Infusing Myself with Coffee and Thai

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While waiting for an appointment this morning, I decided to have a coffee at Infusion Cafe & Thai on Plaza Parade.   As soon as I entered the place I had a feeling that I would be able to sit and relax and get some words down for my very neglected blog posts. Maybe because this is a lower foot traffic area or maybe it is the airy dining area but the atmosphere here has a very relaxed feel. The welcome was warm and friendly and I had barely sat down before my coffee was being served at my table in the courtyard. 

I was planning a cheeky Facebook post of some photos that I had taken of bees and flowers and I settled in to do some writing.  The coffee lived up to it’s aroma and life was good. I relaxed…..  A good feeling

Ettore, the owner, appeared and served up a caraf of water just in case I was dry and we chatted amiably for a while about the cafe. It appears that it was due to open just two days before the Covid restrictions came in and the guys doing the fit out were unable to come up from NSW. Not being set up to do take-a-way, they were on hold for several weeks.  Taking the positive, Ettore said that it had given them some time to sort out some loose ends.

After a while, Nuttida, co owner and wife to Ettore, came out with a plate containing two little leaves called bettel leaf which where covered with nuts and sauce, and asked me to try.  They are to become a part of the menu and I have to say they were extremely tasty. The sauce was quite sweet which was offset by the slight bitterness of the leaf and Nuttida said that they were planning to add this dish to the menu.  

I am so looking forward to Asian cuisine when this Covid bug finally goes back to where it came from.

With Ettore calling Italy home and Nattida from Thailand, this is truely an international restaurant

It was interesting having a chat to Nattida about her origins in Thailand and the reasons why, here in Australia, she goes by the name Jenny or Jane.  She told me she came to Australia to learn to speak better English and has stayed.

All in all the restaurant  hasn’t been here for long however, if you are wanting a nice relaxing coffee or meal, Infusion Cafe and Thai is not going to disappoint.  You can find it in the Plaza Markets on Plaza Parade.  Good service and good people

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The spacious dining area is under cover but still protected from the elements

Taking Time Out

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After spending the last four years as a Trainer/Assessor, my voice has finally gone from a sexy growl to a downright rasp. Time then to take stock at what is important in the work/life balance and so have decided to tip the scales more in favour of the life scale. To that end, I have taken a few months off to rejuvenate and headed south to a little village on the NSW South Coast. I am house sitting for a relative who is away for a bit so it has worked out nicely.

Now I would tell you the name of the village but no one here is keen to see the crowds that exposure would bring. Suffice to say, it is a sleepy little village that somehow managed to survive the fires that ravaged this part of the coast earlier this summer. Surrounded by burned out National Parks, this village is nestled in a small oasis of bush where the native fauna and flora can recuperate peacefully as they rebuild their numbers. The fire ground is starting to show signs of life although there are many places where there seems to be little green showing through.

Waking early when there is little that needs urgent attention seems so much easier and, to make the most of the day, the lake calls for a spot of fishing. The choice here is to fish the shore, paddle the kayak about or perhaps take a surf caster to the ocean to try for a tailor or two.

The easy option is always fishing the lake shore where this morning it yielded two nice flathead; not big, but big enough for the pan.

Now it doesn’t come much fresher than hooked at 0730, on the barbecue at 0830, and eaten before 0900.

And so it would seem that the work balance is fading fast as an appealing option for this traveller. Maybe it is time to get serious about seeing what there is in this world. Please leave me a “Like” as that is what it takes to get a blog like this off the ground. Would love to hear comments you may have about your travel experiences.

Breakfast on”The Deck”

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Breakfast on “The Deck” at Turtle Beach Resort , Mermaid Beach on The Gold Coast. This has been my home for the last four months as I have been assisting with preparations for the Commonwealth Games. The plan had been to do a lot of photography and not so much work…As they say, the best laid plans of mice and men.. I ended up with a lot of work and not so much photography. But Hey, it has been a great experience