SUNDAY WALK AROUND CAMELLIA GARDENS

Hello everyone, hope you are all well.

I know people who love winter but I am not one of them.  I didn’t like it back when I was living in Ukraine and although Australian winters are not even remotely as cold, I still don't like it. 

I am convinced that Australians in general are in complete denial.  You’ve probably seen pictures on social media of men and women walking around dressed in shorts, t-shirts and a pair of thongs (flip-flops) on their feet totally ignoring the fact that the temperature outside is no higher than 15 degree Celsius.  Believe me, Sydney’s winters are cold and unpleasant.  

Even when you live near the coast like I do and the temperature is a few degrees warmer, it does not make much of a difference.  For me, the biggest problem is that our dwellings are not properly insulated like the homes in Europe or North America.  

There is no double glazing on the windows and the frames are quite often are not sealed tightly, there is no central heating that keeps your home warm all the time.  If you live in a building that is 40 years or older, they don't even have built-in air-conditioners, you have to install your own which is quite costly or get yourself an electric or oil heater.  Unfortunately, they have to be on all the time because the moment your turn them off, the temperature in the room drops and the air inside your home is about as cold as it is outside.

Of course, you can let them run all night but be prepared for a very high electricity bill.

However, like everything else, there are two sides to each coin.  As much as I prefer warmer months to winter colds, there are few things that I love doing in winter.  Number one – the mulled wine, that is love, is back on the menu and two – visiting parks and gardens that contrary to the continental winter are alive and blooming.

Previously, I shared with you our visits to Breenhold Gardens  and Nooroo Gardens during winter months. Today’s post is about visiting Camellia Gardens.  The beauty of this place that you don't need to drive to Blue Mountains like we did in the past, they are situated within the city limits and it only took us about half an hour to get there.

These gardens are over 50 years old and are recognised by the International Camelia Society as a "Camelia Gardens of Excellence".  They are very popular not just amongst the locals but with tourists alike.   Apart from for its picturesque grounds, you can also find a period looking cafe where you can pre-book your afternoon tea with scones and jam or just have lunch on the veranda overlooking the gardens.  The kids love chasing the ducks and at certain times you can actually feed them.  

There is a calm and clean stream tickling along and you can see ducks and other birds swimming up and down the stream. 

The best time for visiting the Gardens is in autumn or winter because it when the Camellias are in season.

Luckily for us, the day when we chose to go there was sunny and quite warm so there was no need for a jacket. 

All and all we had a very nice relaxing outing, having a nice break from the busy activities of our everyday lives.

Hope you had a nice weekend too.

Until then,

Anna

xoxoxo

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WHAT I WORE FOR MY HUSBAND'S BIRTHDAY LUNCH

Hello, my dear readers, trust you are all well.

It seems that I am taking longer and longer breaks between the posts for reasons that I cannot explain, I just do.  It is not that I have left free time left for blogging, I still work the same number of days (just 2) as I used  do in my old job, look after my grandkids twice a week as before and three times a week I go to the gym as I have been doing for years.  Yet somehow I find it challenging to keep up.   It upset me at first but then I said to my self that since blogging is not my livelihood, I have no reason whatsoever to stress out over it.  Just do it when you can and when you feel like it and feel much better now.  Have you been through the situation like this and how have you dealt with it?

So it should come as no surprise that this post is over month overdue.  It is about the outfit that I wore for my husband's birthday that was in April but as they say: "Better later then never", right?  The birthday was not a significant milestone so just the two of us went to have lunch at one of our long time favourite places,  Ms. G's in Sydney's Potts Pont.

Since it was a celebration, I wanted to honour it by dressing for the occasion but since it was a casual lunch, I didn't want to look like I was trying too hard.  This bustling place that serves inventive Asian-fusion plates is loved by young and funky crowd and I wanted to play along.  

Well, I've decided to compromise. Have you ever heard the expression "Business in the front, party at the back"?  Historically, referred to a hair style called the Mullet, I gave it a slight twist and applied it to my outfit:  dressy top and casual bottom - a grey silk blouse decorated by a string of pearls bought at Almacenes San Jose Handicraft Market in Havana when we were on holidays in Cuba paired with black Levi's jeans and LV sneakers.  

I don't even care to remember when I bought this blouse, seems like years ago but it was made in France of pure silk and you don't easily throw away a silk blouse from France.  The jeans, on the other hand, is quite a recent purchase.  I deliberately avoid buying something that was on trend but instead went for a classic cut that I can wear anywhere, whether it is a casual Sunday outing or a day at the office.  

I do, however, remember how long I have these sneakers:  they were a birthday gift from my husband, among some other things, for my 60th birthday, nearly 4 years ago.

The food is always great at Ms. G's and this time it was no exception.  They also make delicious cocktails and after having a couple of those (my husband volunteered to be the designated driver for the day despite the fact that it was his birthday), I was on cloud 9.

Afterwards, we went for a leisurely stroll around the neighbourhood admiring the tall art-deco buildings with their ground floors occupied by a book store, fashion boutiques, homewares and antique stores stopping near the famous El  Alamein Memorial fountain for a photo shoot.

We had a lovely time and I could see that my husband was quite happy to have his birthday this way.

Be well, my dear friends 

Until then

Anna

xoxoxo