EvBetPGH Down Under: Manly Beach

Growing up in Pittsburgh, you learn to love rivers. But if you grew up in Sydney instead, you probably learn to love the beach. And "love" might be not strong enough. From what I could tell, Sydney folk LIVE the beach. Maybe it was because I was visiting in November, when their spring starts to turn to summer, but the laidback vibe was pervasive and contagious. It's been a struggle to get back into the swing of things here at home after ten days of living without many responsibilities. 

While in Sydney, I spent time in Manly Beach, which is where my friend Mullen has cast her lot. As you might be able to tell from the photo above, Manly Beach is a little like a beachy paradise. Actually, a lot like a beachy paradise. 

Here are some photos to enjoy, and then be jealous of, when you realize that up here in the United States, we are settling in for the dark cold winter months (i.e., the exact opposite is happening in Australia).

Walking along the beach in Manly will easily get you into the "Manly Vibe."

Beach volleyball, surfing, sunning... Is this real life?

The Corso - where every other shop sells surf-style fashions, most people look like they walked right out of the 1990s, and food and drink options are a plenty.

At the edge where the beach meets the cliff, there is an odd little pool.

Flowers on the cliffside.

My last full day in Sydney was spent in Manly. It was my only opportunity of the trip to rent a bike. And it was also the first day of the cold I caught, which is still holding strong, nearly a week later. But, I wasn't going to let a pesky sore throat and runny nose stop me from exploring. Even though I was a little concerned that the combination of a cloudy head and the whole "driving on the other side of the road" thing could be a problem. I never got used to traffic being on the left, and hardly ever jay-walked because I could never figure out which way the cars were coming from.

When I rented the bike - er, "hired" the bike - the guy at the place was advising me on where I should go that would be easy to navigate, not knowing anything at all about Manly's layout. I wanted to go to the park up at the top of one of Manly's cliff. He warned me about a very steep hill, to which I scoffed and thought, "Psssshh... I'm from Pittsburgh. I own steep hills." And then about thirty minutes later, when I was about halfway up the steep hill and was cursing my cold for making me feel week, I thought, "This park better be worth it, because I now feel as awful one of those turd lizards looks."

Fortunately, I was handsomely rewarded for the steep-hill-climb effort.

The bike that got me around, and that I did not crash while navigating left-hand-side riding.

Now that I'm back home, where the sun is setting upsettingly early and the clothing layers are starting to happen, Manly is becoming a distant memory. But it's nice to know one of my best friends lives there, and that a return trip is likely necessary one day. After all, I never did try that whole surfing thing...

EvBetPGH Down Under: Sydney's Royal Botanic Gardens

Admittedly, I am not the girliest girl. I've always been a bit on the Sporty Spice side, even though in high school when my friends (hello, Milana, Eva, and Lindsey!) and I dressed up as the Spice Girls for fun (we really did), I was always Baby Spice. What I'm trying to say, is that I'm not about to wear a combination of pink and leopard and spend three hours on my hair and make-up. But I do like fun dresses, am starting to wear heels and lipstick (gasp!) more often, and there's always my tendency to love even the worst romantic comedies. Another girly thing I like: flowers. 

For that reason, Phipps Conservatory has always been a favorite spot of mine in Pittsburgh. 

Sydney's Royal Botanic Gardens are like Phipps times at least one hundred.

My first few hours in Sydney were spent wandering around the Gardens as part of a scavenger hunt Marlana had prepared for me while she finished the rest of her working day after picking me up from the airport. I was so instantly charmed that I didn't want to leave. I visited them three more times during my trip, either for walks to take up time, walks to find things, or walks to steak dinners. They are absolutely beautiful, and more like walking through a dream because they are so immense. It's kind of funny to see that photo above with the city in the background, because being in the gardens makes you completely forget a bustling metropolis is just a few hundred yards away. 

Pretty lily pads!

I will take a dozen of these plants in my fantasy backyard garden, please!

A couple dozen or so of these guys too.

Sydney might not get a fall with the changing leaves like we do, but they have crazy purple trees! It's like being in a Dr. Seuss book.

So many carvings on all of the bamboo tress in the gardens.

A real treat was coming upon the Wollemi Pine!

Now, because I saw the word dinosaur and got excited, I think I jumped to te conclusion that these trees were around with dinosaurs. Rereading that sign now, it's a little unclear if that is true, but let's go with it cause I posed for the picture and all. (Note: very sleep deprived, the day after crazy Melbourne trip, and we'd been walking around all day long by this point.)

