We love the idea of a mini holiday. Especially when our house has been under siege from builders, painters and floor sanders. Combined with November heat we were only too pleased to plan an escape.

First stop, Sydney. We usually stay at Coogee but my sister has her daughter’s family staying while their apartment is being renovated. So we are staying in the city just near Circular Quay.

We arrived Wednesday evening to light rain and cooler conditions. Perfect after the heat of Brisbane. We walked to the Opera Bar for dinner and decided to see a late movie on the way back.

We went to Bohemian Rhapsody, the Freddie Mercury movie at 9pm! So late for us. The music 🎶 was great. Loved it.

We walked back to our club in the cool and enjoyed sleeping under a blanket!

Steve left early the next morning for work and I wandered down to Customs House at the Quay for coffee in the morning sun.

A walk around the city streets feels so strange when almost everyone is walking to work with the one hand salute! That is the take away coffee cup. It takes me back to a few years ago in Italy. I was telling a young man about the coffee culture in Australia where so many people walk around the city holds take away coffee. ‘Why would they do that?’ He asked , ‘when they could stand at the bar for a quick espresso or sit and enjoy a cappuccino , crazy!’

I went into David Jones and I was so disappointed. They are renovating! Everyone is renovating! And most floors were closed. So I gave up and headed to Paddington where I was meeting up with the family. My sister Catherine, nieces Clare, Helen and Pip and littles ones Zali 4 years and Max 4 months.

It was so lovely to sit and chat and enjoy the salads at Jackie’s in Paddington.

After lunch we did a little retail therapy. There are some lovely boutiques in Paddington and we had fun trying a few things on.

I walked back into the city and decided to call into the Museum of Sydney.

It has an excellent exhibition on at the moment called the Artists of Lavender Bay. The highlights included Brett Whitley and the Wendy Whitley Secret Garden which his wife Wendy started when he died. It’s beautiful and peaceful and I must go there next time I’m down.

Back to the RAC to freshen up for dinner at Chop House. It’s a restaurant for meat lovers. I had a steak which is rare for me and it was delicious.

It’s good being a tourist in your home city.

Tomorrow another adventure as we head down the South Coast road towards Moruya.