Laura- Head Little Dude in Charge (Laura has the ability to get anything done, so I figured she can sorta just oversee everything)
• Tim & Jason- Heads of Security (one of you is a cop and one of you is military trained- duke it out boys over who gets to be Director and who is Manager- we don’t really care- you can rotate weeks if you’d like)
• Becky- as my official Bikini Tini partner, well, she’ll over see this venture of expanding the franchise out here, and will remain as Director of Marketing/PR
• Meredith- since you have a similar background, I thought you could oversee the marketing and direct mail efforts
• Katy…bar and restaurant manager extraordinaire

So that’s our (my) genius idea for curing the “crappy food” epidemic Sydney is facing. We don’t care what the executive chefs want to serve on what days, we just know it will be a gagillion (that’s the numerical word for GINORMOUS) times better than what we’ve had so we’re looking forward to it.

So, I’m interested in your thoughts. If you’d like to play a different role in this family venture, hey we’re flexible it’s all negotiable, we just thought this is where we all naturally fall in.

So…as you can see, today was one of our more mellow days and we were ok with that. We came back to the hotel early and I’ve sorted our dirty laundry and packed us so we don’t have much to do tomorrow and can just enjoy the day and evening, and Zeus has edited some video for your enjoyment.

Just click below and enjoy. Until tomorrow…we miss everyone lots and will see you soon.

Mandy & Zeus

Here is Video Album of Sydney

Bridge Pylon

Our tale goes a little something like this…

Our driver Rob picked us up promptly at 7:30. It was us and another American couple from…can you guess? Close to Merry Hill, NC? Elizabeth City, NC. Kidd you you not! Turns out Fran is a wildlife biologist and her husband Tom is a pilot for the Coast Guard and they have two girls, who are ballerinas! They were very nice. We next moved to the Marriott to pick up newlyweds Logan and Kerry…a.k.a high maintenance. Kerry is a teacher (shout out to the teachers) but jobs are hard to come by out there so she’s currently a nanny (which must pay a boatload b/c they’ve done some extensive traveling and I don’t know how they’ve paid for it) b/c Logan just completed Pharmacy school two weeks before they got married, so we know he wasn’t making any money. Now they were very sweet, don’t get me wrong. They were nice and friendly and outgoing, and they promptly let us know they were honeymooners and had been married for a week. I can remember that feeling so it was fun to reminisce…shout out to Jill and Micheal who get to experience this themselves in April.

Moving along, within 20 minutes of the trip out of town, she busts out with her makeup case yet she had a full face of “going out” make up on. Who does that? It’s wet and rainy and icky outside. It was all I could do to put on foundation, bronzer and mascara! Notice I went with the hat and didn’t even bother to wash my hair b/c there was no point! Again….moving along.

Our first stop was at Featherdale Wildlife Park. These parks are really sanctuaries where injured animals, native animals, are nursed back to good health and live out the remainder of their days. Now here’s what was so fantastic about this place. We first pet a wombat (see photos of me and “Bubba Wombat”). Then we finally got to pet a koala! His name was Charlie and he was chillin, chompin on his eucalyptus branch, while the white girl and Hispanic (the only one on the island I’ve decided) pet him (see photos). Then we grabbed an ice cream cone full of kangaroo food and went to fed the kangaroos and I kidd you not… “Bubba Kangaroo” came right up, gently grabbed my wrist holding the cone (like my puppies do when they paw at me to get on the couch) and started to eat from my hand. It was incredible and so much fun! I’m so excited we stopped off at this place b/c it had been the best yet. Enjoy the photos and the video.

Now, it’s at this point, that we have high maintenance drama moment #2… on of the roos’ was feeling a bit randy and “LA” was holding an umbrella. Well, this one roo sorta followed us all around and at one point, wanted to play and so started hopping around her and the umbrella, and she totally freaked out… it’s at this point that her new husband ran off laughing his ass off and leaving his blushing bride to fend for herself…it’s at this point she starts screaming “help, get it away!” I looked at Zeus and said, “had she gone Caesar Milan on it’s ass, it probably would have backed off!” However, we can’t all be married to Caesar Milan, so her loss.

