Saturday Biking in the Parklands

When biking the trails of the parklands on a Saturday, one is struck by the diversity of sport and use of the parklands for sport. Prior to these pictures, we'd already passed cricket, soccer, lawn bowling, more soccer and croquet.

This is an enclosed artificial turf field hockey court. On this day, these men have installed tennis nets and have two courts going.

 

In the next park, this is a strange complex. Inside of this fence is a tennis court and basketball goals and court markings. A small group of men are playing a doubles tournament while some kid is shooting hoops with his ball often interrupting the game. What is crazy is that there is an adjacent basketball court but guys are playing a game on it. You'd think the kid would be less selfish.....Sorry lost my head for a second.

 The next field I come across is a full size field hockey facility with the girl's teams having a go.

Farther along the track, coming up on Veale Gardens, there is a wedding taking place. The park is known for weddings and wedding picture venues. Veale Gardens remains in winter hibernation. Within weeks, or a month, the area in the second picture will be beautiful with flowers.

 

 netball

Oysters!

Carol has found a vendor at the ACM with unshelled oysters! For some insane reason the vast majority of raw oysters sold in South Australia are sold on the half shell. They dry out when you do that, so why do it?

The good news is that we're having oysters at home this evening. The bad news is that it it not warm enough to have them up on the deck. The other part of the bad news is that CJ must shuck them.

 

 Oh how I wish I had my oyster knife from back in Florida. The blade on this one is too wide.

 

 

 

Yum!

First CBD Circumnavigation - Whoopie!

Reposting for mom.

Mark it down.  Sunday 6 September, Australia's Father's Day, I made it around the CBD on my bike for the first time on this visit. Seven months to the day, I finally have my first circumnavigation of the city on my bike.

From Tomsey Street, I began in the east parklands in Victoria Park riding past two fields of cricket and one of soccer. In the first southern park were lawn bowling, croquet and more soccer. In the next few southern parks were children's playgrounds, soccer, tennis, field hockey and basketball. 

With the advent of spring, it won't be long before the roses are out in Veale Gardens. 

In the southwestern most park are at least a dozen netball courts. There was little action in the western parks but in Bonython Park, it is almost back to pre-COVID levels of family weekend picnics.

For this first attempt, I stayed on the southern bank of the river before crossing past the zoo, through Botanic Park and returning past the National Wine Center. In the east parklands I saw disk golf and footy.

Why is there a minor climb in the last two blocks?

Hindley Street Dumplings

When we lived on North Terrace, Hindley Street Dumplings was four blocks from the apartment. With it now more than a mile from the house, we get there far less frequently.

That said, it is likely not a stretch to say that we are the manager's favorite Caucasian customers. They shut down completely during the COVID lock down. When they reopened the originally didn't have CJ's favorite spicy hot & sour soup on the menu. When it did come back it looked and tasted like run of the mill hot & sour soup. The red streams of chili paste were absent from the broth.

We had switched to a new favorite, their Laksa dumplings. On one occasion during the move, CJ kept the car running in a no parking zone while Carol ran in for take-out. Arriving home it was the first time he'd had the revised preparation. He was not pleased!

On his next visit, he had a discussion with the manager. He showed him how the new preparation did not match the menu picture.

On his next visit, the manager immediately recognized him and informed CJ that the kitchen had again revised the recipe and it was now in accordance with CJ's specifications.  It was better but not quite the same.

At that point over the next few visits, the manager began providing CJ with his own special concoction of a super hot side chili paste.

We had set one foot into the store when the manager saw us and began waving and jumping with excitement. When he brought the menu he said, "I'm guessing you don't need this." He looks forward to our return and no longer charges us for the take-away left-over container.

This is what the spicy hot & sour soup is supposed to look like. The second picture is Carol's laksa.

 

 This is the special super hot sauce. Today we enjoyed something else new: complementary green tea.

The ironic part of this story is that since they messed up the original recipe, CJ prefers laksa but is too embarrassed to order. The one time Carol went to retrieve two orders of laksa, the manager was very disappointed. That's the downside to being a recognized regular.

Tuna Tataki at Home

One of the fish markets at the ACM has great frozen logs of sashimi tuna. The quality has been excellent. Carol's latest creation: tuna tataki with fava beans.

Beer Tasting

The Second, New & Improved Beer Tasting is in the books. It is indeed improved. For the last one we sampled 18 beers, this time 22 (and we overlooked one and will push it to the next one).

We added three of Louis and Tom's friends to this soiree. CJ researched and selected so many beers he has the lineup ready for the third tasting, as does Josh. The original plan was for CJ to select and purchase the entire slate since everyone else is busy working for a living. Somewhere along the way, others got a hankering to contribute their favorites so I cut back the 13 I had lined up and contributed six.

I showed up with Leffe Bruin from Belgium, Kyoto Matcha IPA from Japan, Judas the Dark a wattleseed infused brown from Wilkadene Woolshed Brewery in the Riverlands, Belleruse Blonde from France, and the Amber Ale and Sheoak Stout from Kangaroo Island Brewery.

With one participant late and our doctor tied up at the office, we have a starter brew. My pick from the fridge is a brew from the local Little Bang Brewery. Four of us were there last Friday for after work drinks and planning of the tasting. I missed this beer. Bummer! It is a smoked chili chocolate porter, and I don't usually like porters. 

After drinks, three of us passed by two specialty wine and beer shops. At Edinburg Cellars, we suspect no three guys have ever spent that much money that quickly in their history. Their staff was impressed. My shopping is shown.

The green matcha IPA, positioned in the middle of the rack, was the only brew requiring a glass wash.

Bronwyn knows her boys and doesn't trust them to "we'll just order pizzas". She and Carol arrive with munchies mid tasting; and to check on us.

With each beer being recorded on an online site, the obnoxious site at one point declared Josh a serious alcoholic, The site asked if he needed medical assistance at about the 10th beer.

The lineup of beers. We begin with sours and a goze, From there we move to blondes and lagers. In the middle we have an amber, the matcha IPA, and begin to move to the dark side. We end with five stouts.

My favorite was the Double Lemmington from Dark Deeds Brewery.

During the event we watch live AFL footy and then begin a series of previous sporting events. One was ice cricket where retired cricketeers play the game on a frozen lake in Switzerland. This is something else I'd never seen: Foot Volleyball from Hollywood, Florida. They cannot use their hands, only body, feet and head just like soccer. 

A good time was had by all. It was 1300 before we began breaking up. Time to schedule the Third Tasting.

 

Shopping City-style

Shopping when you live in the city is a bit different than rural or suburban shopping. Most of the time we do not have a car.

Much of our food shopping takes places at the Adelaide Central Market which is now a one mile walk each way. Shopping for other goods and services is primarily in the area of Rundle Mall which is slightly more than a mile.

On most occasions, Carol walks to the ACM with a shopping trolley. On occasions when we need to stock up, CJ joins with a second trolley. Typically Carol brings two trolleys and meets CJ on his return from physical therapy on the west side of town. Since his Pilates session ends after eleven, the plan is usually to meet for lunch. Typically we drop in to Mexican Revolution for lunch with Fernando. CJ is having heuvos rancheros with a killer hot sauce and the best Mexican chorizo in Adelaide.

 On this day, not only did we fill the two trolleys but filled a backpack as well.