Lucky Lupitas... lucky us.
What do you do when you can't escape overseas? Go eat out, on international food. I haven't been to Mexico, so can't comment on the authenticity - but damn, this is fine food. Lucky Lupitas.
In an unfortunate location perhaps, just outside of Flinders Medical Centre, with not much parking. This little cantina packs a punch. So many rave reviews. Frequent waits for tables.
Why? No bookings. Fresh, basic, tasty food. Casual and friendly service.
Cute mismatched cutlery and glassware to match the granny tables. Green walls. Funky lightbulb feature lights. Rustic. Music. Music that my three year old daughter bops to. A vibe to comfort and relax.
Yuca Fritas - taking me back to Brazil.
Hamburguesa Hogao - converting me to the meat in bun meal
Elote - the tastiest corn and condiments I have ever eaten.
And I think we all loved the crsip, salty, every so just right, papas fritas.
We went for our eight year wedding anniversary. At home, we watched our wedding video. We saw us speaking of our travels, watching a belly dancer perform, and us dancing salsa and merengue to Turkish music. How cultural.
Next?
The Leukaemia Foundation shoot
I am so lucky to be able to help some fabulous charities and organisations within my work as a photographer. Last week I was fortunate enough to work with The Leukaemia Foundation on a new campaign. Here is a sneak peak of some unedited pics from the shoot... Keep your eyes open in the coming months for the campaign. And maybe you too could dare to bare!
The year that was 2012
[gallery columns="3" link="post" type="rectangular" ids="247,249,250,252,253,255,256,257,258,260,262,264"] A year in review...
Really interesting client briefs, camper-trailing with the kids, articles published and stock images sold. Hard drive corruptions and tsunami evacuations. Laughter and tears. Fun and darn hard work. Wouldn't have it any other way.
Holidays with Kids Two in Tow An article that has been published in the recent edition of Holidays With Kids - a great magazine for parents looking to make best use of their holiday time. So many fabulous ideas and experiences to read, including this one from our recent trip to Phuket. Please let me know what you think, if you have any comments.
Travel Inspiration
I have so many wish list holidays swirling around in my head. The other day I decided to make a bucket list of holidays that I want to do. Check this out for some inspiration! http://www.lonelyplanet.com/europe/travel-tips-and-articles/76856
Cuba is on my list, but some others are grabbing my attention too. What's your #1?
Phuket with kids
[gallery link="file"] It's no holiday, but traveling with kids can be fun and rewarding. Forget the teething bubs, the tantrums, the water care, the fact that you can't do many tours - and you are in for a great time. What you can't do is made up for with what you can do. Massages when they are asleep, afternoon naps for yourself, lots of swimming in the pool, stopping to chat with lots of locals, spending all day with your kids as a family and generally messing about.
We have just got home from Phuket, an adventure that saw us do all of the above and more. The most 'excting' time saw us up a mountain in a local home for five hours due to a tsunami evacuation. While we were up there we were told that 1000's had been killed in Indonesia from three waves eight metres high. When we finally edge down the hill at 9.30pm to find a hotel on the hill, we are told that all warnings have been cleared and no wave is coming.
I'm still wary of staying in our beachside villa and want to be transfered to a room in the main building. Nothing is available, so we end up back in our room. Until at 5am we are woken by the fire alarm, this time however we are prepared. We grab our pre packed backpacks, lock the kids in the pushers, and run to the lobby in our sleepwear. It's a false alarm. I want to go home now, so scared of staying and the racing adrenalin tiring me. We are not aware yet that no one was killed by the tsunami. We are not aware yet that there was no tsunami.
The kids don't go back to sleep, even though they have only had six hours. After breakfast I get on the internet to find out what happened. That's where I read there was no tsunami, only a 80cm wave, with no injuries. I'm exhausted - thank goodness it's the last day. No more adventures please, not for a while.
