We were up bright and early and at the gym by 8:00am. James, our Sydney host, directed us to the nearest Anytime Fitness. Tony was relieved to be able to squat, squat, squat the morning away. I took advantage of the fully equip, non-hotel gym to also squat, then Romanian deadlift, then weighted hip thrust, and then pull through, with all the accompaniments of a full body workout.
This information will be important later on.
Here’s a pic of Tony and I after our workout:
Then we went looking for brekkie. I think we’ve been spoiled by the warrior-worthy brekkies, because the standard brekkie at all the local bakeries and cafes seemed like brekkie appetizers. So we had a few eggs, went back to the hotel to get ready, and then off to the Sydney Harbor Bridge!
We did the Bridge Climb. A 3-hour endeavor, this tourist to-do was serious biz-nass!
It was pricey, but worth it. The biz-nass began with signing a serious waiver – not the first time I’ve done that (sky diving, trapeezing, ect), it’s essentially a written promise that you won’t sue anyone if you die.
Here, you can see:
Then you change out of your clothes and into this impossibly unflattering onesie, with elastic ankles and wrists. Then you get straps for sunglasses (“sunnies”), a handkerchief (“hanky”), a hat, and a key so that you can put all of your possessions in a locker. Then you get headphones with a radio so you can hear your guide.
Our guide was Darren, and he was fabulous!
I wish I had lots of pictures to show you, because the Bridge Climb was amazing. It took an hour to suit up and get out, but then we were out for almost two hours. We were clipped in to the bridge with a carabineer type deal, and up, up, up we went! We stopped here and there to hear about the bridge, it’s history, and the city.
Here we are at the top!
Remember my workout from this morning? Well, after walking and climbing up the stairs and ladders, we then walked all the way down the stairs and ladders. Plus we started before lunch and ended right around 2:30pm! So I was shaky and hungry, but so pumped!
Tony and I walked around the Quay from the base of the bridge to the Opera House, taking some photos along the way:
I was feeling a little bit funny, but I assumed it was because of all the sun and climbing. At the Opera Kitchen, I ordered a seafood mixed platter with salmon a few different ways and tuna. As soon as it was put down in front of me, and after I took a picture:
A very aggressive seagull jumped up and grabbed some salmon!
The restaurant brought me out a new lunch, and we spent the rest of lunch shoo-ing away seagulls. After lunch I felt even weirder, but we continued on, exploring the opera house and walking through the royal botanical gardens.
When we got back to the room it felt like I had been hit by a bus! Tony was tired too, but I was feeling something more than that… I was chilly and had Goosebumps, even though it was warm. My tummy hurt and I felt super tired. So I’m going to bed around 8:30, and hoping I’m feeling back up to snuff tomorrow!
I only woke up kicking the Transformer-Kardashian-Wooly-Mammoth Spider of the bed once, so that was good. As I was typing up yesterday’s blog, Tony noticed a little something out of our back door, and BAM! Kangaroos first thing in the morning!
Breakfast was included with our night’s stay, and DANG! The biggest breakfast ever, and very Australian. There were eggs, chipolatas, beans, bacon, tomato, fruit loaf, quiche, bircher muesli, and vegemite!
The Aussie ladies sitting next to us instructed me so that I knew what to do: first toast the bread, then smear some butter, then a little vegemite. They thought I would hate it, but I didn’t.
Salty, goopy, and weird, but not horrific or anything. Kind of like Worchester sauce jam. Except non-horrific.
Anywho, we were so full we did not eat again until after 3. But even then we just had a snack (This is the equivalent of a normal couple saying they did not eat for two days after brekkie).
Off to explore! We checked out of our Tuscan mini-villa and met again with Jayne, who was so lovely and helpful. We got the HOOK UP for a tour at the Tyrell’s Winery, and some other little suggestions about a few to-do’s before heading back down to Sydney.
We checked out the Hunter Valley Gardens shops, and FINALLY found some flip-flops for Tony! Here he is – happy to be freeing his feet:
Then, on to Tyrell’s Winery. It looks gorgeous, it smells gorgeous, and of course, it tastes gorgeous. We were a little early for our 10:30am tour, so they offered us a glass of bubbly while we checked out the beautiful grounds:
That’s Brokenback Mountain in the background; not to be confused with Brokeback Mountain for you movie/Heath Ledger fans.
Then Damian provided a 90 minute tour, with the most informative lecture on wine making I have ever heard! I’ve been lucky enough to visit wineries in Sonoma, Napa, Tuscany, the Alsace, and the Winstrasse in Germany, and Damain surpassed all of those experiences. Here is Damian next to some insane smelling Shriaz grapes:
Note from Tony: Lisa totally had a crush on him.
After the tour we (I) tasted a little. Damian provided, “Water for the dry bloke!” (That would be Tony). All along I’ve been thinking I’d FINALLY be in a wine region with my kind of wine! Full bodied, masculine, lots of structure, and a smell like a forest floor.
Unfortunately, it is so hot in the Hunter Valley that the grapes ripen too quickly to produce this kind of wine. So the Hunter Valley Shiraz (to me) is like a Sonoma Pinot – thin, light, and pepper at the finish. I think the positive-sounding word is “elegant”, but to me it is puny.
So Damian and I talked it out, and apparently I’m more of a Barossa valley wine drinker. Tyrell’s makes a few wines with grapes from this region, and I was very happy to take home a shiraz with grapes grown in Barossa, but turned into wine right here at Tyrell’s.
Overall, it was a wonderful morning! I was very happy to learn that Tony enjoyed the tour as well.
Onward to the Hunter Valley Gardens! Just kidding.
When we got there we learned entry was $27 per person, which included admission to a garden which takes an hour to walk through… we didn’t think so. But here is the entrance, isn’t it nice?
We made a few more stops at a few more wineries, but didn’t pick up anything else. I think Verdelho is my favorite in the Hunter Valley, and I picked up a bottle of that yesterday – so we decided we were all set, and started our journey back to Sydney!
Tony was a pro and stayed to the left all the way back to the airport. We dropped off the car, and took a shuttle to the hotel… Wanna hear about the hotel?