We continued throughout the park and finally got to see a Tasmanian Devil! I was so excited b/c we hadn’t seen one up until this point. He’s he little black critter in photos. We also saw a beautiful white peacock. I really wish he would have spread his feathers b/c he was so pretty, but I guess that would have required pissing him off and I wasn’t going to go there. Ohhh…I forgot to mention that while in the roo area, we saw a mamma with her joey…finally. Which reminded me, of the white wallabys you’ll see. The things sticking out from her belly, are her joeys legs. it was really funny to see.  And an interesting fact about kangaroos, they can suspend the development of a joey is conditions in the wild are bad (such as drought). The longest a roo was pregnant was six years b/c she suspended development until she felt the conditions were right. Can you imagine!?

Moving along, we left there and started making our way to the mountains. Our first couple of stops were just really interesting places to look out and see the majestic mountains before us. Picture the Grand Canyons but with trees. Seriously. Anyway, while at one of our first points we learned that a man had recently thrown his wife and adopted daughter (she was from a previous marriage) over the mountains. Oh but don’t worry, they were dead well before he threw them over. He apparently told everyone they had gone abroad, but since he was stupid and running his mouth, someone investigated and tracked his cell phone and what he was saying didn’t add up to where his cell phone was putting him. Interestingly enough, he was busted when Dingos literally found the bodies and dragged them onto a trail where they were discovered recently… a month later. What kinda of psycho does that?!

Again….let us keep moving along. We had lunch at the Imperial Hotel, which had actual fires and it was very lovely. Lunch was ok…we learned through our American touring buddies, that we all dislike the food b/c it has no flavor. Anyway, we headed for the Blue Mountain park entrance officially and onto the cable car to take us down into the mountains. Now, prior to reaching the official entrance, we went to a lookout point and could hear the rushing sounds of a GINORMOUS waterfall. We couldn’t see it, but we heard it. Remember this, because I’m coming back to it it.

I need to again pause for high maintenance drama moment 3. We were joking (well half joking) about the leeches getting on us if we walked down the stairs (937 of them, which you know after the bridge climb we were NOT about to do), and opted to taking the cable car. Well, “LA” totally flipped out. People, it would have taken an act of God for a leech to shimmy up my pant leg and start sucking… it was not going to happen, yet her drama only fed our fun.

Anyway, we took the cable car down, hope you enjoy the video. It was a neat little 4 minute ride and then began our trek through the “rain forest”. Interesting fact- if and when you see photos of a GINORMOUS tree, you should know that this is the third largest tree in the world behind the red woods and sequoias of our national parks. It’s some kind of eucalyptus tree.

Moving along, we made our way around a small portion of the park, coming to the entrance of the old cole mine, now it’s at this point that I want to draw your attention to the photo of Zeus “drinking” water… now, remember that waterfall I mentioned? You’re looking at it. I swear, they said that’s the waterfall, makes no sense I know, but it’s the truth, and I only tell the truth in these emails.

In the following photos, you’ll see the “Three Sisters” in the background. Aboriginal legend has it (long story, short version) these three sisters were given the opportunity to learn what the men do and how to hunt. During their first lesson with their dad who was the tribe leader, they were watching their dad hunt, when he got distracted going after a lizard. Well, they started to play and were throwing rocks and sticks at each other and one went over the cliff (the rock, not the sister) and into the billabong (a large pool of water) and woke up the yettti like creature that they call something else, but it escapes me as I write this. Anyway, dad is deep in the forest and the yetti starts to attack and he hears their screams, and the yetti has them pinned against the cliff, so dad turned them into rocks to preserve their souls. Well, now this upset the yetti thing b/c he’s missed out on his meal of three women so he turns his attention to dad. Dad, pinned against the cliffs, turns himself into a bird, but looses the “bone” (not a wand) that he needs to do his magic, but barley escapes. Legend has it, he returned to find the bone, but the bone, and the yetti were gone, never to be seen again.