Robe weekender
Robe is a quaint little town on the South East coast of South Australia - well known for its beach, fishing and 4WDing. I like it because of its cute character, its very eclectic ice-creamery, and now, Mahalia coffee. I've been to Robe twice, and loved it both times. Once prior to kids, and now with kids in tow, literally. One on a trike and one on a scooter. We down beautiful, strong Mahalia coffee in the mornings, get the adrenalin pumping on the tracks of Little Dip Conservation Park, and then chow down on Vic Street Pizzeria pizza in the evening. One night, the Big 4 Caravan Park put on a disco for the kids - Belle, my two year, wanted to go. It made my heart sing. A little two year old head banging, clapping and spinning in circles with all the big kids to Top 40 music while a disco light and coloured lights scatter beams of light all over the floor. So worth all the drama throughout the day, and trying to get them to sleep. Needless to say, she went to bed fine that night. Here are some pics... [gallery link="file" columns="2"]
Sydney weekender
[gallery link="file" columns="2"] We went to Sydney for the weekend, to visit my cousin. It was a different weekend, full of contrasts, beauty and ugly. First off, the train from the airport out to Parramatta. The rails felt greasy and sticky, I didn't want to touch them. But I did enjoy the people watching, all the different cultures boarding and disembarking. I saw mums and grans trying to keep babies happy, a mum trying to keep a toddlers face clean, teenagers bopping to headset music, businessmen sitting awkwardly, and most heart warming of all - two strangers helping a lady with a pusher off the train. It was so nice to see that people still care and respect others - not only just in little country towns, but in Sydney.
I wouldn't normally base myself in Parramatta for a weekender, but it was an interesting area to explore. I'd only heard negative through the media, so when I came across Church Street and all of it's cafes and restaurants with delicious food, it was a yummy surprise. We ate very well at two fabulous restaurants, eating Turkish for lunch (at a cheaper price than what we could get in Adelaide, go the lunch deals!) and an ultra amazing Lebanese meal later in the evening. Much later, like 10.30pm - very unusual and new for me, eating at that time.
The ferry ride into the Rocks gives a great glimpse of Sydney, and the changes in social structure and wealth as you head closer into the city. The houses hugging onto every inch of down to the waters edge, where residents can keep watch of their yacht bopping up and down, makes me feel both envious and also invaded. Each looks into the neighbours backyard and windows. Well, a lot of them do.
Another surpise was the Kirribilli toilet block. We walked over the Sydney Harbour Bridge to check out the markets, and found this little toilet block in the train station. I haven't seen plumbing that old for a while! And back over the bridge, a world apart it seems, is The Argyle's amenities - very modern with individual toilet stations, automatic drop down basins in the centre and illuminated mens urinals at centre back stage. Wow.
Sydney put on awesome weather for us, arriving in 27 degree heat and departing just before the showers come on Sunday. Good work and thanks goes to the rain gods for keeping it dry. Thanks also to Qantas customer service who got us on an earlier flight, no questions asked. Another act of kindness I don't normally expect involving aeroplanes, airports, and asking to change things.
Belle's little brother Ashton...
10 days overdue - and still not ready to meet us. Time travel back to May 30, and I am in Flinders Medical Centre to get little Ashton to make a move on. And move on he does, after having my waters broken. After just two hours of labour, he is here, at 12.30pm. Finally! In the six or so weeks since then, he has had lots of love and cuddles from his big sister, mum, dad, and everyone else who has visited. Ashton is not one to say no to a cuddle or two. He has also come out on quite a few photo shoots with me - libraries to landscaping worksites and land fills. Yikes! He's also spent a day in the city with Grandma and Aunty Mary while I worked at Uni SA City East campus. He certainly does get about. Today, he's having a good sleep in his own little bed...[gallery link="file"]
A little bit of this, a little bit of that...
[gallery link="file"] I thought I'd share with you some fun pics I have taken over the last few weeks... the beauty of iPhones and taking pics on a whim in my lounge room for my best friend. I like the fun of just taking pictures with the iPhone, where all control is gone, and you only have to take the picture. Getting back to basics - if only for a moment or two.