I love bargains, so naturally I was looking for a bargain way to stay in the middle of the city. Hotwire has this function where they offer a certain quality of hotel for a rate, but it’s a “secret” which hotel you get. You essentially you can select 3.5 or 4 star, see the rate you’ll pay and what kind of hotel falls in that category, and then go for it! So Tony and I kept our eye on the rates for a few weeks, and then decided we could afford the 5 star for 3 nights if we went this route. We ended up with the “Sir Stamford Inn” right in the Quay:
Our room is lovely!
Spacious and cozy with a little Juliet balcony. My favorite is the bathroom. It is H.U.G.E. When you walk in the lights automatically go on. There’s a room on the right that’s the shower, and is bigger than my office back home. Then there’s another room with the toilet inside. Then there is an enormous bathtub.
The rooftop pool and lounge are a fav as well:
We unpacked, changed, and busted back out on the town to find dinner! Once again, thanks to our warrior brekkie, we really didn’t want a big meal, so Tony was in search of a salad, and I wanted to try another new fish. Tony had the folks at “Bar 100” slap some grilled chicken on a “rocket” (aka arugala) and watermelon salad, and I had the Barramundi with a prawn!
We found Tony some ice cream after dinner:
And then back to the hotel we went, but not without taking some candid shots of the our walk back “home.”
We sprung for the expensive internet so that we could get yesterday’s travel blog up, and I am hitting the sack! Tony will be up for awhile so he can catch up on emails and whatnot.
Lisa’s daily dairy of our Australian Adventure continues (cue old-school 1960s Batman music here. Dah-na-na-na-na-Dah-na-na-na-na)….
For no reason whatsoever I woke up at 4:00am and couldn’t go back to sleep. I think it’s because it feels like Christmas every morning since a few days before we even left for the trip! We enjoyed a quiet last morning in our lovely suite at the Ramada, and were the first patrons for a second time at The Bean Bank. Are you tired of admiring my morning flat white?:
I had the “big breakfast”, and Tony had the omelet and the muesli (two breakfasts). As you can see, we hated it:
Sometimes I am a space cadet. For example, Shannan was kind enough to offer a ride to the airport, and I told him our flight was at 10:40am. We made a plan for a pick up, and he asked us to be in touch when we got back to our room and noticed that it was a different time.
Did I look then? Nope.
This morning at about 5:15am, THANK GOODNESS I checked, just in time to see that our flight LANDS at 10:35, and leaves at 9:00am. Should we panic?! I’m sure we made for a stressful start to Shannan’s day, but he was a champ about it and came to pick us up with his delicious family, bright and early at 8:00am.
I’m pretty sure Shannan, Mady, and Sebastian qualify as the cutest family in Ballina. Everyone is smiling and pumped! Sebastian is super-yummy and I almost bit him right on the face while saying goodbye. Even though we’re excited for the next phase of the Australian Adventure, we’re bummed to leave Ballina, and sad to say good-bye to Shannan and company.
Please, for anyone living in or around Ballina visit Shannan and his gym RAW F.A.S.T Fitness. You won’t be disappointed.
Everyone kept telling us we only needed to get to the airport 30 minutes before take off… say what??! We didn’t believe it. I’m not kidding you, from the front door to the gate, it was 4 minutes. For serious.
No ballywho. No waiting for hours and standing in line. The front half of the plane loads through the front door, the back half through the back door. And then you go. It’s a bullshit free system – point for the Australians.
Here’s Tony (with me behind) walking up to the plane:
I was so excited to start part II of our adventure that the top of my head almost blasted off as the plane approached Sydney:
After retrieving our luggage we headed to the rental car dealer. We got a “Holden” – which neither of us has seen before. Check our cute little rental!
This is the point of the show when the anxiety sets in. The driver’s seat is on the other side – the traffic flows on the other side (the left side). We’ve got to drive through some Sydney traffic and about 2 hours north to the Hunter Valley, using the GPS on Tony’s phone… We begin our mantra for the day, “staaaaay to the leeeeft…. Staaaaay to the leeeeft….”
We make it about 40 feet and I notice a red light on the dash, “stop the car! Stop the car!” I exclaim. With a line of other car-renters behind us, ready to start their journey, Tony and I begin with a mini panic while we try to determine what the exclamation mark in parenthesis means. (“I had this on my Jetta when the brakes were whacked” – I think to myself. “Or maybe that was when the oil pressure was shot?” I tried to remember). I leaped out of the car while Tony had to irritate some other car renters by turning around just before the gate. I got one of the attendants to come help, and his very serious, worried face brightened up when he looked at the dash and sighed, “yeah – that’s the emergency brake”…. Did I mention we were anxious?
So essentially, no one in our little Holden took a breath for about 45 minutes. I was in charge of navigation. Me. (For those of you who don’t know, I have the most terrible sense of direction on earth. It is horrendous). Poor Tony was trying to respond to my queues to “merge left”… stay in this lane…. No! Shit! Get over to the right!” And all the while we chanted, “stay to the left… STAY TO THE LEFT!!!!”
Tony was a rock star, and after a few missed turns, a few tunnels with very narrow lanes, and more than a few close calls, we were north of the city and kickin’ it at 100km/hr through some mountains and into the valley!
Did you know I love wine?
I’m a novice, but I love to learn about it – terroir, grapes, the winemaking processes; and I love to try new wines. Tony, on the other hand, has nothing to do with wine. He does not like the taste or even the smell. He cannot even have a glass to humor me.
I mention it here because this part of the trip was 100% for me. The scary driving, the winery visits, and some of the discomforts I’m about to describe – it was all for me. Please, let’s pause here for a little round of applause, just for my wonderful fiancé who signed right on for all of the following just to make me happy J.
Note from Tony: Yeah, I’m pretty much the shit.
The Hunter Valley reminds me of a more relaxed, more remote, less polished and more bohemian version of Sonoma Valley.
It’s not no frills, but it’s mostly no frills. Also, it’s freakin’ hot! I love it, but Tony forgot to pack any flip-flops, so we needed to fix that. We stayed at the Tuscany Wine Resort, which is supposed to feel Tuscan. It did have the stucco, the heat, and some of the plants to approach the look of Tuscany, but this estate was tired and non-fabulous. We had a lovely concierge, Mady, who helped us to get to our room. Here it is!
Upon entering our mini-villa, Tony and I spotted a spider. I don’t think spider is actually the best word to describe the creature. I think Transformer-Wooly Mammoth that looks-like-a-spider is more accurate:
Inside, there were many mosquitos in the bathroom. I had flashbacks of a trip my best friend Susie and I took to Mexico years ago, when we were eaten alive every night while we slept. I started to get nervous about the bugs, and that Transformer-Wooly-Mammoth-Spider.