Anyway, after the old mining area, we had reached our railroad destination. It’s at this point I want to draw you attention to the laugh out loud sign by the world’s steepest railroad… it reads, and I don’t lie b/c you can read it for yourself…

CAUTION: This is the steepest funicular (what? that’s what I asked-and it was in italics on the sign) railway in the world! 52 degrees, 128% or 1 in 1.28 (this translates to steep as shit)
DO NOT leave valuables, infants, or cameras loose on the seat beside you as they can fall off and may be lost or damaged.

Now tell me you did not just laugh out loud when you put “infants” and “can fall off or be lost or damaged” together. We all about fell out reading that before we got on this thing. Well, needless to say, we can’t imagine what the ride was like down, b/c we only took it up and it was scary as poo poo (shout out Natalia). There were no seat belts or shoulder bar like at Disney and this little railroad hauled hiney up the mountain. Enjoy the photos…and remember…hold on to your infants people.

So, we made it to the top, where it was time to board the bus and head back. Our driver drove us to the ferry and we had our night harbour cruise so that was at least $125 per person saved. Upon arriving, we bid LA and her husband, Tom and Fran adieu and went in search of crappy food. I finally had some of those GINORMOUS prawns, a.k.a. shrimp, and this time Zeus has the fish and chips and another liquid dessert.

And speaking of which, you went and made a liquid dessert,right? Did you not just love it?! It’s our new fav drink. Plan for it at the wine tasting.

Have a great Monday America, and until tomorrow…enjoy the photos and video tomorrow…
Mandy & Zeus

The Blue Mountains

Today was day seven of our 10 day trip and it was a fantastic day and here’s why:

1. Slept late and had french toast and waffles for breakfast
2. Didn’t get moving and out the door until 1
3. Did the Rocks Walking Tour
4. Walked through the Royal Botanic Gardens
5. Had a wonderful dinner at Wolfies finished off with a lovely liquid dessert in which I’ve provided you the recipe

While the weather was back to being soggy and dreary, we took our time finding our motivation this morning. We didn’t get moving until 1ish or so and then only because we wanted to make the Rocks Walking Tour…and we did. And we were so glad we did because joining this tour explained many of the old sights we’ve passed as we’ve been walking around, but also showed us other parts of the Rocks that we haven’t yet explored, but will do so in our last few days.

I need to pause here and tell you though, how tired our legs are from yesterday’s bridge climb. Our calves are killing us and walking up and down the hills while hiking through the Rocks was not easy. After the Rocks, we did the Royal Botanic Gardens and I swear it feels like my hip joints have widdled away against the hip sockets and there’s nothing left. And I know I’m going to have a “Charlie-horse” in on of my calves before I return home! And oh GOD…how those hurt!

Moving along, on the Rocks tour, we learned all about the glorious convict history that Sydney was founded upon…literally. We saw original roads, leftover homes (you’ll notice the fireplace in one of the first pictures, the “dead house” or as we call them today the morgue. You’ll know you’re looking at the “dead house” when you see in the foreground, construction walls that read “no parking.” Interestingly enough, while converting a church into a nightclub (I know… can you believe it?) they uncovered a road believed to be 150 years old, that has now become an archaeological dig. How cool, huh?!

Anyway, back to the tour on the Rocks, the first photo is the fireplace of a home that was beneath the stairs, and the photo after wards is the store house were goods were well…stored. We moved on to Cadaman’s Cottage which was the home of the “boat guard” or the man who serviced the boats upon arrival. he was a convict who was granted freedom in return for his services. He became a free man and repaired the ships when the came into port. The photo of Zeus with the random rocky floor behind him, is the original flooring in that home and in the other room, where you can make out a pipe, is when they finally installed some form of sewage system in the 1900s. Until then, water and sewage just ran down from the top of the Rocks, into the Harbour…they said you knew you were coming upon the Rocks when you smelled it. I got video of out tour guide in front of the cottage so I hope you enjoy it.

