A Perfect Manly Day

The best work trips give you the opportunity to combine a bit of business and pleasure.  My recent trip to Sydney didn't give me too many opportunities, but a fabulous weekend in Manly was grabbed with both hands.

Our perfect Manly day kicked off with breakfast at The Pantry with several coffees and my first bowl of polenta porridge with sliced banana, candied walnuts and drizzled runny honey.  The verdict?  Delicious, satisfying, hearty, much smoother than my oats, but I don't think I'll be changing my breakfast staple.  Groaning and clutching our full bellies we needed to walk off breakfast so off we set of the 10km loop around North Head in the Sydney Harbour National Park.

If you have three spare hours in Manly, definitely walk the North Head loop.  You start in the inner harbour, wander through the old army barracks, passed an old quarantine station, loop around the harbour heads and along the ocean cliffs which drop perilously straight down into the Tasman Sea many meters below.  Amble down the very impressive Memorial Walk, drop down onto Shelly beach and meander back to your starting point along the waterfront.  

After that you'll deserve a refreshing beverage or two in the afternoon sunshine, or at least we thought we did!

It's a tough life living in Manly!

Steep drop to the Tasman Sea

Weekend activities, Manly style

Can't see why anyone would want to live in Manly...

May!? Where did you go?

Where did May go?  Where have you been hiding May? Now where are you off to?

Wow...May has been, quite possibly, the fastest and busiest month of my 29 years to date.

Combine a dramatic increase in workload and a three week overseas trip, beat in incredible deadlines and a hell of a lot of catching up, and you have... well, my May.  Oh well, back on the wagon.

I won't complain too much because my business trip was to Sydney (yes, yes, I know, you're thinking "how tough can two and a half weeks in Sydney be?") and allowed me to skip over the ditch to New Zealand and head back out to the farm for a few days.  Three perfect days at home - so good for the soul, so hard to leave.

Amid the insanity of a long business trip there were pockets of fabulousness:

• Sunrise runs and one afternoon walk around the harbour waterfront (to keep my sanity).  I miss crisp clear mornings.
• Catching up with friends over glasses of wine - it's always too long between visits
• A fabulous Manly weekend (more on that later)
• Great food, from fiery Thai street food at Home to an utterly delicious dinner at Cafe Sydney
• Coffee... proper coffee... every day, strong, delicious (although can't resist saying that New Zealand still does it the best in the world)

Possibly the most photographed Sydney scene?

Morning running route (shot in afternoon)

Morning running route (shot in afternoon)

Sander trying out Phil's daily commute by ferry - tough life

Now I'm back in Singapore, I promise I will be a more diligent correspondent.  There are some exciting adventures ahead in June and July, in Singapore, Indonesia and Europe - stay tuned!

April 30-Day Challenge: 30th Daily Limerick - Looking Forward to a Limerick Break

This challenge kept my brain wide awake
'Though at times induced a headache.
The rhyming's now done
And while writing limericks is fun,
I look forward to taking a wee break.

Image from Kevin Dooley (FlickR)

Whew!  April - what a month!  The daily limerick challenge was at times supremely difficult and extremely fun, but I must say that I'm looking forward to May's challenge which is much less taxing on the brain - flossing my teeth every day.

Tomorrow I'll round up my daily limericks and pick a few favourites.

Check out my remaining challenges for the year (here) - I can't believe I'm on to my fifth month already!

Want to join me in any challenges?

April 30-Day Challenge: 29th Daily Limerick - Twelfth Night with Shakespeare in the Park

A grass picnic in the near dark -

Perfect setting for Shakespeare in the Park.

The old Bard's Twelfth Night,

Was an incredible sight.

In Olde English, many a witty remark.

The scene is set

Fort Canning is a perfect setting for outdoor performance.  The natural amphitheatre created by the gentle slope is perfect for the audience to picnic on while allowing everyone a good view of the stage.  Singapore's tropical evenings are just pleasantly cool - the only gamble is the rain!

This year's Shakespeare in the Park is Twelfth Night.  I wasn't very familiar with the story line, so feverishly read my Wikipedia plot summary (here) heading out the door.  The troupe are very funny - lots of physical comedy thrown in with Shakespeare's witty lines and the set is simply outstanding.  It's a shame you can't tell from the photos, but behind the yacht is actually a projected sea with either waves crashing or calmly lapping in the background.

Twelfth Night runs until 20th May so there is plenty of time to pack your picnic basket and head down to Fort Canning to check it out.  Get your tickets here.