August 11 - Busy But Fun!

  My weekend started early with a pancake breakfast at Mr Smart's sister's house.  There were eight adults there as well as Mr Smart's nephew and it was a very jolly affair.  My first pancake had plan yoghurt and strawberries and my second, marinated feta and strawberries!  Don't knock it 'til you've tried it!  After breakfast Mr Smart's cousin read out some trivia questions from the paper and we all chimed in with the answers.  Some right, some very very wrong., but it was a big laugh.

  Around lunch time, with Mr Smart's cousins in tow, we headed into the city.  We dropped them at the train station to enable them to go to their next engagement and proceeded to Federation Square.  We meandered a little around the book market in the Atrium then went up the stairs to Cafe Chinotto for lunch.  Mr Smart and I must have been thinking alike today as we both went for the lamb wrap.

  The lamb wrap contained lamb, eggplant, zucchini, onion, spinach, capsicum, pumpkin, yoghurt and feta cheese and came with a lightly dressed side salad.  The lamb was done impressively well, a hint of pink and tender as all get out.  With my lunch I also ordered as iced-coffee, not thinking, so of course it arrived with a mountainous scoop of ice-cream.  I drank the coffee below the sugary ball but I only consumed two small mouthfuls of icecream.
  Iced coffee is one of those perils of eating out.  The nicest ones I've had actually contain no cream or ice-cream and most places will ask you if you want them as an option.  This one didn't and I forgot to say.  Hopefully I'll remember next time, but I think I dealt well with the temptation on this occasion.
  After lunch Mr Smart and I began our first hunt for Mali the elephant!  Our hunt took us first to the open space of Federation Square, we found three Mali's there then proceeded down St Kilda Road towards the National Gallery of Victoria.  We were thinking of visiting the Napoleon exhibition but it turned out to be all booked out today.  Turns out bookings may well be essential!  With that off the cards, Mr Smart brought out his iPhone and we continued down to the Royal Botanic Gardens for more Mali!  We found one on the way and entered the Gardens via the Lych Gate and had found three more by the time we left Gate A and crossed the Yarra.
  As we crossed the Yarra we saw a whole flock of screaming squawking yellow-tailed black cockatoos!  It was an amazing sight.  We continue back towards Fed Square along the banks of the Yarra and up Birrarung Marr where we found our final three Mali's of the day.  By this time we had been walking steadily for about and hour and three quarters so that was enough exercise for the day for both of us!  To see all the Mali's we found today, click here.

Jess and Elephas Maximus in the Royal Botanic Gardens

  All Mali-ed out for the day, we headed back to my house to relax a while but it wasn't long before our tummies were rumbling and we decided to go out to Asakusa, my favourite Japanese restaurant.  I started with some Japanese tea while we perused the menu.  It always takes Mr Smart and I forever to choose, especially as we like to share.  We opted in the end for Crispy Salmon Skin Roll (3 pieces each), Hotate Furai (fried scallops, 2 pieces each), Yakiniku (lean beef) and Kaisan Teppenyaki (sizzling seafood) which was served with delicious tart Ponzu sauce (soy with lime juice).  We ate our fill and were thoroughly satisfied!

  Needless to say, after such a wonderful day, blog writing was not high on the agenda but here it is now with my apologies.  Today (Sunday) I am taking my nephew into the city to find more elephants!  He's chomping at the bit to go so I must finish up now and prepare for the off!
  Happy Hunting!
  Jess