The Rocks Markets

Markets... most of them are free to visit, they are always in cool places/venues/ Always have good food and you're out and about walking getting exercise. Markets = Winning.

Set in Sydney's historic 'The Rocks' location, the equally named 'The Rocks Markets' takes place every weekend.

With a wide variety of homewares, trinkets, Australian souvenirs and food, you'll be sure to find something that you like... or just walk around and have a stickybeak.

Its a great FREE way to see a small bit of Sydney's history and shop at the same time.

If you're driving - Leave the car at home and catch the train. Get off at the Circular Quay stop and walk towards the bridge - you'll soon find the markets. Parking will cost you... A LOT! best go with the public transport for this one!

www.therocks.com

Art Gallery of NSW

After a bit of culture? A bit of inspiration through art? WE either love art galleries or hate them. I am a lover of art galleries, I've been to some of the most famous ones in Europe, the UK, Singapore and China. Dont be too quick to dismiss how awesome our art galleries are in Australia. I think going to art galleries in AUstralia in an experience in its entirety. That is, the grounds of our art galleries are always stunning, and most them are situation with a far bit of land around them, allowing for a lovely stroll to take in the surrounds.

The Art Gallery of NSW is just beautiful. Set amongst the outskirts of the city centre, it gently falls onto the botanical gardens.

Most Sydney siders don't visit as frequently as they should, or, haven't visited at all.

You don't need a full day to visit, but I would save a good half day - Walk to the gallery from Hyde Park in Sydney - Its a lovely walk.

What's even better - if you're on a budget - It's free to enter!However, if there is a specific exhibition on, there is normally a charge to view.

My favourite thing is the Auslan guided tours. Check the galleries website for dates and times.

www.artgallery.nsw.gov.au

A picture is worth a thousand words - 798 Art District

Hands down, the 798 Art district on the outskirts of Beijing's ring roads, has to be my second (only to the Great Wall) favorite place I visited. EVERYWHERE you look there is something happening. From graffiti to posters, sculptures to architectural buildings. the 798 district has it all... And I mean all. Cafes, wine bars, boutique clothing stores, real coffee (it is one comfort from home I cannot live too long without) bric-a-brac items and retro music - it can all be found here.

Putting it bluntly - I could live in this place!

The streets are a maze of sensory pleasures, constantly stimulating you as you move through the space.

Lonely Planet have a great little write up on this place with directions and comments from other travelers.

How do you get here - get a cab! its so cheap and it saves you a lot of hassel - Its about a 20min ride out of the heart of the city and will cost you about 70RMB (around $10AUD). Well worth a visit and save a whole day for it! It normal opens around 10am and its completely free to get in. There are some exhibitions though, inside the complex, that charge a very small fee of between 6-12RMB (about $1-$2AUD).

If there is one thing you must not miss in Beijing... the 798 Art District is it!

Tianzifang

The French concession area of Shanghai gives you a little taste of french-chic style. Tianzfang actually reminds me move of Melbourne Degraves street and small arty alley ways than Parisian streets. Regardless, it has flavour and the buzz and I LOVE it!

Fairy lights hang flippantly from the roof of the entrance dazzling you with the sense of stepping into a new world. A world full of cafes, art spaces and boutique shopping. You really do forget that you are in Shanghai.

We spent the afternoon here getting lost in the alleys and window shopping looking at all the trinkets and art (it is an expensive area to shop in, so if you're on a budget - put the wallet away and just look. If your here to splurge...then indulge!) I recommend coming towards the end of the day - only because I found the atmosphere to be buzzing.

This area of Shanghai is home to some amazing restaurants. Normally, when traveling, I like to stick with the local food, but...we couldn't help it. We had to experience some French dining (we did have one french citizen and two ex-residents of Paris in the group...). Our friend Emma, took us to a French bistro called Le Saleya.  The food was amazing! The wine - beautiful. The service - spot on! It you are every here make sure you order the Chocolate Fondant for dessert - TRUST ME!

It smells as sweet as a... Rozelle

Looking for a trendy place to idle away your Sunday, with some good coffee, food and shopping? Rozelle is the place you will want to head to.

