This is my 6th cruise, but my first to sail with toddlers as young as 2 years old. Likewise my longest cruise (12 nights with 5 sea days) with as many friends and their families comprising a group of 29 pax. You may think of all the complications of traveling as a big group and with toddlers, but we got it down pat. This is my travel group and we’ve grown to include all of 6 children and grandchildren. Somehow, we’ve worked out a system and it helps that Celebrity Edge is very efficient with check-ins and luggage drop-offs. We had our bags almost as soon as we reached our cabins and our dinner reservations booked even before we boarded our boat. As we got ready to sail, we have nearly filled up our personal calendars in the Celebrity app with activities ranging from Zumba and Tai-Chi sessions, and entertainment programs. Anything to keep us off the casino and the shops! And yeah, the buffet restaurants too. Seriously.
Celebrity Edge
We avoided the spa and the specialty dining outlets like the plague. No way we’re spending extra for such. We’re good with the gourmet dinners that came with the cruise package as we savored the Mediterranean, French, Italian and Cosmopolitan meals. Missed my own family as I know they would have enjoyed the pulpo, escargots, prime ribs, French onion soup, gravlax, guanciale pasta and salmon tartare. And the desserts? You better resolve to stick to the sorbet and low-fat yogurt lest you get off the boat rolling with extra pounds. So it’s important to join those fitness sessions.
Roof deck . Sunset at 7pm. The veranda in our cabin
Internet is spotty but there’s a choice to pay $30-50 a day for the connection. No way I’m paying extra for that. So bear with me as I can only make connection once we’ve docked at some port. Rushing to write this too just to keep my family updated , and err just so I don’t forget . The day we boarded the ship was Day 1 , had 2 whole sea days and it is only Day 4 out of the 12. Thus far, the waters are calm , the food is good, the company superb, but the entertainment has room for improvement. I’m not so much into games and the evening programs are mostly acoustic guitar renditions of different artists.
Watch this page as I update whenever I get wifi connection! Ciao for now.
By late October to around mid November, the jacaranda trees in Sydney are in full bloom. This trip to the harbour city is quite perfectly timed to enjoy the city turning purplish as spring easily transitions to summer. Like it’s a reward for enduring the rise in temperature as the summer heat breezes through. The nights are still cool and it’s a good idea to bring a shawl or light jacket, but you can now put your coats and fleece-lined jackets to storage.
Ashmore StreetMcDougall Street
We drove towards Ashmore Street where there were not as many visitors. It’s just a short stretch but that lavender haze somehow puts you in a cheery mood. McDougall Street in Kirribilli is quite a sight with the jacaranda trees lining both sides of the street , and the nearby park offering a respite from walking the middle of the street with way too many camwhores like us, eager for a shot. Cars honking, to remind the visitors to stay on the side of the street.
Around Circular Quay, you’d spot many jacaranda trees too, more at the botanical gardens. Some trees more lush than the others, many wilted petals blanketing the footpaths. Quite honestly, I do not like the smell of the pretty lavender flowers. But you’d forgive her for that because of how it looks in all its purple or lavender glory. Welcome to Sydney!
A stopover in Sydney demands at least one visit to the Circular Quay. Whether or not you’re riding the ferry, it’s mandatory to enjoy that view of the harbour, the bridge and the grand dame — the Sydney Opera House. Trust me, the joy of seeing this view never ever fades regardless how many times you’ve been here. Beats all Harbor views, in my book. And if all you have to do in Sydney is take ferry rides, you’d never run out of things to do. There are many spots around Sydney from where you can enjoy a view of the bridge and Opera House. Always a delight! And from the Quay, there are many walking paths — towards The Rocks, The Royal Botanical Garden, Museum of Contemporary Art ( Sydney Biennale ongoing), and Sydney Conservatorium of Music where I enjoyed a Lunch Break jazz concert.
Harbour BridgeLunch Break Jazz Concert
From the suburbs, I took the nearly hour’s ride to Circular Quay and on my second visit, I was delighted to encounter this mega-city of a boat called the Celebrity Edge. Many passengers starting to board for the nearly 2 week cruise to New Zealand. I was thrilled to see the boat as my friends and I have just booked a 12-night cruise in November this year. Huge! And I tried to imagine where our cabins would be. Exciting!
Celebrity Edge docked in Circular QuayThe Customs House. This is one spot I won’t miss during the Vivid Sydney season.
