OUR INSTAGRAM DIARY – FOOD, cocktails and sweet VALENTINES

It’s a great start to the week for us.

We catch up with a friend we haven’t seen for ages. She lives in Macao these days, living the casino life. It sounds glamorous, but she’s delighted to be back in Australia for a while. We sit and have a coffee in the city, which seems to have a bird sitting in it!

We’re looking forward to this week – a few very fun things planned. and let’s not forget Valentine’s Day!

Still thinking about the incredible meal we had at Alpha restaurant last week. My mouth’s still watering from thoughts of their signature moussaka dish… but that could also be because I’ve had to stare at this picture while writing up our review of this great Greek restaurant.

We head to the Rabbit hole Bar on Elizabeth street in Sydney tonight. It’s the bar’s first birthday, so they’re celebrating with some very cool cocktails and exceptional finger food. It’s funny being back here: Mrs R and I had our first drink in this bar when we met.

The Rabbit hole used to be be Bar Europa for any individual who’s been in Sydney a few years. The new owners have changed the look and feel of the place, but it’s still got a great vibe. It’s a cool little hidden bar well worth a visit.

One of the best things the Rabbit hole Bar has at its party is a tray of these little fellas. Micro sliders of the full-sized version. The real thing was awarded fifth best burger in the world recently! I’m so impressed. I’ll be heading back here to try a big one out soon I think!

Lunchtime pork overload! I’ve seen these things on Instagram a lot recently and after a quick bit of searching, I’ve discovered they’re just up Oxford street near Taylor Square.

Mr Crackles is a sandwich shop that must also be considered a shrine to delicious. This is the Crackles classic – pork stomach with lots of crackling with an apple slaw and Vietnamese salad all stuffed into a Vietnamese crusty baguette.

I also ask for the extra spicy chilli – but then I would, wouldn’t I?

While I’m stuffing my face with a Crackles Classic, Mrs romance is at an event at Sydney Uni. This is her table setting – not bad, ay? They’ve even spelled her name right! Lol! (She often gets ‘Christine’, which winds her up no end.)

Mrs R brings me home a single-serve Tim Tam from the event. It’s best timing as I’ve just made myself an espresso to stop the pork coma taking me down after that Crackles Classic.

Mrs R is a terrific wife and often brings me back little treats. It’s a charming thing she does and very thoughtful… though my suspicious mind wonders if she might be fattening me up for a special classic Crackles of her own!

Tonight Mrs R heads into the city for the March into Merivale 2014 launch. March will see a range of cool food and white wine events people can take pleasure in around the various and many Merivale venues in Sydney.

It’s a busy night for Merivale, but Mrs R enjoys herself and takes advantage of all the good stuff on offer.

Today we take things down a notch and talk about a cute little tea room in the Essex countryside. When we were in the UK recently, I checked out the Tiptree Tearooms and Jam factory with my mum and dad.

Mrs R missed out on the opportunity of trying a proper English ploughman’s for lunch as she was at a London hair expo. I think when she saw this pic, she was a bit disappointed – I know I would have been!

Mrs R is very delighted today. Her stationery buy has arrived. This little bundle of cuteness is from Emma Kate Creative, who has collaborated with the exceptional Chantelle from Fat mum Slim to create this charming range of Scattered love postcards.

To offset the cuteness and lady-world of the (lovely) postcards Mrs R has purchased, we head to the Oaks for the first in a series of beer festivals in Sydney.

The 6 states of Beer is a celebration of domestic craft beer from each of the six Australian states. events are held at the Oaks in Neutral Bay and are $60 each (or $250 for a six-event ‘passport’). They’re hosted by the Beer Diva herself – Kirrily Waldhorn, and are as follows:

Victoria: Beers, Bites & Beats – February 13, 2014
Tasmania: Beer & Cheese – April 16, 2014
Western Australia: Beer & chocolate – June 18, 2014
New South Wales: Beer & Pork – August 13, 2014
Queensland: Beer & seafood – October 15, 2014
South Australia: Beer vs. white wine – December 10, 2014

Tickets are available at SixStatesofBeer.EventBrite.com.au.

The Oaks – a charming setting for some great beer tasting!

The pub is not named after the tree in the middle of the courtyard, by the way. It’s actually named after the brewery that used to be across the road when the pub was built in 1885. The oak tree that stands there now was planted in 1938.

And here it is: Valentine’s Day. Some people love it, some people hate it. however you feel about it, the 14th Feb is a good excuse to love it up a bit and be great to your partner. If there’s no one around that you think should have that kind of attention, send a card to your mum – or even just text her! She’ll love that.

Mrs R embraces Valentine’s Day – or at least her hair does – with this very cool heart braid. It genuinely is a Hair Romance!

There’s nothing quite like saying I love you than with a glass of champagne. In fact I think a lot of things must be made with a glass of champagne in hand. besides swimming. That’s just wasteful!

Happy Valentine’s Day, everyone.

This week’s He Said, She said is a difficult one. We challenged each other to write a list top ten places we want to travel to as soon as possible. It’s not hard to write such list but then to narrow it down to just ten – that’s when things become a lot more difficult.

Once again though we’re shocked with each other’s lists – there are uncanny similarities in both of them even though we don’t read what the other person’s written until after we’ve hit ‘publish’.

Here’s the link to He Said, She said – where do you want to travel this year?

If you have a topic you’d like us see go over in a He Said, She said story, tell us and we’ll have a crack at it.

Have a great week, everyone!

Images by Mr and Mrs romance by means of Instagram: @MrAndMrsRomance, @HairRomance and of course @AngryBastard!

5 books THAT have inspired us TO travel

At the moment we’re going through the hardest part of the travel process: deciding on where to go. and it’s not down to a shortage of choices that’s making things difficult.

We’ve already written our own separate top-ten lists on where we want to go this year, but we’re still no closer to working out where to go. It’s an fantastic dilemma to have, I suppose.

