Favourite Sydney Restaurant - Via NYC and Paris

Yesterday I visited Felix, a new Sydney restaurant. It's reminiscent of a Parisian bistro, and also felt just like I was in Balthazar in New York. The marbled entryway is similar to the one at Balthazar:

Sorry about the poor quality of this image - you can just see the lovely timber ceiling:

The decor is classic, with white subway tiles, Thonet chairs, white tablecloths:

A mural:

And white chicken wire tiles on the floor:

I had the chicken soup with barley, lemon and peas, which was delicious:

And the best Reuben sandwich this side of a New York deli:

The service was just as impressive as the decor and food, even though the restaurant was really busy. I would thoroughly recommend a visit, especially if you need a Manhattan fix.

Top Ten Valentine's Day Destinations

It's really difficult for me to decide on my favourite Valentine's Day treat. Maybe High Tea at the Windsor Hotel, Melbourne:

Or a picnic on the banks of the Seine, low-key but nonetheless highly romantic:

Visiting the Hall of Mirrors at Versailles is to surround yourself with a vision of romance and beauty:

The view from Cortona in Tuscany is breathtakingly romantic and the food is unsurpassed :

Balthazar's in New York is where you feel like you're in France, but you're in New York so it's fantastic anyway:

The Chateau les Reynats outside Perigueux has the most spectacular food this side of a Michelin star and the waiters are sweethearts:

Villa del Balbianello on Lake Como is so romantic that James Bond went there to recuperate while in love with Vesper Lynd in "Casino Royale":

This table for two in the cafe at the pink villa of Beatrice Ephrussi de Rothschild on the French Riviera has a view which is one of the most romantic in the world:

The White House at Daylesford is my favourite romantic destination in Australia. This bed makes you want to jump in immediately:

Le Grand Colbert in Paris is so romantic that it was the setting for the reunion in "Something's Gotta Give". And the "best roast chicken in the universe" really is:

Or maybe I'll just sit at home with my special valentine and ponder this view:

Happy Valentine's Day wherever you are!

In Diana's Footsteps

This is where her life began, at Althorp, a life fit for a Princess-to-be. Not exactly in this building, which houses the stables, although they are very grand:

The main house is covered by scaffolding due to work on the cladding and roof. Diana's brother Charles vacates the estate during July and August, but the house is left much as it is when his family is in residence, with books, games, and other personal touches casually left in public view. This is part of its charm for visitors:

However, Diana growing up in such a beautiful environment could not keep her safe in later life. Here is the road above the Alma Tunnel in Paris, where she met her death thirteeen years ago. Because the public cannot access the tunnel itself, this replica of the flame of the Statue of Liberty above it serves as a de facto memorial:

The public in their grief have scrawled messages, one pointing out the irony that Diana, whose mythological name means the huntress, found herself hunted in her final moments:


Two years ago, I photographed another memorial at Harrod's in London, but it is no longer there as Dodi's father has since sold the store:


Now Diana is remembered through the memorial fountain in Hyde Park, near Kensington Palace, where she once lived:

Although the fountain's design was criticised when it first opened, it is utilised by many children, a fact which Diana would have loved:


The gates of Kensington Palace, the site of a sea of flowers and an outpouring of grief at her death:


The Diana memorial playground behind the palace:


There is a sense of symmetry in the fact that Diana is now buried on an island on the estate where she grew up:


This is truly a fitting temple to her memory:


Rest in peace.

Sex and the City - Parisian Style

I had a bit of a Sex and the City day in Paris yesterday. Fristly I went to see lots of lovely frocks at the Yves St Laurent exhibition at the Petit Palais. Over 300 frocks to be precise. It is the first retrospective of the designer's work and is arranged thematically with rooms devoted to such topics as the smoking jacket, evening gowns, and St Laurent's collaboration with Catherine Deneuve on such films as "Belle du Jour":

After a morning filled with beautiful designer gowns, I had a spa at the Paris Mosque. The tea room which serves various teas in beautiful tea glasses, is just how I imagine Morocco to be:

For a very reasonable 58 Euros, I had the Oriental package which includes lunch (I chose a delicious couscous with lamb):

Followed by mint tea and pastry:

Also included is the entry into the hammam, together with an exfoliation by one of the assistants, and a 10 minute massage:

Then it was off to the Marais for dinner with the boys in the gay area of Paris:

Paris Top Ten

In a few weeks' time I'll be in Paris, and I have quite a list of places to see. Some of them I haven't been able to get out of my head since my last trip, so will be happily revisiting, such as Laduree for its gelato colours:

And a picnic on the banks of the Seine is a must:

As is a stroll along the Boulevarde St Michel, or Boul' Miche as it is known:

Then there is the Grand Colbert at 2 Rue Vivienne, a little bistro where the hot chocolate was a meal in itself last time:


I'm going to the Marches des Puces or Flea Markets at Porte de Vanves, just for these fabrics alone:

Not to mention a street market for the chicken with fat dripping down onto the potatoes, or then there's the healthier option of fruit and vegetables:

There are places where I've never been before, such as the store Merci:

Image from Tara Bradford Photography website

I can't wait to visit the Musee des Artes Decoratifs in the Rue de Rivoli:

Image from Musee website.

Then there is the Shakespeare and Company bookstore:

Image from store website

Image from Rough Luxe website

Not forgetting the Fauchon store at Place de la Madeleine, where I might pick up some madeleines or macaroons. There is sugar in these packets:

Image from French Blue

The Paris Apartment

As promised, here are photos of the apartment in Paris where we are swapping for a week. Its very centrally located on the Left Bank, just a short busride away from Bvde St Germain, Luxembourg Gardens etc, and a short walk to the local Monoprix and markets. Here I am coming back after shopping:

Its bright and airy with pretty funky decor:




So far, I can thoroughly recommend the whole swapping scene.