Meanwhile, there’s the Sydney Biennale in the Museum of Contemporary Art right around the quay. And on the other end, the Opera House, Conservatory and the Gardens. The latter offers truly blissful walks. And if you care to break the walk to enjoy some coffee and a pies or wraps, you’d easily spot a Café within the gardens.
Sydney Biennale 2024A View of the Opera House from Cremorne Point
Easily, one can spend a whole day here without even taking a ferry ride. However, should you wish to take the ferry towards Manly, Watson’s or Mosman Bay, or just do the quick ride to Barangaroo, Darling Harbour, Cremorne Point or wherever else, I’d advise you leave early enough to beat the crowds. We enjoyed our lunch in one of the restaurants in Gateway just behind the Quay Station Building, and witnessed the long lines at the wharves past noon. Enjoy!
It’s nearly a week since I touched down in Sydney and there’s two more weeks to go before I join up with my travel buddies for our much-delayed, our pandemic-postponed trip to South America. Originally scheduled in 2020, our travel group has since been trimmed down to under 20 pax after all the postponements and the hassles of obtaining visas from Australia or USA and Chile. Crossing 3 time zones on this trip is a first for me. Why? Well, let me start with breaking my journey on the first leg — Manila to Sydney to Santiago, Chile. Took the chance to meet up with my folks here in Sydney before flying out to Chile. Wish I can head back here again on the return trip but hatched another plan to meet up with my elves in Venice, Italy. That means cutting short my Peru trip by a couple of days to fly to Venice via Madrid in time for the Biennale Venezia opening on April 20. Just thinking about all 3 legs of this journey and crossing several time zones give me so much excitement as well as jitters. You see, I booked a non-refundable flight from Lima to Venice just so I can claim the last seat out of Peru in time to be with my dear Nieto y Nieta (grandchildren). Also booked non-cancellable hotel nights in Venice, Italy during the Biennale opening well before hotel rates soar high or worse, when hotels get fully booked! All these while visas have yet to be issued. With fingers and toes crossed, the “Plan” is pushing through. By God’s grace, my elves got their Schengen visas and we’re good with flight and hotel bookings. All set!
The Grounds at AlexandriaVisiting my Sister & her Family Here
The first order of the day is my favorite brekkie in The Grounds of Alexandria. Still teeming with people on a Wednesday morning, still serving my fav flat white and good food but I’m not a fan of their Easter decor. Guess the kids won’t mind but this old lady was a tad disappointed. From this Wednesday’s touchdown to nearly a week after, it’s been a flurry of activities and food trips. One may say Aussie food is limited to steaks, chops and pies but I do love the coffee scene here. Besides, the city is so very culturally diversethat my folks have alternated to take me for meals at a Korean restaurant, a Japanese ramen house, along with Chinese, Thai, Laotian and Vietnamese food adventures.
Korean DinnerThai Dinner at Holy Basil in Canley ValeRamen at Makimoto in McArthur Square
It was hot when I arrived. Temps hover at 27-30 C. Of late, autumn is setting in along with showers in the afternoons or late nights. Time to clean and seal off our barbecue pits and time our laundry times to sunny days. But weekends are day trip days. My first weekend here took me to Bowral, just an hour’s drive away. Brunch was in The Press Shop, followed by check-ins at the village vintage shops. Rainy days mean ramen days as we took comfort in bowls of steaming broth and some sushi and dumplings. Grocery trips are fun especially since it’s a short walk from the house. With my family housed in 3 separate residences a few blocks from each other, my major decision each day is in whose house to dine 😉 My second home. I bet the next 2 weeks will fly by, only to be repeated later this year when I head back.
This 2022 is a better year judging by how the pandemic woes have eased and how international borders have opened up. Soon after we returned from our Nile cruise early in 2020, we survived a lockdown which saw us cancelling as many as 3 international trips in 2020 and staying in for much of the time throughout 2020-21. Sad news from family and friends we haven’t, couldn’t visit reached us and all we could do was pray and try to stay healthy. My annual visits to my family in Sydney was put on hold until OZ borders opened up in February 2022. I wasted no time and secured a visa to visit Sydney last May 2022. Stayed a good 6 weeks and felt gratitude seeping in that our family is well and in good health.
La Familia. OZ Chapter. It was winter that mid year in Sydney. Lovely to bond with family again, especially since there are just 2 of us sisters in the original branch of the family.
