Page 153 - WDT Magazine Egypt
P. 153

lished in 1855, hence its giant unlabeled trees beside
                                                              sloping lawns. My final day’s walk took my through
                                                              the garden to the Goodwill Bridge, filled with pedestri-
                                                              ans and bicyclists (called “lycra psychos” by one wag).
                                                              One last wander through South Bank took me past
                                                              all the highlights and into the far edgier West Bank
                                                              neighborhood, filled with inexpensive Vietnamese,
                                                              Thai, Greek and Indian cafes. As often happens when
                                                              I head out for an aimless walk, I missed all the pos-
                                                              sible lunch options. Instead, I burned a few calories
                                                              hiking around a hilly residential neighborhood.
                                                                 A kind man pointed me toward the river with
                                                              instructions to walk through a community park with
                                                              game fields and shade trees. I eventually made it to a
                                                              ferry landing back in South Bank and cruised the river
                                                              one last time. Determined to get a good night’s sleep
                                                              before the next day’s dawn transport to the airport, I
                                                              opted to dine at my hotel, the old-fashioned, hushed
                                                              Royal on the Park.
                                                                 Other diners were scarce in the chandelier-lit
                                                              Walnut restaurant, where the menu hovered around
                                                              fancy entrees. The waitress took my order for a salad
                                                              and chips and returned with a stunning Caesar with
                                                              Serrano ham and pecorino cheese, along with a bowl
                                                              of perfect fries with mayo and ketchup and a glass of
                                                              an Australian tempranillo. I’ve eaten some of the best
                                                              chips in my life in upscale Australian restaurants, and
                                                              these ranked right at the top. The waitresses offered
                                                              to box my remainders for a midnight snack. I wisely
                                                              declined.
                                                                 My ride to the airport at 6:30 the next morning was
                                                              actually pleasant, thanks to Kay. The amiable Uber
                                                              driver was a fantastic conversationalist, dropping
                                                              tidbits about the city and the country. His attitude was
                                                              pure Australian—open, unguarded, generous and fun,
                                                              just like everyone I met during my two-week adven-
                                                              ture Down Under.


                                                               Ferries connect the CBD with the shaded
                                                               lawns at South Bank.













                                                                                   WINEDINEANDTRAVEL.COM 153
   148   149   150   151   152   153   154   155   156   157   158