We’ve got so many places we draw our travel inspiration from, but we thought we’d share our top 5 books that have inspired us to explore the world.

1. how to create a travel Life You love by Caz and Craig Makepeace

Most of us dream of taking off and just travelling. Caz, Craig and their two beautiful little girls do just that. Their site y-travelblog.com is an fantastic resource of travel information and inspiration. Their book is a great read and it’s so useful.

We love the sections that guide you through the whole travel process, from how to decide where to go to budgeting to tips on how to travel the world for cheap or even for free!

“This ebook is for anyone who is super passionate about travel and creating lifelong memories.”

2. love with the chance of Drowning by Torre De Roche

This is an incredible tale of romance and travel – exactly the mix we like! even after reading this story and seeing and reading further interviews, we still can’t believe it’s a true story.

Torre De Roche tells her tale of moving to a different continent, finding the man of her dreams, then sailing halfway around the world with him on his little boat… even though she’s scared of the water. The places they visit and the things that happen really keep you turning the pages and dreaming along with her.

“My mum, dad and five sisters sent me off with two requests: (1) Please do not fall in love with an American man and never come home, and (2) Please come home in one year.”

3. My family and other animals by Gerald Durrell

This was one of my all-time favourite books when I was a boy. Mrs romance has also read this and loves it too.

Gerald Durrell, who went on to create his own zoo and conservation programme in jersey in the channel Islands, moved to the Greek Island of Corfu during WWII when he was a child.

This very funny story is all about the young naturalist’s adventures in Greece, the fantastic creatures he finds and people he meets there, and his somewhat eccentric family. As an adult, he wrote a number of other books about his exploits rescuing animals for his conservation trust. They’re all great reads too.

“Gradually the magic of the island settled over us as gently and clingingly as pollen.”

4. around the world in 80 Days by Michael Palin

Based on the popular TV series which followed the journey of Jules Verne’s Phileas Fogg, Michael Palin’s book details his voyage around the globe.

My mum loves Michael Palin (he was her favourite Python) and put me on to this book. It’s so interesting, all the people he meets and places he visits on the way.

“Once the travel bug bites there is no known antidote, and I know that I shall be happily infected until the end of my life.”

5. Chasing a dream by Carla Coulson

Have you ever wanted to quit your life and move to Italy? Carla Coulson did just that. She found her passion for photography at 35 and quit her successful corporate job in Sydney, rented out her apartment and moved to Florence.

Her book Italian joy follows the start of her journey but Chasing a dream recounts the development of her passion.

Including beautiful travel photography from Italy, France, Australia and India as well as Carla’s personal and fashion work, this book will not only inspire your travels but inspire you to live the life of your dreams.

—

We love reading about other people’s adventures as they trot around the globe. There’s something about living a beautiful, exciting yet vicarious life on the road. but it also fills our minds with the possibility of a life so extraordinary we can’t wait to live it.

Do you have a favourite book that makes you dream of far-flung lands and exotic adventures? tell us about it in the comments below!

A PHOENIX WALKS into A BALMAIN BAR – THE exchange hotel SYDNEY REOPENS

It’s unusual these days that a pub reopens as a pub, however here’s proof that miracles do happen. instead of offices, a personal house or – even worse – a fitness center or massage place, the exchange Hotel, Balmain has come back to life as well as continued its 130+ year role.

It’s been a hectic week for us – in that we haven’t done extremely much! I understand that doesn’t make sense, so let me explain:

As we prepare for our next trip, which begins this Thursday with a journey with Thailand, we’re knuckling down to make sure we’re as prepared as possible. For that reason, we’ve only got a couple of things to talk to you about in this regular Edition.

Tonight I’m out in the city to catch up with friends. As I get off my bus, Sydney greets me with an incredible golden Hour, where – just before the sun sets – the light provides whatever it touches a gilt edge.

High above the city, Sydney’s greatest point – Sydney Tower – is likewise lit up with the lovely evening light. Down below, dusk has already settled on the city as well as people are in a hurry to get home.

Since we moved out of Surry Hills a couple of years ago, Christina as well as I seldom discover the requirement to go into the city, which is a shame. I’d forgotten exactly how much I missed it.

The issue is, now that we online in Balmain, it’s difficult to discover the requirement to leave – even though it’s only a 15 minute bus trip to the CBD. Balmain’s a suburb that truly does have whatever you requirement – including a brilliant array of pubs… which brings me to the primary part of this story:

The exchange hotel on the corner of Mullins as well as Beattie street has done something remarkable.

This pub very first opened its doors in 1885 as well as was part of the drinkers’ organization of this pub-laden suburb for 132 years. however in April 2017, The exchange locked its doors for the last time as well as locals groaned with the prospect of one more corner residential property being repurposed.

It’s ended up being all as well typical a function of Balmain – a stroll around this quite suburb will quickly show you exactly how many pubs there utilized to be here.

Now the sight of the wrap-around balcony the final vestiges of long-since dead pubs tell a tale of a when thriving pub culture.

It’s a surreal feeling to be able to step back inside a pub that you believed would never serve one more schooner.

But we’re right here at the official introduce of this cracker of a pub. as well as as you’d expect from a Balmain boozer, it’s full of surprises.

The traditional run-around bar proffers some excellent Aussie brews from its icy taps. focus right here is on great high quality beer, well-crafted mixed drinks as well as a great variety of Aussie wine too.

Christina’s well happy with the Aperol spritz the exchange hotel makes. as well as I’m extremely delighted to see the likes of stone as well as wood on tap, which is a bit of a phoenix itself – the founders buying back their brewery after they offered to Lion Nathan.

Not only are the drinks right here on point, we’re excited at the prospect of excellent food when we area the variety of cheeses as well as meats the exchange hotel has put out to cater this party.

On the actual menu, you’ll be able to order a charcuterie board laden with goodies like these. Click right here for a glimpse of the pub’s new menu.

