Well I just got back from an “Eventful” weekend. I had decided a while back to use up a few free nights I had in Melbourne and I decided it was time to try and tick something else off my bucket list. Firstly it was going to be flying down on a Friday which meant I could use Qantas’s lovely tag on flight from BNE-SYD on a 747-400. Of course they also added on the fact that you can upgrade from the cheapest air fares. HELLO bargain basement airfare to Sydney in Business Class! ($100 + 8000 points).

This could mean I could tick off my bucket list item of flying Upper Deck on a 747! YAY!! It was a very memorable flight (expect a proper trip report in the next few days/week) and a weekend that really was full of ups and downs.

Full of catching up with friends, lots of good food (Brasserie Bread’s new location in Melbourne, Richmond Hill Cafe & Larder with the most amazing breakfast!) and my highlight of the entire weekend. I got to meet a Childhood Idol. Iain Hewitson was someone as a child who was an idol to me. I remember watching him cook on TV when I was really young and saw the food he was making, he was jolly and funny and happy and the food just looked good.

That was the start of a love/passion for food (which still continues now even though i have to be different) and it was always a dream to go to his restaurant “Tolarno” in St Kilda. Sadly a few years ago it closed but now he has a new Bar in St Kilda being “Barney Allen’s” The food was damn good and plentiful and pretty cheap! No Mains over $20! But after a big meal of good food, as I was paying the bill I noticed someone sitting at the bar. I said to the waitress who was serving me “Is that who I think it is?” “It sure is!”

It was Heuy himself!!! I couldn’t believe it. So acting like a little school girl, I got to meet the man himself, get a photo and act like a little child again. It was the highlight of my entire weekend, a few seconds. The whole ticking off the bucket list got put back behind me, that paled in comparison! So if you check out the link below you will see all the photos but best of all, theres the photo of me with my Child Hood Idol…

O and after telling him that he was the reason I got to loving food his reply was “so its all my fault is it” which he said with his trademark grin!

Bucket List Weekend