This local produce market has been one of the highlights of my 2012 Australian holiday so far. My mum has been coming here for years, but after all the times I’ve visited back home, this is the first time I made the effort to go myself.
It has made me so envious of the availability of delicious produce. Not only is there fresh local fruits and vegetables, but potted herbs, eggs, at least three different bakeries, flowers, and many stalls just selling the one thing they’ve got – local avocados, mushrooms or tomatoes.
Alongside the produce there’s a mini United Nations of vendors with easy to eat snacks. Last Saturday I tried Japanese Nikumaki, these funny little meat rice balls (amazing, especially with fresh green chillies and coriander sprinkled on top), and this week I watched a guy stretch out the dough by hand to make me a grilled Lebanese pancake, filled with spinach, feta, mushroom and pork mince. It was like a Lebanese quesadilla and it was delicious!
So, if you ever find yourself in this part of the world (southern end of the Gold Coast of Australia), check out the Palm Beach food & farmers’ market on a Saturday morning. Your taste buds will thank you!
After seeing this on TV last night, by this morning I am already looking up Amtrak fares to Philadelphia… and all for a sandwich! The roast pork and broccoli rabe sandwich at DiNic’s in the Reading Market Terminal.
A sweetly sized 39 room hotel in the centre of bustling Soho, the Dean Street Townhouse pretty much covers everything in my hotel wish list. It’s small – check, central – check, low key – check, good food that’s not stupid expensive – check. The Cowshed spa around the corner is an added bonus. Ever had one of their pedicures? if you haven’t you should – for the foot sanding alone!
The location is great – walk up to Chisou in Princes St for lovely Japanese food (restaurant ££, cafe £), catch a film at the lovely art deco Curzon cinema in Mayfair, splash some cash around at Liberty – the options are endless!
One of the more recent offerings from Nick Jones (Soho house, Cowshed), I can’t wait for the day where I’m a visitor in London so I have a legitimate reason to stay there!
Wow! I can’t wait until next year when ACT and I visit my family and friends in Australia. If only to stay in one of Andre’s Mews, in Melbourne.
A boutique hotel-apartment-mews in (my old neighborhood) Melbourne’s Richmond, Andre’s Mews not only looks lush, but has a wonderful story behind its existence. A few handfuls of individually designed apartments, built by the owner’s daughter over 8 years to fulfill his dream. It’s really worth checking out their ‘About Us‘ page and reading the full story. Full of love and character, this place is like something I’d love to create some day.
The picture below is of the 2 bedroom apartment, The Ellen done in a “sophisticated French city” style, but each room is individually designed, so there’s sure to be one you’ll love too! All apartments have a courtyard or terrace, internet connection, plasma TV, air-con and heating, and are walking distance to local shopping and the best Vietnamese food in the city.
Katie is off to Zurich with her job, and I’m off to a lovely little mews house in Bermondsey (thanks to Jeff). To soften the blow of our cohabitation in London coming to an end, the most fabulous Miss Dinon organised for us – and a couple of handfuls of her closest friends – to spend two weeks in the sun in September.
Katie and Cassandra are hosting their 30th birthday party in a gorgeous villa named Chateauneuf de Grasse, near Antibe, and I’m going for ten whole days!
This weekend I visited Zurich for the first time, and I’ve instantly fallen in love with the city. It does help that it was an unusually sunny and beautiful 27c on both days, but still – the place is gorgeous in every way. It’s noticeably lacking in hawkers, rubbish and unsavory humans; instead teeming with happy types, cute little independently-owned cafes and bars. It’s lush with trees, and then it’s got THAT lake. It was perfect for what I love to do most – eat, wander, drink, chat, nap… repeat as desired.
After a quick glass of Perrier Jouet in our suite (with terrace!) we headed out to dinner at Restaurant Seerose, right on the lake. We ate all manner of delicious seafood and met some lovely Zurich locals at the next table. One of these gorgeous locals has the most envious job of all time – he travels the world making over hotels. His latest project is the Hotel Eden Au Lac, a palace of a building right on the lake. We went back there and enjoyed a cocktail on the hidden roof terrace that has views of the city and lake – divine.
The next day just got better with some lovely macaroons from Sprungli, a wander through the flea market, a walk around the lake AND a bratwurst! That evening saw the BEST steak sandwich ever (I’m suspecting it’s all in the chive and garlic butter…) from the Park Hyatt, and a visit to Katie’s soon to be new house.
I’ve just been in Miami for some spring sunshine and this song came on the radio while I was driving across one of those amazing bridges over the turquoise water of the Florida Keys. It became the theme song of the holiday and I can’t stop listening to it… love it!
I ended up in the basement of EastGallery this afternoon, on the promise of a slideshow of travel photos accompanied by music. Seeing as it was in a gallery on Brick Lane in east London, I figured I was safe from any kind of experience like those of my childhood – Dad with the slide projector (ours had a remote control clicker, attached by a long lead) and one of my sorry siblings bashing out a tune on the piano.
SO – this was nothing like that. It was actually quite amazing! Thanasis Lomef Zacharopoulos (aka Lomef) has travelled the world with a camera and the eye of an artist, capturing some amazing moments in some spectacular places. And as we watched a selection of snaps roll across the screen, his merry band played some great music to accompany (including, a human beatbox by way of loop pedal!). I left inspired to travel more and take photos. Now who wants to get me that Canon G10 for xmas?
You can buy his book, 11×11, by clicking the image above.
Katie and I stumbled across the Michele Varian store in Crosby St, NYC on our visit there in September. We ended up getting some glass grapes that now feature in the GF lounge room wall of books and they look great!
I thought Michele Varian was one of those cool one-off mom & pop homeware and gift stores but after a little research, it seems it’s the brainchild of one fair lady from Detroit, who originally started off making pillowcases. She’s now slowly taking over the USA – there’s over 25 stores that stock her bits and you can even get things in Heals in the UK. Well there you go.
Apart from the fancy grapes, I noticed the enthusiasm for Edison light bulbs in the store, which I’d never really seen before. They create quite an amazing effect in their yellow flickering goodness! I found a lighting store around the corner and bought one (at $19.95 each – most expensive light bulb ever!) so now just waiting until I find the right lamp to put it in.
It has made me so envious of the availability of delicious produce. Not only is there fresh local fruits and vegetables, but potted herbs, eggs, at least three different bakeries, flowers, and many stalls just selling the one thing they’ve got – local avocados, mushrooms or tomatoes.