Drinks are streaming as is the conversation, as well as the celebration truly starts hitting its stride. If only there were some more food…

Right on cue, pizzas emerge from the kitchen. This is the Paging Dr Pepperoni – as well as it’s my concept of manna. Acres of cheese with lots of pepperoni that has a genuine kick.

Other pizzas come out like the opulent ‘Mick’ as well as the smooth exchange Margherita. as well as let’s not fail to remember the poultry wings – some coated in thick, tasty buffalo sauce, others covered in spicy smoky barbeque that’s so addictive it’s not funny.

We likewise get to try the moreish cheesy arancini spheres as well as the salads, however we’re told to save area for dessert.

The exchange Hotel’s donut fries – not yet on the menu – are insane. covered in Nutella, these sweet, crispy beauties are a work of art as well as a stroke genius. I hope they ended up being a long-term resident on the pub’s kitchen area repertoire.

It’s so great to see the exchange hotel back open again. We truly did fear the worst – particularly with the demise of institutions like the town Hall (now a fitness center as well as massage centre) as well as the possible sale of Dick’s across the street.

It’s horrible to believe that traditional features such as this staircase would no longer be in the public eye. as well as I like the lights the new owners have invested in.

Photo credit- Ash Marr

We want to desire the exchange hotel all the very best of luck with its new opening. We’ll definitely beback – as well as make sure you stop in for a pint as well as a plate soon too. Here’s where to go:

The exchange Hotel

Corner of Mullins St as well as Beattie St
Balmain  2041
@theexchangebalmain

A WEEK OF travel INSPIRED!

Well, it’s been a extremely peaceful week for us right here at romance HQ. So peaceful in truth that we haven’t truly done anything worth putting on Instagram even!

But don’t worry, this is absolutely the calm before the storm. You see next week we’re off to check out part of Borneo, so brace yourself for an Instagram onslaught!

I believe this is most likely why we’ve been rather peaceful all round recently; we’re preparing ourselves for this next trip. as well as there’s been a great deal of travel in our lives recently. late last week Mrs romance as well as I were at a speaking event in the city called tourism Upgrade.

Hosted by the interesting Holly Galbraith, who runs a excellent podcast by the exact same name, this tourism upgrade session was all about tourism brands working with blog writers as well as social network experts, as well as building strong working relationships.

It was so fascinating as well as the speakers – Sophie Baker from Wanderlust Union, the amazing Jayne Gorman from woman Tweets World and – one of the fastest speakers I’ve ever satisfied – Ange Thompson from TravelMedia Australia – vocalised so much of what both blog writers as well as travel firms are thinking.

Make sure you inspect out Holly’s podcast channel here.

So other than that, we’ve just been working away to bring you our most current travel stories. If you haven’t already, make sure you inspect out our food suggestions from our recent trip to Byron Bay – right here are our top 7 food areas as well as what we ate.

Also, don’t miss our most current hotel evaluation – this one’s a doozy from Thailand. The lovely Aleenta Phuket resort as well as health club was so amazing we even did a video walk-through of a few of the villas.

So no a lot more stalling – we’re going directly to our travel catch-up pics that we’ve published on Instagram over the past week.

This week’s travel recap

Each week we go back in time over a few of our much-loved travel destinations utilizing never-before-seen pictures of our travels. Here’s where we’ve been looking back on this week.

One of my all-time much-loved parts of Paris – even when it’s congested – is the Notre Dame. This building ideal in the midst of the Seine is so beautiful. We need to have seen this gothic cathedral so lots of times yet it still amazes me every  time I look at it.

As you may imagine, Mrs romance as well as I are rather huge fans of Paris, as well as we’ve written a fair bit about this amazing city. right here are a few of the things we’ve published about the City of Romance.

The hilltop town of Perugia – the funding of the Italian region of Umbria – is not only ancient, it’s likewise absolutely stunning. We hadn’t organized on stopping right here on our very first roadtrip with Italy, however we did, as well as we’re so glad of that.

We ended up costs the night in the Brufani palace hotel near the edge of town. It verified to be one of the most lovely locations we stayed on our trip. Here’s our evaluation of the hotel – inspect out the pool – it’s developed over the top of ancient Etruscan ruins. Amazing!

Mrs romance as well as her obsession with photographing doorways hits a high note whenever we go to Tuscany. It’s like her obsession’s spiritual home. Every building – from the grand mansion to the crumbiest tenement – seems to be issued with a lovely door.

Here are some a lot more doors Mrs romance has identified in Tuscany as well as likewise some exceptional photography ideas for producing a series of your travel photos.

The bit harbour town of St Tropez on the French Riviera is absolutely stunning. At sunset, the old sandstone buildings seem to glow with this golden light, as well as the water of the harbour amplifies everything! Although popular for its yacht club community, St Tropez has still retained its original spirit as well as old world beauty.

From our Postcards series, here’s our Postcards from St Tropez publish as well as our suggestions on what to do while you’re in this sensational coastal town.

Walking around Rome is like checking out the world’s greatest museum. anywhere you go you discover something else of ancient historical relevance. A hint at this country’s amazing culture as well as heritage.

You likewise discover bit locations such as this old antiques shop ideal in the heart of one of Rome’s oldest parts called Ponte near the popular River Tiber. Talk about Instagram heaven!

Exploring the walled towns of Tuscany is a need to for any individual who enjoys European travel. This is part of the interesting town of Volterra – last made popular for its cameo on that vampire saga Twilight. Please don’t ask me exactly how I understand that. It’s as well embarrassing.

Volterra is an strange town though, as well as has a extremely different feel to it than a great deal of these ancient hilltop cities in Tuscany. maybe it’s the truth that you can have dinner inside the high-security prison right here – cooked as well as served by inmates! as well as you have to book rather a long time ahead too.

Here are our articles on Volterra as well as Tuscany – if you’re heading to this part of Italy or want to see what it’s like here, these articles are a must!

