Catching the train home from Cronulla on a Sunday night is quite an experience.
First, it was cold. Bloody cold. And although I had sloppy-joe style jacket, it wasn’t really enough.
Second, there’s almost no one on the train. In fact, I was able to lie down completely on one of the three-seaters and have a bit of a nap.
Well, I would have, were it not for the fact that the train stopped at virtually every station.
After competing in the City to Surf, Damo had invited me down to Cronulla for the day for a mid-afternoon celebratory tapas at a place called Splash.
The haloumi was good, though not as good as Yulli’s. There was also a prawn dumpling style of dish, which I thought was an interesting twist on tapas. All in all, though, I thought it was excellent value. Priced at $25 for 11 different dishes, topped off with a bottle of wine and were laughin’.
It wasn’t my only “fine dining” experience of the day, though, as Colin and I also went out for Breakfast at Bills. Famous for his scrambled eggs (which Colin enjoyed), I had the Ricotta Pancakes which were excellent! It was Colin’s birthday, by the way.
My other favourite experience before heading off to Cronulla was a close encounter of the Swedish kind with a bunch of people sitting on the bus.
Catching the bus down Oxford Street, I found myself sitting near a group of people speaking in Swedish, which sparked a smile of recognition on my face. I listened in to what they were saying and understood about one-third of what was going on, as they spoke so quickly.
Although I didn’t have the confidence to say hello or join in the conversation, I did say “ursakta mig” (excuse me), as I made my way through the midst of them as I got off the bus. It sparked a knowing smile.
Swedish class resumes on Tuesday night, so maybe I’ll feel more confident next time.