It’s been a pretty darn fine week here at romance HQ. I’m still enjoying the fall-out from my birthday last week, Mrs R has set up a social media master class for next month and we’ve both had time to reflect on a few of the awesome places we’ve been recently. read on for our reviews of the Hydro Majestic in the blue Mountains, the Fraser coast and Archie rose Distillery.
Hope your week’s been good. delight in this week’s edition of our Instagram Diary.
This is the most popular cake from the exceptional Black star Pastry, a bakery that started out in Newtown in Sydney but is also now in Rosebury, in south Sydney.
While we’re having a pastry class from the remarkable Christopher Thé, owner of Black Star, we get to try this remarkable cake. It’s layer upon layer of soft almond dacquoise, whipped cream, watermelon, strawberry and rose petal jelly. It’s become Black Star’s signature cake and they sell upwards of 2,000 of these a day!
Just before we leave the blue Mountains with our beautiful friends Carly from Smaggle and her partner Ben, we sit down to a tasty yet healthy brekkie in our digs in Blackheath – Parklands Retreat. We love this hotel, so view this space for our review in the coming weeks.
Full disclosure, I did follow up with a plate of bacon shortly after this!
Mrs romance is out and about Sydney today. She’s managed to capture the moment when the grey skies over the city have changed for the better. It’s rare to see the Opera house so quiet – Mrs R has timed her shot perfectly.
Our visit to the Hydro Majestic on our trip out the blue Mountains at the weekend was unbelievable. just off the main drag, this renowned hotel has recently been renovated and brought back to its former glory.
This place is just packed full of history going back to the late 1800s, and now the new owners are dishing up a delicious high tea with the best views over the mountains you can hope for.
Check out our review of high tea at the Hydro Majestic – in fact my first ever high tea!
Mrs romance is thrilled about her newest social media seminar she’ll be running next month. It’s aimed at hair beauty salons and stylists but if you’re keen to improve your social media management, target the best people online to improve your reach and make your time spent online much more effective, you’re welcome to come along.
Click here for much more details and to book tickets for Mrs Romance’s social media seminar on Sunday 7th June.
Today, Mrs romance is looking back on the time we’ve spent on the Fraser Coast, Queensland over the years. I came here for the first time in 2000, but we’ve been back here a number of times because then. On her last visit, Mrs romance snapped this amazing shot of a rainbow on Kingfisher Bay beach on Fraser Island. Amazing, isn’t it?
Check out Mrs R’s outstanding guidance on what you can do on the Fraser coast here.
This is our absolute preferred photo from our last time on Fraser Island a year ago. Lake McKenzie is one of the highlights of Fraser Island, but as I said, there’s much more to this area of Australian coastline than just Fraser Island.
Our top 7 reasons to visit the Fraser Coast.
Tonight is a big night for Sydney. It’s the start of vibrant Sydney ’15. For the next 2 weeks, the city will be alive with colour and lights as artists from all over the world come to illuminate the Harbour City.
This shot is from last year’s vibrant festival, but view this space for some Instagram shots of this year’s fun. We’re heading there tonight for a bit of a close-up.
I’m still shocked to know that Sydney as a city has been without her own distillery for over 160 years! because March this year though, Archie rose Distillery in Rosebury is well set to make up for lost time.
Currently producing gin, vodka and a great white rye, they’re also in the process of ageing their own bourbon and whiskey.
And you know what’s even better than that? just across the corridor from the distillery is an exquisitely styled speakeasy where you can sample some of the goods coming from those copper column and pot stills you can see from your seat.
For much more information and some beautifully shot photos by Mrs R, check out our feature on Archie rose Distillery here.
Mrs romance is out and about on one of her rambles again today. The walk around the harbour from Mrs Macquarie’s Chair towards the Opera house is sublime – especially on a day like today. check out that ideal patch of golden light falling directly on that little section of the city. Beautiful.
I’ve got a confession to make. I don’t really like hotcakes. Or pikelets. Or pancakes. Crepes I can handle.
But this mega ricotta hotcake from Harry’s in Bondi is something else. covered in organic maple syrup, blueberries and strawberries, then decorated with a ideal quenelle of thickened cream, toasted almond slivers and micro herbs, this bad young boy proves that the exception proves the rule!
Our parting message this week comes from my alter-ego, angry Bastard. Today, AB has pulled this little charm from the archives. strolling through one of San Francisco’s parks last December, we discovered a large tree that’d been fenced off with this sign attached.
We waited around a while, but no meteor seed pod fell from the branches – though if this is to scale, I’m kind of pleased. Not only would the pod itself be a little imposing, imagine the size of the squirrel that would come after it!
How was your weekend? Did you eat or drink anything superb you ought to be telling us about? Did you go anywhere or do anything you’d like to share? Were you attached by a Gozilla sized squirrel in search of a conker that’s bigger than your head? tell us in the comments!
Images by Mr and Mrs romance through Instagram: @MrAndMrsRomance, @HairRomance, @Christina.Butcher – Mrs R’s Insta account and @AngryBastard of course!