We dropped off our stuff and set out for lunch. I checked back in with Mady at the front desk, and she was nervous about the Transformer-Woolly-Mammoth-spider too!
A manager came out from the back to ask if its, “Bottom is really big?” Indeed it was. So I guess it is a Transformer-Kardashian-Wooly-Mammoth Spider. The ladies said they would take care of it, and so I took Tony to get some food.
Tony was hungry. Hours of driving (on the left), after flying, after waking up around 4:00am. It was almost 3:00pm and we needed sustenance! We went to the restaurant up the hill from our B&B, and were happy to meet Kylie, who was friendly, knowledgeable, and ready to talk to us about the area. In sticking with the Tuscan theme, we had the antipasti platter, and BAM! It was super delicious and hit the spot:
I have to say, the #1 best mushrooms I have ever had. The meal reminded me of my favorite Tuscan meal, which my friend Leslie and I shared in Sienna. We devoured our meal! Or, to speak Australian, and to quote Kylie, “You smashed it!”
Then we were off to try and find some flip-flops for Tony. There were none to be found, but we did make it to the Hunter Valley’s Smelly Cheese Shop, where Tony got a personalized cheese sampling!! I felt happy that he could have his very own tasting. Then we made it to Sobels Winery:
Audrey Wilkinson Winery (recommended by Kylie):
And Tulluch Winery, which was nice enough to let me taste some wines just a few minutes before closing at 5:00pm
I was focused on trying the Semillon and Shiraz, since that what the region is known for. However, I discovered Vehrdelo! A Portuguese grape with fruit in the front and easy finish on the back.
We came back to the mini-villa, and I’m happy to say the Transformer-Kardashian-Wooly-Mammoth Spider was gone! Inside, our room was like new. The mosquitos were gone, the daddy long legs in the corner had been removed, and the once mosquito-guts-marked walls were white and flawless. Thanks to Mady and Jayne for fixing it up!
We tried not to fall asleep before heading out to dinner. We weren’t that hungry, thanks to our Tuscan lunch, so we headed to the nearby Harrigans, an Irish spot, where we had a few salads, and I had a Magners.
Kylie said she could “almost guarantee” we would see some kangaroos and wallabies, but so far, nothing! We had our eyes peeled all day and night. We better see one tomorrow! They apparently like to hang out by the tennis court… se we’ll see what we can see on the way to breakfast in the morning.
It’s just a few minutes to 9:00pm, and I’m sure we’ll be asleep by 9:03. I’m also sure I’ll be dreaming of Transformer-Kardashian-Wooly-Mammoth Spiders.
Somewhere on the other side of the world, my dad and brother are reading this and shaking their heads, feeling sorry for Tony that he’ll have to stalk and sleigh any imaginary spiders I may be yelling about in the middle of the night…. Spiders were never my strength.
There’s no Internet here, so you won’t get to read this until we get back to Sydney tomorrow evening… But tomorrow, it’s breakfast, the Hunter Valley Gardens, more wineries, maybe a kangaroo or wallaby, and then back (on the left) to Sydney! Wish us luck J. Love and hugs to all of our friends and family,
Lisa’s daily dairy of our Australian Adventure continues……
Greetings! Tony and I made it all the way to 5:30am, so our clocks are just about re-set to Aussie time. Since we’re quick to acclimate to local culture, we waited until 7:00am before heading out for brekkie.
As directed by Shannan, we went to The Gallery Café and asked for the “Raw Brekkie” menu. (Shannan’s gym is “Raw Fitness”). As I imagined, a Meathead’s dream menu – Check it out:
Since I’ve been eating non-stop since we got here, I didn’t really feel I had the room (or the need) for four eggs + accompaniments. So I got some home made muesli with fruit and nuts. And of course, a flat white. Did I mention I love flat whites?
Tony on the other hand, ordered a big-assed omelet:
Stavi gave him a pat on the back after finishing, and we were both happy campers. We got our workout clothes for later on and jumped in the car with Shannan to start day 2 of the Because Heavy Things Won’t Lift Themselves Seminar. Here are some pics of the morning, which was part lecture and theory:
And part practice and demonstration:
Just before lunch, Tony and I piloted my being part of the show! As you may know, sport and exercise psychology is part of my educational background, and a major part of my personal passion. Specifically, and as you know if you’ve read my articles on Tony’s website (HERE and HERE), I care very much about motivation and exercise motivation.
Keeping in mind that Tony and I are visitors in a different culture, and speaking to an audience with a broad range of beliefs, orientations, and client populations, my goal was to approach psychological components of working with clients that are universally applicable. Naturally, I started with Ryan and Deci’s Basic Needs Theory, a component of The Self-Determination Theory of Movitation (American Psychologist, 2000).
My hope was to help trainers to consider the impact of their verbal and non-verbal interactions with clients, and how their own personal style, beliefs, and goals intersect with their clients’.
I was lucky to have a ‘first practice’ with an engaged and open audience. I imagine many of the trainers present are highly competent and successful in their practices, so I heard insight and self-knowledge from participants in regards to their relational style. Tony and I wanted to add a psychological component to the seminar, because the psychology of clients and the relational style of the trainer are major components of participation, persistence, and enjoyment of physical activity.
We think today was a good start to addressing this aspect of being a successful trainer!
I learned a tremendous amount about cultural similarities and differences. In addition, I was reminded that although psychotherapy and counseling is a normal, healthy, accessible resource to me, it’s still stigmatized, embarrassing, and indicative of severe psychopathology , or, “being a nut” to many other people in many other places.
When I write for Tony I tend to include some sort of “when in doubt refer to a therapist” recommendation, but today helped me to remember that for some (or many) trainers and their clients, this suggestion could be insulting or feel like rejection or judgment. There may also be less access to professionals, or professionals with adequate expertise and competency to be of service. Although I know the session was not about me, I benefitted a great deal, and was reminded of some things that I’ll cognizant of when I sit back down with clients next week.
After my session we squeezed in a super-quick lunch, and I grabbed a chicken sandwich from a nearby bakery.
