Singapore Airport Selfie
Simply the finest cookie in the world.
Best if bought in Oz or NZ.
Saturday, February 25, 2017
Pictures from the Aboriginal Art Display at the NGV in Victoria
Not aboriginal art
Aboriginal art
A bat hanging upside-down.
Bird
Amazing colors.
Pics From Hawaii
Everyone's all like "oh you are so lucky to be diverted to Hawaii." We would have rather passed on the honor and gotten home sooner, but we did get to go for a short walk whilst we were there. And, after I swore we'd never stay at Waikiki, we did, but at least American Airlines paid for it.
View from our hotel
Diamond Head selfie
Waikiki Hotels/condos
Pictures From Perth
View of Perth from Kings Park
Cottesloe Beach
Swan Valley vineyards
Flooding in the Swan Valley -- the water
usually stops at the second set of trees.
A Cormorant on the banks of the Swan River
Seeing these on the Swan
is NOT a Black Swan event.
Perth
Perth, travelers, from Kings Park
Susie and Kim Beazley
Barrels of wine at the Sandalford winery
Semillon grapes
Beer tasting (the glass on the
left of the five is hard cider)
Foodie Afternoon
Our next activity was an afternoon foodie tour of Auckland -- I found this website and signed us up. Our guide, Ander, is an American woman who recently graduated from Auckland University, and works as both the company's marketing director and occasional tour guide.
The tour was great, as was Ander. It was just us and a mom/son from Delaware. The son (Noah) is doing a gap year before starting college at Denison U. and the mom was over visiting for nine days or so (the dad was touring UVA with the younger sister).
We made six stops, walking all over Auckland. At each, we tasted some food, and Ander talked about the restaurant/shoppe and the owners, as well as other info on the Auckland food scene (which, after a weekend, we are quite impressed by), as well as life in NZ.
Our first stop was at a dessert place, Miann. We each had a macaroon, which were good. The store is owned by a couple who loved macaroons and could not find good ones in Auckland. So, they started the pastry shop (it's far more than just macaroons). The counter of desserts/pastries is mouth-watering to look at.
We then headed out to Al's Deli, where we tasted their plateau bites, described on the menu as "delicious boneless Buttermilk Chicken, covered in secret spices." "Delicious" is the right word to describe the little chicken bites, about the the size of McNuggets, but much better tasting.
We also had fried pickles, which were actually NOT pickle spears as I'm used to, but instead thin slices. The beer tasting was also quite good.
From there we hiked up the hill toward Albert Park to Scarecrow, an organic food store/restaurant that also sells flowers. According to its website, Scarecrow is an urban farmers market. Cool trendy people hang out there, but we were allowed in anyhow. Apparently money still works in these types of places.
We tasted the organic peanut butter, which Ander claimed was the best in the world. It was pretty good. We also had some special type of honey, Manuka, which only comes from flowers (and, obviously bees) found in New Zealand. We found it to be tasty, even though we are not big honey people (we call each other "honey" but that about the extent of our honey consumption). The store/restauratn was neat, and worth a stop (actually, just do the foodie tour, if you are in Auckland).
Not only was the food good, but we had fun wandering the streets, shopping arcades, and alleyways of Auckland as we followed Ander from store to store. The summer time weather was perfect -- mid-70s, sunny (even though rain was predicted for the entire weekend), and the outdoor cafes and shoppes were quite lively. Crowded is not the right word -- but there were plenty of people out and about.
Our fourth stop was at the No. 1 Pancake restaurant, a Korean Pancake place where you order from the sidewalk, pick up, and eat at a table next to the street. It is near the universities (UA and AUT -- Auckland University of Technology), so it is quite popular with students.
We enjoyed the potato and cheese pancake, as well as another kind (sorry, can't remember the type).
From there we headed to Giapo for ice cream. Wow! There was quite the line, but it moved along. We got to sample about five different flavors (avocado tasted, well, not what I want in an ice cream). I went with a strawberries and cream cone, and that was probably the most boring flavor on the menu. We were lucky, as it was closing the very next day for two weeks during a move to another location.
