Come to Sydney

We've spent a few days in Sydney with J & K from Seoul, Korea. K is a first time visitor to Australia whose response to everything she's seen and experienced with us was so positive it made us want to share the love too.

We started very quietly on Wednesday afternoon - with a walk around some Coogee landmarks (J&K had already done the beach in previous days)....

.... followed by fish and chips in the early evening, on Coogee beach.

Thursday dawned steaming hot and hazy - but we were determined to head for the harbour - to Circular Quay then the fast ferry cat to Watson's Bay.

Which is when it first struck us that K has enormous potential in any "sell" Sydney campaign.

Watson's Bay was crowded with New Year holiday makers; queues were long everywhere and we did our best to keep J's attention away from the legendary fish and chips at the very crowded Doyle's on the Bay.

Joel showed us a way around to this little harbourside beach - what a treasure!

Rushed and sweaty we just made it back to the return ferry in time to beat the hugest lunchtime crush, all heading for Doyle's - back to the city and our mission to find Koreatown. J & K had been missing the delicate, fiery, fresh and fermented tastes of Seoul and we were excited about trying the dishes Joelly's grown to love. We eventually found the wonderful "Wanjee" in Albion Place off George Street - only opened THREE days ago - but serving the best Korean food you'd find anywhere (as good as the best in Seoul we're told!).
 

We're so impressed with J's growing command of the language and the culture, but it was sheer joy being taught all the intricacies of these many layered and refined dishes in the gentle hands of the gorgeous Miss K.  She has told me the names of all the dishes I loved...but I need her to tell me one more time (and write them down!).  But we will go back to Wanjee and try these dishes again!  But how will we manage without Miss K?

We ended off a wonderful day by walking (yes) from Wanjoo to Surry Hills to our favourite Temple Bar on Crown Street where we stayed, chilling out, as the day gradually cooled off, drinking their Stone and Wood beer, on tap, and sharing stories about life in Australia and Korea.

We drove back to Canberra today - K's first time in the capital city (after a brief stop off at the Big Merino at Goulbourn and a taste of the vanilla slices and lamingtons at Trapper's Bakery). We told her the story of Canberra's beginning 100 years ago and she very astutely observed - so Canberra is the compromise city!!

We took her to Mt Ainslie for a bird's eye view of the Burley Griffin planned bush city...and she was sweet enough to pose for my Come to Canberra campaign.  I swear Miss K could melt the hardest heart about our much maligned capital city.