Brisbane Wonderful (A play on words "It's been wonderful)

With Brisbane Round Two slowly coming to a close, we reflect on the experiences we've had here. Mainly around food, but also on a few other topics. 

Our breakfasts have been lovely. One particularly memorable breakfast, pictured below, was proceeded by exciting events. Blake came to the rescue of a table of young girls besieged by an errant bird that flew into the restaurant, smacked into the window, and flopped around, confused and dazed on the banquet. Blake gently ushered the bird out of an open door, much to the relief of all the patrons. A round of applause was his reward. 

The breakfast that followed was one of our last out for awhile. All good things must come to an end, and both Blake and I got a little sick of eating out constantly, so we bought some porridge packets (kind of like oatmeal, really) and other breakfast accoutrements and have been eating at our airbnb in the mornings. The only disadvantage to this is that we are at the mercy of our host's taste in coffee. Who knew instant coffee was still a thing. It shouldn't be. 

We were very spoiled on our last morning out with Australian "Iced Coffee." Unlike American iced coffee, this coffee is not cooled with frozen water "ice" but with iced cream! Below you will see the beautiful creation as it was presented to us. 

Instant coffee just doesn't compare. But we have been enjoying ourselves and making due.

Friday was another long day of walking and exploring, just the thing to jolt our spirits after the disappointment on the Gold Coast. Walking through the SouthBank parklands we stumbled upon a Home Improvement show at the Brisbane convention center. Curiosity got the best of us and we decided to see what the Australians had to offer for homes. We saw lots of area specific things, like sun shades and awnings, some of the typical kitchen cabinet and closet organizers, but my favorite by far was a talk given by a company which specializes in renovations, additions, and updates to Queenslanders, a style of home common here in Brisbane. We sat and listened to that for awhile and I felt right at home!


Saturday saw us with our first day of leisure since we arrived at the continent! At last we had access to free laundry, and some time to relax while running a few loads. Blake and I vegged out all day and relaxed at the house reading and watching shows, and listening to podcasts.

Feeling rejuvenated, we started Sunday morning with a hilly run throughout the neighborhood where we currently reside. When I say hilly, I tell you that you do not know of these hills! Nearly 45 degrees up and down half the time, but we enjoyed the sights, and the calf workout. We then made our way down to the Brisbane Museum and had a tour of the city hall building which was most entertaining and fascinating.

After our visit we stopped at what was billed the "Brisbane's first and most beloved restaurant" which we found beautifully lovely, and the food marvelous. 

Inside city hall we were given a brief and fascinating description of the mosaic floor, which incorporates both neo-classical and art deco design elements. Blake was particularly fascinated with the the tile work, which was all cut and placed in-situ.

All this walking has given me a bit of a pain in the side, and Blake and I agreed that my shoes may be to blame. We found ourselves to a shoe store in the CBD with lots of good options. I found a few pairs that seemed alright, but nothing quite worth spending any money on just yet. 

We finished our evening with a visit to the brewery which we had attempted to visit earlier that was closed. We decided to try all of their beers with two tasting paddles! 

A little wobble back home and we were set for another evening. Tomorrow is our last full day in Brisbane before heading up to Bundaberg for our visit to Lady Musgrave Island and the Great Barrier Reef! Afterwards, it's on to Sydney!!