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

Social Distancing

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The South Coast of NSW is idyllic in that it is not so far from the big centres of Sydney or Canberra yet seems a whole world away from the hustle and bustle of twenty-first-century living. More than that, there is a plethora of tiny bays and hideaways all along the coast between the small town centres that provide the necessities of everyday life. It is in one of these places that I have come to relax and recuperate.

As the sun sets on another South Coast day over Durras Lake, I find myself reflecting on the places life has taken me, it is quite possible that this may be the best of them

In this crazy world we are living in, with pandemic conditions calling everything we have known into question, I have found myself living in this perfect place for self isolation. Someone suggested that this is really an excuse for me to indulge in a reclusive lifestyle and there may well be some truth in what she said.

As I write this, I am lying back in a hammock, over looking the garden, and watching the parade of parrots, pigeons, and other birds that come to feed from the seed feeder hanging from the rafters.

One of the regulars in the garden is the Brown Cuckoo Dove. Doesn’t stay long but will visit the feeder for a quick snack

The news that keeps popping up on the banner headlines is almost exclusively about the Corvid-19 virus and what we may or may not expect over the next few weeks. As the reality of it all begins to sink in, I find myself thankful for this place and it’s quiet solitude.

One thing that is a positive is the time it gives to catch up on all those things that procrastination has allowed me to put off…. writing this instalment for example.. with just the birds for company, I can sit back in the hammock and write away to my heart’s content

I can walk on the beach, bush walk or simply stay at home mowing the lawns or doing some online courses that hopefully may pave a new pathway forward for me. Contrast this with the lives that so many others have to lead, particularly those in the health care field, putting themselves in harms way on a daily basis, and one gets a truly different perspective of what life is about.

If I should find myself in a country wide lock down I can think of few place that would be better to be than where I am right now. Keep safe people and take this thing seriously. It may not be you who feels the effects…. but it may be someone close

Playing With Affinity Photo

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Since I got my Apple iPad I have been looking at alternatives to the staple diet of Lightroom and Photoshop to process my images. Affinity Photo has come up with a strong contender that appears to be a crossbreed on both of those applications.

Sometimes, playing about when you don’t know what you are doing can achieve some pleasing or unusual results. Tonight I was demonstrating some of the features to a friend and colleague when a slip of the pen produced this. Maybe not everyone’s cup of tea but I don’t mind it.

Originally, a brightly lit shot of a stage at Broadbeach that had been erected for entertaining the sparse crowds there during the Commonwealth Games.

Life Is A Beach…. Best Served In The Morning

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Known the world over for it’s racy nightlife and amazing beaches, Surfers Paradise has become something of an icon of what is Australia. It is also a place where lessons can be learned. Town planning has allowed massively high towers to be build right along the foreshore. Beautiful they may be, yet they destroy the ambience in the afternoon as their massive bulk casts long shadows across the beach.