Bye Bye, Bondi

We're back from our Oz journey, easing back into our Venice life, and moreover, life as a new homeowner. I really needed a break from the 24/7 entourage of contractors, painters, and landscapers. As Mike put it, if 747 Marco were a movie, there would be a lot of credits to roll at the end. I think "playing house" made me less neurotic about spoiling the newness of our real home and more ready to live in it. But, I digress. What I want to share are our regular, favorite spots in Bondi, not in any particular order, all within walking distance from 43 Hastings Parade (our Sydney address):

1. Harry's Espresso Bar: Rocket fuel coffee and Adriano Zumbo ham and cheese croissants served from an Italian-style counter. I loved that they had a bag of Blue Bottle and Stumptown on display.

2. Bru Coffee: We hit this surfer/swimmer pitstop pretty much everyday towards the end for their "famous healthy bircher". They use pear juice to sweeten it, though not sure why this makes theirs particularly famous. Nevertheless, it was very tasty topped with fruit and thick, greek yogurt.

3. Jed's Food Store: Single Origin coffee, rasta-hipster setting.

4. La Piadina: Tiny flatbread factory cranking out hot, mouthwatering sandwiches made with super-fresh ingredients.

5. Ria Floral: Gorgeous bouquets of buds like jonquils and anemones, wrapped in elegant black paper. Perfect hostess gift.

6. Miljo: Didn't get to shop very much but I did manage to score a pair of black clogs that I was obsessing about at this stylish Scandinavian boutique.

7. Jo and Willy's Depot: A regular pitstop for homemade muffins and babyccinos. Mike was into the gluten-free pancakes, believe it or not.

8. Oh Baby, Baby: Of course, I found the new baby boutique stocked with Aussie kid lines like Ouch.

9. Kids Pool at Bondi Beach: I wish they had something like this in Venice. It's a man-made kiddie wading pool, carved out of the ocean. The waves crash against the side, lessening the impact of the tide. Needless to say, Henry stayed in until his lips turned blue.

10. Rotary Playground: The view overlooking Bondi's famous waves were killer from this playground, where we hit the swings. Every. Single. Day.