If I lived in Sydney, this would be one of my most favorite places. There are still so many nooks and crannies of it I've yet to explore. I'll have to hit those the next I'm down under.

Take A Walk: The Streets and Alleys Between Friendship and Coral

Love these window boxes and the lush green coming from them.

I had half of a coffee left to drink Sunday morning. I'd been up for a few hours writing (all the wonderful things that posted this week on EvBetPGH) and was in need of a quick break. I grabbed my coffee, my headphones, and a camera and took a walk. I ventured up and down the streets and between Gross and Amelia and Friendship and Coral. One thing I was struck by as I walked along was how jealous I was of every backyard I came across. I even saw one tree with a climbing wall built to the side with a treehouse too. Jealous! Here are some shots from the walk. I love my neighborhood, and the little discoveries and surprises that it brings.

Show your work.

Sunflower and the sky.

Happy Friday! I'm off to Canada for the Labor Day weekend. It's been over a year since I was there last; that's over a year too long.

30 Before 30: The Color in Frick Park

And we're back in the park! One thing I've learned to love about hiking (even urban hiking like this) is finding the spots of color peppered in among the green. So here are the bits of color I found while wandering the woods.

I climbed up a bit to get this, but it was well worth nearly twisting my ankle on the way down.

Spending a few hours away from things by getting lost in Frick Park (but not too lost, it wouldn't take too long to walk to the edge of this forest). It was just me, my iPod and my camera. It was glorious.

Bike's in the Shop: My Walk to Work

In order to better the odds that I am actually able to make it to Washington D.C. by bike, I had to do something I really really hate doing: giving it up. Red had to go into the shop for some MAJOR work before the trip. I was going to be without a bike for both a morning and an evening commute. The worst possible thing. For no particular reason, I haven't been able to wake up very early lately. I've started taking cereal and instant coffee into work because there is nothing I can do to get up and have breakfast at home. Simply put: I don't wake up early.

However, take away my bike and force me to face the brutal reality of the bus? I will wake up early and walk. (Disclaimer: I believe the bus is a very important and vital tool to our city. I use it from time to time and it is something that really allows me to live without a car in Pittsburgh. I just like to use my own two feet to get around.)

Ultimately, walking to Downtown takes a bit longer than busing to Downtown. So I really would save time and sleep longer if I rode the bus. But it had been a while since I walked to work. I used to walk to work all the time in Boston before I got a bike. I'm never one to turn down a long walk, so I forced myself awake by treating me to a nice coffee for the way in.

And I took some photos along the way.

Flowers in Bloomfield

Looking over Lawrenceville into Millvale from Penn Ave.

I see this every morning coming down Penn. But I'm normally on wheels and not feet, so it was considerably easier to take a picture.

This place on Penn does great business in the mornings around 8:20 a.m.

If there were an award for most colorful building in Pittsburgh, Salem's would have to be a contender.

Troy Hill in the distance. Love that colored wall.

So, a few weeks ago, I started to see this mural slowly going up on the wall of Altar Bar. It's PRETTY incredible. We've got New Found Glory (which I initially thought was Meatloaf, cause it kinda makes more sense in my head that it would be Meatloaf), Hank Williams III (I think?), Snoop Dogg (because of course; he loves Pittsburgh, at least the Pens and Steelers), Leon Russell (???), and the Misfits. I almost hope they rotate new celebs up there seasonally. 

And I got to work *right* at 8:30; I couldn't have timed it better if I tried.

April Showers? No, but Downtown Flowers!

One of the reasons I love Pittsburgh: Seasons. I know this isn't unique to my lovely city, but it is an important thing to me, and I don't think I could live in a place that didn't have all four seasons. Granted, we didn't really have a winter this year, but spring has sprung and it has put me in the best mood. Regardless of the lack of snow and bitter cold, the city was still gray ol' Pittsburgh winter. The bursts of color as the trees start coming back to life and the flowers popping up in a variety of shades are putting the energy back on the streets. People are out walking around. Everyone's eating lunch outside. It feels good out there. So good.

I spent a bit of my lunchbreak the other day admiring the tulips growing between PPG buildings in Market Square.





And then I explored the cloisters at Heinz Hall for the first time. Always look up when you're in the city; you never know what you will find up there.

Happy Spring, Pittsburgh!!