We ended up at a bar for a beer tasting. Mercifully there was no food (we were quite full), and met a couple of other Delawareans who were stranded in Auckland because their cruise ship died in the Tasman Sea and needed a tow back to port. Not only was their cruise full refunded, but they got a 50% off voucher for any other cruise!
Both the Delaware mom from our tour and Ander recommended the Depot for dinner. It was on our street, just on the other side of the nearby Sky Tower. We went home and napped (between being tired and full, no need to go to dinner till late).
Got to the Depot and were told it would be an hour wait (at 9pm!). And, no, they don't take reservations. So we popped into a nearby hotel bar for a pre-game drink and waited for the call.
The food was worth the wait. The restaurant was very cool (and yet they seated us anyhow). We shared four of the small plates, including the Smoked brisket tortillas w/ chipotle, cumin pickled onion & spiced almonds and the Lamb ribs w/ skordalia & cumin paprika oil, the mussels, and roasted corn/other random vegetables. It was the best meal we had on the entire trip -- saving the best for nearly last.
Walking back down the hill to our VRBO condo, it's clear we picked a great place to stay. . .being able to walk to great restaurants, the main part of Auckland, and all of our activities.
The tour was great, as was Ander. It was just us and a mom/son from Delaware. The son (Noah) is doing a gap year before starting college at Denison U. and the mom was over visiting for nine days or so (the dad was touring UVA with the younger sister).
We made six stops, walking all over Auckland. At each, we tasted some food, and Ander talked about the restaurant/shoppe and the owners, as well as other info on the Auckland food scene (which, after a weekend, we are quite impressed by), as well as life in NZ.
Our first stop was at a dessert place, Miann. We each had a macaroon, which were good. The store is owned by a couple who loved macaroons and could not find good ones in Auckland. So, they started the pastry shop (it's far more than just macaroons). The counter of desserts/pastries is mouth-watering to look at.
We then headed out to Al's Deli, where we tasted their plateau bites, described on the menu as "delicious boneless Buttermilk Chicken, covered in secret spices." "Delicious" is the right word to describe the little chicken bites, about the the size of McNuggets, but much better tasting.
We also had fried pickles, which were actually NOT pickle spears as I'm used to, but instead thin slices. The beer tasting was also quite good.
From there we hiked up the hill toward Albert Park to Scarecrow, an organic food store/restaurant that also sells flowers. According to its website, Scarecrow is an urban farmers market. Cool trendy people hang out there, but we were allowed in anyhow. Apparently money still works in these types of places.
We tasted the organic peanut butter, which Ander claimed was the best in the world. It was pretty good. We also had some special type of honey, Manuka, which only comes from flowers (and, obviously bees) found in New Zealand. We found it to be tasty, even though we are not big honey people (we call each other "honey" but that about the extent of our honey consumption). The store/restauratn was neat, and worth a stop (actually, just do the foodie tour, if you are in Auckland).
Not only was the food good, but we had fun wandering the streets, shopping arcades, and alleyways of Auckland as we followed Ander from store to store. The summer time weather was perfect -- mid-70s, sunny (even though rain was predicted for the entire weekend), and the outdoor cafes and shoppes were quite lively. Crowded is not the right word -- but there were plenty of people out and about.
Our fourth stop was at the No. 1 Pancake restaurant, a Korean Pancake place where you order from the sidewalk, pick up, and eat at a table next to the street. It is near the universities (UA and AUT -- Auckland University of Technology), so it is quite popular with students.
We enjoyed the potato and cheese pancake, as well as another kind (sorry, can't remember the type).
From there we headed to Giapo for ice cream. Wow! There was quite the line, but it moved along. We got to sample about five different flavors (avocado tasted, well, not what I want in an ice cream). I went with a strawberries and cream cone, and that was probably the most boring flavor on the menu. We were lucky, as it was closing the very next day for two weeks during a move to another location.
We ended up at a bar for a beer tasting. Mercifully there was no food (we were quite full), and met a couple of other Delawareans who were stranded in Auckland because their cruise ship died in the Tasman Sea and needed a tow back to port. Not only was their cruise full refunded, but they got a 50% off voucher for any other cruise!
