An Inner City Road Trip.


I apologize.  Lately, I’ve been one of those compulsive Instagram uploaders.  Photo after photo got uploaded yesterday with barely an explanation.  In my enthusiasm, I forgot that no one looking at the photos was actually with me at the time they were taken so the endless city scape images lost their meaning in the fast moving weekend Instagram feed.  I’m going to make amends with today’s blog post.

Firstly, may I say how much I’m loving my new sunnies from the Target showing on Thursday?  They retail for $49 and have polarised lenses.  Perfect for summer driving and the beach.  They’re also approved by the Cancer Council.  I’ve worn them everyday since I got them and they’re a great fit.

Yesterday was the inaugural SSG extended family inner city road trip.  My mum, aunty, Mr SSG and I tagged along with my little brother H as he tried to look for a new place to live for next year.  We were blessed with perfect weather conditions, accurate GPS and a parking spot on every street we stopped at.   It was a long day but I really enjoyed the drive and the opportunity to explore parts of Sydney that I normally don’t get around to visiting as often as I’d like.

First things first.  Road trips require sustenance and if you’re in the Surry Hills area, then a brunch at the original  Bourke Street Bakery is mandatory.  We found a patch of shade on the sidewalk and got down to the serious business of ordering and sharing various baked goods over a cup of coffee.  The service was as friendly and as efficient as it always is.  Despite the crowd snaking around outside the store front, our food and drink got to us quickly.

Choc chip and raspberry muffin, pear danish.

The muffins and pastries were enthusiastically received by my mum and aunt.  Both baked goods were filled with fruit.  There’s also something about the texture of the baked goods here that sets them apart from practically everywhere else in Sydney.

Mr SSG dividing up one of the bakery’s famous fennel and pork sausage rolls.  

And the sausage rolls also went down a treat.  In addition to the fennel and pork variety, we also shared the lamb and harrisa version.  I was too busy eating my ham and cheese croissant to try the lamb though..

There was only one thing to do after brunch and that was to explore the sights and colours of the suburb on foot.

Lane ways lined with terraces and surprising art works.

Beautiful churches gazing out onto busy main streets that were constantly roaring with traffic, even on a leisurely Saturday morning.

The surprise of walking just metres off those busy main streets onto winding and narrower ones that were so quiet and peaceful.  Here, front doors and windows were left open as residents went about their weekend rituals at a leisurely pace.

Art and colour were given free reign as well.  These murals, mosaics and metal sculptures caught my eye.  I love the juxtaposition against the modest and orderly facades of the surrounding terrace houses.

The contrasting of textures and art forms continued inside a local art gallery / secondhand bookstore.

Where embellished rabbits shared a book case with a serious collection of art books.

Back out in the fresh air, I found the headquarters of the NSW Mounted Police but sadly didn’t get a chance to say hello to any of the horses.

In a quieter part of the suburb, time seemed to have stood still in the last century.  Sitting under this tree as the breeze rustled its leaves was so relaxing I really didn’t want to get up and return to the car.  The sound of rustling leaves beats the sound of a car air conditioner any day of the week, especially in weather as perfect as it was yesterday.

The little garden I was sitting in was bordered by this crumbling mansion on one side and a sleekly restored block of apartments on the other.

Nearly on the home stretch of our day trip, it was time to stop for an almond croissant in Bondi.

Old doors, boxes and tins were given a new lease of life throughout the bakery.

Bondi is one of those places where the languid pace of life from its famous beaches seems to permeate everything in the suburb.  Even my cup of coffee came in a sky blue cup.

Driving home through the Sydney CBD marked an abrupt change in landscape to towering office buildings, surging crowds of pedestrians and even a bit of tongue in cheek humour at the Virgin Mobile Store on Pitt Street.


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