From this week’s IG Edition, you might be fooled into thinking we’ve been quite sociable. Dinner (and a restaurant recommendation) in Glebe with a friend, a birthday party out at Breakfast Point, an event at the Grounds of Alexandria with L’Oreal and a party on Cockatoo Island for the launch of a cool new hotel popup there.
But we’ve still managed to watch the best part of the new series of The Crown on Netflix and improve our ass grooves on the sofa!
We hope you enjoy this week’s IG Edition as much as we enjoyed creating it.
Cheers
Jim & Christina xx
This evening we’re meeting up with our friend Kris Ashpole, who is the photographer responsible for our profile shots on our homepage and About page. We’re meeting in Timbah, which I think we’ve mentioned before, in Glebe.
This funky wine bar has a great system for wine by the glass. They open 6 bottles at the start of the evening – 3 red, 2 white and a rosé. If you get the pour of the end of a bottle, you get to choose what gets opened next. They call it a ‘wine democracy’!
It’s a great system as it means you get the chance to try something different.
The owners of Timbah have an incredible cellar and are super generous with the wine they include in the democracy. This is a glass of Pinot Noir from 2006! Absolutely delicious – and only around $8 a glass.
And even though we have dinner reservations, we can’t help but order a snack or two while we’re here. The herby fries, and flatbread and dip are just enough to tide us over, though greedy as I am, I would’ve ordered more!
Thankfully I managed to keep my composure in Timbah and am now ready to enjoy lots of food here at dinner. We’ve come to Tinello at Kris’ recommendation.
This Italian restaurant in Glebe has made its home in the historic Valhalla Cinema building, and fits the bill well, if you excuse the pun. There’s an old-world quality to Tinello; stylishly simple decor and friendly, patient staff.
As for the food, this roasted portabello mushroom, pumpkin puree and stracciatella cheese entree is incredible.
As is my papadelle boscaiola. Perfectly cooked fresh handmade pasta and a rich meaty ragout – I’m in heaven… or perhaps Valhalla.
This afternoon, we’ve taken a trip out to Breakfast Point – a little spot further west through Sydney Harbour and down the beginning of the Paramatta River, Breakfast Point and Mortlake are right on the water. Our lovely friends Jane and Shannon, who we haven’t seen for ages, are throwing a 1st birthday party for their beautiful little daughter.
The oval and community hall at Breakfast Point has a real European/colonial feel to it – especially on a bright day like today.
We’ve timed our arrival perfectly – look what’s just come out!
It’s great to see Jane and Shannon, and to celebrate with their little girl, but cake is the icing on the… well, the cake.
Today, Christina is at the Grounds of Alexandria – an absolute institution here in Sydney. She’s here to get involved with the #BeautyForAll event by L’Oreal. She’s super excited to see all the new products coming out now, plus this venue is always a winner.
The flowers at the Grounds of Alexandria are stunning. A beautiful array of colours and textures – I’m just surprised to see Christina back home and neither the front room full nor the bank account empty!
This evening, we’re out on Cockatoo Island. It’s Sydney Harbour’s biggest island and has a lot of significance in Sydney’s modern history.
It was used as a penal colony, a correctional facility, a shipwrights and even a girls’ school at one point. Now, the island’s industrial elements are quiet, decaying elegantly. Home to spectacles like the Biennale, Cockatoo Island’s rusty grandeur makes for a fascinating backdrop.
And tonight we’re here to welcome the start of a clever combination of industry and luxury.
Contained – brainchild of Anatoly Mezhov and Irene Polo – is a hotel room concept executed with the clever use of shipping containers and innovative space manipulation.
Conveniently nearby the Contained hotel units is the Urban Winery, serving delicious rosés, Young Henrys beer and Archie Rose spirits. And if you look to the right, you’ll see cheeky Anatoly Mezhov photobombing our shot!
We love seeing places like Cockatoo Island activated like this. It’s a really smart use of the space – and the shipping container hotel rooms are genius.
It’s a beautiful breezy evening here on Cockatoo Island – the perfect spot for a drink and a snack with the one you love. We’ve definitely made a mental note to come back here while the bar’s still open for the rest of the summer.
Christina’s up early this morning – early enough to capture this beautiful sunrise.
This is my favourite way of seeing the sun come up: from bed on someone else’s phone!
As the sky turns from pale yellow to red, Christina spots some early morning rowers. She used to row back in the day, so she knows what these guys are going through.
Rowing – more than a leisurely paddle down a river to a picnic spot – has never been my thing. But I’ve got a feeling that the romance of sunrise from the seat of your canoe is a little eclipsed by the early start, the chill of pre-dawn and the pins and needles in your bum!
We hope you’ve enjoyed this IG Edition and we’ll speak to you again very soon!
Jim & Christina xx