Socceroos v Brazil

Pumped up for a big day, Toni and I headed south of the river after lunch yesterday, to meet up with the crew to watch the big match.

First the first time in many weeks, I actually received texts from home about the footy going on back there. No prizes for guessing why that's been so quiet! 40 points, sounded good to me!

So on to the football of the moment, we met up with Sharna, and Laura and Tom, and some of the HCML crew at the Clapham Grand. Huge screen, old theatre type venue, packed with Aussies decked out in their Aussie gear.

Concentrating on the game, which always makes a little more sense to me after a few drinks, the Aussies did well. The crowd was fully into it...although I must admit, the biggest cheer of the night was for the appearance of Warnie on the big screen!

The first goal was scored just after half time, while I was still in the Ladies queue, and then the next one followed soon after. Neither to the boys in the away stipe blue, and the game was away from the Socceroos.

Gutted in the end, but the boys did have a dip. The mood was flat at the end of the match, and the band started up. We all trickled away, out into the daylight to wonder what could have been. Bring on Thursday!

Football, Books and Food

Monday was filled with anticipation all day for the big match, and my workplace, who are somewhat anti-flexitime, made special allowances for people to watch the World Cup. Australia's first match in the tourament, the first match for many years, was against Japan, and fell at 2pm on Monday. The big screen set up in one of the meeting rooms (as it is right now for the England match), and we were allowed to take time out to watch. How funny.

Given the offer, there was only about 6 people who took them up on the offer. But we certainly made enough noise for the whole building when the Aussie goals were scored! After a tense first half, how good was the last 10 minutes! Hee hee.

Tuesday I managed to attend only my second BookCrossing Meet-Up in London, after being a good attendee back in Melbourne. A chance to chat and swap books, and meet new people.

Last night was another installment of the WBBS nights, which took up to Goldhawk tube station, and to an Ethiopian restaurant in that area. Ordering a selection of dishes for the group, the food comes out in little dishes and is then distributed on a huge pancake for the whole group. Then it's dig in with fingers, tearing bits of the pancake and scooping up the assortment of curries. Was very yum! And cheap!

Rainbow House Party

Yesterday our house hosted a house party, to welcome in the summer weather. Spot on with timing, it seems that summer arrived in London last weekend, and is not here to stay. A BBQ up on the terrace, with many drinks seemed to be the way to go!

Brainstorming for a theme for the party, we eventually decided that each of the four housemates would specify a different colour to be worn by their guests. Nicole was blue, Toni was yellow, my friends were to wear green, and Nata's red.

Thinking it would be interesting to watch the colours mingle, and cluster. The BBQ was fired up (thanks, Charles!), and the drinks were flowing. The sun was hot on the balcony, at last!

Sunset was gorgeous, and very late, so it was a long and silly night.

Piecing the evening together with the house the next morning has been quite funny. (More photos)

There's Something About Mary

Sunday morning greeted us with sunshine in Copenhagen, as we headed out to visit Frederiksborg and the Royal Palace out there. Easy transport around Denmark, we travel straight out, and had lunch by the lake.

Facsinated by the story of Crown Princess Mary, and the story of her meeting her Prince in a pub in Sydney...every girls dream, finding a prince and being whisked off to a giant palace, and living happily ever after, isn't it? If a little country girl from Tasmania can do it...!! And in the land where fairytales such as The Little Mermaid, The Princess and The Pea Thumbelina and The Little Match Girl are aflood, Denmark is certainly the place of such a story!

Princess Mary is easily the most interesting Australian at the moment, and the emergence of the knowledge and adoration of our Mary is apparent when chatting to the Danes. Despite keeping our eye out, not one spotting of our Mary when I was over...maybe next time!!

The Frederiksborg Palace is gorgeous, fairytale-like, and set next to a lake amoung amazing gardens. Out the back (!!) is one of the world's best baroque gardens. Such a nice place to raise a young prince!!

At the moment, there is an Australian Exhibit on within the Palace, educating the Danes about the background and culture of there Crown Princess. Was very interesting to see who and what was included - regular not-quite-Aussies such as Russell Crow and Mel Gibson, as well as the usual suspects, such as Kylie, Nicole and Cate. Some interesting inclusions like the founders of Lonely Planet, and also the inventer of the black box for airplanes. This exhibit also had the two commissioned portraits of Crown Princess Mary, looking most royal and polished!

After our walk amoung the royal gardens and a coffee stop, we headed back into Copenhagen for dinner.

Yesterday after another awesome brunch at The Laundromat Cafe, I experienced the Metro of Copenhagen, which is certainly a sight itself! Nat directed us to sit in the front seats of the front carriage, cos it is a driverless train, and sitting there you can watch us travelling through the tunnels. Weird!

A wander through the gardens of Fredensborg Palace in town, just as the rain started coming down, we then headed over for photos with the Carlsberg elephants at the brewery, before I had to head out to the airport, and return to London. (More photos)

Visiting Nat in Copenhagen

Friday night after work, I hurried out to the train, to get out to Gatwick to catch my flight out for the weekend. Upon check-in, I was told that there was an hour delay, which was actually better than most others. Sitting in the lounge, I went through passport control, which was choas, and was then called over the loud speaker for the last call - opps!