Moving along, we next saw the Sailors Home. A lot of times, sailors would “defect” upon arrival to join the gold rush so a church pulled their resources to create the Sailors Home in order to keep them close to port. I want to detour for a moment from our Tour on the Rocks and let you know another fun fact…ever heard the term “shanghaied”? Well, when sailors would “defect” women would lure them up to the bars, get them good and liquored up, club them over the head, drop them down a hole, which lead back to the harbour, where they ended up back on a boat and by the time they woke up, they were back out at sea and part of someone elses crew…thus they were shanghaied…interesting huh?

We then rounded the corner which put us at the tip of Campbell’s Point, named after a Scottish man, who built his business up to become the premier importer and exporter of goods for Sydney. You can see the shops, which are now restaurants in the background (one that we ate at this evening).

The next photos you see (of me through a window) are the top part of what used to be a house. Enjoy the video that follows.

On our way to see the part of the Rocks that we didn’t know was there, we passed the Sydney Observatory and Zeus’ future car on the left. We headed into Milsner’s Point and went to the Military (pronounced Mil-a-tree, not military) Church, St. Agnes. I want to give a shout out here, since after all this is a Military church, the oldest in Australia to be exact, to those in Iraq representing our great nation…one guy in particular…Jason T. Maris…he’s a sailor folks…not a soldier! You’ll notice two sets of pews in this church. The original church was built up to the columns but expnaded and side doors added so the military could come in and sit along the outside pews to attend the church services. What’s also interting to note about this church, the large stain glass window which costs 100 pence to have commissioned (which was in those time what a family’s annual income may be) was so cherished that it was removed during WWII (for fear of being broken), pane by pane, taken to the Blue Mountains for safe keeping and returned when the war ended.

Another side note, history fact, when England is at war so is Australia. However, when I asked our tour guide from the wine trip about Australia’s participation in Iraq, sicne Tony Blair supported us, he said that in that case, when it’s a “decision of consiouness” they declined. However, if America were ever invaded, they would be there to defend us. Just FYI…

The tour concluded outside of Greenway Ally, where the famous convict/architect Francouis Greenway is recognized. He built many historical buildings in Sydney but was not recognized for many years b/c the crimes he committeed were for fraud. He was good at forging stuff.

The following photos were taken from Campbel’s Point again. We took a photo of climbers on the bridge so you add a sense of how high up we were yesterday! We then decided to head over to the Botanic Gardens. We were hoping to eat at the restaurant but they had just closed so we walked around. As you can see, they have bats that live in the trees. Appearantly, the often squabble amonst themselves and their fights are tearing up the trees so the country in considerin moving them elsewhere so they don’t destroy the gardens.

Anyway, the gradens were wet, but very fragrant. I can only imagin however, was kind of sneezing fit would have resulted if the flowers were in full bloom and not drowned in water, so I’d say, it was actually good that we vistied when we did.

We finished our afternoon/early evening walking back around the Opera House and had dinner at Wolfie’s where we chatted with a nice American family from Atlanta (shout out to “Hotlanta!”). The Sydneysiders redemmbed themselves, food wise, with this restaurant. Zeus has he surf and turf, steak and shrimp on steriods, as he called them, and I had griled chicken breast stuffed with cheese and sundried tomatoes in a balsamic, chick pea salsa. It was YUMMY! We finised the night off with a Tolberone… a yummy creamy, liquid drink, which we sucked down for desert made with Bailey’s, Kahlua, Frangelico, honey and cream, cruched with ice. I’ve taken the liberty to look up the drink for you. So since it’s Sunday morning, hit the liquor store after church (so you won’t feel as guilty) and get the needed ingredients and finish off your weekend with this liquid treat!

We’re hitting the Blue Mountains tomorrow so until then…have a wonderful and relaxing Sunday!
M & Z

Day 7 The Rocks

P.S.
The photos of the guy and girl you see… one- John Travolta called and he wants his suit back…and two..seriously, who would ever wear a lacy monstracity like that in the States. I’m starting to question their fahsion sense here…I’m moving past the shoes nightmare.

Toblerone recipe