After lunch Tony jumped right into the “hands on” portion of the show. Deadbugs, Birddogs, and squats, naturally. The day wrapped up with some discussion of programming, and Tony said thanks and G’day a few minutes past 5pm. Two full days of hard work! Nice job babe.
We were dying to move around and train! We got in a little session with some deadlifts and such. After getting hot and sweaty, Tony took some photos with some of the trainers and they even had him sign the wall of the facility:
After the quickest shower ever, Tony and I walked around a bit before settling on a restaurant called Twenty Nine, just up the street from the hotel. The manager brought the chef out so that Tony could get exactly what he wanted – a big ass salad with some chicken on top. I got to try a new fish! Dory:
Reminded me of flounder.
And here’s the view we had during dinner:
We were fading fast by the end of dinner, so we made the quick trip home, grabbed the last piece of carrot cake from the hotel restaurant, and came back upstairs to pack it up for tomorrow.
We will miss Ballina!
The people are lovely. The environment is relaxed and happy. The food was great, the breeze never ceased to be amazing, and it always smelled like your nose was stuck inside of a Gardina. Man it will be hard to go!
However, tomorrow we’re flying to Sydney, renting a car, and driving (on the left) up to the Hunter Valley!!!! Talk to you then!
Day #3 of Lisa’s diary of our Australian Adventure.
We made it straight to 4:00am! 8 hours of sleep is nothing to complain about, and Tony and I enjoyed a quiet morning while I worked on this little travel blog, and Tony reviewed some of his slides for today’s seminar. We were starving, but forced ourselves to hold on until about 6:30 before venturing out for brekkie.
The very kind lady cleaning up in the hotel lobby notified us, “ummm, Ballina is not an early morning town… so maybe go for a walk until 7 – and then try for some breakfast??”. Good for Ballinanians! We rolled with it, and took an AMAZING walk from the hotel down the river, all the while snapping some photos of the moon:
And the sunrise:
Ballina is beautiful.
And so was our brekkie! The first patrons-of-the-day at The Bean Bank, a coffee shop that came highly recommended by Shan.
We ate like we were heading off to battle. Again, I enjoyed a delicious flat white.
There was plenty of eggs, Turkish bread (which appears to be the “it” bread over here), museli (instead of oats), bacon, fruit, and happiness all around. When Tony’s museli came over he said, “Man, your dad would be all about this brekkie”:
While at brekkie three fit and fabulous Aussie’s came in for breakfast and said, “Hi Tony, see you in a bit!” The ladies had driven about 8 hours yesterday to be here for Tony’s seminar!
Yeah!
We headed back to the hotel so Tony could get ready, and then Shan and his beautiful wife Mady came to retrieve Tony so he could get to work. I on the other hand, have the day off! Given to me by my lovely fiancé, I couldn’t wait to get started doing whatever-the-heck-I-wanted.
This, of course, started with the gym, followed by laundry (did I mention we have our OWN laundry room???), followed by a walk down the river over to the beach.
I walked for awhile and then came to a bridge… it seemed like the ocean was quite a distance away, so I asked a sweet little family walking along the shore of the river. They explained that there were plenty of “beaches” along the river, and a “surfers beach” on the river just there… When I explained I’d like to swim in the ocean the father looked at me like a father does when he knows he’s about to be the bearer of bad news…
Alas, the ocean itself was far, far away. I’d need a car. I took a moment to be sad that I wouldn’t get to jump in the Pacific, and then kept it moving and found a spot right on the “beach” at the river. I’m pretty sure I was the only person without a surfboard, Stand Up Paddle Board, kayak, canoe, or dog. But I had a lovely day, nevertheless. Here is a pic of the river, and the ocean which is just through the opening there and over to the left… maybe I’ll get a chance next time?
After some reading, and a nap, and lots of dog watching, I walked home along the shore. Here are some mamouth pelicans, kickin’ it with some local fishermen.
Back at the room our maid was just wrapping up cleaning. After a little rest and some TV, I walked into town to check out the shops. I grabbed a “detox” fresh juice from this little juice bar along the way:
Then I stopped in “Wooly’s” again for more water and snacks. I asked for some turkey breast at the deli counter, but had no idea how much to order! The lady at the counter was a love, so we talked it out, and I ended up with 300 grams. On the way home I meandered along the water, which reminded me of the Ell river, bordering Germany and Austria, where Leslie and I biked up and down a few summers ago:
Once home and fed, I went back out to the pool for some afternoon sun.
Tony came home around 5:15, tired but enthused. He had a great day and, as usual, didn’t feel he had enough time to get to everything he would have liked to cover. After a shower and change of clothes, we headed out to a local spot for dinner, just a short walk up the river.
The Wharf was delish!
I ordered the mackerel for dinner, and was expecting that oily, small fish I’ve caught back in FLA with my dear friends Lara and Jason in the Indian River… This mackerel was not that mackerel! A pleasant surprise, this was a nice big white fish, almost like a steak.
My surprise lead to a great conversation, and everyone at the table was ready to talk more about Australian animals, food, and jargon. Did you know about Wallabies?! Apparently, it’s a smaller, cuter version of a kangaroo – one of the seminar attendees, Kirby, told us for sure we’d see one in the Hunter Valley… Stay Tuned!! My hopes are high that we’ll get to see a wallaby or two…
Before heading out for ice cream, we were discussing brekkie plans for tomorrow morning. Shannan recommended we go to a different local spot, since he has his “own menu”… What? Yep, Shannan has his own menu. He told us to ask for “The Raw Brekkie” (the name of his gym is Raw Fitness). I’m sure it will be a meathead menu with plenty of protein.
Until then! Tony and I have made it past 9:00pm. Well, I’ve made it; Tony is unconscious, mouth slightly agape, remote in hand.
Lisa Continues her daily dairy of our trip to Australia.
