PuddleduckLane: Respite with Richard

I'm home from a couple of days in Sydney...a mini-break for some much needed me-time.

I had planned to go with my girlfriend Clare, then got wiped out with the flu last week. Despite five days of antibiotics I was still battling fevers on the weekend so I cancelled the trip for fear that I'd land in hospital again with Neutropenia. I was pretty miserable about missing out on my getaway and so completely over being ill. I woke up yesterday and decided that illness be damned, I was going to go, I needed something fun and fabulous. So I jumped in the car and headed to Sydney while Hubby kindly stayed home and looked after the boys. I'm so glad that I went!

It was a gorgeous day for a drive. I stopped at Bowral for a break and had lunch at my favourite cafe, The Elephant Boy.

Then it was another hour's drive north to Sydney where I booked into the most divine heritage guest house at Cremorne Point overlooking the harbour. This was my little bit of indulgence.

After a couple of hours rest I jazzed myself up and headed out.

Photo of Richard taken by Robert Ashcroft in New York

My fav British actor, the dashing Richard Armitage, is in Sydney promoting the dvd release of The Hobbit before he heads back to New Zealand for another ten weeks shooting pickups for movies 2 & 3 of the trilogy. I first admired his work in Spooks back in 2008, loved North & South, Strike Back and the Vicar of Dibley amongst his vast array of screen performances and spent many hours listening to his Georgette Heyer audiobooks to pass the tedious weeks in hospital.

Last night I spent a delightful evening at the Orpheum Theatre in Cremorne for a Q&A with Richard followed by a special screening of The Hobbit.

It was great fun...he was witty, intelligent and incredibly generous with his time. I had to restrain myself from reaching out and tackling him to the ground for a hug as he walked past me on his way out.

Here is the interview thanks to Popcorn Taxi.

It was great to kick back and watch The Hobbit again, it's such a rich film and I noticed so many little things I'd missed the first time round. Afterwards I toddled back to my little hotel, kicked off my shoes and sat on the king sized bed with my copy of The Hobbit and a lovely bottle of bubbles compliments of Cremorne Point Manor.

Bliss!

After a very restful, child-free, uninterrupted night's sleep I woke up to the birds outside my window & the sun sparkling off the water on another gorgeous day! Sydney can be so very beautiful!