People and Places: The Blue Mountains

The Blue Mountains is one of Sydney's most popular tourist attractions.  Since it was Laura's first time to Sydney, I arranged for us to do a one-day coach tour of the area covering most of the area's major sights. I didn't expect my second visit to be so enjoyable.

The main attraction, of course, is the rock formation named the Three Sisters.  According to a popular aboriginal  legend, 3 sisters were turned to stone by their witchcraft father to prevent them from being captured by an evil spirit.  However while he was being pursued by the evil one, he dropped his magic stick and was therefore unable to turn his daughters back to life.  It is believed that even today, as tourists visit and pose for photographs, the sisters are waiting patiently for their father.  The character of the Three Sisters changes throughout the day and throughout the seasons as the sunlight brings out the magnificent colours.  

Darling wife and Laura posing with the Three Sisters.

Another famous sight is the Jamieson Valley.  Our tour guide drove us to a secluded spot, off the beaten track, from where we had a  panoramic view of the entire valley and its distant ridges.  However, as this was not an official lookout point, there was no safety railing around the rim.  But this made the visit much more adventurous and exciting for some of us.

Looking down to the expansive valley

The distant ridges

Posing here with darling wife.

Lunch was at the RSL (Returned and Services League) Club in Katoomba.  I had the fish and chips which was the set lunch served at the restaurant.  The food was unremarkable and I honestly cannot recall what the girls had.

Salad served with the main course

Fish and chips - most forgettable meal this trip

After lunch we drove to another Katoomba Lookout for more varied views of the rock formation and a ride on the Scenic Railway.  There was also time to catch the 20-minute cultural show featuring aboriginal music and dances.

From another well-trodden vantage point, we had a very good view of the famous rock formation called the Lions Head.  This aptly named rock juts out from the Katoomba Wall, looking down at the valley and its surrounding mountains.

Wifey and Laura posing with the Lions Head in the far distance

Close-up view of the Lions Head

Our tour ended with a brief stop at Leura where the gals did some shopping. Leura is a very pretty town with an English flair and its main street is filled with specialty shops, boutiques and cafes.  This would be the perfect place to spend a quiet weekend, away from the hustle and bustle of the city.

Shopping in Leura

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Food for Thought: Bills Cafe by Bill Granger

One of the highlights of our recent trip to Sydney was having breakfast at Bills Cafe by Australian celebrity chef, Bill Granger.

Bill was born in Melbourne into a family of butchers and bakers.  At the age of nineteen, he relocated to Sydney where he had his first taste of the culinary world when working as a part-time waiter while studying Arts.  However his passion for food overcame him and he moved out of the Arts circle and opened his first cafe in Darlinghurst when he was just 22.  He had no formal training but was a self-taught cook.  Hence, his easy-going approach to cooking.  His popularity grew and he opened 2 more outlets in Surry Hills and Woollahra.  Pretty soon, his reputation extended beyond the shores of Australia with branches opening in Japan and the UK.  Bill also has his own television series shown in over 10 countries plus several publications that are all international bestsellers.

His relaxed attitude was evident even as we entered his cafe in Darlinghurst.  We didn't get that awkward sense of formal 'stuffiness' that we sometimes sense in other restaurants.  The cafe was done in bright monochromatic colour.  In its layout, Bill adopted the new age 'communal dining' concept. In the main part of the dining area is a huge wooden table large enough to accommodate about 20 odd persons with space enough for working on your laptop or iPad while having breakfast or just sipping on your morning coffee.  There are also little private nooks for those who prefer the privacy.

The kitchen, although not entirely open in concept, has a large window that affords an unblocked view of what's happening inside.

Bill's Cafe offers breakfast until mid-day.  The breakfast menu is uniquely Bill's, offering such appetising creation as coconut bread, ricotta hotcakes, edamame hummus, pork and fennel sausage, and house kimchi.

On arrival and once we were seated, the friendly waitress offered us a complimentary glass of forest fruit and strawberry yoghurt, with the compliments of the chef.  Darling wife ordered two soft-boiled organic eggs served with buttered sourdough soldiers (AU$14) and a side order of avocado salsa with paesanella ricotta (AU$4.50).  Laura and I had the ricotta hotcakes with banana and honeycomb butter (AU$19.50).

2 soft-boiled organic eggs with buttered sourdough soldiers

Avocado salsa mixed with paesanella ricotta

2 soft-boiled organic eggs

Ricotta hotcakes with bananas and honeycomb butter.

The food at Bills Cafe was, undoubtedly, good.  Breakfast buffs will not be disappointed, definitely.  When you are in Sydney, do make time to have breakfast at Bills Cafe.

Bills Cafe
433 Liverpool Street
Darlinghurst, Sydney

Ambiance:  8
Service:  8.5
Food:  8.5
Recommendations:  Ricotta hotcakes, sourdough soldiers, avocado salsa