Soon after, it was time to visit a niece now based in Guam. Renewed my US visa to visit this territory in the Northern Pacific and spent a month, thinking there isn’t much to do in this tiny island. I was prepared to get bored and promised not to whinge. Well, I must have done whatever there is to do in Guam from hotel staycations, duty-free shopping, watching a musical, binging on movies in the nearby cinema, trying Chamorro meals, driving and touring around the island, swimming and other water adventures. There were a number of family friends to meet up so there’s aplenty to do and catch up on. Besides, there was a birthday to celebrate!
A day excursion to Bikini IslandAnd a birthday to celebrate!
In between these visits, I made 2 domestic trips. One to holiday in Boracay with dear friends who are my extended family, and another to Cagayan de Oro in Southern Philippines to celebrate a friend’s retirement and birthday. My relationship with these extended families makes me feel so very thankful for their friendship and the bond that ties us forever. Their children are all my godchildren — from baptism to wedding — and our friendship counts decades with the younger members forging an equally strong bond among themselves. This relationship will last beyond our lifetimes!
And then there’s our Fukuoka trip this last month of the year. Not our first time to Kyushu Island in the southern part of Japan, but we were just too eager to travel again as a group. Who cared who was guiding us or where we were going? Destinations hardly mattered. There were just 3 major sights: a garden in autumn foliage, an active volcano and a gorge, and a canal cruise. And onsens and kaiseki in between. Enough. In the company of these travel buddies, we’re good. Fun as always. More fond memories. We are blessed.
Finally, I found the chance to experience my Vivid Sydney after countless visits to Sydney. Running till June 18, this festival is truly a must-see. The Opera House looks majestic on any ordinary day, but its splendour is all the more amplified with all the lighting and well-curated designs. Viewed up close by the steps, or from across the harbour, one can only gasp appreciating its beauty.
The festival in the Circular Quay area is not limited to the Sydney Opera House. That iconic bridge looks real grand too, along with the buildings lining the quay. A real standout is the Customs House which has quite a story to tell.
The only drawback is the low temps. I’ve always experienced mild winters here but certainly NOT this time. The wind factor adds to the chill so you can imagine how briskly we walked from Darling Harbor through Barangaroo towards Circular Quay. All spots by the water edge so yeah, cold. Really cold. And windy. When the Hare Krishna band paraded through the crowds, dancing to a beat and with the slightest clothing, I can only sigh with awe over their high tolerance for the cold.
We managed to check out only a few, but the more significant displays of this Festival of Lights, music and creative ideas. But for those who are eager to cover the entire spectacle, have a good walk around 11 Sydney CBD locations: Circular Quay, Sydney CBD, The Rocks, Barangaroo, Darling Harbour, Darling Square, Darling Quarter, The Goods Line, Central Station, Luna Park and Taronga Zoo. Not sure if there’d be more fireworks after the grand festival opening on May 27, which I missed. But hey, this Sydney event shouldn’t be missed!
This Fish Market smelt soooo good. I was adamant to put oysters on the bed of my tongue as soon as I landed in Sydney and those cravings just had to be satisfied. I didn’t expect there were so many oyster choices! Good thing our food guru friend’s instructions were simple enough. Get the smallest oysters. Have the Balmain Bugs cooked with Singapore Chili. Then throw in a piece of lobster, calamari, grilled salmon and octopus on skewers, and some sashimi and Kani salad to start with.
Frankly, I couldn’t tell rock oysters from Coffin Bay oysters (yeah, what a name for a bay that yields really good oysters). Nor whether they were sourced from Sydney or Merimbula. I can only tell the Pacific Oysters are the largest, yet nowhere as large as those served to us in San Francisco, California. Enjoyed these appetizers way too much, along with the freshest tuna, salmon, scallops and other fish sashimi. I could have stopped there and gone home real happy but those bugs are still a-cooking! And the salmon and octopus a-grilling!
Balmain Bugs in Singapore ChiliGrilled Salmon and Octopus with Lobster Mornay
Heaven landed in Nicholas Seafood Bar in Sydney Fish Market in Pyrmont. Next to our table is a band of athletic men feasting on scampi and bottles of wine. They were happy to down their alcoholic delights and the scampi was just an excuse to keep their stomach linings warm and not empty. In fact, they hardly touched them as they got busy with their spirits. Not so with us 3 Oriental ladies who feasted on all these lovely seafood finds like there’s no tomorrow.