We Made it! Local time 7:05am, out of the plane and hugging our first host, Shannan by 8:00am. (A quick synopsis of who Shannan is: he’s a former distance coaching client of Tony who own his own strength and conditioning facility in Ballina. This trip’s been over a year in the making due to Shannan’s persistence and hard work to help get Tony (us!) down here). Shannan was accompanied by a buddy and personal trainer Matt, equally friendly and fabulous. Here they are with Tony:
Australian lesson #1: Australian’s “Aussies’ like to abrieviate and make cute all kinds of words. Shannan (“Shan”) and Matt (“Mattie”) drove 2 hours from Ballina to come and pick us up, and spent ALL DAY showing us around the area! It was so lovely. Our day moved from Brisbane down the gold coast, to Ballina:
We drove south from Brisbane, down the Gold Coast. Known for its beaches and fabulous surfing, this area is lined with beach towns, resorts, and families and friends on “holiday” (Australian for vacation). I took notice of the big inviting bike lanes throughout the streets and around the roundabouts, and Shan and Matty encouraged us to be on the lookout for “M.A.M.I.L.s” (Middle Aged Men in Lycra). Apparently they’re everywhere, and not afraid to rock their Lycra at coffee shops and all around town.
We stopped at Coolangatta (“Cooly”) for breakfast (“Brekkie”! Who doesn’t love this word? You can also spell it Brekky, but whatever you do, you should start using it immediately). What does every girl need for Brekkie after 20 hours on a plane? An Eenie Menie Greenie Smoothie!
Kale, pear, celery, parsley, ect. Between that and my first (and long anticipated) Australian Flat White, it was just what I needed to recover from our journey and settle in to Aussie life:
We left Cooly and continued down to the coast to Byron Bay. More amazing beaches, more surfers, and lots of gorgeous homes. We stopped a few places to take some photos – Check it! (Please do not judge us for our crusty appearance, and keep in mind we’ve had those clothes on for over 36 hours):
Byron Bay
Rockin our Lulu’s at Byron Bay
Different vantage point at Byron Bay. This is the view some the residents have from their houses.
After Byron Bay we hit up Lennox, another fabulous beach town where many rich and some famous live. Apparently Chris Helmsworth (Thor) has a home around here… but we didn’t spot him.
After Lennox we made our way to Ballina!
One of the beaches in Ballina
In many ways, this area reminds me of home (Jensen Beach, FLA – not Boston, MA). Locals and vacationers, the ocean met up with by the river, relaxed vibe, fantastic air. We are staying at this fantastic Ramada Inn! There was even a bottle of wine waiting for us (me) in the room. Did I mention we love Shan? Please check out our Suite with a view of the Richmond River:
I have to say, Tony and I were champions all day. We felt pretty good, but we knew we would start to fade in the afternoon. It was just after 3pm when we checked in, and once we unpacked, it was time to hit the gym.
It was ugly, but we managed to move around a little bit and sweat out some of the travel funk.
I proceeded to take the most cleansing shower of my life, and then have a glass of wine. After about a half of a glass I felt like I’d just had a “Goonsack” (Australian for the sack inside of a Box-o’-Wine), and I knew Tony and I only had a few hours left before we crashed. We ventured into town and out to Woolworths (“Wooly’s”) for some water and snacks. We were stressed about walking into traffic, which moves in the opposite direction, but luckily, Australians are right on top of trying to keep tourists alive:
Unfortunately, Tony realized he didn’t have his “Dongle”, which is surprisingly not an Australian word, but is an adaptor for Apple computers and projectors. After a mini-panic and a trip to the nearby tech store, Shan made some calls and once again, hooked us up by asking a friend to borrow his dongle.
So we got the dongle, got the snacks, and then went to dinner. We were starting to feel run down, so we decided on the hotel restaurant, The Pointe. It could have easily have been a restaurant at home in Stuart, FL, on the river.
Locals crowded the bar and dining for Happy Hour (Oh how I miss happy hour! An illegal libation celebration in Boston), and we enjoyed watching the river and sitting amongst the local excitement and chitchat of folks just finishing their workweek with a drink and a smile. Here are some pictures of the river and us enjoying dinner:
This pic was taken at 2AM (Boston time), hence Tony look likes he’s falling asleep.
I am proud to say we remained conscious until about 7:58pm. Tony’s excited for day 1 of the seminar, and I’m VERY excited for a day off, by the pool and at the beach. Talk to you then!
What follows is Lisa’s daily diary of our musings and doings while visiting Australia.
Hello Friends!
Tony and I just spent 6 hours in a plane from Boston to LAX, and then 14 hours from LAX to Brisbane.
The journey has begun. Thanks for joining. Here’s Tony, as excited as can be as we boarded our first flight in Boston.
Two hours into our 6.5 hour flight to LA, Tony and I wondered if we’d gotten in over our heads. Once we felt the full effect of the narrow seat, barely reclining chair, and turbulence, we couldn’t even imagine landing, and then doing it all over again, but for double the amount of time…
But here we are.
At this moment, Tony and I are 34,000 feet over the Pacific, with a little over 3,000 miles and a little less than 6 hours to go – just over half way through our 13.5 hour flight. It sort of feels like traveling through time. When we boarded the plane around 11:00pm (pacific time), we fell right asleep!
Both of us pumped and thinking we’d sleep for 7 or 8 hours, we each discovered the other peeking out from underneath our blindfolds less than 5 hours later (when it was 7:00am, eastern time). Luckily, I sprung for the emergency exit row seats, which actually ended up being right in a break in rows, so there is a good 10 -15 feet of open space in front of us! Here’s the space, with my TV in site:
So much room for activities!
… and then here’s Tony trying to get some sleep:
Tony’s disappointed the Ambien our generous Dr. gave us didn’t put us under for most of the flight – he’s just watched Fury, and I’ve just finished Birdman (What in the heck was that?).
The highlight so far? The international terminal at LAX. At 10pm, that place is Grand Central Station for the Universe! Everyone was going somewhere amazing. It’s hard to be sleepy and calm when we’re in for the trip of our lives!
In a few hours there will be breakfast, and then time to get ready for the day to start. We’ll land in Brisbane at 7:00am and hit the ground running! Breakfast in the city, drive to Ballina, maybe go to the gym, and check in to our hotel.
In case you missed it, I shared my uppity snob list of favorite movies of 2014 not too long ago. You can check it out HERE.
To enjoy it and to really bask in it’s uppityness, I’d encourage you to peruse it while bathing in a gold plated tub filled with Riesling while a Victoria Secret model feeds you caviar with a diamond plated spoon shaped like Mitt Romney’s wang.
Or do it while listening to some Mozart.
I don’t know. Either way I’d give you a high-five.
Facetiousness and penis jokes aside, it IS a list I stand behind and one I feel represents my own personal taste as a movie buff/fan and as a movie connoisseur with a palette for awesome.
