Going to China in Sydney

Last weekend we were on a mission to find the most magical and delicious hot sauce in the world: sriracha. We heard from our friend Kaylee that we could find some in Chinatown, so off we went! It was another beautiful day in Sydney. From our house in Glebe, we were able to walk there and we took in the Chinese Friendship Garden on the way as well. 

The garden is very beautiful and well cared for with bonsai, a pond with huge koi fish, bridges, trees, traditional Chinese structures, and even a place where you can dress up in Chinese costumes to wear around the garden. It being early spring in Sydney, I especially enjoyed the flowering trees!

After the friendship garden, we navigated to Chinatown where we saw a cool outdoor art installation, bought some of our favorite Korean snacks at a little Korean grocery shop, and finally found our beloved hot sauce.

Darling Glebe

We've settled in a charming little neighborhood called Glebe in the Inner West area of Sydney. It's nestled between hipster Newtown and the bay on a little hill. It's full of  friendly people, bustling shops, and Victorian homes with the most beautiful wrought iron I've ever seen. It's a wonderful place to call home!

This dog always sits in the doorway of this used book shop on Glebe Point Road. He's well trained and friendly. What a cutie!

The fresh produce at this market is always great quality (as it is at most places in Sydney) and they have great sales. The lack of general space and giant stacks of fruits and vegetables add to the quaintness I like so much. 

And then there are the bars! We've only been to a couple of them but they've been great. Good people, good drinks, good vibe!

 A walkers dream! I feel so lucky that we are within walking distance to so many things!

 This is a very cool, although expensive, antique shop.

 Is that Dumbledore on the right, next to Spiderman?? Not sure what this mural is for but I like it!

My New Littles

On Tuesday I started a new job watching three year old twin boys. They are very cute and very curious about the world. They have great big imaginations and love to play and ask "but why...?" They are absolutely adorable and I'm so happy to have found such a great family to work with.

On Tuesday we went the park, had a picnic, and looked at the endless sea at The Gap park. It was a great first day!

Dessert "Sushi" Bar

Master Chef is super popular in Australia. I see Master Chef stuff everywhere, from billboards to flour at the grocery store. I can't help but imagine that flour saying, "Get your Master Chef flour here! Just like the cheaper flour but with our logo on it so at least a dollar more! But you can bake just like the Master Chefs!" Yeah...right. Do people really fall for that??

Anyway, I only bring this up because we went to a former Master Chef's dessert shop, named after the man himself, Adriano Zumbo.

And it was very fun in so many ways. First off, the place itself is absolutely adorable. The colors are bright and fun, they had macaron wallpaper, and the desserts are served on a rotating track like at a sushi house. Fun! Fun!    

I got the passion fruit and blueberry cheesecake (above), but his real specialty is macarons!...or Zumbarons, as he puts it.

It was such a great treat!

Sydney Fish Market

For Sunday lunch last weekend, we went out to the Fish Market with some friends. Inside the market around lunch time was very crowded with people looking to buy the freshest seafood Sydney has to offer. Spencer and I both not being seafood enthusiasts stuck with the safest choice, fish and chips. I even had tartar sauce! (It's a big deal for me!) It was pretty good.

Also, the birds, specifically the seagulls, are ferocious! They fight over territory on top of the umbrellas in the outside dining area and are quick to grab any little piece of food that goes astray. They are feisty and reminded me a lot of the seagulls from Finding Nemo. It does take place in Sydney after all! :)

umbrellas = seagull territory!

After a while, we went back inside for our friends to get more goodies to take home and I got a chance to take pictures without the crowds.

Settled in Sydney

 

We are currently renting a room in Sydney! Our bags are unpacked, our clothes put away. We have a new duvet and pillows. Things are definitely feeling more concrete. We are really living in Australia!

We are living in a townhouse (they call it a "terrace" here in Oz) and it's over 100 years old. (Photo at top.) There is some incredible crown molding and a fire place in our room. The paint choices are questionable but it's definitely got character, which I love. We share the house with three other people who have been very kind and welcoming, like most people we've met so far in Australia.

One of the best parts about the house is the location. We are just a couple of blocks from the main shopping street in Glebe. There are shops, cafes, restaurants, dry cleaners, and bookstores all within steps of our door. This is something that I was really looking forward to in living in a big city, especially since we don't have a car here.

I'm excited to continue exploring our neighborhood and all of Sydney in the months to come! 

South King Street, Newtown, Sydney

We had the great pleasure to be staying in Erskineville with our friends upon arriving to Sydney. They just happened to live right off a great street called King Street which runs through the edge of Erskinville, into Newtown, and beyond. King Street is very cool and Newtown is a great place to explore, shop, and eat.

It was especially nice on a sunny afternoon, poking into the shops and stopping for coffee with a good friend, which is exactly what I did last Wednesday with Kaylee. One shop we walked into and actually met the designer of all the super cute clothes and jewelry. It was her shop! She made the clothes and ran the place. What a girl! I actually bought a dress and a shirt from her.