It seems like a lifetime back that we were in Greece last. It was a while ago, however maybe it’s since checking out the Greek islands is so other-worldly. This is from Zakynthos Harbour – or Zante as it’s likewise known. The town itself doesn’t have that lots of old buildings or design you see in a great deal of Greek towns since the island was all however destroyed by a significant earthquake in the ’50s.

Still, it’s a sensational town to see as well as so full of the Greek culture. Here’s what we got as much as while we were in Zante.

Of all the cities in all the world, this need to be the greatest. new York City has our hearts, our souls as well as our creativity in the palm of its crazy, bustling, overwhelming, interesting hand. We can’t wait to get back there, which may not be so far into the future… however we’ll leave that just hanging there!

This view from the top of the empire specify building is absolutely unbeatable… though the Rockefeller center is likewise quite amazing.

We’ve written a great deal about nyc – so here’s everything. From where to eat as well as drink, to exactly how to beat the queues as much as the top of this building. It’s all yours!

 

So how’s your week as well as weekend been? have you had a peaceful one too, or have you had a 7-day crazy? tell us about it in the comments below!

Don’t fail to remember to indication as much as our regular newsletter that I send out every Friday. In it is a rundown of the week’s articles plus news on what’s going on with us.

We likewise provide you special notice on any type of competitions we’re running or freebies we’re providing away.
Click right here to get our newsletter as well as likewise our complimentary ebook on travel.

Images by Mr as well as Mrs romance by means of Instagram: @MrAndMrsRomance.

A new restaurant IN SYDNEY OLD TOWN, AN early Christmas as well as huge OL’ STORMS

Sydney has officially went into full-blown silly season mode! It occurs every Christmas, however it always takes me by surprise. 

Shops are crazy, bars as well as restaurants are to their rafters, as well as everyone’s moving around at an unsustainable pace. To make matters even a lot more complicated, it’s Christina’s birthday tomorrow, which always adds to my own personal brand of panic.

Thankfully there’s a great deal of fun still be had, like the introduce night of Tayim – a gorgeous restaurant ideal in the heart of Sydney’s oldest quarter The Rocks.

We likewise catch up with household as well as old buddies for an early Christmas dinner (how extremely sensible) as well as then Sydney fires up her own type of crazy with some crazy storms.

Enjoy this regular edition as well as great luck with your Christmas shopping!

Cheers – Jim & Christina xx

It’s a sure indication that summer’s well under way: the cruise ship season’s in full flow. From our office window, we get to view these floating hotels are available in as well as out of Sydney. It’s really rather charming to watch. Not sure if I want to be on one though. Still not convinced.

Tonight is quite exciting. We’re at the introduce celebration for Tayim restaurant that’s ideal in the heart of The Rocks, the oldest part of Sydney.

From the outside, Tayim looks beautiful. The old sandstone buildings in this part of town are iconic, as well as the restaurant balcony looks out over nurses walk – one of the quaint alleys that criss cross the suburb.

Tayim is a middle Eastern restaurant serving both standard as well as contemporary style food from the region. interesting dishes like grilled sardine Shakshuka, summertime mushroom Borekas as well as grilled poultry Masahan may requirement a bit explaining, however no encouragement to eat.

Other morsels like roasted figs, radicchio, goats’ cheese as well as chardonnay dressing, or semolina increased pudding with a pistachio meringue as well as summertime berries are just as tempting.

Inside, the long bar is serving up fantastic cocktails, award-winning wines as well as beer from the Lord Nelson Brewery – one of the oldest brew-pubs in the country just round the corner.

It’s fantastic that old buildings such as this one are being utilized like this. It’s charming to be able to see inside them. I like the contrast of this contemporary restaurant in such an historic setting.

The designers as well as architects Welsh & major have done an outstanding task producing this area from what was three seperate venues. The archways at the back of the restaurant as well as the deep doorways at the front show you just exactly how thick these old walls are.

We get a taste of things to find from one of the mezze tables – a location where everybody accumulates. There are likewise delicacies from the fiery grill like charred skewers of spiced kangaroo kebabs as well as lamb kofta that make their method round too.

We’re looking ahead to coming back right here to see the restaurant in full flow. as well as the very best thing is it’s open all the time long. There’s a deli linked to the restaurant that’s open for breakfast as well as lunch, as well as the restaurant itself is open breakfast till as well as dinner too. It’s the best set-up.

This evening, we’re out round an old household friend’s home to celebrate an early Christmas. It’s really extremely practical – it gets progressively a lot more tough to pin people down for Christmas celebrations the better it gets to Dec25, so getting in early works well.

I mean it must feel complete stranger than it does to be eating turkey as well as pulling crackers in mid-December, however why not, right?

Especially when it’s with such charming people.

The dinner table is laden with food (it is still a Christmas celebration after all) however the focus is absolutely on the salads as much as the turkey, potato bake as well as trimmings.

This appeal is a recipe from our buddy Beth from BabyMac. It’s a infant pea as well as fetta salad with fresh mint. Here’s the recipe – it’s fast, perfect as well as foolproof.

I tried to get Christina to make her signature edible Christmas tree too, made from cream cheese as well as olives (check out the recipe here) however it’s a great task she didn’t. There’s so much food right here already!

The other stand-out salad is this one. It’s a mixed bean as well as ancient grain salad with pomegranate as well as almond slivers. Striking as well as delicious.

Of course, no matter exactly how much food there is, there’s always space for a bit of dessert. particularly when there’s a pavlova involved. Christina’s mum makes outstanding pavs – in truth we shared her never-fail pavlova recipe a bit while ago.

There’s likewise a fruit trifle, which goes down well too.

Christmas is such a great time of year for food, isn’t it?

It appears like Sydney’s summertime is going to be a fickle one this year. this week has been peppered with ferocious storms. besides the disruption as well as damage they’ve triggered (my sister-in-law’s neighbour had their home absolutely destroyed by a falling tree), the storms have produced some remarkable skies.

This weather condition front just keeps coming as well as growing. Such a odd cloud.

