Part 2 -Long Weekend June

Day 2 – Saturday 7 Jun 2014

The morning was filled with people rushing to an fro, the sound of hair dryers, quick cups of coffee and hurriedly applied make-up! We were out the door by 10.00 am to pick up a friend, and then barrelled down the motorway heading into the Lyric Theatre at The Star Casino.  Once there, we spent a relaxing hour wandering around a Growers Market  on Pirrama Road, on the waters edge at Pyrmont with the sun beaming down on us from above.

We ate our lunch at the café section just along from the Lyric Theatre as we watched the myriad of people pass by. Tall, short, fat and skinny, some dressed in track pants and joggers, others in their very best clothes and adorned with expensive jewellery.  Three of us decided to have lunch from the Flying Fish restaurant, and one from a Lebanese restaurant, and  I must say that that was the best Fish in Beer Batter, Chips and Salad that I’ve had in many a long day.  We had discovered that Adrianno Zumbo’s patisserie was just a little further along the corridor, so you can guess where we went for dessert!  My citrus tart was velvet smooth and just heaven on the taste buds.

Then, the moment I had been looking forward to for months – time to go to our seats.  Kim had worried that they would not be good enough seats, but they were just perfect.  They simply could not have been better as they were on the first raised level affording us a magnificent view of the entire stage.  I had bought a Strictly Ballroom book at the front of the theatre, so I took the time to look through it, and it only made me more excited to be there.

The show itself was everything you could have wanted – sensational music, fantastic singing, and outstanding dance.  I adored the gowns the girls were wearing, fascinated by the almost liquid movement of the material as they floated across the dance floor.  There was plenty of “bling” in the millions of coloured sequins adorning the gowns, and downy soft feathers hanging from hemlines.

I guess the most stunning dance would have to have been the Paso Doble.  I found the dance, performed by Fernando Mira who played Rico, just breathtaking, inspiring and so very moving!  The audience must have agreed with me because the applause just erupted when it was finished.

On the whole I clapped, sang me heart out, cheered, and watched the talent of the cast in absolute awe.  What a fabulous show.  I could certainly recommend it to anyone.

Once we arrived back at Kim and Glenn’s place we all decided that cooking would be too much effort, so we jumped back in the car and enjoyed a meal at the Blacktown Bowling Club.

 

Part 1 – Long Weekend June

What a wonderful June long week end!!  My sisters (Kim and Kellie) had organised to see Strictly Ballroom – the musical, and I had been looking forward to it for months.  Following is an account of fabulous winter days, spent laughing ’till my sides split.

Day 1 – Friday 6 Jun 2014

I was awake before dawn in anticipation of heading off on a fun filled, show stopping weekend away with my sisters.  If I’m completely honest I would say that the excitement had been building all week!  Just fancy, visiting with my younger sisters, seeing a musical, and having lunch with my sister-in-law & niece, I just couldn’t wait!! I drove out of Tamworth and headed to Forster via the Port Stephens Cutting.  Now this section of the road is definitely NOT my favourite drive, but today I was pleasantly surprised, and much relieved to find I was the only car on the very narrow, winding and almost vertical climb up the cutting.  People will tell you that it is a beautiful drive, however I wouldn’t know because my eye’s are always glued to road, looking for oncoming cars or trucks, and praying that I don’t find them in case I have to reverse to a section of road wide enough for them to pass me.

Just after passing Nowendoc the road became shrouded in a “pea soup” fog.  Visibility was low, but I found the view absolutely stunning.  Old trees, wooden fences and a creek were covered in a blanket of grey and hidden until the last minute, but were hauntingly beautiful as they came into view.  There was not a hint of sun to be found anywhere.

Coming down the mountain the fog slowly gave way to a fine misty rain and the Bellbirds began to sing.  I wound my window down just a little so that I could listen to the crystal clear bell tones of these tiny birds, the sound of which always fills me with joy.  I have loved the Bellbird call since I was just a little girl driving to the coast with my family.  Dad would let us wind our windows all the way down just to listen to the bird calls and I used to encourage my own son’s to do the same thing!

After reaching Kellie’s place, we decided we would pretty much head straight off to Sydney.  We stopped for a quick MacDonald’s lunch at about the half way mark, and then continued on our way, hoping to get to Castle Hill in time to do some shopping.

Now when Kellie and I are together we always find something to laugh about.  I don’t just mean a good laugh – I mean the laugh that comes from the heart and the gut, and has tears streaming down your face, sitting there hardly able to breath with the joy of it all!  As we sped down the freeway and across the Mooney Mooney Bridge the rain decided to pelt down, the windscreen wipers were racing at double time, and Kellie and I were laughing our heads off over some silly video I had seen on U Tube.  As people passed us in their cars they must have thought were idiots!

Well, we did eventually get to Castle Hill in time for a short shopping spree, no thanks to the traffic that seemed to come from nowhere, and we spent a relaxing evening with my other sister Kim and her hubby Glenn eating pea and ham soup and watching telly.  There is nothing better than chowing down on pea and ham soup on a cold, rainy winters night – my sister Kim is such a fantastic cook!