An hour and a half passed and we were bursting at the seams. Even before we capped our lunch with a cup of our favourite brew, I was already planning on setting this gastronomic treat as a Sydney tradition. Unforgettable. Each morsel a culinary delight. All that for 3 ladies with discerning tastes. Please don’t judge us 🙄
Only 120 kilometres west of Sydney is the small township of Mount Victoria in the Blue Mountains of New South Wales. Population about a thousand. Here is a more quiet, if not more elegant section of the Blue Mountains. Beautiful manors, historic buildings reused as elegant hotels and summer retreat houses dot the landscape. There are many heritage sites in the area but they compete with the wondrous panorama at an elevation of over 1,000 meters. The mountain was named after Queen Victoria but the settlement area was originally called One Tree Hill until the arrival of the railway station and establishment of the first Post Office in the 19th century.
These days, many locals go to Mount Victoria for serious bushwalking, rock climbing, bird watching or simply to visit this charming village without the tourist crowd. There was some festivity the day we visited as we passed what looked like flea markets and food fairs. But we drove past them and began our short hike. Cox’s Road and Cox’s Descent don’t seem to sound right but that’s what the markers say. 🙄
The photos speak for themselves. I may have ventured farther than I should have — “for my age” — but the views of the valley below can be mesmerizing. I dare not even dwell on the possibilities. A strong gust of wind, an accidental slip. Oh well.
We’re done feeding the wild rainbow lorikeets , and decided we’d have more animal adventures. Bendalong Bay is not far from our homebase in Lake Conjola, and we spent the morning there watching people let loose their dogs on the beach, viewing stingrays swim near the shore, young paddlers on boards, swatting fruit flies trying to land on our cereal bars. Sun’s up and the weather’s ideal for a lazy morn.
Only one thing went wrong. Stingray feeding happens late afternoon. But no worries, we found many swim up to shore while seagulls fly above the paddlers, ducks and the pelicans. Bendalong is only a half hour north of Ulladulla and actually borders Lake Conjola National Park. The beach is good for paddle boating, surfing, swimming, fishing, and errr…. stingray feeding. I am just not sure how I’d feel swimming with these stingrays. 😜 Have a look at this video on stingray feeding in Bendalong Beach.
This is Australia. The wildlife is awesome, birdwatching, bush walking and water activities the norm. Where else do you meet kangaroos in parks while you’re out intending to go kayaking or fishing? Where else can you paddle on boards while weaving through pelicans and stingrays swimming near the shore? How else can you enjoy a weekend without going outdoors? Life here is more meaningful for the outdoorsy types. Camping is always an option and bush walking is a regular activity. That is, after one does the laundry 🙄 My nephews are serious bikers and rock climbing is always a favourite sport. The girls love to shop but won’t mind weekend trips to the lake and parks. Fishing will have to wait though.
We made trips to Bendalong Bay for the stingrays and another day to Newcastle for the pelicans. Of course you’d find the seagulls almost everywhere like when we visited Kiama and Wollongong. I am amazed that all these animal and bird encounters are so freely enjoyed here in Australia. What a blessing for these Aussies!
The Pelican Feeding in Newcastle was quite a show. The feeders/carers are professionals and loved an audience and they got a pretty good sized crowd the time we visited. Weekends are never a bore. Or for that matter, neither are weekdays. The feeding show is timed daily at 4pm at the most popular tourist attraction in the Central Coast — The Entrance Waterfront. This feeding event sponsored by the Central Coast Council is quite a spectacle. I noted though that one of the volunteers clearly has a favourite among the pelicans. She calls her “One Wing” for obvious reasons. She narrated how this particular pelican lost her wing in a boat accident some years back. The upside though is this pelican will never have to go hungry as the volunteer looks for her and feeds her first. After that, the rest of the pelicans compete for the fish and other seafood scraps.
It happens daily at 3-4pm here in the park fronting Burrill Lake In Ulladulla. Open to the general public, you can come help feed these wild colourful birds who gather from all over the natural bushland for a tasty afternoon snack. The man in charge hands you a plate and the birds swoop down on your arms, hands, head and shoulders. At one point, I think I had 3 on my head and another 3 or 4 on my arm.
Call us Bird Ladies, but this was quite an experience. I had scratches all over my arms though and truth be told, I was so tense worrying the wild birds would poo on my head. I suggest you come wearing a jacket and a hat when you visit. You’d never know. But really, these wild birds look so pretty and my, were they sooooo noisy. In a nearby cage, you can have a chat with the cheeky cockatoos who never grew tired saying HELLO. There were also ducks and parrots.
Never done this before, and I was surprised they have this daily activity open to the public. It would be a truly great animal adventure for the little ones and it won’t even cost you a cent! Now this is Australia for you. Love it!
lifeisacelebration 