And with the clouds come lightning – inspect out the shots I got:

There are about 100 a lot more on my phone, however these were a few of the very best ones. crazy days.

It’s clearly set to be a fantastic Christmas though. Our charming neighbours Jack as well as Denese brought this cake over the other day. So sweet.

Best of all, the card states we’re great neighbours, which is reassuring. When you online in an apartment or condo block, you try to keep noise down, however you never understand exactly how much the people next door can hear.

If you haven’t seen this video about upstairs neighbours before, you’ve got to view it. It’s hilarious, however it really makes so much sense!

This evening, I’m just walking with Pyrmont when I come across this outstanding sculpture. There are frequently installations right here ideal by the Maritime museum as well as the Pyrmont Bay ferry wharf. however this one of a shark amazed into a shipping container is amazing.

At very first you can’t see it’s a shipping container, only a shark. however from the side, it’s quite clear. regrettably the artist’s explanation on the plaque is utter bs as well as full of ‘art talk’ that Christina – an Art history trainee – loves. It tells you extremely bit about the artwork, however thankfully it doesn’t requirement as well much of a story to it.

Today we’re back at the web for a game of tennis. I can’t tell if we’re getting any type of better… my suspicions are that we’re not! They state tennis is a fantastic spectator sport… not the method we play it.

But it’s great to get out as well as run around like idiots for an hour. even much better not lots of people understand about this tennis court, so there are never as well lots of people watching.

Photo credit: Esteban La Tessa

We hope you’ve delighted in this regular edition as well as that this final week before Christmas is kind to you.

Cheers – Jim & Christina xx

A STORM, A event as well as A sphere PIT AT THE SUGAR REPUBLIC

It’s been a torrid week weather-wise right here in Sydney. From blazing hot days to afternoons relied on midnight with monster storms. 

And in the midst of all that, we’ve had birthday celebrations at the beach, a new baking hobby, an incredible pop-up in Sydney with the Sugar Republic, as well as some extremely athletic pool time!

We hope you enjoy this regular Edition.

Cheers – Jim & Christina xx

This evening, Christina as well as I are sailing to the extremely limits of Sydney Harbour. Our buddy Laura is having a birthday celebration in Manly.

It’s been ages since either of us have been on the Manly Ferry, as well as it’s to our detriment. This is one of those musts to do when you’re in  Sydney, whether you online right here or you’re just visiting. Of program Manly’s worth visiting, however this journey shows you a few of the very best parts of the harbour.

The celebration is in the hotel Steyne on the beach-side of Manly. I’ve been in this pub before, however for some reason I hadn’t noticed exactly how bloody huge it is. Up on the second level is the Blackett Room, with a mixed drink bar on one side as well as a balcony space called Henry’s dealing with the sea on the other.

From the front, you can see this is a huge venue, however it’s tardis-like inside.

It’s a fantastic celebration as well as (L-R) Christina, birthday woman Laura, Deb as well as Kate are in fine form.

If you’re looking for a location for a event on the north side of the harbour, inspect out the Hotel Steyne. We’re impressed.

The mercury’s up once again today, as you’d expect for summertime in Australia. one of our favourite methods to keep awesome is a tasty iced coffee – particularly if you requirement that caffeine hit without the warm of a routine cup of joe.

Every summer, Nespresso draw out a series of capsules particularly designed to go over ice. Their Ispirazione Salentina as well as Ispirazione Shakerato original capsules truly hit the mark, as well as if you have one of the new Vertuo machines, Nespresso have brought out a variety of Over Ice capsules for you too.

We asked the concern whether the order of pour when you’re making an iced coffee should be ice-coffee-milk or ice-milk-coffee.

Judging by the response on IG stories as well as Facebook, it’s the consensus that it should be coffee very first – always – though milk very first does make a quite effect.

I’ll leave it as much as you to decide!

Of course, our favourite method to awesome off on a hot day is to hit the pool – truly hit the pool! getting some air in these shots! I believe it’s the last barrel roll I’ll try. Christina’s kung fu bomb method is a much much better idea.

Today, we’re checking out the incredible pop-up experience understood as the Sugar Republic.

In a event of all things sweet, the Sugar Republic takes you back to your youth with space after space of lollies, ice creams, choc as well as bubble gum. It’s so cleverly put together – as well as interactive too. It reminds us a bit of the museum of Ice cream we visited when we were in Miami last year.

From the giant bubble gum bubble as well as rainbow bridges to a giant cake you jump out of as well as a confetti gun, this is fun in a sugar-coated nutshell. as well as finest of all is the gigantic sphere pit… right here are a few of our favourite shots from this incredible installation in Myer, Pitt street Mall, Sydney:

Step inside Willy Wonka’s chocolate Factory!

The rainbow space is magical

Talk about youngster in a candy store – Christina’s favourite film is the original Willy Wonka as well as the chocolate factory. She’s channelling the candy guy here!

These giant strawberries are amazing. like a stress ball, however better.

Bouncing on bubble gum – it’s the one time you don’t mind stepping in it!

I don’t understand why, however I suddenly want to watch Under Siege!

Jim, Christina as well as their new mate Bubble O Bill!

The confetti cannon is incredible – particularly since we don’t have to remove it up afterwards!

Christina’s quite happy with this giant teddy situation, however even more so, the pink walls that match her hair so well. By the way, the colours around the Sugar Republic pop-up are all from Taubmans withstand range like the Pink Chintz.

And the piece de resistance – the giant sphere pit. We’re taking the leap of belief into this one, just also Christina’s holding my hand!

This sphere pit likewise has killer views out over the city from the windows, however don’t fail to remember to check out the neon wall behind. extremely impressive.

I haven’t had so much fun in ages. just like being a youngster again!

On the other side of the wall to the sphere pit is this installation of incredible balloons. whatever right here at the Sugar Republic is so well believed out.

Make sure you get your tickets before they offer out. There’s likewise an installation in Melbourne, both pop-ups are goingup until 19th May.