Before I dive into the fanboy list, though, there are a few other films I wish I could have added to the original list.
Some Others to Consider
Foxcatcher – the trio of Steve Carrell, Channing Tatum, and Mark Ruffalo makes this well worth the watch. Tatum and Ruffalo (especially Ruffalo) have shown off their drama chops before; Carrell was a nice surprise.
Begin Again – I’m not scared to admit it, I have a crush a Keira Knightley. And, Mark Ruffalo stands out (again!) in this superb film by the same director as Once.
Locke – Annnnnd, I’m also not scared to admit I have a man-crush on Bane, Upper Traps Mcgee, Tom Hardy. You want to talk about an impressive acting performance? How about this one by Hardy where it’s – literally – just him sitting in a car for close to two hours talking on a phone. It sounds about as exciting as watching NASCAR, I know….but the movie works. It really does.
Obvious Child– hahahahahahahahahaha. Abortion is hilarious. Note sarcasm.
Yet, in this case…it actually is.
The Skeleton Twins – Lisa gave me the look of death for taking her to go see this movie. Then again I can’t say I blame her. She’s a psychologist who, on a weekly basis, has to deal with real people wanting to kill themselves in real life.
The last thing she’d want spend a Sunday afternoon doing is watching a movie about a pair of suicidal siblings. My bad.
It’s analogous to me being forced to watch Tracy Anderson try to coach someone how to squat correctly. I’d last two minutes before wanting to wash my eyes out with battery acid.
Giving credit where it’s due, though, and despite being depressing as hell, both Kristin Wiig and Bill Hader are really good in this.
Alright Already, Unleash the Nerd Gentilcore
It’s more or less guaranteed that any self-respecting movie nerd who’s nerdy enough to refer to him or herself as a movie nerd is amped up for 2015.
I don’t have to remind you that Nerd Jesus, JJ Abrams, is unleashing the next Star Wars on December 18th, which is 321 Days, 4 Hours, and 18 Minutes away.
In addition we have other nerdtastic releases like Marvel’s Avengers: The Age of Ultron, Jurassic World, Mad Max: Fury Road (Tom Hardy!), Spectre (the next James Bond film), Terminator Genisys, Fantastic Four, The Hateful Eight (<– Tarantino, mofos), and of course Magic Mike XXL.
Yes, I watched the first one when it first came out in theaters. Yes, I liked it. Yes, I own the Blu-ray. And yes, I’m not wearing any pants as I type this post.
Alas my friends. 2014 was pretty high on the nerdtasticdom spectrum in its own right.
1. Captain America: The Winter Soldier
This is probably my favorite Marvel movie to date. And that’s saying a lot….especially given the tendency that most sequels suck.
I don’t know if it was the sweet fight scenes, Scarlet Johannson being Scarlet Johannson, or Chris’ Evans pecs….but this movie hit the mark at every level. Maybe what made this such huge hit for me was the fact there’s actually a plot.
I have a Y chromosome. I enjoy explosions, ninjas, zombies, girl on girl fights, and explosions as much as the next guy. In fact I’ll pay good money to see it. But this movie really set the bar in terms of providing a TON of action, but providing some substance to boot.
2. Guardians of the Galaxy
Quiz:
1. Prior to this movie – which made him more of a household name – what else did star Chris Pratt appear in?
2. Prior to this movie – what do you feel the over under would have been that something revolving around a talking tree, a gun-toting raccoon, a green skinned Zoe Saldana, an ex-professional wrestler (Dave Bautista), and that Chris Pratt fella would have been one of the top grossing (and well reviewed) movies of 2014?
2. About as high as me deciding to train for the Boston Marathon2
One of the funnest movies I’ve ever watched.
3. The Raid 2
The first ‘Raid’ movie was one of the best action movies I’ve ever watched. Bar none.
This one may be better.
The first one took place in a building, 15 or so floors, with one ruthless crime boss and his army of gun wielding/machete yielding/kung-fu goons vs. an elite police squad armed to take them down.
There’s no sugar-coating it fellas – the fight scenes will give you a raging boner.
The second one picks up immediately where the first one ends, and I can’t even begin to describe the even more epic fight scenes and cinematography.
The best line I’ve seen to describe this movie is one by EW movie critic, Chris Nashawaty:
“Fight sequences so bananas they make Jackie Chan/Bruce Lee predecessors look flat-footed.”
Full disclosure: the entire movie is subtitled.
4. Edge of Tomorrow
I love Tom Cruise, but given his recent track record of sci-fi fails (namely, Oblivion) I wasn’t expecting much from this one. Compound that with Emily Blunt playing the role of a hard-ass, ass-kicking Army Captain – which, come on…..it’s Emily Blunt, who’s all of 110 lbs – I wasn’t buying it.
But it’s sci-fi. Anything can happen. If an X-Wing Fighter can blow up a Death Star, Emily Blunt can kick the shit out of aliens.
And I’ll be damned it worked.
This was one of the better surprises of 2014. Awesome story-line (Tom Cruise plays a non-soldier who, after “inheriting” the ability to re-live the same day over and over and over again (ALA Groundhog Day), must team up with Blunt to figure out a way to defeat the aliens who have attacked Earth), with some awesome action. Not the most articulate explanation of a movie, but whatever. Poop.
5. The Equalizer
Think: Taken, but with Denzel Washington.
Literally, this is Denzel Washington vs. the Russian mafia set in Boston. What’s not to like?
6. Snowpiercer
This one was, well, different. But in a good way.
It’s the future. Earth has fallen into some dystopian clusterfuck of sucktitude, and all that remains of mankind is a train that continually travels around the world with the fancy schmancy people near the front living the good life, and the less fortunate slumming it near the tail end.
Ain’t nobody got time for that!
What follows is Captain America Chris Evans and his band of renegade misfits making their way towards the front, with each stop along the way unveiling a world that just grows weirder and weirder.
7. Interstellar
Let me get this straight. This is written and directed by Christopher Nolan (Dark Knight trilogy, Memento, Inception), stars Matthew McConaughey, Jessica Chastain, Anne Hathaway, and Michael Caine, and takes place in space?
SHUT UP AND TAKE MY MONEY!!!!!!!!
So there you have it. Got any to add yourself? Chime in below.
I’ve made it known that if I weren’t a strength coach I’d somehow try to find a way to watch movies for a living.
