Must jet off, bye for now darlings!

Like a step back in time: Loz and Sal, the betrothed.

Darling Readers and Blogging Buddies: Tomorrow, La Diva and DJ Nevah L8 (4 dinnah) will embark on the long 30 hour journey to Sydney, Australia, where my brother in law is eagerly awaiting to wed a very lovely lady. We will be celebrating at Neil Perry's Rockpool Bar and Grill restaurant with copious amounts of local sparkling and incredible food.

Our first week back home will be very busy with La Diva's birthday and little brother's nuptial celebrations and catching up with DJ Nevah L8's high school chums. Did you know I lived in Sydney for 10 years? I did. So La Diva has an entire other life there. I'm certain a good time will be had by all.

Will I have time (or a computer) to blog? I hope not.

Will I take lots of food porn photos? You bet.

Will I share them with you. Of course, darlings!

Will I ever come back? Maybe.

La Diva is going to be in Sydney for three glorious weeks and I'm certainly going to make the most of it! The last time I was there, La Diva was tempted to take a job and stay. (look at the photos and you'll understand why...) Who knows what will happen this time?!

Keep well, my darlings, until I C U on the Internets again! Enjoy and CIAO for now!!!

Ok, let's start this little Aussie photo fest with what epitomizes the ultimate Sydney food fave to La Diva: Sydney rock oysters. And what kind of sheila would gal pal Amanda be if she couldn't shuck a dozen or two oysters for her dear Diva visiting from America? (Yes, darling, you CAN click on all the photos to make them bigger. Go on!!)

Bondi Beach is glorious on a weekday morning.

Dusted lightly in flour and then pan fried in olive oil, haloumi sheeps milk cheese from Cyprus is a family favorite.

The view of Manly Beach from La Diva and DJ Nevah L8's fave body surfing beach, Queenscliff Beach.

Nothing beats a traditional hot meat pie from the milk bar (sandwich shop) for lunch on the beach after having a "bash" in the waves.



Ah yes, I'm looking forward to spending more hours on Fifi's lovely back veranda yakkin' and drinkin' and eatin' good cheese and yakkin' and drinkin' and...

Well, lookie here, we gots prawns wit de heads on 'em! I miss that. I used to take the shells to make broth for using some how, some way later on. La Diva thinks its a crying shame we don't get prawns with their heads left on at most fish shops in the States.



View from the in-laws cozy little flat in the posh northern suburbs of Sydney looking at north Sydney. It's about a 10 minute walk to the ferry, Harbour Bridge and Sydney Harbour from here.

La Diva's fave Thai restaurant at an inner-West suburb of Sydney takes its boisterous place in the back of a pub in a lush, outdoor tropical setting. Stir fried chicken with dried chili at Suma Lee Thai.

A gorgeous red from one of my fave wine growing regions in Australia: McClaren Vale in Southern Australia. I love that you can go to a BAR in Australia and get a nice bottle of wine, unlike in America where it's soo cool to pay for overpriced vodka because Americans are soo demanding for high quality spirits yet all the wine at these places are usually CRAP.

La Diva actually resisted temptation and did NOT buy any of these tantalizing pastries and cakes while waiting for her coffee to roast at Bellaroma in the northern beach suburb of Manly Vale.

However, La Diva DID succumb to this pink and precious little frangipani cupcake to sustain me before my swim in the surf with hubby and long-time pal Liam the Gorgeous One.



Fifi's in de morning: view of the tree tops of Kur Ring Gai Chase National Park at dawn from gal pal Fifi's lower veranda. Yes, dawn. Jet lag makes you do all kinds of crazy things, like be up all wide-eyed and bushy-tailed to watch the sunrise and take photos!



Fifi's in de night: view of Bantry Bay and Kur Ring Gai Chase bush at dusk from the Fifi's upper back veranda.

Battered and fried cheese-stuffed zucchini flowers with freshly-squeezed blood orange juice and Campari served up for lunch at the Fratelli Fresh market, cooking school and cafe in Sydney's new gallery district. Very civilized indeed.

Downtown Sydney from Jeffrey St. Wharf at Kirribilli in north Sydney. This was the exact view from my first flat when I moved to Australia in 1993. Hey, if you're gonna transplant, why not immerse yourself into Sydney lifestyle?

Lunch at the Oaks pub under the giant oak tree: Mussels with bleu cheese and pommes frites!

Ahhhhh simple Aussie comfort food: Good ol' lamb roast with pumpkin, potato and carrot, a traditional Sunday dinner.

One must always be on the lookout for the giant seagulls that frequent the beaches of Sydney. They will eat you.

Malaysian coconut curry noodle soup or "laksa" with char siu pork, fried tofu, tiger prawn and egg noodle from the Sussex Food Court in Chinatown. La Diva will most likely be on an Asian and seafood feeding frenzy the entire time.

One of the most beautiful buildings in Sydney: The Queen Victoria Building, full of high end shops, cafes and patisseries with fabulous tiled floors and beautiful architectual and design details including stained glass domes.

Look up! One, two, three levels up and then there is the coloured glass dome. Stunning!

La Diva's morning capuccino from Baci cafe, Queen Victoria Building

Produced by Pepperidge Farms, you can now buy these legendary Aussie biscuits from Publix here in Florida during the winter months! I've tried one box of the caramel flavor so far. The jury is out as to whether they match their Aussie counterparts in flavor but I'll be sure to keep you posted.

Native spice blend from Herbies, my fave spice shop in Sydney. Nothing, NOTHING like that here in Miami. Why did I leave?!

Ah yes, the booty from Downunder! La Diva had to hide a few boxes of the Tim Tams from DJ Nevah L8, and thus extended my cookie enjoyment by one whole day before he sniffed them out and devoured them! Sigh.

Did I tell you that my friend Fifi lives on the edge of a national park? Listen to all the birds.....Enjoy!