Travel – Snapshots & My Thoughts by Ailee Petrovic

International January 26, 2016

Sydney (Part I)

I’m pretty sure that Sydney is my soul city. I absolutely love it here. I just laughed and felt rather nostalgic reading my last (short-lived) blog from my previous trip here in 2010 – Down Under Diary. The trip consisted of a lot more sight-seeing and fancy restaurants and bars than this one will, but I will love both, as they reflect the current stage of our life. While in Melbourne, Isla rarely napped like she typically does in Houston – a 2ish hour nap after lunchtime. Since we arrived in Sydney on Sunday, she has picked this up, napping from 1:30-4:30pm, which is crazy. It also means that her 7pm bedtime can be pushed back, making it convenient to go out and try all of the trendy restaurants near the beach. We’re praying she quickly adjusts to her Houston schedule when we return home.

On Sunday, we arrived in Manly around 1pm and ate lunch at the nearby The Roast Office, then unpacked and we all took a nap. After waking up, we went to find the beach… only we got really lost and ended up finding a swing set, then wandered to the wharf. We ate dinner at Papi Chulo, which was so tasty and very kid-friendly (best high-chair seat attachments!).

The following day, we ate breakfast again at The Roast Office (it’s that delicious!) then wandered two streets over to Manly Beach. After a few hours on the beach (it was cloudy), we ate lunch at Hemingway’s, which made me really excited, as I’m re-reading The Paris Wife for the 1,000th time. We left the restaurant, returned to the apartment, and while Isla took her extremely long nap, I went for a run to get our bearings on the area. I got a little lost, but saw the gorgeous north point of Manly. After I showered and Isla woke up, we caught the ferry to the Circular Quay, where we took photos of the Sydney Opera House and Harbour Bridge, then ate the most delicious dinner at Opera Bar (where I had drinks with friends in 2010!). Isla absolutely loved the ferry ride and kept yelling, “FISH!!!!” and pointing out to the water. Our sweet friend, Esther, who owns cuteheads made the best custom dress ever, which got no less than 8 compliments from people we saw. The tulle kills me – it’s so precious!

Yesterday was Australia Day (think Fourth of July craziness for Americans), so we weren’t sure what would be open or not. Isla wore her custom red, white and blue cuteheads outfit to be extra festive (it was a huge hit!). We fortunately had breakfast at the highly recommended Three Beans (delicious muesli bowl), and then went to the beach. As opposed to her last two experiences on the sand, this time is was really hot, and Isla didn’t know how to feel about that. I escaped for a bit with her to get a mango sorbet, which she devoured. We decided to eat lunch at Manly Grill (Sasha ate kangaroo, which horrified me), and then we went back to the apartment for Isla’s nap. I ran away to Shelly Beach for a quick tan and book session, then returned right as Isla was waking up. We went to the ocean pool, then wandered to a few restaurants which were closed for the holiday before deciding to eat dinner at Ouzeria (their halloumi was heavenly).

We’re heading to Tarongo Zoo tomorrow, and I think Isla is going to be besides herself with excitement. I cannot wait! Follow along on Snapchat at @aileepetrovic!

International January 24, 2016

Melbourne (Part II)

We packed up our bags on Sunday morning and left Melbourne, heading north to Sydney. Of course, I booked our flight leaving from the Melbourne – Avalon airport, which, to my knowledge, was the only/right one. When we arrived at the airport on Sunday, I discovered there were actually two airports in Melbourne, and we were at the wrong one. Whoops! Thank goodness the Melbourne-Sydney route is the highest trafficked one on the planet, and we were able to get on a new flight with a small change fee. Whoops!

The last few days in Melbourne were absolutely perfect. We got to spend time with the Pattens, watch tennis, and eat some amazing food. I am definitely going on a juice cleanse when I return to Texas!