Okay, that’s a lie.
First I’d want to be a professional baseball player. Second choice would be an Avenger. And third would have to be starting my own taxi service using nothing but tanks. Because that would be awesome.
And then, if none of those stuck or paid the bills, I’d want to be a dude who watches movies. And get paid for it. Basically I’d be the most diesel movie critic in the history of ever.
For as long as I can remember I’ve loved watching movies. Like most guys my age (38) I grew up watching 80s classics like Star Wars, The Goonies, The Princess Bride, Top Gun, and couldn’t even begin to tell you how many times I watched Bachelor Party.
What can I say? I was 12. Boobs+swear words (x more boobs to the boobiest power) = boobs.
And then came the 90s. Which, in my opinion (and I realize everyone defends different decades as THE decade of movie basassery), was the shit.
Pulp Fiction, Saving Private Ryan, The Shawshank Redemption, Schindler’s List, Seven, Boogie Nights, Magnolia, Rushmore, Heat, Can’t Hardly Wait, Being John Malkovich, Swingers, Reservoir Dogs, Jerry Maguire, Casino, Good Will Hunting, GoodFellas, Tommy Boy, The Chase3……
See what I mean? Movies in the 90s were so money, it didn’t even know it.
Anyways, it was starting in the 90s when I began the process of seasoning my movie going palette. It was during that time when I developed a finer appreciation for film. I mean come on: if you would have asked me to sit down and watch something like Amelie (a foreign movie + subtitles? Pretty much a guy’s worst nightmare outside of talking about feelings) prior to the 90s I would have told you to go fuck yourself.
Actually it probably would have been more along the lines of…
“What the heck! Are you kidding? He-Man is on. I’m not gonna watch that malarky!”
He-Man dominated my adolescence (take that statement as you will). That, and my mom would have had a field day washing my mouth out with soap if she caught wind of me swearing like that.
Post 90s, however? I was (and am) all about Amelie.
It’s a delightful film. You know I mean it too cause I used the word delightful. Only the snobbiest of movie snobs use that adjective to describe a movie. It’s analogous to a sports announcer saying “that will come back to haunt them,” or a girl you really, really like in high-school saying “NO I WON’T MAKE OUT WITH YOU TONY SO STOP ASKING!!!!!”
But seriously, Amelie is a movie everyone should watch.
Long story short: I like movies. I like them a lot (<— said like Jim Carry in Dumb and Dumber. Not coincidentally, another fantastic movie made in the 90s).
Drama, action, documentary, comedy, mystery, foreign, it doesn’t matter…I’m down with every genre. Even ones that don’t exist. Like Zombies vs. Godzilla.4
So it’s with that I’d like to share my picks for Favorite Movies of 2014. This list will list those movies which are more universally recognized (Read: the one’s most people reading have probably seen themselves or have convinced themselves to go see because the Golden Globes and Oscars told them to).
Note: I’ll be adding another list – the non-snobby/fan boy/OH MY GOD I DIDN’T REALIZE MATT DAMON WAS IN INTERSTELLAR!!!!!5 list – soon.
Note #2: I’m only going to highlight EIGHT movies on this list, because everyone does ten and ten is lame.
Note #3: Unfortunately, this list doesn’t include movies like Nightcrawler or A Most Violent Year because I haven’t seen them yet (but I’ve heard good things). It also doesn’t include The Fault in Our Stars because, among other things, I have a penis.
1. Whiplash
As it happens the week I saw this at the theater (quick shout out to my 2nd home, The Coolidge, in Coolidge Corner, Brookline, MA), I felt inclined to write my very first movie review. You can read it HERE.
Go a head read it.
I said read it!
I won’t say too much here because, you know, you can read my review (Hint: you should read it), but all I’ll say here is that both JK Simmons and Miles Teller are amazing and that if you’re not like “WTF!!!!” during the last ten minutes, then, well, I don’t know what to say other than you should read my review….;o)
2. The Grand Budapest Hotel
Without question the most visually stunning movie I saw all year. Every frame, literally every frame, comes across like it’s own painting.
That in of itself makes this one of my favs on the year. That and it’s directed by Wes Anderson, who could make a movie about two toasters banging each other (which doesn’t even make any sense!), and I’d watch it.
There are only a handful of directors where, when you watch a scene or two, you can immediately ascertain their thumb print on a movie. Tarantino, Scorcese, Lynch, etc.
Anderson is known for being a more quirky and idiosyncratic director which, admittedly, isn’t everyone’s cup of tea. But it’s definitely mine one of the many reasons why I’d recommend it.
3. Boyhood
It’s pretty hard not to give credit where it’s due on this one. It took Richard Linklater twelve years to make this movie. I know some people who can’t go twelve minutes without eating a carbohydrate.
The amount of patience, diligence, and persistence it must have taken to make this movie is astounding to me.
It’s something that’s never been done before – for a feature film at least – and I give Linklater all the credit in the world. While it’s easy to chalk this one up on a “best of” list for the novelty alone, it truly is a great piece of film making.
Also, special kudos to Patricia Arquette for her amazing job in this movie. And why not, Ethan Hawke too. I’m not necessarily an “Ethan Hawke guy,” but he was pretty damn good too.
4. Chef
This movie probably wasn’t on many people’s radar, but it should have been. This was such a fun and “feel good” movie to watch. And don’t even get me started on the food porn.
OMG…..the food!!!!
All I’ll say is that a grilled cheese sandwich has never looked so sexy.
Anyways, Jon Favreau wrote and directed this film and the only issue I had with the plot was the fact his character – a fat, ornery chef – was hooking up with smoke shows like Scarlett Johansson and Sofia Vergara.
Riiiiiiigggggghhhhhhhttttttt.
Then again: You know what they say:
If a man can cut vegetables like that……………
Actually, I have no idea where I was going with that.
This is an excellent movie. You should watch it.
5. Gone Girl
I’ll admit it: much like Wes Anderson, I’ll watching anything David Fincher directs. I mean, look at the man’s catalog of movies he’s directed: Seven, Fight Club, Panic Room, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, The Game, The Social Network, The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, Zodiac, Alien 3 (<—-okay, meh).
Plus he’s one of the peeps responsible for bringing House of Cards into our living rooms.
In my book he can do no wrong.
