Flying Foxes, Finger Wharf & Fishy Eats

Today was Joe's first day off from work, and since Makela and I had done touristy things all week long, we took the day to relax and stay low-key. After breakfast (Makela had two of them -- one with Daddy, then later with me), we walked over to the Royal Botanical Gardens and just meandered around, enjoying the gorgeous weather and surroundings. We really didn't have an agenda, so Makela took the opportunity to mug with some of the statues and to play pretend games (we stopped at one point to play "shopkeeper," one of her favorites where she sells us items from her store).

We stopped for a cold drink at the restaurant in the center of the gardens and looked up to find THOUSANDS of "flying foxes" in the trees above us. Translated from Aussie, that means bats! Big ones. And many were even flying around, looking for a nice branch from which to hang. So much for bats only being nocturnal creatures! Actually, it was pretty interesting, although a bit later we walked underneath some shorter trees filled with more bats, and let me tell you -- it smelled like guano! At least I'm attributing the pungent odor to that....

It was also fun to see all the spring flowers in bloom, given that it's fall back in San Diego. Tulips, cherry blossoms, azaleas -- you name it.

We made our way across the Botanical Gardens into an area of Sydney called Woolloomooloo. It used to be really run-down and seedy, but it's been undergoing a 20-year revitalization, and now it's home to an upscale hotel, harbourview condos, and trendy restaurants -- mostly on the "Finger Wharf." In fact, apparently Russell Crowe calls this home, as the owner of a penthouse condo on said wharf. We decided to eat there, having had several recommendations to try a seafood restaurant called Manta (and knowing that we wouldn't be dining there in the evenings with an exhausted preschooler in tow). It was good, but not the be-all, end-all that Joe and I had built up in our minds. Frankly, it was more pretentious than it needed to be. The hostess (Marie -- she sounded French) fell in love with Makela, calling her "the princess" and making sure she had two pillows on her chair to help her reach the table properly. However, our waiter was clearly annoyed with having to serve us -- the only family in the restaurant during what appeared to be a frenetic business lunch hour. If anyone is interested, their web site is http://www.mantarestaurant.com.au/.

After lunch, we made our way back to the Westin. I left Makela and Joe to venture down to the indoor pool, while I went out shopping. I ended up just looking, but it was nice just to be kid-free for a few hours.

Later, we tucked Makela in bed around 6:45, and again, Joe sent me out for a nice dinner. At least nicer than the Pizza Hut I had last night. We're taking turns going out on our own -- last night, Joe had what he called a "fantastic meal" at an Italian restaurant called Machiavelli. Yes, we could hire a babysitting service to watch Makela. But call us old-fashioned or maybe just plain old overprotective, but we just don't want to leave her with a stranger.

Anyway, I ate at Sushi Tei, which Joe had tried for lunch earlier this week. It's a chain throughout southeast Asia, and this is their first location in Australia. It was fresh, the menu was vast, and the prices were unbeatable. I was feeling a little adventurous, so I tried my first eel roll. I've never wanted to try it until now, and it was delicious.

So now I'm back in our room, and Joe and Makela are both sound asleep. I should probably join them, so good night for now!