This weekend has been great. It’s been very varied, which is always the best way to make a weekend feel long.
On Friday after work we took a chance on a local French restaurant. It’s a place that I’ve reluctantly wanted to try, that reluctance being based on a couple of things. One is that the restaurant looks a pretty naff inside (berets hanging on the wall, for instance). The other is that it changed its name from La Petite Savoyard to CJ’s Restaurant. Maybe I’m being superficial, but that doesn’t imply going up-market.
But there are lots of accolades printed on the window, and it’s often busy, so we gave it a go. And it was excellent. Deliciously smoked salmon with basil and soy sauce to start, followed by perfectly cooked lamb in pepper brandy sauce and perch in tomato sauce. It’s not much to look at, but CJ’s makes great French food. They’re famous for their fondue, apparently. Perhaps I’ll try that next time.
After dinner we caught Iron Man 2. It does what it says on the tin (har har), so don’t expect anything else. Some whiz-bang action, lots of charisma from Robert Downey Jr, and comic-book scenarios. Stay until the end of the credits to see which Avenger will be the next to show up.
On Saturday I went running (my last big run before next weekend’s half marathon), caught up on chores around the house, and then went out to dinner with the upstairs neighbours, some friends of theirs, and the next door neighbours. It was a hilarious night: all the people involved were a laugh a minute, and everyone took their turns telling stories. We all clicked. It was hugely entertaining. And once again the food was a win: Indian restaurant Raavi’s Cumin in Crows Nest may now be at the top of my list of curry spots in Sydney.
Sunday I awoke early and decided to watch a DVD we had on hand: Drag Me To Hell. It was awesome. You have to be a fan of Sam Raimi’s laugh-gore to enjoy it; this was much more Evil Dead trilogy than Spider Man trilogy. But I am a fan, and so I enjoyed every ludicrous “eww” moment. Raimi makes likeable characters but he isn’t afraid to immerse them in no-holds-barred situations. People grossed out by gooey things getting in your mouth, beware this film. Those scared by demonic portrayals, beware. Cat lovers, beware.
The rest of the day found us wanting to take advantage of the sunshine. We drove south to the Royal National Park, bought an annual NSW park pass, and spent a couple of hours doing the Curra Moors Loop Track hike. The walk isn’t particularly scenic – barring the one point where it touches the coast, which is quite dramatic – but it was warm and pleasant and we saw a really cute wallaby.
We’re finishing the weekend off by watching Doctor Who, grilling some sausages, and seeing off a bottle of sauvignon blanc.
Beat that.
