Random Summer Happenings Post

Because I still haven't sorted through my pictures from our time in Byron Bay, or when my parents and aunt and uncle were here, or the Australian Open, today you get a random blog post with some phone photos of things we've been doing this summer. In no particular order, here's some of what we've been up to in January and February...

I met up with Zack one day in the city for a run and lunch on Degraves Street afterward. These camera-wielding dogs are in Federation Square. I'm not sure why they're there, but I thought I'd better get a picture with them.

We have salmon for dinner nearly every week, because it's so delicious fresh from the market. Here's one of my salmon creations...pan fried salmon with homemade pesto sauce atop quinoa. Yum!

We watched the National Championship Game for college football at our friends' place. While we enjoyed cuddling their dog Roo, we didn't enjoy Notre Dame's performance in the game and the resulting score. Let's not talk about it!

I had a celebrity sighting at the South Melbourne Market. The girl with the skirt in the back is Ellie from MasterChef 2011. You may recall that this was the show we watched religiously when we first moved here, and Ellie was one of our favorites. I just had to snap this stalker phone photo to show Zack while pretending I was looking at potatoes!

Speaking of potatoes, these potato swirls, which are found at the Queen Victoria Suzuki Night Market, are delicious. The sangria is tasty too. This night market runs every Wednesday night during the summer, and it's a great place to go to try all sorts of delicious food (I even got an American pulled pork sandwich one night) and listen to some fun live music. We've gone a couple of times, and it's been a great way to spend a summer evening.

And last but not least, I decorated our house a little bit for Australia Day (which was January 26). I'm not sure if you can even see the little flags strung across the top, but they are there. Yes, even though I'm American, I've got some Australian spirit!

Anyway, that's a little glimpse into our summer so far. The weather has been incredible (which is rare for Melbourne), so we've been soaking up the sun and making the most of it while we can. That's probably why I've been slacking on keeping up with the blog!

December 1 Down Under

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How does one spend a Saturday in Australia? Well, here's a little glimpse of how we spent our Saturday, December 1st, which is the first day of summer.

First, Zack and I walked to a nearby restaurant for brunch. Afterward, I stopped by the South Melbourne Market for some fresh fruits, vegetables, and our favorite Tasmanian salmon.

On the walk home, I checked out the monthly Bank Street Market, where I found these colorful flowers.

The weather was perfect, so Zack and I biked down to the beach and drank some ciders on the sand.

Zack jammed on his guitar for awhile, and at one point, he even had a little girl on the path above us accompanying him on the "drums." She was actually quite good at keeping the beat!




















I enjoyed catching up on some reading...

...and found the people watching to be quite interesting. I have no idea why this guy was collecting all these sticks. And you should be glad I spared you the front view. Did I ever mention that Speedos are called budgie smugglers in Australia? I will not elaborate on the reasons!










We met up with our friends Todd and Alena for dinner at a Turkish restaurant near the market. After a huge, authentic meal (Zack's Turkish coffee and gross Turkish delight are pictured here), we headed to a local bar for a drink and to play some cards to end the night. It's nice to have friends from Chicago who know how to play euchre!

So I'd say that was a pretty good start to our summer, eh?

So Long Summer? Hello Sunsets!

The weather seems to be starting to cool off a little bit. We've been getting some rain, and it actually felt like fall the other day. I don't feel like we've had nearly enough summer yet, but alas, it is March in Australia, and that means the start of another season. 

But the sunsets continue to be beautiful. Here's a random phone shot I took while walking home the other day; I was right by Luna Park and liked how the palm trees were silhouetted as the sun went down:

There is one positive thing about the change in seasons. It means that we get to see sunsets from our balcony again! The other night was the first night in months where I could see the sun as it went down without leaving the comfort of home. I don't think I will ever get sick of this view!