On Friday, we had coffee at The Beatt Cafe, then ate lunch next door at Mammoth. The chef is known for her creativity, evidenced by the lobster donut burger that Sasha scarfed down. My muesli was absolutely delicious too. After eating, we took a taxi to go back to the Rod Laver Arena at the Australian Open, while Greg babysat Isla (and later, Ailie, Lauren and Hayley joined too). We got to see Maria and Roger play again (both winning), then Sasha stayed to watch his idol, Novak Djokovic, while I headed back to the house to put Isla to bed and catch up with Hayley, who had been in Sydney all week for work. We ate vegan chili, drank delicious elderflower gin and tonics and talked about a million fond memories from their time in Texas.

We went to The Prahan Market on Saturday morning, bought flowers, fruit, an acai bowl from Health Bowl Cafe and drank delicious Jasper Coffee. After Isla woke up from her nap, we headed to the Fitzroy area to see the rainbow sidewalk and eat lunch at Jimmy Grants. Afterwards, we downed some delicious (and fascinating) liquid nitrogen-frozen gelato at N2 Extreme Gelato. While wandering in the area, we went into Gorman and also got vegan cupcakes from Merry Cupcakes. At the house, Greg and Hayley made the most incredible two layer cheese board, filled with crackers, French cheeses, grapes, figs, dips, and savory chocolate. It was seriously my dream come true – that’s why there are four photos below. I am so inspired and will definitely be making my own boards when we get home.

We were so sad to leave on Sunday. The Pattens spoiled us rotten, and we are already missing their hospitality! Happiest 21st birthday to Ailie!

Expect a Sydney post soon! Off to explore right now. xo

International January 21, 2016

Melbourne (Part I)

We made it to Australia safe and sound with only one piece of luggage missing (unfortunately, it held all of Sasha’s clothes and my makeup/toiletries)! Isla did surprisingly well on the plane, so we’re totally expecting her to go berserk on the haul home (praying this isn’t the case though). Although I am definitely far from a travel-with-young-child expert, I will share a toddler travel tip blog post when we return with some advice I’ve read, been told, and learned firsthand.

The last time I was in Melbourne was May 2010, and I was only here for two days (visiting my closest family ~~friends~~ after a trip to Sydney). We landed on Tuesday morning (which was weird since we left on Sunday in Texas), and had to take a quick trip to Lululemon for Sasha to get some new clothes to wear to the tennis tournament the following day. We then spent the rest of the day relaxing by the pool and catching up with our friends.

On Wednesday, we rode with Greg into the CBD (Central Business District, which is what we refer to as ‘downtown’) and got breakfast and coffee(s) at CUMULUS INC.. Afterwards, we walked to the Australian Open and watched Maria Sharapova, Serena Williams and Roger Federer (my favorite!) play, then ate lunch at Cucina di Casa, and hung out around the grounds watching Andy Murray. When Roger won his game, we walked along the Yarra River back into town, through Federation Square by Flinders Street Station, and went to Little Cupcakes for some post-dinner treats. Afterwards, we went back to the house for delicious dinner cooked by Greg.

On Thursday, we went back to Lululemon (bag only arrived in the evening), then ate lunch at Pantry, which was delicious. Afterward, we went to Brighton Beach to lay out, splash around and photograph the colorful huts, then walked back to Church Street where we spent some time window shopping (my favorites were Gorman and Country Road!), before having a drink at Brighton School House (Detox juice and Mojito both highly recommended). Ailie (pronounced the same as my name) drove us back home afterwards, moving through St. Kilda and Toorak, then going home for dinner. Greg (or Mr. Greg, as I called him my whole life – he’s like my second dad) is truly the best chef ever, and he pulls out this delicious himalayan salt block out, adds basil leaves, mozzarella cheese and cherry tomatoes, which absorb the salt. You eat each together after 5+ minutes of being on the block, and voila – the best caprese salad you’ve ever eaten! I definitely will be trying this when we get back home!