Both the Delaware mom from our tour and Ander recommended the Depot for dinner. It was on our street, just on the other side of the nearby Sky Tower. We went home and napped (between being tired and full, no need to go to dinner till late).
Got to the Depot and were told it would be an hour wait (at 9pm!). And, no, they don't take reservations. So we popped into a nearby hotel bar for a pre-game drink and waited for the call.
The food was worth the wait. The restaurant was very cool (and yet they seated us anyhow). We shared four of the small plates, including the Smoked brisket tortillas w/ chipotle, cumin pickled onion & spiced almonds and the Lamb ribs w/ skordalia & cumin paprika oil, the mussels, and roasted corn/other random vegetables. It was the best meal we had on the entire trip -- saving the best for nearly last.
Walking back down the hill to our VRBO condo, it's clear we picked a great place to stay. . .being able to walk to great restaurants, the main part of Auckland, and all of our activities.
Thursday, February 23, 2017
Return From Indain
Please look at these pictures on our way back from Indain without disdain. That town is not plain, but nor is it vain.
Michelle takes a picture of me photobombing
her picture of me being photobombed by her.
(see, isn't that easy to follow).
Newer pagodas across the river from Indain.
Wood you want to carry things this way?
Rolling, rolling on the river.
Footbridge in a river town.
Would you believe I took this picture
knowing the crane would have its' wings
fully outstretched? (Yeah, me neither).
I'm not sure what to write here, but
you do need something to reed.
(Yes, that WAS on purpose!)
Cool pic of random boat, with random
people, and random cranes.
Rich gives a Long Island gang sign,
whilst Meg, Kevin, and Pierre have
no idea of the danger he poses.
One more time -- he's
rowing with his leg!
Whilst standing up.
Unimpressed? You do it!
Rich contemplates all he has seen.
Indain Gives Off An Indiana Jones/Temple of Doom Vibe
Look, all of the temple areas we went are amazing. I think Bagan is my favorite, followed by Indain. I know it's hard to believe I would rank Shwedagon Pagoda third (given how spectacular it is), but thinking about it, I would actually list the ones on the hill above Taung-To town third, just because they are so dramatic perched up there.
These are from around 1200 AD. Interesting, on Wikipedia it is called the "Shwe Indein Pagoda" -- my spelling of "Indain" is from what Ye Ye told us, so I'm going with him, not some guy on-line in his underwear. (I know the Wikipedia entry could have been written by a woman, but if I reference "some woman on-line in her underwear" you all will think I'm creepy.)
Well, it doesn't really matter the order. . .all are incredible. There's too many great photos from Indain to pick just a few, so pardon the length. As always, to get a better look, click on the photo and it will enlarge:
These are from around 1200 AD. Interesting, on Wikipedia it is called the "Shwe Indein Pagoda" -- my spelling of "Indain" is from what Ye Ye told us, so I'm going with him, not some guy on-line in his underwear. (I know the Wikipedia entry could have been written by a woman, but if I reference "some woman on-line in her underwear" you all will think I'm creepy.)
Well, it doesn't really matter the order. . .all are incredible. There's too many great photos from Indain to pick just a few, so pardon the length. As always, to get a better look, click on the photo and it will enlarge:
Dare to enter here and you will never come out!
(Bwaa-ha-ha!). Technically, that's not a thing here.
This Stupa has seen better days.
Pretty amazing coloring.
Moments later, Ye Ye smashed
this antiquity on the ground.
(Just kidding -- PS, Kevin,
nice photobomb!)
See? Told you he didn't!
Nature finds a way.
If you can keep your head
while those around you are
losing theirs. . .
Elephant!
So, this is a pretty cool photo if I say so myself.
(Click on it to enlarge -- looks even better).
Being from New York, Rich is used
to be told where to go. Val looks on.
Homes abut the Pagodas
The "dirt" mound in the
foreground is part of a
pagoda in ruins.
I'll take what's behind door number 2, Monty!
Winner! (This is what
is behind door #2)
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