Beach-day, Pool-day, Fri-day


My favorite day of the trip was going to Bondi Beach. We made sure to pronounce it the correct way Bond-eye so not to offend the locals. We had made plans to hike from Cogee Beach up to Bondi Beach, but with kids you have to be flexible and they were not having any hiking. So that plan got thrown out the window. We still did some hiking around the northern part of the beach. It was fantastic! All five of us enjoyed jumping around on the rocks and trying to not get our feet soaked when the water came in. It was so much fun. And so beautiful. I think it is the swimmer in me that made me love this place so much. All kinds of bodies of water draw me in and I am in love. 

We went on a perfect day. The sun was shinning, a little too bright. I was a little pink when we left. I was just dumb and didn't put sun screen untill after our hike. 

We hiked up to Ben Buckler Point. It's the most north point of the Bondi horse shoe. The view was incredible. We were on top of the world in Sydney! It was enough of a hike for the kids and us to enjoy. They were so ready to go to the beach and swim. Cosette started down to the beach before we were even ready to leave. That girl is a little too independent sometimes. It will serve her well in the future, but right now it is hard to keep with all three of them. 

We stopped at the best place for lunch. It is called North Bondi Fish, and enjoyed some of the best fish and chips I have ever had. My fish and chips in Ireland is still first place, but these are a close second. The atmosphere was great being right on the beach. Our kids loved their food and the staff was great with them, and that always makes me give any place two thumbs up. The giant flakes of sea salt on the fish and chips were just yum! If I could do a Italian finger kissing thing that is how I would describe them. Lyndon and I shared them and we balanced out the meal by sharing a kale and pumpkin salad which was also Italian finger kissing good. It was really nice to have some good Western food on this trip. I love Asian food, but I didn't realized how much I missed Western cuisine.

The beach was the best! The water was freezing. Lyndon threw me in twice, much to my chargin. He loves doing things like that to me. I usually let him, sometimes I don't have a choice like that day. I was not ready for that chilly water. He also decided that I needed to be buried in sand. Cosette and Raphael were all for it. Henry was my hero and keep brushing the sand off me telling them to not bury mommy. It was cute. Raphael made a break for the water and then decided that he did not like it when a wave washed up on shore and got him wet. Henry was in sand heaven. He just played and played in it. Cosette was the brave one or just the one who loves her daddy the most and had him carry her into the waves with him. Lyndon was having the time of his life frolicking, for the lack of a more manly term, in the water. There were a lot of people out there surfing, some people were literally swimming out to sea. It was a pretty dreamy afternoon.  









Pink dolphins. What more could a girl want?
The pose seemed appropriate for the place.
Then Cosette had to get her own pic. We had a lot of good mother-daughter bonding on this hike. Lyndon was with the boys so it was us girls together. I loved it. She is the best friend I could ask for and I have so much fun with her. 

The water was so blue. It was beautiful. 
At the top of Ben Buckler Point. 

The plant life in Australia is so interesting. There are succulents everywhere! Really beautiful flowers. 





That night we met up with Brooke and her boys at the Sydney Olympic Park Aquatic Centre. That was kind of a big deal for me. I zealously watched the 2000 Sydney Games. Those games were so good. The swimming in those games was incredible! I vividly remember a lot of those races and the swimmers who competed in them. Going to the Olympic Aquatic Center was really emotional for me. The smell of chlorine, the pool, there was a swim meet going on that night. It brought back so many memories. I seriously have spent most of my life in a pool. I might have teared up a little when I got inside. and saw the everything. I am so much of a swimming nerd that I looked up swimming venues in Sydney. Being there was an absolute dream. My swimmer heart was soaring and I was so happy. This might sound silly, but it was more of a happy feeling of reverence. I am writing all this probably because I was feeling emotional about being there. It was great! Swimmer dreams coming to reality. 

The real reason we went is because there is a fantastic kid's water area. We played there for a few hours with the cousins. You can see it in the background of the pic below. It was a blast. The kids did not want to leave. 

On the way out I got some pics with some of my favorite swimmers of all time. I don't care what people say about Michael Phelps, I think he is the most amazing athlete of our time. Such an incredible swimmer. It is not easy to be good at so many events, let alone the best which he proved he at the 2008 Beijing Games. I could go on about the guy, but what is important about him and Sydney is that Sydney was his first Olympic Games. He was 15 and was an upset in the trials, I watched them and remember the race, and I swam in the pool the trials were held in (swimming nerd). He did not medal in Sydney, but I remember him racing. Huge Michael Phelps fan and was so excited to see his plaque. I made the kids watch the 2016 Games and we were cheering for Phelps. The kids keep calling him Michael Philips, haha. 

I told Cosette that this was where the Olympics were held and she started jumping up and down shouting, "Olympics! Olympics!". I was just a little proud at her enthusiasm and her enthusiasm for seeing Michael "Philips" hand and foot prints. 

Ian Thorpe, my favorite Aussie swimmer. I loved watching the Thorpedo in the Sydney Olympic Games. I was in swimming heaven the whole day. 

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Remote Learning Part 1

The Tooth Fairy and Tons of Pink Tulle

Traveling Half Way around the World