Category Archives: Australia

Walking to Coogee

Posted on 9 August 2014 by sheg4184

Bondi. That iconic beach on the south east coast of Australia. In the summer, it swarms with surfers, sunseekers and swimmers. Today the sand is clear of bathers, but tents are being erected for the City to Surf fun run next weekend. It … Continue reading →

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Talking to the Birds

Posted on 3 August 2014 by sheg4184

After almost two months in Adelaide, one of the things I realized I really miss about Australia is the wildlife. From our living room window in Manila I occasionally see a  team of four racing pigeons, looping round and round the apartment … Continue reading →

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The Retro Vibe

Posted on 26 July 2014 by sheg4184

As I wander through the streets of my hometown, I am constantly amazed at the ever expanding Adelaide cafe culture. Chains, franchises and independent coffee shops abound. It seems everyone is drinking coffee these days, and I have certainly been … Continue reading →

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A-Wandering Through the Vineyards

Posted on 19 July 2014 by sheg4184

“Wine is constant proof that God loves us and likes to see us happy.” Benjamin Franklin. McLaren Vale lies less than an hour’s drive south of Adelaide in South Australia. Originally a region of small farming communities, orchards and pink … Continue reading →

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Of Beerenberg Jam & Bavarian Mustard

Posted on 10 July 2014 by sheg4184

I had not even thought to bring my tiara to Adelaide (my ‘must-have’ accessory for afternoon tea ever since a trip to the Shangri-La with nine Travelling Tiaras), so I felt a bit wrong-footed when a young friend suggested an … Continue reading →

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Waterfront Dining

Posted on 26 June 2014 by sheg4184

It was a cold and blustery day in Canberra. The wind was trying to blow the branches off the trees and Piglet’s ears would have streamed behind him like banners if he had been there (see A.A. Milne’s book, The … Continue reading →

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Climbing the Beanstalk

Posted on 19 June 2014 by sheg4184

Another country, another market. The EPIC market (Exhibition Park in Canberra) is a farmers market brimming with fresh, seasonal (mostly) produce just off Federal Highway, north of the Canberra City Centre. Open on Saturday mornings from 7.30 am till midday, … Continue reading →

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Being Australian

Posted on 31 January 2014 by sheg4184

Australia’s national Day is January 26th. It is also the same day that the First Fleet landed in Australia in 1788, holds laden with convicted felons, to establish a penal colony far from the rectitude of upper class Britons. Perhaps … Continue reading →

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Creating a Cuisine from Scratch

Posted on 9 January 2014 by sheg4184

Cuisine.  As it is in the Philippines, so it is in Australia: difficult to define. And like the Philippines, it comes in two parts: Before and After Colonization.  In the beginning there was a vast southern continent on which dwelt … Continue reading →

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In the Spirit of Christmas

Posted on 3 December 2013 by sheg4184

Welsh poet Dylan Thomas wrote ‘it always snowed at Christmas.’ Maybe this was the case in northern Europe, but not in the Antipodes, where the seasons are upside down, and Christmas arrives in the height of summer.  In Australia there … Continue reading →

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