Open Market & Curry

We started our day out by going to the Wednesday Market. It's like your typical open market except much nicer. Well kept, clean people and wonderful live music.

We wandered around and found lots of fresh herbs, mainly basil that my mom has been waiting for.

We each had a delicious quiche.

fresh pate! (thought of you Grammy)

My mom wanted me to try this "mushroom boat" that she told me about. It's garlic & rosemary sauteed mushrooms around an avocado with green onions, fresh salsa, sour cream and a marigold on top!

I didn't believe my mom when she said she flower was edible, so I made her prove it to me!

We finished up at the market, walked home to drop off our goods and came back.

We shopped some more around Queen Street and then enjoyed a drink while people watching.

We walked back to the house, sat in our favorite spot and enjoyed some wine and chatted for hours. It was delightful! Makes me wish she lived closer.

Once my dad got home, we got in the car and headed out to pick up Indian food. This was quite an adventure for me.

Here's a video I got of the guy making naan!

I did NOT think I was going to enjoy the food at all, but it was another experience. I was going to capture this on camera because I will probably never be eating it again! I cleaned my plate of the "better than expected" and VERY spicy food!

It was much better than I thought, almost to the point of admitting to liking it, but then I was up all night with a very bad stomach ache. So, I'm not a fan, but I can say I tried!

Here's a picture from the day before. My dad had emergency laser surgery to repair his torn retina...so he had to keep his shades on even though the house was dark. He was a trooper, but also learned diving only made his eye worse! If he wasn't such a party animal on that boogie board, none of this would have happened. All is better now...he just has to take it easy for a few weeks. Isn't this pitiful?!

XXXX Brewery

We decided to have a girls trip to the XXXX Brewery. We met up with MC at Central Station in downtown Brisbane.

After figuring out which train to take, we loaded up and were on our way.

Apparently, we were supposed to wear closed toed shoes, but none of us did, so we had to change into their shoes. Nasty. Looked similar to bowling shoes, but had your shoe size written really big on the top and back! Also, I was not allowed to take photos during the tour, so there aren't any pictures of the tour itself, but it was a really neat factory and very clean. The guy explained to us that their retention is really high possibly because the workers get to drink for free for FIVE hours a day...and they can each invite two friends...EVERYDAY!

After the tour, we were treated to lots of tasting!

"Shannon," our tour guide and bar tender offered to teach me how to pour the perfect beer from tap. It was not how I thought you did it...there is some foaming, some flicking off of the foam, and some extra on top...

Success.

Of course after he let me, the ladies also wanted a try!

She was surprised by her pour!

The tap was icy on the ends...the "perfect" temperature for the beer on tap was -1* C

Then mom tried.

She was the best bar tender of us three...

We enjoyed snacks of herbed bread and fish & chips.

Our tour and drink pass...

We were the last to leave the brewery (go figure) and then headed on our way back to the train station.

I was yelling at them to hurry....

And there goes our train. Another 27 minutes until the next one.

So, they call the husbands, ask for forgiveness...

And we finally caught the train.

We headed back to central station and then went our separate ways. Mom and I walked back, and MC caught a CityCat (ferry) back to her house. Fabulous day.