Back in Sydney
11 May 2019 | Turramuarra, Sydney
Helen

Today was Mark's special day as he celebrated his 63rd birthday. We had set the alarm for 7 am. Got up and got dressed and packed up. Mark took all our bags and packed them in the car. Then we headed out to the dining area and had breakfast. We each had eggs, bacon, roasted tomato and Mark had toast. I had apple juice and Mark had orange juice. Once done, we checked out and hit the road. I am glad I had a sweater on as it was cool this morning. The sun warmed up our day, thankfully. We were in touch with Ross & Beth, our NZ cruiser friends to meet up for lunch. They selected Settlers Tavern for lunch. We had a 4 ½ hour drive to Gosford. Lots of fellow travelers on the hiway today. Traffic was backed up once we were close to our destination. We met them at the cafe just before 1 pm. Had a lovely visit while we waited for our food to arrive. Lunch was very good. The guys enjoyed their lemon meringue tarts and ice cream for dessert. Our time together was over way too fast. We headed south from there to Sydney. The traffic was steady with several slow downs due to construction areas. We had arranged to meet Stephy's parents in order to pick up the keys to her home. Jeff met us at Stephy's building and we unloaded the car and used the elevator to take us up to her floor. Jeff brought us a thermos of coffee plus some treats. Thanks so much Jeff! After he left, we settled in. We watched some tv and were happy to be off the hiway. Mark researched the restaurants around here to find some place for us to celebrate his birthday. Lots of eateries within walking distance. It was only 16 C this morning. The high today reached 23C by mid afternoon. By the time we did our walk, we both needed a jacket. We headed to the basement and located our jackets. The walk was pleasant. We stopped at one restaurant but did not find anything on their menu that we liked. Mark had spotted a restaurant called Tapas Tapas, so that is where we headed. We sat at the counter as their tables were reserved. We did have the choice to sit at a table outdoors. However, I wanted to be in a warmer spot. We enjoyed a beverage and shared several of their small dishes, including a Portuguese Tart for dessert. It was a cold walk back. Thanks for all the birthday wishes for Mark. Enjoy the weekend!