Classed as the inner western suburbs of Sydney, it is a short (depending on traffic) 15min bus ride from the city, most of the '500' buses will get you there, or close to it. You can also walk there...yes, its actually not that far. If you're around the Pyrmont/ Darling Harbour area and have some good walking shoes on...take a stroll over there. Its a good 60min walk, but you get to walk over the ANZAC Bridge and take in the sites while preparing your body for all the amazing food you will eat!

Rozelle is famous for its 'high street' - Darling Street, which is very long and stretches over several suburbs. It doesn't really matter which direction you head in - both ends of Darling Street have something to offer. But, I suggest you start by heading towards Balmain.

On the weekend the Rozelle Public School plays host to the ultra trendy and always popular Rozelle Markets. You can find ANYTHING here, and I dare say it is one of the best bric-a-brac markets I have been to in Australia. Every store is overflowing with past loved items, treasures that hold amazing stories and eclectic gift ware.

You will not be led astray with an abundant choice of cafes and coffee houses, some of my favorites include:

• Piccolo Padre (this is where Vic and I ate on this visit to Rozelle)
• Iku - amazing vegan food (nom nom nom)
• C'est Bon - It is good! trust me. Amazing french pastries and coffee! You cannot walk past the window without your mouth watering!
• About Life Cafe - This is also a massive organic supermarket that I love. They stock a great range of organic, vegan, and gluten free foods as well as everyday products.

You can easily spend a whole day wondering around this area, but to get the most out of it, I would go there in the morning and spend a good half day!

If you're feeling like getting in touch with your zen side. There is an awesome yoga studio here also. Its hot yoga, so you will sweat. The teachers are amazing and the classes are always fun -
Body Mind Soul

The main reason we went...

The motivation for the impromptu road trip to Canberra was to go to the National Gallery of Australia (NGA) to view the Renaissance exhibition. It was truly beautiful and breath-taking!

I have seen some great art works before in many galleries and museums around the world, but it was nice to see such master pieces in the NGA.

Whilst in Canberra we stayed at the YHA, I'm a big fan of the YHA in Australia. They are cheap, clean, there is one located nearly everywhere, the staff are great and it's a great way to meet new people and fellow travellers!

The YHA in Canberra is located on Akuna Street, which is literally in the heart of the city. If you love food, then there are plenty of restaurants spread around the building. If you love shopping, then Canberra City Centre (the shopping mall) is a 2 min walk. All the major attractions are very close by, and if you feel like it, you can hire a bicycle for the day and ride around (which it appears most people do)!

You can pick up a bed for around $28-$35 a night (depending on the circumstances – dorm, share, twin etc…). There is a bar connected to the YHA, underneath it, called the Transit Bar. Great Cocktails and good shots, both of which are reasonably priced! The bar staff are incredibly friendly and love to have a chat! Ask them to make you a special cocktail – They are great at it!

All the 'big' tourist places are located locally around each other. If you find you can’t find a specific building or venue that you want to visit, I found that... you can just spin around and look down a main road, chances are you will be facing some type of tourist hot spot. Canberra should be called the ‘City of circles and other round things’. The traffic is non-existent, it’s the myriad of round-a-bouts and one way streets the gets me confused!

YES, I FOUND IT DIFFICULT TO DRIVE IN CANBERRA!

Why, GPS...without the GPS I was fine, with it, a nightmare! As mentioned, there are a lot of round-a-bouts in Canberra, which aren't an issue, unless your GPS tells you to go down a 'one-way' street or directs you down the wrong turn off. Turn it off and follow the signs!

The NGA is an amazing place, full of incredible artworks. As mentioned we went for the Renaissance exhibit, which was beautiful. I think we spent a good 2-3 hours wondering through the halls, I could have spent another 3 hours there, but with only 2 days in Canberra, I had to get a move on.

It is also worth noting the Old Bus Depot Markets - These are what markets use to be like in Sydney. Fresh food, artisan produce, craft and home-wares, all made by the vendors. The markets are located in Kingston which is a little drive (5-10min) from the city centre, but worth it. Next door to the markets you will find Canberra Glassworks, so many amazing intricate pieces. There are also free tours that you can join that take you through the workshop and explain all thing 'glass'.

Things to check out...

• National Library of Australia
• Questacon
• Canberra Museum and Gallery
• National Portrait Gallery
• Canberra Glassworks
• Old Bus Depot Markets
• Capital Hill/Parliament House
• Black Mountain Tower (commonly known as Telecom Tower)