Today (Friday already!), we’re having a slow morning because it’s pouring rain. We’re going to go out for lunch, then do another day of the Open. We’ve got tickets to see Roger play again, and Sasha has a ticket to see his tennis obession (Novak) play at Margaret Court. He’s so excited. I’ll share a recap of the rest of the week in a few days!

Let the photo oversharing begin!

City Guide September 2, 2015

Four Perfect Days in St. Petersburg: Travel Guide

In May, we went to St. Petersburg, Russia after visiting Paris for the French Open (travel posts here and here). Lots of people asked why we chose St. Petersburg, as most Americans don’t travel to Russia, and the answer was simple: it was cheaper than other options. We knew that we were going to France and that we had to fly through Frankfurt (because United is the worst), and we thought we should tackle another city while we’re halfway around the world already. After looking up flights to Munich, Vienna, etc., we decided on St. Petersburg, and I’m glad we did.

I did not know a whole lot about St. Petersburg before booking the trip, but had a good image in my mind of what it would be like. For the most part, I was right, but the one thing I did not expect about this beautiful city was how good the food is. And I should clarify: I don’t think I ate anything Russian in Russia. The food scene in St. Petersburg is world class. The restaurants are trendy, the cocktails are delicious, the dishes are eclectic… and we loved every bite and sip.

We soaked up so much history and culture in just four days in the city. We bought Faberge eggs (ahem, eggs from the Faberge Museum), walked until we could walk no more, toured this canal filled city by boat, used more audio guides at museums than I would like to admit, and frolicked in at least five parks.

Long story short: You need to go to St. Petersburg at some point in your life. And when you go, I’ve outlined four perfect days in the city. You can also use this custom Google map I created which plots all of the places named below.

Personal July 27, 2015

Week in Review

Happy Monday, y’all! The last four-or-so days have been a complete whirlwind, with us packing up and traveling back to Houston from Durango after being gone for a month (Isla and I, flying and Sasha, driving) and then hitting the ground running with photo shoots on Saturday night (just hours after landing) and again on Sunday (for Jessica’s blog – Feather Thread). I’m doing a sneak peek of some of Jess’ photos below, as they are absolutely my favorite we’ve done so far. I have a hippie-inspired styled shoot tonight with five other talented ladies/friends’ involvement, and I am anxious for 7:15pm to roll around for us to get started.

Some of the highlights from the past week (other than taking a much needed ‘blogcation’) include:

Seeing my parents and Sasha’s mom after being gone for a long time! I know they were all way more enthused about seeing Isla, but I’ll pretend it was equal love for all! Ha.
Getting picked up at the airport by my very best friend, McKenzie. She met us in the baggage claim area and I could have hugged her all day long. She also made my favorite vegan dessert and had it in a cooler in the car. Yup, she’s perfect.
Making multiple trips to the Durango Rec Center, sliding down the slides at least 50 times with Isla and hearing Sasha brag about being the “fastest person ever to go down the big slide” (which is clearly made for 13 year olds).
Going on multiple bike rides with Isla along the Animas River – we even stopped one day and let Isla wade around. She is a champ, because it was so cold I couldn’t even last ten seconds. I adore the photos of her holding onto her Tata’s hands. They melt my heart!
Eating at every single one of our favorite restaurants in Durango before heading back to Texas – Himalayan Kitchen, Cyprus Cafe, Fired Up, Carver’s, Cream Bean Berry and Eolus. Best meals and drinks! I am going to miss each place a lot.
Lots and lots of swinging at the park. Isla is addicted, and I’m obsessed with her squeals of joy, so it’s a win-win activity!
Trying the Animas Brewing Company and having my first glass of wine from a can. And y’all, it was so good. The company is called The Infinite Monkey Theorem, and if you can get your hands on a can, I recommend it.
Getting a package in the mail from Bookroo – I cannot wait to share details about this cool company/concept this week!

How was your week?? Get up to anything fun?