Out on a limb with Tree-Top Baking: Fish...and more food...two posts for the price of one

If we had only a few more days in Sydney there's a good chance we would have been able to get jobs as information booth agents for CityRail -- we really got good use of our week's pass. Unfortunately, the tram and monorail are owned and operated by private companies and using them required additional fares. But without a car, public transportation was our best option to get to some places...like the Sydney Fish Market. We got to the market too late for the early morning (5 am) daily fish auction, and too early for the noon lunch rush crowds. That meant we got there at the right time for good picture taking....just as merchants of the two dozen stores/stalls were completing their displays. And we had a late fish breakfast: Gerry devoured four gigantic head-on shrimp and four freshly-shucked oysters and Larry had pan-fried barramundi.

If it sounds like everything we're doing is food-related, I guess to a certain extent, that's the case. Much as we love the island, it's hard not to go crazy when you're given the opportunity to see and try new foods -- sweet and savory.

To that end, we met up with Jordan Miller of Sonoma Baking, a big organic sourdough wholesale bakery. The company provides a wide variety of breads to stores and restaurants all over New South Whales and down to Victoria. I marvel at the Spelt Fruit Bread --- and hope to borrow their inspiration for a loaf to offer this Summer. (It's an all-spelt sourdough loaf filled with dates, raisins, apricots with a touch of spices.)

Later, a ride to the top of Sydney Tower for a 360-degree view of the city and some great shots. (The Tower is in --- or perhaps it's better said --- built above a Westfield Shopping Center....one of many, many operated by the Australian-owned developer.)

After a walk to nearby Hyde Park for coffee, we watch a street performer entertain kids with big soap bubbles. At night we returned to a bustling Chinatown, where we realized just how many types of Asian food we'd forgotten we loved. Yum. Back to the hotel to wash and iron clothes to pack for an early morning train trip to Canberra and friend Peter Groeneveld and family.