Just don’t fail to remember to bring your phone (this location is seriously Instagrammable) as well as be prepared to munch down lollies as well as ice cream as you explore. Your ticket includes free tastings!

Relive your youth as well as get yourself to the Sugar Republic asap!

After all that sugar as well as fun, I feel the requirement (or should that be ‘knead’?) to calm things down a bit. For some reason, I’ve decided that making bread is a great idea.

Well, it is. It’s delicious.

The only difficulty is now we’re eating five times the amount of bread we would normally! however when it comes out appearing like this, what would you do?

And to awesome things down even more, Sydney’s hit by a giant storm, right at the begin of the weekend. look at that cloud! Terrifying.

Thunder as well as lightning rage all across the sky for the whole night. It’s an incredible sight, however news reports of flooded streets, vehicles as well as residential or commercial property being washed away as well as the damage the storm’s triggered isn’t so good.

As the storm hits the city, I choose to film the front. We published the video on Twitter at the time, which has had over 33k impressions so far. You can see the vid here.

Alternatively, I’ve put together more footage of the whole storm, which you can see below:

Click right here to view the video.

We hope you’ve enjoyed this regular Edition.

Have a fantastic week.

Cheers – Jim & Christina xx

INSTAGRAM Christmas SPECIAL!

Merry Christmas, everyone! We hope you’ve had a terrific Christmas week! We certainly have and it’s been so relaxing, we wonder how we’ll ever get back into the swing of things in 2014.

I also wonder what I’ve done to should have my own personal rain cloud. It’s two days before Christmas Day and it’s gloomy, cloudy and surprisingly cool for this time of year in Sydney. even the tree in Martin place on my way into work looks a bit lacklustre.

I’m always keen to get into the Christmas spirit and these little fellas always help. I don’t know why, but if I don’t get at least one mince pie over Christmas, that’s it. That Christmas doesn’t count.

Mrs romance discovered this character flaw of mine only a couple of Christmases ago. I wasn’t a pretty sight. no one likes to see a grown man sulking – especially over mince pies. considering that then, she’s always made sure I get my pie.

Last year she wrapped my own private stash. It absolutely worked because she did the same this year and I’m well happy. look at this one – it’s even got a little star on it!

Other than mince pies, Mrs R is very generous this Christmas. I get an exceptional Paul Smith t-shirt (not visualized – but it will be!) and some terrific socks! She also bought me some other stuff online, but the postal service being what it is at this time of  year, none of it arrived. Instead, she did courtroom artist’s impressions of what she got me!

The Ts are from a company called LastExitToNowhere.com, who take well-known slogans from films and put them on clothing. Do you recognise which films these two are from? Answers on a blank postcard or in the comments, please!

I’m also really looking forward to my new Kindle arriving – my old one broke and I don’t want to have to lug the bricks that are the game of Thrones series around any more.

What’s an Aussie Christmas without a pavlova? I’ll tell you: it’s not a Christmas at all! Mrs Romance’s mum always does a spectacular job of these – and I’m not just saying that because she terrifies me!

Mrs Romance’s charming sister, Mary, also gets me a white wine aerator, which I’ve wanted for ages. This isn’t it, it’s a mug she’s given me. This mug has caused quite a stir on my Facebook page with a couple of mates trying to work out what the last symbol could be.

When I first see it, I think it’s a ‘W’. “I heart W,” I ponder. “What does that mean?”

My nephews think it’s hilarious, but then my niece betters it with: “I heart Batman?”

Excellent. On Facebook things such as ‘I heart synchronised banana dancing’ and ‘I heart a pair of handle-less pliars’ were suggested. I now have a feeling it might in fact be a pair of ‘devil’s dumplings’!

Mrs Romance’s mum is well pleased with this box of chocs I get her. and so’s everyone else, I think! even Mrs R’s mum can’t tuck away over a kilo of choccy selection. the box gets shared around all night.

Today, Mrs romance and I are shouldered with the job of making a croquembouche for Boxing Day dinner. We decide the cone thing is too much effort, so we choose a kind of horse jump pyramid type shape. It’s not until we start making the toffee for the glaze that we discover what a horrible job this is.

We both burn ourselves – me quite badly and the blisters on three fingers are going to take a while to heal – and make just enough to finish the job. We’re so worn out by the end of it, we don’t even think it looks all that great.

In retrospect, I mean it does look pretty good. We don’t have the heart to make a lot more molten sugar to spin the thin web over the whole thing – even though I think it would look pretty awesome.

I decide to treat Mrs romance to breakfast in bed. She loves corn fritters, so I make two massive ones, poach a couple of eggs and knock up an avocado creme that works well with everything else. She’s pretty pleased and stays in bed a lot longer than either of us are expecting. I don’t mind though and double-screen the day away in the front room.

Tonight’s sunset over the city is amazing. I know this is probably the most over-photographed thing on Instagram, but I love posting pics of sunsets.

Mrs romance and I love talking about the differences between our two cultures – even though they’re mostly very similar. One thing that we’ve never been able to agree on though is what’s better: a hot Christmas or a cold one. here are our arguments on our most current He Said, She Said.

It’s a near best beach day today. and as we’re looking after a friend’s car at the moment, we’re also mobile. We nip down to Coogee beach for a dip. We’re expecting to be in the water for about five minutes then be home again before we know it. The water is so great though, we end up staying in for about 45 minutes.

Luckily we’ve found rockstar parking on the street – 4-hour complimentary parking, and we can nearly see our car from the ocean… now that’s rockstar!

It really is a picture best day here at Coogee today. It’s nearly a shame to leaINSTAGRAM Christmas SPECIAL! (###) Merry Christmas, everyone! We hope you’ve had a terrific Christmas week! We certainly have and it’s been so relaxing, we wonder how we’ll ever get back into the swing of things in 2014.

I also wonder what I’ve done to should have my own personal rain cloud. It’s two days before Christmas Day and it’s gloomy, cloudy and surprisingly cool for this time of year in Sydney. even the tree in Martin place on my way into work looks a bit lacklustre.

