Post script : Australia is now back up in the 3rd position with the USA and Russia equal first and France still at the bottom again.
Back to my blog. At this point in time I am unable to plan my weekend as I am still waiting on a response from the owner of the company to call me back on whether he still needs me to work on Saturday and Sunday at another store out at Balgowlah (I have no idea how to get there and trip planner indicates it will take me over an hour to get out there.
My plans for the weekend was to go to the Blue Mountains to Scenic World again (My seasons pass is expiring on Sunday) and to Blackheath Markets on Sunday which is only on once a month. The Autumn weather is perfect for a trip to the Blue Mountains - the sun is still out but there is a cool breeze therefore it is not too hot or cold.
I am hoping that I do not have to work over the weekend. I hope I find out today as well.
TBC......
If there are no further posts this weekend to my blog you will know why .
Just got a note when I arrived at working advising me that I do not need to work over the weekend as the manager of the store just had an allergic reaction to the flu shot as a result she collapsed at work on Thursday. Good news that it was nothing serious.
Now I can replan my weekend!
Firstly Let's talk about Eurovision. I don't usually blog about music much and it is not because I am not interested in it. I actually do have a bit of music education but as a lot of parents do, I was pushed into doing it by them as an extra curricular activity during school and I hated it.
So which countries do I think Could Win Eurovision 2018? Well some of my favourites aren't even in the finals.
Let's start with UK's catchy tune - I think the song is OK for the UK and I quite liked it but not everyone else did. Too commercial for some perhaps? Postscript : Poor SuRie good on her for carrying on after the incident.
Australia - well we have Jessica Malbuoy and she is a fantastic singer but in the short few years Australia has been included and competed in Eurovision, it has not won the top spot although come close. Maybe we have a shot this year - we do have a geographical disadvantage and if you look at the introductions on YouTube covering Eurovision it is "Welcome.......... & Australia" Postscript : lowest score and not even in the top half of countries in the finals but we did beat the UK.
I quite like Spain's duet entry and Estonia's operatic entry. Nothing beats a moving duet or something left or right of center and Opera is something that is a little bit unique for Eurovision but Estonia's entrant sure can sing! Then again nothing is off limits in the Eurovision "song" competition. Postcript : Popular but not popular enough to win!
Israel's quirky entry I am divided about and can't figure out if I like it or not. Postscript : I can't believe they won !
I also like Ireland's entry.
What's with France's entry "Merci Merci Merci" yes I get it , it is a song saying thank you and probably appeals to a lot of people but I would hate it to become misinterpreted as "Mercy Mercy Mercy"
Then there are Norway, Germany, The Netherlands etc etc - all good songs but after listening to them and watching their videos I put them in the same basket.
Just remember Eurovision is a singing competition - pretty boy or girl looks and loads of backup dancers with over the top special effects or being drowned out by musical instruments won't get you anywhere if you can't sing and believe me there were definitely countries that had entrants that could not sing - eg heavy metal - no specific country mentioned!
Well I am about to head off to the Blue Mountains. Up at 6 am on Sunday 13th May 2018 (Mothers Day) to catch the bus then 2 connecting trains. I hope I don't miss it! If I do it is another hour before the next one. I won't get there until after 10.30 am which means everything will be sold at the markets by then as they open at 8 am and close at noon. I just hope what I want to buy is available today.
Live music performances
Made it to Blackheath Markets. First stop Ninas Bees to purchase some lip balm body scrub eye cream and skin balm. Next stop fruit and vegetables before purchasing a bacon and egg roll less bacon add sausages for $9. Rating 5/10 again pretty ordinary. Then onto sometrip planner app thing sweet. Inside the hall there are plenty more stalls where it is nice and warm with plenty of samples to try sweet and savoury. Post script: I wasn't impressed with the safe handling of food at this stall. I requested the lady that served me when she put the sausages in the bun with the egg that I would like the sausages a little more well done as they looked cold and there was not much colour on one of them so she cut the 2 sausages and put them back on the bbq however she needed to go to the toliet urgently therefore left the cooking and serving to the other guy working the bbq. Although he wore gloves when handling the bacon what concerned me was he was grabbing a whole lot of bacon from an esky and dumping it on the bbq to cook. Bacon is usually raw and must be cooked well before serving. When he served me he had just used his gloved hand to dump raw bacon onto the bbq and turning it over and over again on the bbq while the bacon was still raw. He then used the same hand to put the cooked sausages and egg into my cold bread roll which meant his gloved hand then touched my bread roll. As a result I got sick on my way back to Sydney on the train but tried not to be and use the trains toliets. As soon as I reached Central Station I ran to the bathrooms. I started feeling hot and cold about half way back to Sydney on the train. Will not be buying another sausage or bacon and egg roll from them again.
This was the culprit egg & sausage roll
Mushrooms followed by my favourite gluten free potato bread from the Paddy The Baker.com Traditional Irish Breads ( famous soda breads) stall and chocolate pudding in a cute cardboard takeaway box from Esti chocolates which I sampled.
I wanted to show you what this chocolate pudding looked like but ate it when I got home before I could photograph it. I had by then recovered from my sausage and egg incident. The slice of chocolate pudding looked like an oversized brownie slice but has no flour in it and was so smooth and silky to eat. Just pure chocolate yum - a little like Adriano Zumbo's chocolate fondant slice!
Next time I am here I will have to sample the corn fritters served with a vegetable salad and sauce and the steamed vegetable dumplings.
There was a wonderful smell of coffee around. If you like your coffee then you will love these markets - chai mocha lattes and a stall dedicated to countless varieties and flavours of ungrounded coffee beans!
Next train not until 11.25 am back to Central Station. May stop in Katoomba but maybe not Scenic World unless I can store my groceries somewhere. May stop in Leura on my way instead.
Blackheath Station with a view of the changing colours of Autumn.
Changed my mind. It's too cold no going straight back to Sydney on the train!
Back in Sydney, its 2 pm and cold. Just as forecasted the rain started to come down around 3 pm.
Final shop at Woolworths and some sushi for my father then straight home for a sleep. It is getting dark early now. I had a bit of a sleep on the train but it is better to sleep in your own bed.
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