Bob and I travelled up to Sydney around lunchtime on Monday, arriving at our friends' house in Bilgola Plateau mid-afternoon.

To my surprise, Molly was not a retriever-style dog, but instead a cattle dog / kelpie cross with a broad beam (like me!) and fearsome bark. Although unsure of strangers (postmen beware!) she is quite well trained, very friendly and loyal.

On Tuesday morning Bob, Gerd and I walked Molly for around an hour around the undulating streets up and around the plateau for her morning constitutional. Despite times of extended stopping and sniffing, at times the pace was a furious trot, so the exercise level was generally quite high. There wasn't much time afterwards before we all drove into the city and onward to the airport where we dropped our hosts at the Domestic Terminal. With around an hour and a half before Bob departed, I suggested that we head to the southern suburbs and have a coffee in the more culturally interesting area of Rockdale, rather than hang around the airport precinct with it's overpriced goods and $14 an hour parking.

Within a few minutes we were there, and transported into a world far removed from Canberra and the northern beachside culture. There was no shortage of options of where to grab a cup, and we eventually settled on a pavement chair at the M&M Bakery off the Princess Highway. There were quite a few old men sitting there, smoking and no doubt arguing about politics or the way of the world in their countries old or new.

The service couldn't have been friendlier, and Bob's eyes nearly popped out of his head when advised that our two cups of coffee and water was $4.40 all up. It was good coffee too . . . a bit of an aftertaste, but very good nevertheless. We looked at a few of the interesting deli's and bakeries, where Bob bought one slice (or slab!) of Spinach and Ricotta Burek for his return journey.

Still with time up our sleeve, I searched further north up the Highway for the Lebanese Bakery that I remember opening in the early eighties. We found it, and had another coffee there ($3, and also excellent - somwhat between a middle eastern and european style), and Bob also bought half a kilo of not-quite-so fat ladden pastries to take home with him. with his training ramped up to 5 or 6 hour training days at the moment (long cycle up to Corin Dam tomorrow for example), he can afford to have some of this 'bad' food.

After I dropped Bob off, I drove back North, deciding more as an afterthought to come through Ku-Ring-Gai National Park and via Chruch Point, at least partly to check out the road for cycling. It was a steady climb (or would be in the outward direction), but emminantly doable I judged. The conditions today were uninspiring however. A respite from the century scratching temperatures of the weekend were no doubt a relief for everyone, however I will look forward to it warming up and the heavy cloud cover lifting!

In the afternoon I headed out for a run, a wonderful exploratory run around the suburb and beyond, eventually following a 'No Through Road' sign along (?) Hilltop Drive to it's end, to find a path at the end which led, through my rather good directional nose, near to my starting point. A good loop, with plenty of climbing (around 250m of ascent in 9 and a bit kilometres), taking just over an hour. Forgot to take my Ventolin beforehand, which I noticed, but otherwise it was all good.

Allowing myself only a drink and putting on a top, I then went for a pre-prandial walk with a somewhat reluctant Molloy, taking half an hour or so, with some jogging, some stopping and some co-ercion when she knew a shortcut home.

I forgot some things at home (like a cable to recharge my laptop), so am not as wired as I would like today. Tomorrow? Another run, and a cycle somewhere.

And of course a couple of long walks with Molloy to bookend the day.

Woof!