Tags
Australia, Australian Capital Territory, Canberra, Cream Cafe & Bar, Food, friends, National Gallery of Australia, Parliament House Canberra, Silo Bakery, travel, Wollongong
Our road trip to Canberra was a quick overnight visit. We spent the first day driving to Canberra and shopping in the mall. The second day was set aside for sightseeing and then driving back to Wollongong before it got dark.
While eating dessert the previous night, V and I flipped through the various tourist magazines and pamphlets in the room. Several of the local tourist magazines and pamphlets mentioned Silo Bakery. It was interesting reading the reviews about Silo Bakery. Some mentioned a food poisoning incident that temporarily closed down the bakery and other reviews tooted it as the best bakery in town. I was aware of the food poisoning incident but since it had re-opened for almost a year by then hopefully that meant everything passed the food inspector’s requirements.
Waking up bright and early in Canberra was easy when we were greeted by the beautiful early November weather and sunny skies. We packed our belongings and loaded everything back into V’s car. The drive to Silo Bakery was less than 5 minutes and we were fortunate to find the last parking spot across the street.
We entered the busy bakery and were seated in the back. I have to say, I felt like I was sitting in a back service hallway … oh wait, I was sitting in the back hallway. They had small tables (tables for 2) lined up on one side of the hallway and counter seating on the other side. Hmm.. *shrug* but whatever… it was only a quick stop for a bite before heading over to our sightseeing.
Our menu options
The menu seemed to have a lot of options but we were only looking for a simple bite. Perhaps if I was not seated in the back hallway, I would have ordered something a little more elaborate. I was actually craving a juice that morning… but after seeing the price… no $6 juice for me. Instead, I went for a latte.
Our breakfast choices… and my Whitecaps t-shirt. (V took this picture)
V’s pick … I can’t remember what filling she picked
of course, another latte
V’s tea
I also realized why sitting in the back hallway was not cool. It wasn’t just the fact that we were surrounded by bland looking walls and people walking up and down the hallway, but that the servers forget about you. That is, if you can find a server or even get their attention. Not very cool… I remember we had to wait a long time for V’s tea to arrive.
As for the food and drink, the sausage roll and the latte that I ordered tasted average. At least I don’t remember anything that stood out in a good or bad way. While V was trying to catch up on her tea, I went out to take photos of the “shop” part of the bakery. It looked much nicer than where we were seated!
inside the bakery
choices
We left our “quick” breakfast visit a little later than we expected. Luckily our first sightseeing stop was nearby. We followed the roads to reach Parliament House, the centre of the geometrical layout.
New Parliament House (opened in 1988)
beautiful lawns of Parliament House
stainless steel flagpost that sits on top of Parliament House
view from the lawn leading to the flagpole
view of the building from the side lawn
view from Parliament House — can see Old Parliament House and the Australian War Memorial
A special postmark! Of course I have to mail a postcard from here… even if it costs more to buy some from the gift store….
After spending a couple of hours at Parliament House, we headed over to the Parliamentary Triangle to visit the National Gallery of Australia. Situated next to the High Court of Australia, we stopped to take a few pictures of the Court’s exterior before spending another couple of hours checking out the exhibits in the National Gallery.
It’s all in the same area.. National Portrait Gallery, High Court of Australia and National Gallery of Australia
National Portrait Gallery
High Court of Australia
National Gallery of Australia
National Gallery of Australia in Canberra
With all that sightseeing completed, we decided to grab a late lunch before starting our drive back to Wollongong. V and I went back to the Canberra Centre area and stopped off at a place called Cream Cafe and Bar.
I make some bad food choices… and especially when I’m not hungry but craving something ridiculous… like deep-fried foods. I probably should have ordered some veggies to balance it out but… calamari, fries with aioli and lavender tea should be ok, right? V was much wiser as she ordered a burger. I must admit that I really didn’t feel like having a burger.
Calamari
Fries
V’s burger
V’s probably the more health-conscious of us two. Her smoothie and burger combo was a better choice for a proper meal. I enjoyed my calamari and my fries and satisfied my craving for deep-fried foods. However, it would have been an even better meal if I had ordered some vegetables.
Keeping tabs on the time, we realized that it was time to start the drive home (Wollongong). Unfortunately we were unable to go to the Australian War Museum but V did drive by so I could take a photo. Thanks V!
approaching the Australian War Memorial
driving past the Australian War Memorial
heading back to Wollongong
heading back to Wollongong
V and I arrived back in Wollongong after dinnertime. K had waited for us to eat dinner and simply whipped up a meal of whatever he found in the fridge. I have to say, the best meal of that day was the tasty 5-minute menu that K created with leftovers. 
Here’s the most photogenic dish…. and yes, I did have a big serving of salad that evening.
Another one of K’s creations
