Paris - Friday 16 June 2023

I haven't been here since 1997. Landed about 6am and caught an Uber to the hotel. It was a long trip due to peak hour traffic. EUR60.

Arrived at Hotel de la Castigione in Rue de Faubourg. Fantastic location. Got an upgrade to a decent sized room.

Couldn't check in until 2pm so left my bag and went for a walk,

Very nice to be here!

I was close to the Champs Elysee so started at the Arc de Triomphe and walked down to Place de la Concorde, then to Les Tuileries and the Louvre.

Statue de Marseille...

Place de la Concorde...

Jardin des Tuileries...

The Louvre...

Then I walked to the river and back along the Seine...

I think that's Musee D'Orsay...

Alexander III Bridge...

Petit Palais...

This is coming up to my hotel...

I checked in and had a long sleep. Then got up and showered and headed to my friend's place for dinner. Caught the metro to Port de Vincennes. Easy trip on Line 1. This is the Metro entry at Concorde...

He cooked gazpacho, pizza and chocolate mousse. Very nice cheese platter too...

Headed back on the Metro about 11pm.

Fantastic first day in Paris!

Sydney to Paris via Hong Kong - Thursday 15 June 2023

So excited to be heading to Sicily!

Early start for a 07:35 flight on Cathay. Delayed for an hour and a half departing, so arrived in Hong Kong later than expected. Bags were checked straight through so went straight through immigration and headed into town via the Airport Express. I have about a 6 hour layover.

Met an ex-colleague at IFC Rooftop for a drink. It was pretty overcast and humid.

Then went and met some more ex-colleagues at the bar we used to hang out at, Bella Lee in Peel Street.

I left about 8:45 to go back to the airport for my 11pm flight. I was starving by then so had some food at Beef & Liberty. Boarded and fell straight to sleep.

Sydney - May / June 2023

My three kids got an Ace tattoo. I'm so proud of them for doing it together. ACE is an acronym of their first names...

One Saturday night I went to Stitch Bar in the city. It's a hidden bar that I discovered before I moved to Hong Kong. Glad to see it's still in business. They had live music which was nice...

Another night I went to a Japanese whiskey bar in Chinatown. It was cool...

Brunch in West Pymble. Spanner crab and chorizo omelette...

One night I met a friend for a drink in Woollhara and then we went for dinner at Cipri. Great food and atmosphere...

I'm trying new drinks as a substitute for coffee...

I went to my brother-in-laws 50th birthday in Terrigal and stayed over at The Clan. Went for a walk before the party. It's very cold...

Wamberal Beach looking back at Terrigal...

The best thing about the hotel was the free breakfast...

I finally got my number plates back...

Trying on my son's sunglasses and being photo bombed by Alex...

Saturday morning and I had been car shopping with Callum. We had brunch at St Ives...

Callum bought a new car. Mazda 3 SP25, 2014 model. It's great...

We had our end of financial year party at The Rooftop Sydney one Friday night...

Another night I had dinner in Surry Hills at a Japanese restaurant called Izakaya Fujiyama. Great food...

Went out for a work dinner one night during Vivid. Got a great view from the restaurant, Whalebridge.

At gym...

Went for a bushwalk with Alex one Sunday. She's flying to Berlin this week.

Sydney - April 2023

On Anzac Day I got u early, drove to Coogee then walked to Bondi. Had a coffee...

Then did the Bondi to Coogee Coastal Walk.

Gorgeous day...

One night I went for dinner at am Asian Fusion restaurant in Darlinghurst called Ms. G's...

The food was great.

Afterwards I found a craft brew place called Curly Lewis in Bondi where they brew the beer onsite.