Brisket burgers, bone yards and sazerac cocktails

And here it is: the end of the first month of January. That’s gone way too fast. And I haven’t even been that drunk for much of it! Well, it is finally the year that Marty McFly goes into the future in Back to the Future II. So perhaps that’s what’s happening. Yup. That’s made me feel better. I’ve become an oblivious time-traveller.

Well, RIP January, ’15. Here’s your obituary through the medium of our Insta feed.

The week’s started off nicely with Mrs Romance catching up with Steph from LipstickAndCake.com and Heather from Hello Darling. I’m at my other job (+ not invited) but they seem to be surviving without me. The coffee at Devon on Danks – an Alexandria offshoot of the original Devon Cafe on Devonshire St, Surry Hills.

Mrs R’s lunch looks fit for… well, not me. I’m busy slobbering over a Vegemite and peanut butter sandwich while she gorges herself on this beautiful-looking eggy, avo, cheesy wonderment. That’s okay though. I don’t mind. No really. That’s fine.

And here’s the salt shaker poised over my open wound: cakes. Devon on Danks’ cakes are – according to Mrs R, Steph and Heather – delicious. I suppose I’ll just have to take your word for it, ladies. My sandwich was great though, thanks for asking. 😉

Today, we’re looking back on our time in Las Vegas. Instead of traipsing on and on through endless casinos and hotels, we decided to scoot the Strip and check out the Neon Museum and Boneyard.

They’ve got stacks of old neon signage from as far back as the ’40s. It’s a fascinating tribute to the vestiges of what Vegas represented and what it’s become now. If you ever get the chance, visit this place. Really interesting. 

In the meantime, here’s our write-up: The Vegas Neon Museum and Boneyard.

It’s that time in the afternoon (at last). The bar is now open! Mrs Romance has decided to go for her usual gin martini – extra super dry – with as many Sicilian olives as I can fit in the glass.

For me, I’ve discovered the virtues of the Sazerac!

What is this drink I speak of? Well, it’s a rye whisky cocktail where you ‘rinse’ your glass in absinthe, then mix rye, bitters (I like a mix of orange bitters and Angostura) and simple sugar syrup. It’s potent, but very tasty.

Tonight’s sunset is one of the prettiest we’ve seen since we’ve been back in Australia. It’s really localised though – really only this bit of sky has any colour in it. And it’s super fast too. Shortly after this photo, the sky went very dull and dusky, then night fell very quickly.

Mrs R is up and about early again today. This is her view over the Andrew ‘Boy’ Charlton Pool looking out at Garden Island and the giant Navy ships docking there for repairs and maintenance.

A bit further round the corner, just up from the famous Mrs Macquarie’s Chair, and a fantastic view of the two icons of Sydney. And talk about the perfect natural framing – love your work, Mrs Romance!

When people ask us about our latest trip to the States, we think back on our last night there and sigh. The Bacara Resort in Santa Barbara is just such an amazing place to stay – especially just before a 14-hour flight! The beach there is perfect for one of those great sunset-into-the-water shots – modelled exquisitely here by Mrs Romance!

Our write-up of the Bacara Resort, California, is right here. If you’re in the area, check it out. It’s a great place to stay.

And while we’re at it, we’re reminiscing over our amazing helicopter tour of the Grand Canyon on site today. This was one of those once-in-a-lifetime experiences I never thought I’d ever get the chance to do. And even better than that, we got to fly into and land at the bottom of the canyon. Incredible.

Our review of the heli-tour of the Grand Canyon is right here. We’ve made a video of the flight that’s in the post too, so if you haven’t seen that yet, be sure to check it out.

We’ve ventured forth into uncharted territory today: we’re in the mystical lands of Willoughby, north of the Harbour. It’s a part of Sydney we’ve never been to before, but we’re very glad we came. The suburb has a lovely feel to it – especially because it’s so close to the city. Only a 20-minute bus ride from Oxford Street on the M40! We’re really surprised.

We’re in this part of Sydney not just to feed our adventurous nature, but also to feed our hungry faces. We’re meeting our lovely friends Paul and Sharon and their little lad for a much-needed catch-up. It’s great to see them – and even better when the food comes out!

The culinary highlight of the day has to be this: the slow-cooked brisket burger. Although it only comes with crisps not chips, it’s the right size for a civilised lunch – as you’d expect in Willoughby, darling.

Some people refer to Sunday as the day of rest. Perhaps that’s only for deities – which we’re clearly not. This is our work desk today, hotspotting away in our local cafe. We’re hoping for just a half day today… but who knows. A blogger’s life is never done!

What do you get up to most Sundays? What do you think of our Grand Canyon vid? Is that heli-tour now on your bucket list too? Where do you go for the best view of your hometown? Tell us in the comments!

Images by Mr and Mrs Romance via Instagram: @MrAndMrsRomance, @HairRomance, @Christina.Butcher – Mrs R’s new Insta account and @AngryBastard of course!