I’m always keen to get into the Christmas spirit and these little fellas always help. I don’t know why, but if I don’t get at least one mince pie over Christmas, that’s it. That Christmas doesn’t count.

Mrs romance discovered this character flaw of mine only a couple of Christmases ago. I wasn’t a pretty sight. no one likes to see a grown man sulking – especially over mince pies. considering that then, she’s always made sure I get my pie.

Last year she wrapped my own private stash. It absolutely worked because she did the same this year and I’m well happy. look at this one – it’s even got a little star on it!

Other than mince pies, Mrs R is very generous this Christmas. I get an exceptional Paul Smith t-shirt (not visualized – but it will be!) and some terrific socks! She also bought me some other stuff online, but the postal service being what it is at this time of  year, none of it arrived. Instead, she did courtroom artist’s impressions of what she got me!

The Ts are from a company called LastExitToNowhere.com, who take well-known slogans from films and put them on clothing. Do you recognise which films these two are from? Answers on a blank postcard or in the comments, please!

I’m also really looking forward to my new Kindle arriving – my old one broke and I don’t want to have to lug the bricks that are the game of Thrones series around any more.

What’s an Aussie Christmas without a pavlova? I’ll tell you: it’s not a Christmas at all! Mrs Romance’s mum always does a spectacular job of these – and I’m not just saying that because she terrifies me!

Mrs Romance’s charming sister, Mary, also gets me a white wine aerator, which I’ve wanted for ages. This isn’t it, it’s a mug she’s given me. This mug has caused quite a stir on my Facebook page with a couple of mates trying to work out what the last symbol could be.

When I first see it, I think it’s a ‘W’. “I heart W,” I ponder. “What does that mean?”

My nephews think it’s hilarious, but then my niece betters it with: “I heart Batman?”

Excellent. On Facebook things such as ‘I heart synchronised banana dancing’ and ‘I heart a pair of handle-less pliars’ were suggested. I now have a feeling it might in fact be a pair of ‘devil’s dumplings’!

Mrs Romance’s mum is well pleased with this box of chocs I get her. and so’s everyone else, I think! even Mrs R’s mum can’t tuck away over a kilo of choccy selection. the box gets shared around all night.

Today, Mrs romance and I are shouldered with the job of making a croquembouche for Boxing Day dinner. We decide the cone thing is too much effort, so we choose a kind of horse jump pyramid type shape. It’s not until we start making the toffee for the glaze that we discover what a horrible job this is.

We both burn ourselves – me quite badly and the blisters on three fingers are going to take a while to heal – and make just enough to finish the job. We’re so worn out by the end of it, we don’t even think it looks all that great.

In retrospect, I mean it does look pretty good. We don’t have the heart to make a lot more molten sugar to spin the thin web over the whole thing – even though I think it would look pretty awesome.

I decide to treat Mrs romance to breakfast in bed. She loves corn fritters, so I make two massive ones, poach a couple of eggs and knock up an avocado creme that works well with everything else. She’s pretty pleased and stays in bed a lot longer than either of us are expecting. I don’t mind though and double-screen the day away in the front room.

Tonight’s sunset over the city is amazing. I know this is probably the most over-photographed thing on Instagram, but I love posting pics of sunsets.

Mrs romance and I love talking about the differences between our two cultures – even though they’re mostly very similar. One thing that we’ve never been able to agree on though is what’s better: a hot Christmas or a cold one. here are our arguments on our most current He Said, She Said.

It’s a near best beach day today. and as we’re looking after a friend’s car at the moment, we’re also mobile. We nip down to Coogee beach for a dip. We’re expecting to be in the water for about five minutes then be home again before we know it. The water is so great though, we end up staying in for about 45 minutes.

Luckily we’ve found rockstar parking on the street – 4-hour complimentary parking, and we can nearly see our car from the ocean… now that’s rockstar!

It really is a picture best day here at Coogee today. It’s nearly a shame to lea

MR & MRS romance survey – WIN $100 drinks voucher FOR helping us OUT

We love talking about ourselves – especially Mrs Romance! but we also love talking about you too. We’re always so interested in our readers and now it’s your turn to tell us about you! There’s a $100 prize of booze up for grabs too.

We’d really love it if you could go through our survey and answer a few questions. They’re all about MrAndMrsRomance.com and what you think of our site.

Click here to start our survey.

From there, your name will be drawn from a hat to win $100 of Dan Murphy’s credit report for you to spend on anything you want.

Here’s what I’d probably spend my $100 on:

1. Jim Barry Lodge hill dry Reisling – $21.99  | 2. St Hallett Faith Shiraz – 21.99

3. Tanqueray London dry Gin – $39.95 | 4. Blood Moon tonic syrup – $15.95

The survey takes about 10 minutes. All we’ll need is your email address so we can send you the Dan Murphy’s e-credit if you win. We guarantee we won’t share your details.

All your answers are for us to get to know you better and bring you the best stories.

Thank you for taking the time to answer our questions. We can’t wait to get to know you that bit better.

Jim & Christina x

Click here to start our survey.

What would you spend $100 at Dan Murphy’s on? tell us in the comments!

The winner of the $100 Dan Murphy’s prize draw will be announced 2 weeks from today in the first week of September. The prize is only available to Australian residents over the age of 18.

WHERE TO stay IN THE hunter VALLEY – ALDORA COTTAGE, POKOLBIN

Not far from the broad feet of the broken Back Mountains and even closer to some of the region’s best wineries, Aldora Cottage in Pokolbin is the ideal romantic hideaway for a hunter Valley escape.

Let’s get straight to the point. Aldora Cottage is horribly overlooked. Stared at by everybody. The Sun, the Moon, a few billion stars, the looming crags of the mountains – not to mention several mobs of kangaroos – there’s hardly any privacy here.

But when these rowdy neighbours aren’t craning their necks and twitching their curtains, the beautiful peace of this acreage (30 acres to be exact) is sublime.

