Maroubra Beach - clean small surf on a beautiful winter Sunday

Maroubra Beach is the last city beach located in Sydney south side.  It feels very country like so chilled out.  I *love* this atmosphere.

Beautiful Japan---Wagashi

Japan has a distinctive four seasons.   This is what I miss ( though physically I dislike the winter coldness ), I mean the sense sharing with the nature , which a Japanese has been having in their genes.

I could be an influence of Zen.  But I think we are based on our belief ( not a religion, I believe ) called Shintoism and it awakes our consciousness being touched with the mother nature.

Yummy nibblies

Looking for the best bakery!  There are several home made kind of  bake shops near-by, I like them
because they are not franchised.  For me the definition of the very good bakery is if they can bake
the good quality croissant or not.  Of course I buy sourdough ( not so sour) breads, spelt or kamut breads and other types of non sweet breads.

Organic Artisan Bakery does their job!
I bought a plain croissant and a rye sourdough.  I am not into strong flavour sourdough but their bread has nice texture and taste.  After coming back to my flat I made chopped avocados with olive oil on the top of the slice.
Croissant ?  yes  that is a real one.

The muffin is from another cafe near by

Will this be a magic carpet?

YEAH~~~~~, I am so excited!
My new surfboard is ready for a virgin voyage.
Haydenshapes surfboards Hypto Krypto--5'3" , 19 1/2",  2 3/16"

  Thank you BLM.

Refreshed wet day

After a long period of sunny days, the shower finally came around.
Surf is small and ordinary so I went outside to say hello to the trees.
Fresh and chilly wind stroke my cheeks.

Trees look happy and relaxed as if they are stretching their long arms in the air.

What am I going to do when there is no surf

The answer is COOKING !
I felt like having a snacky dessert sort of food,  so I made a home made ricotta cheese cinnamon cream.
In Japan I heard that ricotta cheese is very expensive but in Australia it is not inexpensive to buy.
It would cost more for a home made.

The good thing about home made is to be able to select good ingredients.
I am not sure if the organic milk gave a good flavour but it was so tasty and yummy,  and what's more
it tasted so fresh.

This cream has been my favourite!!

This is not Japanese mochi (rice cake )

Mid winter in Katoomba

A cold wind blowing from the valley hit my cheeks and head as I walking to Katoomba.
Katoomba ( Kedumba) is an aboriginal word means " water tumbling over hill ".  We see several similarity in the culture  to Ainu, which is the indigenous in Hokkaido,Japan and as was common at the indigenous habitant, they introduced  the indigenous naming into each places.

I see lots of  the original style of houses ( English colonial era ), and it suits to the area because
it made of woods and most of the houses are one storey so every houses stand  kind of hidden in their gardens.

I spotted very unusual plant.  It was like a combination of Australian native bottle brush and fern.
First I thought that they were tangled together but it wasn't.  Amazingly they flower in a middle of the winter.

could be the oldest house exist in the town??

Mid winter in Leura

A beautiful blue sky sunny day.  I checked the surf condition online but it didn't look good at all.

Umhhh, ok, let's go to Blue Mountains!!  The decision was made without hesitation. So I quickly got

ready and checked a train time table and hit the road.   I wanted to take 9:09am train.  

But you know what time I left home?  It was 8:30am, ummmmh  I tired not to worry myself                            

and kept telling myself that I could make it.     Nick in time, I got on the train 3 seconds before

departure!!

Whenever I go to Blue Mountains, I have to get off  at Leura.  The reason is to have a pumpkin lentil

fetta pie at Bakehouse.  They make cheek dropping pies.  So good.. and I started stroll the village...

Winter mode 

all year Christmas shop

At a vintage shop

THE・WINTER Seasonal scenery

     After a long period of rainy days we finally had a blue sky and the sun!
Though the wave has gone smaller and the ocean temperature dropped down, it was a beautiful winter day.   Enjoy the winter... Love the warm coat, seasonal fruits and vegetables, hot water bottle, hot soups,  and how about someone to make my cold foot! ?

mandarins   every morning I pick up one mandarin after surfing for Vitamin C