Arriving into Copenhagen, and figuring out the train into town (so easy!), and met Nat at the station. Having been drinking on a pub crawl for several hours, Nat was in top form when I arrived - and then she lead me to the current pub, to meet her posse of Danish boys. Drinks with the group, sampling the micro-brew and then onto the Carlsberg.

Yesterday morning we ventured out from Nat's cool apartment, to a local cafe in her young and funky suburb. The Laundromat offered one of the best breakfasts I have had....very yummy! Battling the rain, we bussed into the city, and walked through the cobbled main shopping streets to the port side of town.

We walked passed the current residence of the Queen, and had a peek in the Marmorkirken, after hassling the royal guards for a photos. We were instructed to stand 1 and a half metres away! I didn't really expect them to talk, let alone direct us about what we were allowed to do!

We then walked down further, and had a look at the infamous The Little Mermaid, a statue inspired by Han Christian Anderson's fairy tale. The poor little mermaid had the problems of her story, and now has to endure tourists climbing all over here, and random vandalisms!

We catch a ferry across to the other island of Copenhagen, where we walked through the area called Christiana - a former free state, which has a very other world feel to it. Activist and protect, mixed with an underbelly of unrest - walking through reminded me of Soweto, actually.

Back into the city, and the parts of the world govern by law, we found Reef 'n' Beef, and Australian restuarant for dinner. Quite posh, and not quite the real Aussie tucker, we had emu fresh spring rolls and crocodile wontons for starters, and then the barrimundi for mains. Washed down with a strawberry daquari. Good service (you kinda of notice after London!!), although a little exy, dinner was yum!

Still fully daylight after dinner, at about 8pm, we headed into Tivoli Gardens, a huge amusement park in the middle of the city. Walking around the fantasy park, it was lit with pretty lighting all the way around. We reminded ourselves about the fairytales written by Hans Christian Anderson, via a cute little ride in a flying truck. But that is where the tame rides ended!

The Mine, The Spinning Tops, The Monsoon, The Dragon, we subjected ourselves to being thrown around on these rides. We then watched the Tivoli Fairytale show in the middle of the Gardens, which again went through the beloved fairytales of HC, and feature huge puppets and fireworks. We then got serious, and went on the 80 metre tall Staflyer. Not sure about how scary it would be, we joined the line up. About three people in front of us pulled out as we waited, as we watched the ride and rationalised how easy it looked, it was then our turn, and we were strapped into our seats.

Not scary at all, it was like a giant swing up high in the sky, with an awesome view of Copenhagen city at dusk. The other real trial of the ride was the tempurature at that height - it was freezing!! Hee hee.

We finished off the night with a spin through The Demon, which was two minutes of terror, being hurtled through the air at 77kms an hour. All in a days work!! (More photos)

Small & Beautiful

Today is Toni's birthday, and to celebrate we all headed out for dinner at a local find of her's.

I overheard her asking directory assistance for the number for Small & Beautiful to make our booking, and she had had to explain further to get the right place, and so she had ended up saying 'Small and Beautiful, you know, like me!' Hee hee! She's gold!

Walking up from our flat, up the other end of Kilburn High Road, we discovered many new places along the way. Small & Beautiful is a cute little restaurant, which had gotten great reviews on the net, and was within budget for all!

Nicole, Nata and I were joined by some of Toni's mates who live across the road, for dinner and drinks. Cake to top off the evening. Happy Birthday, Tones!!!

Kiwi Kitchen and Ashes tickets

Last night after drinks at Clapham for another leaver at work, Laura, Chantal and I headed across town to meet Charlotte, Niny and Leilah for our WSSB at Kiwi Kitchen, in Earling Broadway.

With two Kiwi's in the group, the girls had talked several of the dishes up all week...and the food was very good. Very yummy. I also learnt a whole set of new words, like hangi, perky nana, kumara...a whole new world belonging to our antipodean brohers just across the Tasman!

Thankfully for Charlotte, who found and suggested the restaurant, the food was great, cos the service and the dictates from the kitchen were not! Our waitress was rude and unhelpful, and the menu is possibly the most inflexible menu ever - a request for a different scoop of icecream was way too hard. Come on!

The kitchen, run by a couple who look like they come from a series of My Restaurant Rules from their publicity shot, had some peculiar statements, like a laminated page on the table saying that as a gesture to protect the environment there would charge 50p for tap water, and donate it to charity. And another laminated page that came with the bill spelling out that they have not added service charge, and then suggested the percentage we should add....perhaps if they trained their staff in customer service, and could mix up the icecream scoops alittle, and stop with their un-environmentally friendly laminating, we would have considered it!! Hee hee.

Coming home quite late, I set up for the great grab for Ashes tickets, which went on sale overnight, for the summer (the real summer, in the Southern Hemisphere). Some success, loads of frustration, and little sleep....