Check out our quick video walkthrough here:

The cottage itself has been developed to be completely off the grid; the property’s solar farm supplies the power and Aldora has its own water supply.

This place is entirely self-sufficient.

But don’t worry, Aldora is hardly a survivalist’s shack or prepper’s bunker. Every luxury is afforded to you here, from the cosy couch and gas-fed fireplace to a replete kitchen, an huge bed and a deep-fill bathtub.

Outside on the veranda, the plumbed-in barbecue is all yours to use while your nosy neighbours and their joeys chew on the turf and twitch their noses.

More about Aldora Cottage

From the protected gate (you get SMSed a essential code at check-in time) the curving lanes through the home lead you up to high ground where Aldora Cottage awaits. The front door – also essential coded – opens onto the cosy living-dining.

To the best is the kitchen, fitted with a Nespresso device and other mod cons.

But your eye is caught by the long fireplace below the big TV on the wall, and the squashy sofa coaxes you to get comfy.

Round the corner, the bedroom houses a wonderfully comfortable kingsize bed. The side tables both have smart lamps – wireless charging points for your phones. A smart touch.

The bathroom, which is the full width of the house, has a very enticing bathtub, rainfall shower and underfloor heating.

French doors take you out the back to the veranda, where you can set up for a barbie with outdoor seating for four.

There’s also a little laundry if you need to do an emergency wash.

Our only criticism if you can call it that – much more of an observation – is that because this home is on its own water tanks, the pump can be a little noisy, especially if you flush to toilet or use taps in the middle of the night.

What about the rest of Jindalee Estate?

Aldora Cottage isn’t the only place you can stay on this property. Jindalee Estate is also home to a similar cottage tucked away in the trees – Yarrimbah Cottage. There’s also a bigger building – Jindalee house – that accommodates up to eight people.

The potential to expand your romantic retreat to a bigger gathering of up to 12 people all of a sudden becomes very tempting – whether it’s a multi-generational family get-together or you and your mates away for some fun in the Hunter.

Just remember, it won’t be just you and your nearest when you’re here. Those ‘roos just love to get involved!

We stayed at Aldora Cottage as media guests.

How to enjoy a low-cost night Out in London’s West end

one of the most exciting and popular things to do on a check out to England’s capital city is to go and watch a West end show. The glitz and the glamour of this famous area, where many of the world’s best productions are staged, means that a night out at the theatre can work out to be extremely costly.

London is a notoriously pricey destination and is consistently named as one of the most expensive cities in the world. but that doesn’t meant that there aren’t bargains to be had, you just need to know where to look for them.

If like many people you want to make a night of it, the price of the tickets, getting to and from the venue, a meal out and a couple of drinks will soon add up. So here are some tips on how to enjoy a night out at the theatre without breaking the bank!

How to get low-cost West end Theatre Tickets

For the top seats to see a hit show in the West end the price can easily reach well into the hundreds. but if you don’t have a spare couple of hundred pounds to drop on one ticket, we’ve got a few tips that will definitely score you a bargain.

Book online With a Reputable, Authorized Seller

There are a lot of scams around ticketing for the West End, so make sure you use a respectable online seller to purchase your tickets through. check out From the box Office who are a star authorized retailer meaning they only sell official tickets which come with a number of guarantees. They also have amazing discounts of up to 70% on all of the best shows, without any of the hidden costs you’ll find with some ticket retailers.

Go for low-cost Seats

Balcony seats tend to cheapest, but it depends which theatre the production is in. By not going for the expensive seats in the stalls you’ll right away save a large amount. On the “Find Tickets” section of the From the box office website they have a handy feature where you can select exactly what seat you want to sit in on an interactive map of the theatre. This also means that if there are any visibility issues like railings or pillars obstructing your view then you know before buying.

Day of show Tickets

Some theatres offer cut price tickets if you buy them on the day of the performance, but there are a couple of things to be aware of if you plan to do this. Not all theatres do this for every show, so call the venue prior to heading down there to avoid disappointment. You have to get there early to start lining up, usually around 10:00am or before depending on the show’s popularity. The tickets are usually for very good seats, but it’s not guaranteed that you’ll get them so make sure you have back up plan for your evening’s entertainment.

Consider Weekday Tickets

If you are flexible over when you go to see the show, then weekdays are ordinarily a fair amount cheaper than a primetime Saturday night slot, with the difference typically being 50% or more. Matinees or afternoon performances are cheaper still, so think about catching the early viewing if you can.

How to eat cheaply in the West End

Restaurants in the West end of London aren’t known for being all that budget-friendly. However, if you pair dining out with seeing a show, you can find some terrific discounts.

Pre Theatre Deals

many of the restaurants in Theatreland thrive off the dozens of venues that surround them, and because of this, they offer terrific deals on set menus. You can usually get a two or three course set meal from as low-cost as 10 to 15 pounds ($13 – $19.50), which in central London is otherwise unheard of. Some even include a glass of wine making it an even bigger bargain. These are available between set times, usually around 4.30 – 6.30pm, and a quick search online will provide you with lots of terrific options.

Post Theatre Deals

These are the same as pre theatre deals but for people that like to eat later rather than earlier, so usually start at around 9.30 when the curtains have gone down. The post theatre crowd is a bit more lively, and some bars have caught on to this and begun to offer happy hours to coincide.

Getting Around

If you don’t know London very well it can be tempting to just jump in a black cab to take you to your destination, but this is by far the most expensive way to get around.

The West end is served by a number of underground stations that are each only a few minutes walk apart. These include Piccadilly Circus, Leicester Square, Covent Garden, Tottenham Court road and Charing cross which are all easily reachable on various lines. All theatres havedirections on their websites from the nearest tube stop, just head to the TFL journey Planner to figure out the most convenient way to get there.

Seeing a West end performance while you’re in London is a terrific cultural experience, and now you know how to do it without spending loads of money. enjoy the show!

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