I tend to gravitate towards dark, non-butterfly kissey, non-rainbowey, non-warm-and-fuzzy-feelingey movies.
This was about as dark as they get and it rubbed a lot of people the wrong way. Screw them I say!
6. Birdman
Michael Keaton plays an aging actor who used to play an iconic superhero, who then gave it up, who then became a nobody, who then tries to rekindle his career by adapting a play on Broadway.
Seems fitting given he played Batman back in the early 90s. Not to understate anything, but it goes without saying he’s superb (and will most likely win the Best Actor Oscar). The rest of the star-studded cast is excellent too (Edward Norton, Naomi Watts, Emma Stone)
The real star, though, is the director, Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu. The camera work in this movie is unparalleled, and gave me a boner, the likes I haven’t experienced since Alfonso Cuaron’s Children of Men.
Shot in a way where it seems like the entire movie is done in one massive take…..you’ll be like “whaaaaaaaaaaaaat!”
7. The Imitation Game
This would be the opposite of a feel good movie. Amazing (true) story about an amazing man (Alan Turing, and his quest to conquer the Nazi Enigma Code, and basically go on to invent modern computing) with a not-s0-amazing “thank you” by the British government for helping to save the lives of over 20 million people.
Khan Benedict Cumberbatch deserves recognition for his work. He’s like, really, really good. How’s that for selling it?
8. Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens (Teaser Trailer)
Whatever.
It’s my list. It’s Star Wars. Deal with it.
So what about you? Have any favorites of the year to share? Come on: you know you’re inner movie snob wants to chime in! I’d love to hear what movies topped your list!
And remember: Stay tuned for my fan-boy “Best of 2014” list coming soon.
Note from Tony:Every weekend Lisa and I make the trek into the city (Boston) to eat some fabulous food. We’re original and appropriately call this event “Date Night.”
[FYI: Lisa vetoed my idea to call it something with more bravado: I.e., “A Night of Libations, Eating Dead Animal Flesh, and Crushing Gluten.”
Yes, I understand gluten – and avoiding it at all costs – is the cool thing to do nowadays. And I equally understand that for some people (a minute few, mind you; namely those with Celiac Disease) need to be very careful with their dietary choices, especially with regards to gluten.
Outside of that, however, “gluten free” is nothing more than a fad, most have no idea what it even is (much less what it affects), and the only reason why they avoid it is because People Magazine told them to.
Anyways, we crush gluten….but that’s besides the point. We’re trying to keep it classy people!.
So, for now, Date Night Review is what we’re calling this series].
While the bulk of reviews will cover restaurants in Boston and the Metro-West area, because we both travel for work we’ll also be offering reviews on eateries all over the country and, fingers crossed, the world.
It’s NOT our objective to speak ill of any restaurant we visit. We’re not assholes. And besides, anywhere we eat is better than the grilled chicken and streamed broccoli we’d eat otherwise at home.
Instead, the goal is to just highlight our experiences at said establishments, maybe point fellow food lovers to kick-ass places to eat, and to eventually become food celebrities and eat for free.
Enjoy!
Steel & Rye, Milton, MA
After watching an episode of our beloved Top Chef (the current season, Season 12, was filmed here in Boston), I made a reservation for Tony and I at Steel & Rye in Milton, MA, which was featured on the show.
Little do we get into our car and drive to a restaurant outside of Boston for date night, but it was well worth it!
As city-dwellers, we are easily seduced by all things convenient and complimentary – Steel & Rye had us at “Complimentary Valet”!
With already-happy grins spread across our faces, we walked into the restaurant to find a large and open, yet warm and cozy vibe.
Beautifully designed, the space was once a garage for an ambulance company. The open kitchen is gorgeous and buzzing with activity, the bar is sprawling and busied with couples and small groups, and there are plenty of tables to accommodate a lively Saturday evening.
We loved our original place setting, with menu wrapped up in the napkin. We loved our mason jar with twinkling votive inside, and we (mostly I) loved our choice of flat or sparkling water, again complimentary.
I had my carafe of sparkling, Tony had his flat; we loved our waiter (I am so sorry I can’t remember his name! Eric? Derrick?).
Obviously, one must have some Rye when dining at Steel & Rye – or so I imagined.
Apparently the “Rye” in Steel and Rye has nothing to do with the libation and more to do with bread, but I went with it anyway and ordered the old fashioned (easy on the sugar). A delight! Here is a photo alongside my complimentary sparkling and bread.
The pickled veggies were fresh, crispy, and the perfect start. We then enjoyed lamb meatballs with harissa (my favorite of the evening) and an arugula salad with plenty of goat cheese.
For dinner, Tony ordered “The Burger”, bun-less, of course. I’m always skeptical of this order since we all know a growing boy will be hungry after eating a 4oz beef patty sitting atop mixed greens, but to each his own.
Tony ordered his meal sans the accompanying chips that usually come with, but out they came with the patty and salad anyway. For such a lovely restaurant with such lovely food, it seemed a little lacking to put potato chips on the plate, as opposed to a more substantial potato or veggie.
Note from TG:admittedly, it’s not like they piled my plate with Lays Potato Chips (or some other trans fat atrocity), and I could be making a false claim here by stating that they’re “home made (?),” but nevertheless chips aren’t my bag (<— LOL, pun intended) and it was a bit of a bummer I wasn’t given the “extra veggies” I asked for.
I had the salmon, which was perfectly cooked, but included slices of apples that didn’t seem to go with the rest of the dish. I just pushed them to the side.
The dish overall was very sweet – some kind of maple glaze which distracted from the salmon and made me want to stop eating before I was full. I will admit that I don’t like my food (or cocktails) sweet, so I imagine the glaze is a hit for the sweet-toothed masses that might shy away from the salmony taste of salmon.
Overall you ask? A-.
Ambiance: Awesome. Service: Stellar. Food: Fairly fantastic, with a little room for improvement.
If you are a city dweller and enjoy an occasional trek to suburbia but fear you may sacrifice the originality, quality, and ambiance of a south-end spot or a Back-Bay bistro, to Steel & Rye you must go!
We enjoyed it all very much and will definitely be back!
range of beliefs, orientations, and client populations, my goal was to approach psychological components of working with clients that are universally applicable. Naturally, I started with Ryan and Deci’s Basic Needs Theory, a component of The Self-Determination Theory of Movitation (American Psychologist, 2000).
