A trip to the city...

(Apologies in advance... pics taken with iphone. I don't claim to take the best pics ordinarily but these are particularly average!)

We took a trip into the city this morning. I like to park the car at a nearby train station, have a play nearby then catch a train. This is virtually a whole day activity and the aim, as always is to have an activity that's interesting and entertaining for the kids (and exhausting so they sleep well). After doing this trip a few times lately I have come to the realisation that I am the one who ends up most exhausted... but it is fun!

 

THIS was the very interesting virtual supermarket that we came across as we alighted the train at Town Hall Station. Soon we'll all be doing this - scanning the item that we need at home on our phones, sending in the order and having it delivered! As a parent I like to avoid grocery shopping- especially with the kids- so this will make a difference to my weekly shopping. 

My mum used to avoid taking me and my two brothers to the supermarket- knowing she'd come home with more that she'd intended but by the time we were adolescents we used to play games- sneaking cans of Spam into her trolley. My favourite was trying to get the groceries in alphabetical order on the docket. Think about it- this requires skill! It's very much about product knowledge. Shampoo might be scanned as Pantene or Shampoo or some other random word. 

Sadly virtual shoppng would take away the opportunity for mother-child bonding time in the trolley and at the checkout but my goodness- what innovation!

We noticed this strange sight as we wandered down Pitt Street. 

 

 

And these rainbows.... Mardi Gras is just around the corner. 

 

 And this was lunch! The new Westfield off Pitt Street has a fabulous food court. When I hear the word food court I think of sticky tables, smelly toilets, crammed furniture and greasy days-old chinese.

I love going to this food court. I can say to B that he can have whatever he would like. We can choose from Indian, Vietnamese rice paper rolls, noodles, dumplings (sooo good), fish n chips, burgers, sausages, stuffed potatoes, Iku (vegetarian), pies, cakes, pastries, sandwiches, pizza, foccacias- the list goes on and on. 

B likes to order a mini avocado sushi roll set (which he kindly shares with his sister). When she has an opinion about what she'd like o choose there'll be plenty to choose from! I have eaten the vegetarian dumplings twice and they are perfect- fresh and clean and, better still, you can watch the team as they make them to order!

Today I also tried the vegetarian rice paper rolls but I was disappointed. I knew I shouldn't have been talked in to grabbing the convenient not-as-fresh take away pack. Next time I'll ask for them to make them fresh. Last week I had noodles from the Thairiffic mob and they were good- a very decent sized serving.

 

We may have been known to finish lunch with an ice-cream. Bacio chocolate for B (P wasn't interested) and lychee & coconut gelato for me please!